Author's note: Thank you for your patience with this chapter! I know it's long overdue and it's simply because I got invested in writing another longfic named 'Immersive Environment' which I recently finished.
But despite the delay, I hope you enjoy!
Even at the end of the world, everything is still the same
He had never read about a place like this before, had never smelled something like this and had never even imagined something like this. Despite having tried to walk carefully, his socks were wet and dirty, his shoes scoffed and stained. Water was seeping into his shoes, making his feet squelching, feeling uncomfortable with every step. A part of him wanted to fly and keep his feet dry, though another part of him couldn't bring himself to do it when he knew Sonic couldn't, looking up at the hedgehog.
Unsurprisingly, he had taken their new surroundings rather well, walking with hands linked behind his head, casually going as if he was strolling through the forest, not caring mud was traveling up his legs, socks, and shoes, most likely wet as well. He ambled past lonely rocks and jumped over branches, had at one point whistled a melody the fox didn't know what was. He was chipper, his body language radiating a relaxation and calmness he had seen before, though not in these surroundings.
Tails admired the demeanor more than anything, as he felt tired and annoyed for the most part, wondering how far they had to walk in mud and water. He distracted himself by thinking instead, observing, and frowning at the limping Sonic did, the left leg seemingly bothering him more than he wanted to admit.
He still didn't know what had happened to it, as he knew the hedgehog could take care of himself and therefore hadn't given it much thought. He was more or less trying to ignore his own pain, as the stab wound had started to hurt again, small surges of pain shooting through his body with every step.
The paste Knuckles had given him was still saved in a tail, and a part of him considered asking if they could stop and give him time to change bandages and apply it. But he knew they needed to keep walking, looking up and watching as the sun was starting to set, the first day after his recovery coming to an end.
He was already considering their shelter for tonight as his eyes glanced over the trees surrounding them, though their crowns didn't offer enough shade. Peculiarly, he had noticed these kinds of trees seemed to be connected, as their roots traveled from one tree to the next, continuing on and on like an endless street. He hoped there were some other kind of shelter nearby.
Tails sighed annoyed, running his hand up and down his arm, starting to freeze as well. His thoughts traveled to his hideout back in Croford, quickly agreeing with himself it hadn't been the warmest place to sleep nor had it been particularly safe. However, it had remained somewhere he could relax and recuperate, get ready for the next few days, finish tasks for clients, and get food in his stomach.
It felt like months ago since he'd last slept on his pallet, his desk where he'd been tinkering with his device, pulling out his chest to find a book to pass the time. He was sure it had been stripped clean and ransacked by now, having only taken the essentials with him when he had left it. It was odd thinking back on it, now realizing he didn't miss it as much as he thought he would. The only parts of Croford he missed were Epsio, Vector and Charmy. He hoped the pick pocketers were doing alright.
"I've never been here before," Tails blinked, the voice alone pulling him out of his musings, looking up.
Sonic had a grin on his lips, slowing down and walking beside the fox. The pick pocketer blinked, already reading the fake expression he was receiving. The smile reaching his eyes, said eyes glinting with mirth, though the wrinkles around his lips told him he was trying not to let it show he was in pain. His emerald eyes were deep, being chipper as his body was showing, though a tiredness was lingering in the dark irises.
He had been awfully tense during the boat ride, therefore the fox didn't blame him, as he'd been in constant fight-or-flight mode, his fear taking over his rational thinking. Depending on how rational the hedgehog was.
"You know I've told you about the jungle and the mushroom forest and such, right? Well, I've never been to a place like this. My uncle said these places only exist far east on the planet, which means we've traveled quite a way since Croford," Sonic continued when the silence had lasted for too long, making Tails blink. He looked away, letting his eyes roam across the trees again, the humid air making his fur feel sticky, his feet squelching.
"Does he travel a lot?" Was the first question which came to mind, turning his head to look back at the hedgehog. Sonic laughed good heartedly, shaking his head.
"Nah, the old man likes to be grounded, you know? Sure, when he was younger, he went from place to place, but when he settled in the village many years ago, he called it his home and stayed for years. He just reads a lot and is pretty curious about anything. I think you two could be good friends," The hedgehog smiled, letting his hands fall and look back at the fox.
Tails merely watched him, still seeing the tiredness resting in his eyes, though another joyful expression was slowly showing. He knew what he was implicitly saying with the comment, knew why he had chosen those sets of words and he knew he would get an answer if he asked.
It was a subtle invitation, stating he and Sonic's uncles had potential to be good friends, meaning the hedgehog was interested in introducing them to one other. Therefore, essentially inviting him home.
"Maybe," Tails uttered quickly, more or less not to shatter Sonic's dreams completely.
He didn't know what to do with himself when their journey finished. He knew Sonic had promised him he would help him find a safe place to reside.
But what would happen with him after their mission? During their mission? He didn't know, and a part of him didn't have the energy to wonder about it now. He wanted to live in the moment, despite being taught to plan three steps ahead of himself. For now, the days remained too unpredictable to plan.
"Where could I go? I know nothing here anyway," he started to think, shaking his head subtly to make the thought disappear.
Espio's plan had been for him to start anew in Kroxburg, leave the criminal life behind and earn some money to get himself settled somewhere. That plan had been shattered the moment he had stepped into the city.
"I'm sure you two would get along great," he appreciated Sonic pulling him out of his thoughts once again, turning his head to see the same smile plastered on the blue one's lips.
There was now hope showing in his expression, together with the joy, the tiredness and the pain, and the face made him look away and sigh, rubbing his temple. He could hear his stomach rumbling, his throat getting dry as well, and a headache had ample opportunity to join him in his misery.
"You alright?" He had expected the question, letting his hand fall and looked at Sonic, the latter blinking puzzled. The fox nodded, stepping into a deeper mud puddle, drenching his shoe completely.
"I'm fine," he said, shaking his shoe to no avail, continuing, and trying to pretend the mud was his friend. "Just hurting a bit," Tails explained, despite it being an understatement. He could see Sonic in his peripheral vision glance down at the bandages wrapped around his stomach, frowning slightly.
"Yeah, I think they should get changed soon," he agreed, Tails glancing down as well. They were dirtied and brown, feeling as it had tightened as well, presumably shrinking in the humid air.
"Or you might get another infection," the word alone made the fox shiver, not having any desire to return to the blackness filled with dreams and nightmares, floating in an empty space. He glanced at Sonic's left leg to distract himself.
"And you need a break," he commented, making the hedgehog look at the mentioned leg, still limping without pausing. He waved a placating hand in the air, letting out a 'pfft' in the meantime.
"I'll be fine. I've done worse," he rationalized, shrugging his shoulders, and looking at Tails.
The fox narrowed his eyes slightly, seeing the slight twitch of the lip, his eyes locked on to his own. He sighed again.
"You don't have to lie to me," he explained, having seen it the moment the sentence had left Sonic's mouth.
The hedgehog said nothing after the statement, making the two of them walk in silence for a moment. It was only broken when Tails heard him chuckle lightly, scratching the back of his head.
"Sorry man, I just – don't want ya to worry, you know?" Sonic explained in a softer tone, the fox not having to look at him to tell he was telling the truth.
He frowned from the statement, however, wondering why he'd commented on the fact that the hedgehog had lied to him. Out of worry? It had happened out of nowhere, not even thinking twice about whether he should reveal his lie or not. He blinked in surprise, a part of him wondering if this new territory of finally having a friend, brought with it social behaviors he hadn't noticed before. Or had the opportunity to share.
"What's that?" The tone was completely different from before, making Tails' thoughts halt as he looked up at what the hedgehog had mentioned.
He blinked, squinting his eyes slightly, trying to figure out what he was looking at. The path ahead of them was still blocked by the trees and larger puddles of murky and muddy water, though he could see something larger emerging between the canopies. As they continued walking, he realized there were multiples of them.
"Oh yes! I had no idea a village would be out here in the middle of nowhere!" Sonic exclaimed, as Tails had realized the same thing.
Though Sonic's enthusiasm and relief were palpable to the naked eye, Tails found himself biting his lip instead. Between groups of trees and murky water, a village was indeed emerging between the foliage.
At first, he thought it was only a couple of houses, then he realized they were standing on platforms, raised above the ground. Stairs led up to the decks, the houses made of wood, small, dirty glass panes in the windows. They were a dark green color, more due to the humid and muck atmosphere than the original design. Dilapidated, a couple of holes in some of the roofs, looking fragile and creaked and groaned with every minor movement.
Tails stared at the houses, not realizing there were places on the planet which had it worse than the poor part of Croford. The houses there were only standing on toes as well, though they were at least made out of stone or brick to hold itself together. These looked like a strong gust of wind would make them crumble.
As they continued walking, the fox turned his head when he realized Sonic was steering toward a path, still made of mud, though it was firmer than their previous trek, leading into the village. Tails looked up again, looked at the houses, looked at the decks, suddenly seeing Mobians.
He felt a knot in his stomach, suddenly feeling naked and fragile without his cloak, his fur puffing slightly. He glanced at Sonic, though the hedgehog had a relieved smile on his lips, not having a care in the world. The fox had a feeling the emotion was supposed to apply to him too, though he had a hard time mirroring it, as he looked back.
A sign indicated the entrance of the village, slightly skewed and a part of it missing, and despite green algae covering the surface, he could read the letters etched into the board. 'Welcome to Plumouth'. He could hear the hedgehog let out a curious sound.
"Plumouth huh? I've never heard of this place," he regarded, as he continued walking, without looking, without worry.
Tails had hardly heard his comment, merely looked around, merely got a sense of his surroundings.
His fingers twitched, rolling back to old instincts, letting his eyes quickly roam over every person he saw, seeing everything in the blink of an eye. They were poor. He could tell from their clothing, long dresses on females, dull colored with stained aprons on, dark green or red, wearing dirtied foot attire. Old clothes, torn at the base, a hole in the sleeve, either couldn't afford new clothes or was satisfied with what they owned.
Males wore belts, vests, long sleeved shirts, though they were ripped in different places, at the cuff, at the shoulder. Feet covered in boots, attire used to the muddier and humid atmosphere, looking older than the Mobian themselves. Tails glanced at them, seeing mothers hovering over their kids, males standing in groups talking, working on something.
The only thing the fox and them had in common were their stares. His eyes narrowed, clenching his fists intentionally, staring back at the eyes he was receiving. Sharp looks, judgmental expression, Mobian cats or dogs, arching a brow at him, crossing their arms over their chest.
Most of them seemed puzzled and confused, wondering what those two were doing here, what kind of business they might have. Though when they locked eyes with his sharp sapphire gaze, he could see the warnings in their expression he was used to experiencing on the street. He had taught himself the demeanor, being well aware how to act tough despite shaking on the inside.
He overexaggerated his extra appendage, letting his tails whip since he knew they were the cause of the stares he was receiving. A few kids gasped, pointing at him, making the mothers promptly shush them or gently push them away, getting weird looks, while others seemed as if they wanted to challenge him. He merely looked back, letting them know he wasn't afraid of them if they wanted something, having nothing to hide and could take them on if necessary.
"Hey," he flicked his ears, finished analyzing a male standing by a barrel, before he turned his head at Sonic. The hedgehog's gaze was one of confusion, looking around before focusing back on the fox. "Are you doing alright? You seem tense," the hedgehog asked, though looked over his shoulder as well.
Tails' fingers twitched again, as he noticed Sonic being tense as well. He didn't blame him, as the village was radiating an unwelcomeness, the stares seemingly wanting them to turn around and run away as fast as possible. He wondered how outdated the sign at the front was.
"Does that surprise you?" The fox eventually answered, turning his head again, watching as a female bird pushed her kid to continue walking, going somewhere.
He turned his head when he felt Sonic's gaze on him, the hedgehog blinking mildly confused at first. The answer seemed to hit him after a second, briefly looking around again.
"Look, if any of these dudes are going to bother you, I'm here too, alright?" He then reassured, turning to Tails.
The smirk he gave him felt reassuring, trusting he had a companion in case something would happen. A part of him was convinced they weren't going to be left alone.
He resisted the urge to bite his lip, as he looked around again.
"Sure," he answered, watching as the village expanded, as more and more houses on raised decks seemingly emerged from the ground itself.
It was bigger than he had anticipated, people walking outside, hanging clothes on clotheslines, yelling at their kids running around, people carrying a barrel or box to and from somewhere. They weren't minding themselves, as the stares were plastered to him, it being a completely different feeling from Kroxburg.
Either from the fact that they had traveled across the planet and was experiencing a whole new culture, or he wasn't wearing his cloak. He didn't know which one of them applied.
"Here we go!" He was pulled out of his musings from Sonic's sudden exclamation, turning his head to watch the hedgehog walk away from him.
Having walked into a four-way crossing, he watched as Sonic was headed toward what looked to be trading carts, a miniature market of sorts. His eyes glanced over produce, what looked to be fruit or vegetables, seemingly fresh as well, despite the humid environment.
He kept staring for another moment, one part of his mind already wondering how he was going to swipe something when he couldn't hide it in his cloak. Then he remembered he had promised himself he wouldn't do that anymore.
His stomach rumbled from the thought, now reflecting on why he had pick pocketed in the first place, why he had to resort to the ways of a criminal, since life had treated him unfairly.
Tails looked away. He would have to find some other way to get food and clothing. He needed to figure it out.
The thought made him sigh, not knowing how to even begin, and therefore distracted his mind by looking around again. People were still staring at him, though his sharp gaze either made them look away or look back with a warning as well. He looked over the houses again, looking at the deck, wondering how the wood was still standing when it was green with algae, wet and unstable.
As he observed the phenomenon, he locked on to something else, something familiar. He arched his brow, feeling his fur puff up as he stared at the group of Mobians huddled together.
About four of them were standing with dark cloaks, their backs turned to the street, speaking in a low volume. He knew a group of criminals when he saw one.
He huffed to himself, turning away as he wasn't going to be the one to dig his nose into others' business. Then he stopped, when he saw three of them walk away, the fourth picking up what looked to be a miniature cage on the ground and followed.
Tails blinked, wondering what needed to be kept in a cage in a place like this. And one that small.
"Look what I got," he only turned his ears at Sonic's excited exclamation, waiting to check if others were going to follow them. When nobody did, he narrowed his eyes a little.
"It wasn't cheap, but I-" "Did you see them?" Tails interrupted, his behind appendages whipping, turning his head to look at the hedgehog. Sonic blinked bemused, looking over the fox's shoulder at where he'd been staring beforehand.
"See who?" He asked, puzzled, though Tails didn't see where he was looking, as he looked at the items in Sonic's hands.
In one hand, he had two white balled up garments, one being a pair of gloves, the other being a pair of socks. In the other hand, he had four smoked sausages, cooked and prepared, only being cold. The fox merely stared for another second, before looking at Sonic.
The hedgehog concentrated back on the younger one at the same moment, smiling softly. He shrugged his shoulders.
"You needed new pairs, and I'd rather not have you walking around and being nauseous," he explained, even chuckling a little to himself, reaching the socks and gloves toward him.
Tails stood for another moment, feeling the same pool or warmth coming to his abdomen, reaching for the garments.
"I bought some for me too – and some more fruit since ya know. It could be a while before we visit another village," Tails only half-listened as he unrolled the gloves, the white fabric only getting dirtied by his own stained pair. They were exactly his size.
He swallowed something in his throat.
"Thank you," he said, looking up and smiling at Sonic.
He didn't know what else to say, having already experienced the hedgehog doing a similar gesture, buying food for him in Kroxburg as well, being by his side in a fight and had practically saved his life. Why he continued to do more, remained questionable. He didn't get an answer as the hedgehog nodded, putting away the sausages in his quills for safe keeping.
"You're welcome, buddy," he smiled, as Tails balled up the gloves again, one tail slithering around his hip where he saved the garments for later. "Who'd you want me to, see?"
He looked back at Sonic from the question, blinking mildly confused as he'd almost forgotten. Turning around again revealed the spot he'd seen them to still be empty, as if nothing had happened.
He reconsidered, a part of him knowing he shouldn't put his nose where it didn't belong, especially in a village where he wasn't familiar with the criminal web. The other part of him felt uneasy about the cage, knowing well who'd been trapped and who'd they had to rescue the last time they had encountered one. Granted, this wasn't Kroxburg, though this village didn't radiate a joyous and justified crowd either – whatever or whoever it was could be in danger.
"I saw four criminals running off with a cage."
"A cage?" Tails turned to look at Sonic, the hedgehog having his eyebrows raised in alarm, putting his hands on his hips. The pick pocketer nodded.
"But it was really small, and anything could've been in there," he countered afterwards, making the hedgehog look at him. He seemed to consider the fox's words for another moment, one finger tapping on his hip in uncertainty.
"Are you sure they were criminals?" He asked again, looking over his shoulder briefly, though most of the people around were luckily starting to pretend they didn't exist. Tails pointed at the spot he'd seen them.
"They were four males, huddled closer together than the norm. Not close enough for a hug or sign of affection, but big enough to hide something. They wore big and dark cloaks with their tail hidden underneath, hiding their identity and were talking in lower volumes. Their stances were tense, prepared and had their guard up, one of them was looking around, being more observant than the other three. They had broad shoulders, hiding in the shadow with their hands covered under the cloak as well, trying to draw the least amount of attention. People were walking past them, not even batting an eye. People would normally look at someone when they're acting strange, though they were ignoring them instead, indicating they knew not to get involved. If they aren't criminals then they're suspicious at the very least, not to talk about the cage either," the pick pocketer presented.
He had been taught to read the signs, his vigilant eyes obtaining every detail he could pick up, having seen the behavior and phenomenon many times before. It was how he had avoided getting involved into something he couldn't get himself out of again.
"Alright, you convinced me," the fox turned around, though Sonic was smiling, his eyes glinting with the same impressed expression he had seen on him many times. "Then let's go check it out," he decided then, walking forward.
Tails blinked, having half a mind to tell him they shouldn't get involved and possibly get a larger web of criminals watching their backs the rest of the time they were here. But Sonic was already investigating where he'd seen them, standing on his toes to look over something, before disappearing between two decks, a makeshift alley.
The pick pocketer shook his head, before he jogged to keep up, turning and following the hedgehog.
Ears twisting and turning, he paid attention to every sound once again, ignoring Sonic's squelching shoes, trying to listen for conversation or whispers. He heard nothing out of the ordinary, almost ramming into the hedgehog as he had stopped walking. Stepping around him revealed the swampy grounds once again, the back of the houses only leading back out to the humid and wet environment.
"Looks like they got away," Sonic commented, crossing his arms over his chest.
Tails narrowed his eyes, taking another step forward as he let his ears twist and turn. He could hear nothing in the murky waters, only the occasional mosquito or fish getting air in the water puddles. He let his eyes roam the area instead, looking at the tangled trees, observing anything out of the ordinary. As he analyzed the small area, he suddenly noticed the indents in the ground.
"Here," he said, pointing at the shapes in the mud.
It could've been a footstep as much as it could be an animal, though they looked recent and continued further into the bog. He could hear Sonic letting out sounds of surprise, making it his cue to follow them, as Tails continued forward. As he walked beside the prints, he could tell the path had been used frequently, as no branches or deeper water holes obscured his path like their previous trek had.
He continued listening, hearing as the hedgehog followed behind him, feeling his presence close to him as well. Walking forward and looking around, he noticed as deeper waters showed on his right side, a bigger and older lake dominating the wetland, the ground under him being wetter and muddier as well.
His ear flicked when he suddenly heard voices, stopping, and waving a hand at Sonic, making the hedgehog stop as well. He turned his head, trying to decipher what they said, though they were too far away. He continued walking slower, keeping a keen eye on his surroundings as well.
As he stepped around a larger tree with wild roots, the voices became clearer, and his eyes widened as he saw them again.
The group of four, standing by the banks of the lake, talking to a fifth with another cloak. The latter was standing in what looked to be another kind of boat, though it was made of rusted metal, smaller, and floated on the water as if it weighed nothing. The voices were raised, as he could only make out a couple of words, something about owing something or having a deal. Those words alone gave him an idea as to what was going on.
"Chaos you're cool," Tails knew the compliment was regarding his tracking ability, though he was trying to concentrate on the cage he could see again
One of them was standing with it in his hand, though something was inside of it. Something in a turquoise color, being round and small, something yellow on its head as well.
"Is that a chao?" The fox blinked, turning his head to look at Sonic. He looked confused as well, looking over the former's shoulder to get a better look at what he'd said. "I think it is," he confirmed then, his brow furrowing.
Tails could already read it, seeing a sudden surge of anger coming to his expression. He didn't know what to do with the information, only looking back at the creature in the cage.
"I didn't know those were real," he commented, trying to get a better look at it.
He couldn't tell where its face was and what was its body, something floating above it as well. He'd only read and heard about chao, a rare mythical being which apparently huddled in groups in special areas. He knew they were a special item sold on the black market, though he'd never seen one before.
"There's tons of them where my village is. But I've never seen one in these parts before," Sonic said in a lower volume, making the fox look back at him. "I don't know what those guys are doing, but I don't think they're going to release it," the hedgehog continued, that sudden anger coming back to his voice.
Tails had a hard time disagreeing, as he could hear from their conversation that selling the thing seemed to be their objective. Selling a living being.
"Me neither," he agreed, steeling himself as he got closer. He could hear and feel Sonic following behind.
They haven't noticed them yet, though their conversation became clearer, as it seemed the price was being argued with, their voices raised, sounding angry. That wouldn't matter.
"I don't know about you guys but hiding out in the middle of this disgusting swamp doesn't look like a beach vacation to me," Sonic said loudly, making all five of them whip their heads at them.
Tails let a smirk come to his lips, his behind appendages whipping as he stopped a few safety feet from them, the hedgehog standing beside him. The one holding the cage looked half-panicked, looking back and forth on his comrades, while the others held their gazes. One of them being inexperienced, the other three having experienced this before.
"What is it to you?" One of them asked, an older male, crossing his arms over his chest. His cloak fluttered behind his shoulders, revealing a dark gray wolf tail, standing with his back straightened, his gaze held onto the hedgehog's face. "If I were you, I would run the hell back to where I came from."
"Hey, would you calm down with the language? I'm trying to teach this guy not to, and you're not making a good example," Sonic jerked his head at Tails, who ignored the comment, instead concentrating on the other males.
The one in the boat was looking at him, though one hand was on the wheel, the other on a lever, indicating if something happened, he would run away instead of staying and fighting. The other three were broad shouldered, though thin and had muscles in their legs and arms. Quick on their feet, looked trained, and had already underestimated the both of them. He used that to his advantage, as he scoffed loudly, waving a hand at them.
"You think you can just stand there and make yourself proud like that? You're terrible at hiding your tracks, even a toddler could find your little meeting," the fox smirked, intentionally hurting their ego. The provocation worked, as he could see a couple of frowns appearing, one hand balling into a fist, though the one with the cage looked more nervous.
"How about you listen to my warning and haul your asses back to the village?" The same wolf from before demanded, pointing at the direction they had come from. Tails shrugged his shoulders, crossing his arms over his chest as Sonic shook his head.
"Not a chance. Whatever you're trying to do with that chao is not exactly legal. If you just leave it on the ground and walk off, then we'll let you go," the hedgehog negotiated, the fox observing their reaction. The wolf scoffed, looking over his shoulder at his comrades.
"You hear that?! They're going to let us go!" He started laughing, making the others echo in the same laughter. The other two in the group were followers, still trained and experienced, though would fall if the leader did.
"You think two little monkeys like you can stop us? You're filthy and are already hurtin' from something. Walk off now, and pretend nothing happened," was seemingly the last warning, as the wolf balled his hands into fits, staring sharply at the both of them. Tails exchanged a glance with Sonic, making the latter shrug.
"Nah dude. We're not feeling it," he smirked, the fox finding himself copying it as he steeled himself for the inevitable fight. The wolf looked shocked for only a second, before the brow furrowed, cracking his knuckles audibly.
"Then let me help you feel somethin'," he said, taking a step forward.
It initiated the attack, the other two standing behind him following, smirks on their lips, a pre-victory gleam plastered in their eyes. Tails felt his fur prickling, knowing they already had the upper hand, as he watched the one with the cage take a step back instead, the one in the boat clenching his fingers around the wheel.
Sonic was the first one to strike, as the hedgehog sped forward in the blink of an eye, sending a roundhouse kick into the wolf walking at the front. He was sent slamming into a tree, the air getting knocked out of him as he slid down and remained on the ground.
Tails turned around, the other two standing frozen in place, the one with the cage taking another step back, while the one in the boat turned it on, and sailed away. The hedgehog smirked at them, seemingly pulling them out of their daze, as one of them narrowed his eyes and charged.
Tails ran, aiming directly for the other one who'd wanted to attack Sonic as well. He looked at their feet, observed as one tried to punch Sonic though missed, stepping around and tried to lunch again. They were experienced, keeping their arms close to their bodies, watching where the hedgehog was going.
He switched his gaze when he avoided a punch to the face himself. The fox swung around, swiping his tails at the wolf, sending him into the muddy ground immediately. The air got knocked out of his lungs, making him remain on the ground, Tails turning around.
The fox stared at the one holding the cage, narrowing his eyes, letting his behind appendages move angrily and confidently. It was enough, as the wolf threw the cage on the ground, turned around, and ran. The pick pocketer walked forward, wanting to make sure the creature was fine, when something smacked into his back.
A mouthful of air left his lungs as he took a step forward, twisting around on his heel and faced the attacker, avoiding a punch. The leader wolf had come to his senses, an angry frown etched into his expression, not underestimating them anymore. He tried to kick at him, Tails jumping and sidestepped, trying to swipe his tails at him, though he avoided.
Dodging another punch, he reeled back his own arm and hit the criminal on the nose, making him take a step back. Seeing an opening, he swiped his behind appendages at his feet, making him fall to the ground with a pained sound.
The fox turned around, though he saw one of them were running back toward the village, Sonic looking at one he'd manage to tackle to the ground, rubbing their cheek. The hedgehog looked at the pick pocketer, smirking.
Tails smirked back, turning around, and watching as the criminal backed up into a tree, staring at the two of them with wide eyes, realizing the situation was lost.
"Okay, okay, listen. I'll add you into the deal, alright? How much do you want?" He asked, waving a hand at them as the fox had stepped closer.
Tails pretended to be interested, turning around and arched a brow at the hedgehog who scratched his chin in thought. He was quick to shake his head. The pick pocketer agreed, looking at the criminal, his brow furrowed, his tails whipping.
"We don't deal with the likes of you," he finalized, stepping forward.
Swinging his behind appendage made the criminal roll onto their back, Tails straightened his hand and rammed the side of it into his neck. A shocked sound was the last noise he made, before the head fell, and went unconscious. He stepped forward, though the face wasn't dipped into water, turning around though only one other remained on the ground as well, the others having disappeared.
As he realized they had won the fight, he let a small sigh pass his lips, leaving a shaking hand on his side where the wound was covered. The adrenaline was still coursing through him, though painful surges were going through his body, being roughed up in the fight.
"Looks like we showed them, huh?" Tails flicked his ears, watching as Sonic stepped forward toward the cage, still limping.
The fox didn't have a chance to comment on it as the hedgehog picked up the prison, fiddling with the lock a little.
"There you go little guy," the fox observed, fascinated as the chao flew small pink wings on its back, as it came out of the cage.
Its eyes were wide, two big pupils and dark blue eyes staring at Sonic. It had no fingers or toes, were merely yellow at the ends, its body completely round, the top of its head ending into a point, a yellow ball of something floating above it. Its wings were louder than anticipated, quite an annoying sound, as the chao were seemingly frozen in place, looking at the hedgehog.
When it turned around to look at the pick pocketer, a wide smile suddenly spread across its face, and lunged itself at him. Tails didn't have the time to dodge or punch it away, as it latched onto him immediately, its small arms hugging his shoulder tightly.
The fox was blinking as the hedgehog was laughing amused, staring at the creature unpleasantly clinging to his body.
"I think it likes you," Tails looked up, watching as Sonic was standing with a satisfied smile, crossing his arms over his chest.
He focused back on the flying creature as it looked up at him, letting out an odd sound. He flicked his ears, swearing to himself he'd heard it say 'chao'.
"Why?" He asked bemused, as he carefully nudged the chao off him, though it stubbornly tried to hold on.
"Why? We saved it! They're pretty smart, you know?" Sonic explained, looking amused about the situation rather than wanting to help him. The fox sighed annoyed, trying to nudge it off again, but it was glued to his shoulder.
"Could you – let go, please?" He tried the polite route, though the chao merely looked up at him, saying the same odd sound from before. He looked up again when the hedgehog laughed, shaking his head and took a step forward.
"Come here little guy, he's not fond of hugs," Sonic reached out a hand to the turquoise creature, making it turn its head at the gloved hand.
It blinked for a moment, then to Tails' dismay looked as if it wasn't going to move, before he could hear its wings flapping again. It unlatched itself, reaching toward the hedgehog's hand and started to shake it, smiling, and saying 'chao' again.
"Your name is Chao? I'm Sonic!" The hedgehog winked, as the creature took back its hand, looking at the fox. "And this is Tails," he was introduced, as the fox didn't know what to do, merely staring back at the chao.
If the creature thought of him as rude or not, the fox didn't catch the expression in time, as it started to flutter around Sonic in what looked to be happy strides, making the hedgehog laugh again. Tails watched the strange behavior for another moment, before waving a hand at it.
"What even are they?" He asked, blinking confused. The hedgehog watched the chao for a second, before turning to the fox, his smile still wide.
"They're small animals – my uncle says they're very old and live in warm places," he explained firstly, Tails watching as the chao flew down to the cage, before seemingly sticking its tongue out at it.
"But I'll tell you more about them later. Right now, I think we need to find an inn or something to spend the night and get ourselves cleaned up. Sounds good?" Sonic suggested, as the chao flew next to him again, nodding, as if it could understand what the hedgehog was saying.
Tails didn't know yet, he had a hard time reading its face as well, not knowing what to think of the situation. Though, a part of him was already agreeing with himself to think about that later, as the hedgehog's proposal was the best idea he'd heard all day, seeing the sun setting in the horizon as well.
He was dirty, hurting, and hungry. Tails nodded in agreement.
"Sounds good."
Running water seemed like a miracle in a place like this. A part of him hadn't expected plumbing or even a sink to be installed in the rooms. It was cold, but he didn't mind, as he wetted the cloth he'd obtained from a shelf in the bathroom, balling it up and carefully cleaned the wound on his side.
If he pulled his fur back a little, he could see the shape of where the knife had penetrated his skin, a small red cut, slowly healing. He gritted his teeth and sighed out the pain, determining it was clean enough, throwing the cloth into the sink, slithering his tail in front of himself.
He pulled out the wax paper Knuckles had given him, unfolding it slowly. He plucked out a few fox hairs which had migrated inside, before picking up a little with a naked finger, applying it to the wound. He hissed without being able to stop it, making sure it covered the entire wound.
"You alright in there?" Tails flicked his ears from hearing Sonic's voice in the room behind him. The pain subsided as the paste did its job, numbing and soothing the hurt area pleasantly.
"Yeah," he answered without turning around, instead saving the paste and the wax paper in the same tail again, opening the faucet and washing his hands.
He looked at his left palm, though a mere scar was left from the incident in the warehouse, and he knew his fur would grow back quickly. He turned off the water, cleaning his wet hands in his fur when a towel was unavailable, before picking up the roll of bandages he'd left on the sink.
Unrolling it and carefully wrapping it around his stomach, he once again covered the stab wound, he'd received without cause. He frowned at the thought as neither him nor Sonic knew who had hired the assassin to kill the hedgehog in the first place. Whoever had paid her to do the job wanted him dead, for one reason or another. As far as he knew, the hedgehog hadn't any unfinished business with anyone, and he knew the royals wouldn't bother to search for someone this far outside of Croford. Something else was going on, something which felt rotten.
He shook his head when he couldn't get an answer to his questions, and therefore tied a knot and hid it under the bandages, turning around.
Their room for the night was small, only consisting of a single chair in the corner, and two beds, making a small aisle between the sleeping spots. The bathroom had no door for odd reasons, though none of them felt like using it, only using the water to clean themselves up to the best of their ability. The carpet was dark green and dirty, the window dirty enough he couldn't see out of it, an oil lantern on the singular nightstand being the only light they had. Outside the night had settled, encapsulating the village into darkness, another eeriness and quietness he had expected in a place like this.
"You look better already," Tails turned to Sonic from the comment.
The hedgehog was laying in one of the beds, one arm laced under his head, currently eating an apple. He noticed one pillow was underneath his left leg, giving him support as he finally could rest.
He momentarily looked at the creature as well, though the chao was sitting on the nightstand, munching on half an orange, the other half finished and left beside it. Tails arched his brow, not knowing if he'd expected it to be herbivorous or not but decided to sit down at the edge of his bed instead.
The mattress was firm and had old food stains, the blanket thin and the pillow small. It probably looked like this everywhere else in the village, despite the fact that Sonic had given a good amount of money for a single night. If it was due to the weird looks the innkeeper had given them from looking at an azure blue hedgehog, a fox with two tails, and a flying creature, none of them would know. Though Tails was still wondering if he owed him anything.
"Here," he blinked out of his musings from the hedgehog's movement.
He watched as he produced the two sausages from earlier, smiled as he reached it to him. Tails felt bashful, though took the food without much hesitation.
"Thanks," he said again, leaving it momentarily on the nightstand to pick up his new gloves.
Pulling them over his hands and stretching his fingers revealed them to fit perfectly. They were a little tight, and the fabric wasn't flexible, though they were better than his old pair.
"Don't sweat it," Sonic commented, as he took a bite of his apple, whilst Tails picked up the first sausage.
He had to swallow his spit if he wanted to avoid drooling as he took a bite of the food, chewing slowly. The smoked sausage melted in his mouth, tasting the tanginess and spice used in the cooking, and remained his favorite meal of the day. He eagerly took another bite, as he looked at the chao again. It kept eating the orange, seemingly not noticing any of them in the moment.
"What are they again?" Tails asked out of curiosity, finishing his sausage quicker than he liked. He reached for the second one as Sonic swallowed a bite of his apple as well.
"I don't know exactly. But they lived around my village in small areas with water and a lot of forest. The water was the cleanest around and they seemed to hang around there a lot. When I was younger, I would run around to find them and play tag with them. I don't know what they're saying but I think they understand us," Sonic answered, looking at the turquoise creature.
Chao looked up for the first time, staring at Sonic before saying a single 'chao' and kept eating. It made the hedgehog giggle.
"I think that's a 'yes'," he agreed, as he finished eating the apple, already finding a second one in his quills.
Tails had been listening as he regarded the chao again, merely eating the orange and minding its own business. Its expressions were clear, the eyes being the prominent giveaway of its thoughts and emotions, using its entire body to showcase how it felt. However, it couldn't talk.
"I've only heard and read about them," the fox said, as he finished the second sausage. "Espio told me they're worth a lot on the black market. People use them as pets or currency in some places. That's what those criminals were talking about," he explained, observing as the turquoise creature paused in its eating, turning to look at him.
It blinked as it looked at him, before it started to fly with the orange in its hands. Tails watched as it unceremoniously sat down in his lap and continued eating as if nothing had happened. He sighed annoyed.
"But I don't know why it thinks I'm a stuffed animal," he complained, as he promptly picked it up and set it on the nightstand. The look he received was one of disapproval, as it immediately flew back and sat in his lap again.
For some odd reason, the chao had chosen him as its guardian or something, since it was keen on following him around and sitting or latching onto any part of him when given the chance. Sonic laughed from the antics, as the fox did the same performance, leaving it on the table.
"I'm not sure kiddo – but they do have a special skill in reading emotions. Kinda like you," that caught the fox's attention, as the chao lastly flew and sat beside him instead, continuing eating the orange. He looked at Sonic as the hedgehog smiled, waving a placating hand at the creature.
"When I was young and visited them, they responded to how I was feeling. If I was sad or something they often tried to hug me or tickle me to make me feel better. If I was happy, they were happy too and flew around me. Apparently, this little guy thinks you need a hug," Sonic explained, the smile staying on his lips.
The fox blinked mildly perplexed, looking at the chao again as it looked back at him. It smiled and said 'chao', before continuing eating.
"But I don't. Alright?" Tails said, arching a brow, though the chao seemingly ignored him. On purpose.
He sighed and shook his head, instead bent down, and pulled off his old socks. Holes at the tips of his toes, dirty and worn out, they could only be thrown out at this point. Leaving them on the floor momentarily, he picked up the balled up new socks on the nightstand, unrolling them and putting them on. They fit perfectly, realizing it was a long time ago he'd had any support for his feet, the fabric soft and not itchy.
"Next up: New shoes," Tails looked up, as Sonic had watched him putting on the new garments, sending the fox a wide smile.
He took a second to analyze it, seeing a joy and relief in there, being happy on the fox's behalf. Why, he didn't have the capacity to wonder about now, instead swung his legs onto the bed, purposely pushing the chao out of the way.
"Not from here," the pick pocketer commented, as the creature let out a series of sounds before flying and sat on the nightstand again. "I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to stay here for long."
"That makes two of us," the hedgehog agreed as he finished the apple, linking his hand with the other behind his head. "I don't think we're exactly welcome," Tails scoffed at that, turning his head, and watched as the chao finished eating.
"You can say that again," he commented, leaving his hands on his stomach, not being surprised as the small creature started to eat the peels of the orange as well. "I'm sorry I still made you cross the ocean," Tails then said, looking away and into the ceiling.
The guilt had hidden itself away in the midst of nervousness and fear he'd felt instead from the entirety of today.
"Nah, it's cool dude. And I kinda got my revenge, didn't I?" He turned his head to look at Sonic as he didn't understand what he meant, though the hedgehog swiped a finger down his muzzle. Remembering, Tails did the same action, though the small cuts he'd acquired were crusted over, and would disappear in a couple of days' time.
"Besides, you couldn't know those robot fish were going to eat the boat," Sonic commented nonchalantly, crossing his right foot over the left. Tails frowned from the comment, looking at the ceiling again.
"Speaking of which," he said, one tail whipping beside his head. "What were those anyway?" He asked, turning his head to look at the hedgehog for answers. The latter shrugged his shoulders.
"I dunno. But I've seen something similar in my homeland," the notion made the fox blink, propping himself up on his elbow.
"You have?" Sonic turned his head to look at him, blinking confused, as if he didn't understand why the fox didn't know that.
"I have. Though they were much smaller and were in some of the lakes. I've run into some other robots as well; they look like giant insects. Ladybugs and praying mantises – there would only be a few of them at random times, but I sometimes ran into them," he explained, as if the sky was blue.
Tails blinked perplexed, ignoring the way the chao finished eating the orange peels and yawned. He stared at the hedgehog, wondering how and why the robots had been there.
He had never seen or heard of them anywhere near Croford, and from their travels, it didn't seem like they were native to the surrounding cities either. The only metals which existed in the bigger city were the richer families' TV's and electricity, fridges, ovens, and light bulbs. But living metal was nothing which he'd ever experienced before.
He frowned as he tried to remember back to what had happened a few days ago.
"When we fought that giant robot," he said, narrowing his eyes, "you said you'd never had fought anything that big before. How small were the other robots?" Tails asked, making the hedgehog let out a curious sound.
The latter scratched his chin in thought, before looking back at the fox.
"They were smaller than me, maybe about your size," he explained. "But that big fella we fought I had never seen before. It was a cool fight," he chuckled to himself, as the pick pocketer was still thinking.
He let his hand dig into his tail, his fingers curling around the device he'd been building, and pulled it out. It remained undamaged and gray, having survived the water, and fight earlier today. A part of him started to wonder if maybe some of the circuits the people had given him in exchange for moonshine or sugar had come from a robot.
"Who's building them?" He wondered then, turning back to the hedgehog. He shrugged his shoulders again, turning his head when the chao yawned again, rubbing a hand into its eyes.
"I don't know. I've always wondered who built them, but whoever they are must've lived near where I was. That's why I think it's strange we're seeing them here," he speculated, one foot starting to tap in the air to some kind of song in his mind. Tails regarded the words, frowning in thought.
"Like they're following us," he mumbled to himself, looking at his device again. The 'pfft' Sonic let out indicated he disagreed.
"We've seen none of them on our way to Kroxburg or here," he countered, yawning shortly afterwards. The pick pocketers' ears flicked from the comment, knowing he was right.
"Only around Angel Island," he concluded then, looking at his device one more time before hiding it back in his tail.
He didn't know why they were only surrounding the areas where the island was hidden, as they'd seen no robots in the mountains or on the beach. Either they were in sporadic places for unknown reasons, or they were guarding something. What remained a mystery.
"Sounds about right," Sonic said, yawning again. "I don't know about you but I'm gonna hit the hay," he said, as he lifted his left leg and stole his own pillow back, leaving it behind his head.
Tails looked at him for another second, a part of his mind wanting to ask further questions and figure it out, when a yawn halted the thought. He felt tired despite how much he wanted to neglect it and figured getting some sleep to continue traveling tomorrow was probably the best course of action for now.
"Sounds like a plan," Tails agreed, as he pulled out the blanket from underneath him, settling down on the pillow. "Goodnight Sonic," he wished, as the hedgehog reached forward to turn off the oil lamp.
He watched as emerald, green eyes looked at him, a warm and comforting smile coming to his lips, before he turned off the lamp, extinguishing the flame.
"Goodnight kiddo," the hedgehog wished, Tails seeing in the dark as he turned around on his back, pulling the blanket over himself. He saw and heard as his azure blue friend let out a tired sigh, before remaining still and quiet.
The fox found himself smiling, pulling an arm under the pillow and left his head there, closing his eyes. The darkness started to swallow him up, a pleasant one which would give him energy for tomorrow.
Before he could be completely pulled into it however, he felt something snuggle under his blanket and rested against his stomach. He grumbled annoyed, before pushing the chao out again, mumbling 'go away' and tried to fall asleep again.
Despite his words, the creature once again pushed under the blanket and stubbornly flopped down against him, curling into his stomach. Tails sighed irritated, though moved his arm under the pillow again, figuring he could endure it for one night.
Since another day of traveling awaited them tomorrow.