It's as if the world was hunting for treasure
Their surroundings were the same. The trees growing, the water seemingly turning darker with every passing hour, the ground muddier and harder to navigate through. An unpleasant smell of rot lingered in the air, giving away the bog's age as plant matter decayed and decomposed in humid and wet pockets. Muck and mud became their enemy, as it seemed to get thicker and more untamed the further they ventured.
It was different from the forest between Croford and Kroxburg, as it thrived in a fresh scent, trees growing and berry bushes having their own nooks and crannies. The air was light and the river clean. This area remained its counterpart, as the pick pocketer hadn't expected them to run into a new village any time soon. His suspicions only seemed to be confirmed the further they ventured into the bog.
He looked at the ground again, keeping a keen eye on the running hedgehog. Sonic had slowed down considerably, only remaining in a jog, courtesy of his leg hurting. He hadn't said it was the case, though he could his expression contorted in pain, though stubbornly kept going in the same haste. Suggesting walking had been waved off and said he would be fine, though as the next hour had passed, he seemed to consider it again.
Tails didn't know his reasoning, merely took another bite of an apricot he'd been given, having never tasted it before, though a sweety-tangy taste remained on his tongue with every bite. He threw away the stone when he finished, starting to eat a sausage he had in his other hand. He'd seen Sonic eating as well, and Chao had consumed a peach.
He had to intervene when it tried to eat the peach pit, as it would either choke on the size of it or get poisoned. Either option hadn't been optimal.
The fox maneuvered past another tree, feeling as his behind appendages and his back was starting to cramp, despite how much he loved it. If he could continue without limits, he would've, though, instead concentrated on eating and looking at the chao who were following Sonic by his head, either saying something to him or merely going along. When he finished and cleaned his hands off excess grime, he lowered to the ground again.
He saw Sonic turning his head at him when he noticed, making the hedgehog slow down and stopping when Tails landed. He began panting immediately when he was down, leaning his hands on his knees, his lungs heaving for air he didn't have. He felt his behind appendages shaking and resting on the ground, his entire back vibrating from his overused muscles.
"You good?" Talis' ears flicked from the hedgehog's question, looking up at him as sweat dripped from his brow.
He was fine – not panting or heaving for air, as if they'd been strolling through the bog, taking their time, seeing the same sights from every direction. He had switched all his weight to the undamaged leg however, standing with a smile though wrinkles were visible around his eyes. He was in pain, though vigilantly tried to hide it.
Tails swallowed something in his throat, ignoring the fact that his side was pounding painfully as well, not having had the chance to reapply some more paste to the wound. Considering this area was unsanitary and had the perfect conditions to cause an infection, he couldn't do it now.
"Are you?" He purposely threw Sonic's question back at him, then waved at the leg as well for emphasis.
The hedgehog looked down as if his leg had suddenly grown out of nowhere and looked back at the fox and opened his mouth to answer. Whatever words he had wanted to say weren't spoken, as he closed it again with a blink, his expression changing. Tails read it clearly, as Sonic had regretted what he had wanted to say and reconsidered his words. A sigh was the beginning of his answer.
"It's hurting," he said, glancing at his leg briefly, before smiling and arching a brow at the fox, "but I can still walk on it. Now how're you, Mister Smart?".
Tails was still panting and catching his breath, not being sure what the nickname had meant, though figured since he'd given him an honest answer then he was granted one in return.
"I'm hurting too," he said, standing upright again, motioning Sonic to continue walking, "but we can't rest here."
The hedgehog spent another second watching the pick pocketer, thinking about something the fox didn't bother reading, before turning around and following. Tails was still trying to catch his breath, swallowing something in his throat as he noticed Sonic was still limping slightly.
A part of him wanted to address it but was interrupted as Chao flew in front of him, blinking at him quizzically.
"What's wrong?" He asked mildly annoyed, not knowing what the creature wanted from him now.
It merely kept looking at him for another moment, before it lowered and pointed at the bandages wrapped around his stomach, saying a single 'chao'. Tails could guess it was asking what had happened, as the chao looked back at him, worry now visible in its features.
"Sonic and I were attacked a couple of days ago. An assassin caught us off guard and I was hit in the fight," he explained, without being sure how much time had passed, had instead spent energy on trying to forget the event.
How scared he'd been, how much he'd convinced himself that had been it and there was no chance he would get out of it alive. Waking up again had been a surprise in itself, being somewhat stable and being able to talk and walk again. And he had only one person to thank it for.
"It was pretty nasty," Sonic commented, as Chao turned to look at him.
The hedgehog was smiling despite his comment, the fox seeing the joy glinting in his eyes, being relieved about the outcome of the entire affair. He pointed to his bandaged leg, the fabric colored brown, though the rods were still keeping the ligament in check.
"I got a nice souvenir as well," he smiled, scraping away the seriousness of the assassination attempt with a single sentence.
The fox appreciated it, considering he'd rather not talk about his near-death experience. The chao flew toward Sonic as well, seemingly staring at the bandaged leg for a second before looking back up at the hedgehog, a single saddened 'chao' coming from it.
"Nah, it's okay dude. We'll be fine," Sonic reassured warmly, rubbing the chao on the head when it was within reach, earning a smile from the small flying creature. Tails observed the exchange for a moment, frowning slightly as a thought came to mind.
"Sonic? Do you remember what she was saying that day?" He asked, glancing at the hedgehog.
Sonic looked at the fox mildly confused, shrugging his shoulders, linking his hands behind his head.
"Nothing much more than she wanted to kill me," the hedgehog regarded nonchalantly as if it didn't concern him nor made him frustrated that there were people who actively wanted to behead him and have his head sold to the highest bidder, "though everyone seems to want to do it."
Tails figured quickly his last comment was a coping mechanism for his unfortunate situation and therefore ignored it for now, flicking his ears.
"She said there was more in it for her than the posters around Kroxburg, didn't she? And the kidnappers we ran into in Kroxburg had no idea who you were. Meaning, she had received the offer before anyone else had. She probably has a direct connection to this Shadow person," Tails theorized, the puzzle pieces starting to fall back into place.
The assassins had been the tabu of Croford, nobody wanted to mention them, or they would face consequences. People of the street sometimes found unfortunate thimble riggers or thieves in the corners of the alleys; had met someone they couldn't defeat. If they worked alone had been a mystery to the fox, who in the first place had considered whether or not they were a mere myth since he'd never encountered one.
Though, the group which intercepted them in the sewers had been after them for a price as well. And the bat woman had led that attack too. Somehow, the word hadn't been shared outside the black market of Croford, seemingly until the bat had been sent out to attack Sonic, making the outskirts of the world aware of who the hedgehog was and what price this Shadow was willing to pay for his head.
Essentially, the word had been spread since the hedgehog had become more of a priority, either a thread or an obstacle of some kind. He would put his money on the former, considering the Chaos Emeralds were in one way or another involved in the mess as well, though he didn't know how much Shadow knew of their power. How much they could do.
Tails felt a shiver going down his spine, wondering what a high ranked person from the black market could and would do with that kind of power. Probably not to solve poverty and create harmony.
"I just don't understand what this Shadow wants with me. I've never even heard of him," Sonic continued, explaining it was nagging him more than he wanted to lead on. Tails looked at him to share his thoughts.
"It has something to do with the Chaos Emeralds too."
"I know kiddo, but I don't know what's about them. I've been told I'm destined to save the world but right now it seems like the world wants me dead more than anything," Sonic continued, sighing afterwards.
Tails observed as he ran a hand through his face, as he was frustrated about the situation. He didn't blame him, as higher powers, essentially a god, had told him he was the one individual who was going to save the entire world, though it seemed like the world didn't want saving. Not that any of them knew what was wrong with the world in the first place.
It was only getting more mysterious by the second as they gathered information from seemingly left and right, randomly, and unpredictably. It had been by mere luck he'd run into the thugs in the tavern and gained knowledge about Sonic's reputation.
As the attack briefly came to his mind, how he had to defend himself against a group of criminals despite the fact it hadn't been about him in the first place, made his eyes narrow.
The pick pocketer wondered whether he was safe with Sonic anymore. He knew criminals picked sides, and if word got around he was protecting the hedgehog's back then he would be a target whether he liked it or not. People would do anything for greed, no matter what or who stood in their way.
He was startled out of his thoughts by a single 'chao' looking up and blinking at the blue creature. It had its head slightly tilted, confused, as if wondering what the fox was thinking about.
"Don't worry," he mumbled, gaining a look from Sonic though ignored it.
He instead agreed with himself to be aware of his surroundings for now, and if his situation started to go south, then he would consider leaving. Question was, how far he was willing to go.
The fox bit his lip to prevent the sigh he wanted to let out, concentrating on walking instead, suddenly being aware of his behind appendages dragging on the ground behind him. He lifted them in the same instant, brought one around his hip, though realized it was streaked in mud, twigs intertwined with his fur.
"I hope there's clean water somewhere around here," Tails turned his head at Sonic's comment, watching as the latter was looking at the dirty tail as well.
Tails let it fall, thinking they were already soiled, and was about to reply to the hedgehog's comment when his eyes caught sight of something different.
He shook his head briefly, making sure he wasn't hallucinating, though in the distance he could see something large.
Towering into the sky, a plethora of trees, reaching for the clouds, wide and dark green in color. Large trunks, branches with needles, slowly moving back and forth in the light breeze. Vegetated ground, large leafed plants, green flooring replacing the murky and dark muddy ground. An entire forest was appearing in front of them, dense and different, though welcomed.
"Finally!" Sonic cheered while Tails sighed in relief, being more than satisfied about running into another forest.
Chao seemed enthused as well, letting out a series of 'chao', wailing its arms in the air as the hedgehog walked faster, making the pick pocketer follow in his quickened steps, his eyes taking in the lush greenery. Something familiar, something he knew how to handle.
But as they approached, as Sonic's enthusiasm stopped being contagious, Tails looked down, looking at the entrance of the forest.
It was darker, darker than anticipated, dense with trees growing side by side. The forest floor was thick with different plants, larger pockets of large, leafed plants he hadn't seen before, layers of fresh moss decorating the ground. Different saplings, different mushrooms, different matter growing and thriving in the shadows of the giants.
"A bit dense huh?" Was the only comment the hedgehog made, as they had approached and were about to enter.
The ground was changing slowly, being firmer and less wet with mud, seemingly roots keeping it together under their feet. Moss and plants he had no knowledge about grew on the trees from the swamp, two worlds colliding. Tails looked ahead, blinking as he realized he couldn't see through the forest.
A fog was hanging in the air between the large canopies, misty and became thicker the longer you looked, crawling along the forest floor.
He hardly realized they had entered the forest as he looked down at the ground bemused. It was firmer, though the moss was slightly bouncy, the terrain feeling comfortable under his muddy feet.
"I've missed this!" Tails looked up when he saw Sonic spread out his arms and hugged the first tree he came to.
He let out a huge sigh of relief, as Chao was flying around in huge circles, being the happiest he had seen it until now. The fox walked to the nearest giant as well, looking up. He noted these were different, narrowing his eyes slightly as he left one hand on the trunk.
The bark was smooth, not roughed or cracked like the pine forest outside of Croford. Looking up revealed the needles to be growing in a pattern, a triangular shape, going upwards to the top.
"There aren't pine trees," he said out loud, turning his head. The fog was lurking in the distance, as if it was hiding something.
"These are fir trees," The fox looked at Sonic when the latter had answered his question, stepping away from the tree he had hugged.
The smile on his lips was filled with joy and relief, looking ten pounds lighter, merely looking, and laughing at the chao which was practically dancing in the air. Tails followed, looked up again, having no idea how far up they went, though accepted the name of the tree, nevertheless.
The humid air was still clinging to his fur, the climate unfortunately not changing, though he would rather be walking on firm and slightly bouncy ground than the sticky terrain they had escaped.
"Let's explore and see if we can't find some shelter for the night," the pick pocketer was pulled back into reality, watching as Sonic, who had made the suggestion, stepped over a larger branch, moving forward, Chao fluttering around his head.
Tails took back his hand and followed, looking down at the ground, walking through the large-leafed plants, growing in wild clusters, the ground uneven and irregular. It felt more untamed than the swamp, observing as Sonic stepped over twigs breaking under his shoes, jumping up and down from a rock, moving swiftly through.
The pick pocketer could tell he was used to the environment, stepping elegantly past larger branches, and walked through clusters of saplings and plants, seemingly moving with the ground rather than past it. He figured the hedgehog had spent a lot of time in dense forests like these, bouncing forward, humming a melody.
Tails looked over his shoulder in the meantime, realizing he couldn't see where they had come from. On all sides, the fog was surrounding them in one oval shape, the pick pocketer having no idea where they were going.
"C'mon, there's usually some water in forests like these!" The fox turned to look at Sonic, realizing the hedgehog had moved faster than him, one large smile on his lips as they locked eyes. The chao was smiling at him, its wings fluttering faster than necessary, looking slightly impatient.
"Just a second," Tails sighed irritated, a part of him wanting to fly through here, then was reminded he couldn't by his aching back, behind appendages staying levitated to not get caught in wild branches.
"You're not used to this, huh?"
"No," the fox stated the obvious, finally making it beside Sonic, though only because the latter had stopped to give him time to catch up. "I'm from the city Sonic. I've never been in anything like this before."
"But it's better, isn't it?" Tails blinked from the question, the hedgehog leaving his hands on his hips. That smile was still there, his eyes glinting with joy.
The fox took a moment to note his demeanor, before casting another glance at the tall trees, the wild undergrowth. Despite his inexperience with the environment, it felt safer than he could've hoped for.
No eyes were following him here, nothing hiding in the shadows. Alleys were coordinated and planned, this was wild and unexplored, something he hadn't thought about before, something he didn't know he wanted. The untamed nature, the fresh scent of the forest lingering in his nose. It made his chest lighter; it made his heart beat with excitement. This was better.
"Yeah," he agreed in an exhale, as he couldn't stop smiling.
Chao flew in front of him at the same moment, saying a series of 'chao' as it seemingly wanted to present the forest for him, moving its arms toward different plants and the trees. Tails instead turned his head when Sonic chuckled, though merely continued walking without saying anything.
The fox let the interaction slide, instead continuing going forward as well, hearing as Chao flew around his head, the former looking up. He had no idea how fast they were moving, the fog hindering his sight, the trees and forest floor looking the same.
He briefly wondered what time it was, though the canopies above them were dense and gave minimal view to the sky. Either way, thick clouds hid the sun, and only spoke of rain either tonight or for tomorrow. He hoped rain was the only phenomenon on schedule.
Tails bit his lip from the thought, watching as Chao flew past him when he walked too slow again, catching up to Sonic. The hedgehog laughed from something it did, making the fox walk faster to try and keep up when he stumbled over a branch in the process.
The fox tripped, though caught his balance with arms and tails, avoiding slamming his nose into the ground. The fox sighed to himself annoyed, his foot slightly pounding in pain, though ignored it as he wanted to continue catching up to Sonic.
He froze instead when the branch groaned.
He twisted around in the same instance, putting up his guard, his heart beating in his chest as he stared at the ground where the noise had come from.
He realized quickly he hadn't noticed the lump on the ground since it blended with the fog perfectly.
"What's up Tails?" The fox whipped his head around toward the hedgehog, the latter stopping and looking at him bemused.
The pick pocketer didn't have time to come up with a coherent answer when movements and noises came from the lump, looking back at it. His eyes widened as he saw it uncurl, seemingly turning toward him.
He was startled by tired amber eyes staring at him.
As if his own presence was suddenly acknowledged, the person on the forest floor yelped startled, rapidly crawling backwards.
"I'm sorry! I didn't see you!" The voice was distinguishable male as he frantically apologized for something he hadn't done.
He didn't make it far in his escape when he collided with a tree, his eyes staring wide at the pick pocketer, shaking, and looking frightened. Tails blinked, being unprepared for the situation at hand, merely starting to analyze the individual immediately.
His fur had an odd color, being misty gray, the fox wondering if he was a hedgehog, considering the large flaring spines on his head, two larger fins on the back of his head. His chest had white dirtied fur, his hands adorned in gloves and his feet in boots. He looked young, though wasn't a kid, his body roughed up and dirtied, as if he'd been traveling for a while. He was thin, no obvious muscles adoring his arms and legs, not even trying to protect his chest or stomach from the potential enemy in front of him. He was untrained, unarmed, a mere civilian. Whatever he was doing in the middle of nowhere.
The pick pocketer, having no idea what to do in the situation, merely looked at his eyes. He was frightened, looking worried, though crinkles and wrinkles around his nose and cheeks indicated something was wrong.
"What's going on?" Sonic's voice was closer the second time, making the fox turn his head at him again, seeing the hedgehog stepping toward them.
When he looked where the fox was watching, he could see the immediate surprise in his eyes, freezing in place, being unprepared for the hedgehog as well. He stood for a moment and merely stared at the male Mobian, turning his head to look at the fox, looking as if he wanted confirmation this wasn't a ghost.
"I-" Tails whipped his head back at the gray hedgehog when he spoke, his voice shaking a little. Sitting with his hands clawing at the ground, his amber eyes switching between the two of them. "I don't want any trouble."
The fox believed him instantly, judging from his demeanor and voice, his shoulders untensing.
"Neither do we," Sonic said quickly, still sounding bemused and confused, as if the forest had spat the hedgehog out somehow. "Who are you?"
His yellow eyes averted to the blue hedgehog quickly, blinking, as if not knowing what to say. He seemingly moved to get up, then winched in a matter only the pick pocketer could see, deciding to sit still.
"My name is Silver," he introduced quickly, sighing.
Tails flicked his ears, noting the behavior, looking at his body once more. Now that the adrenaline had left, something else was standing out, letting the pick pocketer know something was wrong. His face was slightly flushed, sweat on his brow, one hand moving to rest on top of his stomach.
"Nice to meet you," the fox had to turn his head at Sonic from the sudden change of tone.
A smile was on his lips, looking and sounding friendly to the naked eye. Though he could still see the surprise and suspicion lingering in his eyes, his quills lifted in the back of his head.
"I'm Sonic and this is Tails," the hedgehog introduced on the fox's behalf as well.
The fox was about to hiss at the hedgehog; he didn't have to say his name to a stranger in the woods, when Silver gasped. His expression changed, pure and utter surprise visible on his face, his mouth left agape as he stared at the blue hedgehog in front of him. The fox felt his fur itching, as the silver hedgehog clearly indicated he had heard the name before.
"You're Sonic?" His voice was barely a whisper, pointing at the blue hedgehog.
The pick pocketer narrowed his eyes at him, though found his expression held anything but greed. Relief, still the lingering surprise, and a hopefulness was showing as well. He turned to the elephant in the room, the blue hedgehog blinking bemused again, clearly seeing the surprise as well. He sent the fox a look, once which questioned Silver's actions, before looking back at him.
"Yeah, I'm-" he interrupted himself when the male hedgehog tried to stand.
He instead had to collapse back on the ground with a groan, clutching his arm around his stomach in the meantime, his eyes closed.
"Take it easy! You're not looking so hot," Sonic advised, reaching his hand toward him.
Silver took a couple of deep breaths, seemingly waiting for whatever pain he was having to go away, before he looked up again. He still looked like a thief who'd found the jackpot, though he was bemused as well.
"I'm sorry?" He questioned, leaning back against the tree again, looking generally confused by the blue hedgehog's words.
"What I meant is that you're not looking well," Sonic rephrased, being able to tell the silver hedgehog was in pain as well.
Sweat dropped from his brow as he kept staring at Sonic, as he was wondering something. Whatever words which might've come to mind faltered when Tails saw Chao in his peripheral vision, emerging from where it had been hiding in the hedgehog's quills.
He briefly wondered how it hadn't been poked when it said 'chao' flying carefully toward Silver. The hedgehog reacted by trying to crawl into the tree, staring at the flying blue creature in front of him.
"It's alright," Sonic reassured, smiling as Chao tilted its head to the side, the former leaving his hands on his hips. "This is Chao. He's been following us around since yesterday.".
Tails was still observing Silver's bemusement and pained expression when he took note of the pronoun Sonic had said, turning his head toward him.
"He?" The fox questioned, making the azure hedgehog turn his head at him. He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.
"Yeah, Chao is a he. Didn't you know?" He asked, sounding just as confused as Silver was looking at the chao.
Tails shook his head, casting a glance at the flying creature, though had no clue what to look for to determine its pronouns.
"I didn't even know he had a gender," the fox answered bemusedly, though watched as Silver's eyes turned to him.
The surprise was still there from the chao floating in front of him, though seemingly tried to gauge who the fox was.
"What happened to you, Silver?" Sonic then questioned, making the gray hedgehog's gaze switch to him.
He blinked again, as if wondering what he was going to tell the hedgehog. He opened his mouth to say something when Chao said another 'chao' and flew toward him, sitting down on top of his head. Silver tried to look up, leaning his head back and almost made the creature fall, though it held on, looking back down at the silver hedgehog. As it said a 'chao', Silver smiled in return, apparently liking the flying creature in an instant.
Tails put his hands on his hips, feeling his behind appendages whipping. He didn't like this.
"Silver?" The male hedgehog turned his head to Sonic who'd asked, having forgotten the question in the moment.
He blinked again, that wandering gaze coming back as he seemingly had no idea what to say. He was allowed to take the time he needed, the pick pocketer watching him bite his lip in hesitancy and the pain before he looked at Sonic.
"I'm not sure," he began, wincing from something, "I came here from Shita but I wasn't supposed to be here I think."
Tails watched him scratch the back of his head, analyzing his expression for any lies. To his surprise, he couldn't find any.
"Are you hurt?" Sonic asked while the pick pocketer was bemused, staring at Silver again.
He'd only heard about Shita, the metal city hidden in sand, its name getting thrown around in the richer parts of Croford, wealthy people talking about moving there and starting a business. The city was known to be large and have unimaginable advancements, and to some, it sounded more like a fairytale than reality. How this random person in the forest had been there sounded like fiction.
"I'm – I think I ate something," Tails had been busy thinking and hadn't had time to listen, observing as Silver looked up at the chao again, looking like a kid being lost at the market.
"What did you eat?" The fox turned to Sonic, seeing him having an arched brow, hands on his hips.
The suspicion was gone, the only emotion available was curiosity and worry. He looked back at the gray hedgehog, who frowned thoughtfully, looking at the ground briefly.
"I ran out of food yesterday, so I've tried to find some stuff here. I found this little round brown plant which I took a bite of."
"A mushroom?" Sonic further questioned, sounding surprised.
Silver looked back, Tails still seeing the confusion, as if he had no idea what a mushroom was. He looked on the ground then, turning his head left and right, before pointing at something.
"Those," he clarified, making the pick pocketer turn his head. A small cluster of brown mushrooms were growing in the ground not far from them, looking innocent. Though he knew they weren't.
"They're poisonous," Sonic said immediately, making Silver's head whip back at him.
Seemingly all color disappeared from his face in the same moment, fright more than evident in his expression.
"I- I didn't know that… I-."
"Did you vomit?" Tails looked at the azure hedgehog from the strange question, though he looked concentrated.
"Y-yes."
"Then you should be okay. You need some water and rest though," Sonic continued, reaching his arm back, searching around in his quills for something.
Tails, being slightly annoyed they were going to waste resources on someone they didn't know, blinked at the odd questioning.
"How do you know that?" He asked as the hedgehog reached a water bottle to the stranger, the latter taking it with a 'thanks'.
"My uncle taught me," the hedgehog explained with a nostalgic smile, turning to look at the fox.
"Young Sonic often ran around in the forests around the village, and one day he was hungry and decided to eat a mushroom. When I got sick and ran home, he made me vomit and I was in my bed the rest of the day. I've avoided them ever since," he explained, turning his head back at Silver who had taken a gulp of water, wiping his hand across his mouth.
Tails turned back to him after the explanation, the stranger relaxing against the tree, color returning to his face as he realized he wasn't going to die right here and now, looking at the chao again.
The pick pocketer could feel his hands slightly shaking, his skin poking and itching, his instinct telling him something was wrong here. Something wasn't making sense.
"How do you know Sonic?" His question came out sharper than intended, making Silver whip his head at him, blinking bemused.
He took another moment to seemingly think, either collecting his thoughts or coming up with a lie.
"I heard about him in Shita. Your friends Mighty and Ray told me about him," he explained, making Tails look at Sonic in the same second, "and they said another boy was traveling with him. I think they talked about you."
The pick pocketer hadn't heard his sentence, merely saw the same surprise in Sonic's eyes. Tails had hardly given a thought to the armadillo and flying squirrel ever since they seperated in Kroxburg, thinking they were going on their merry way to explore somewhere else. How Silver knew them made his fur puff slightly.
The pick pocketer looked back at him, tails whipping behind him. He slowly crouched in front of him.
"Start from the beginning. Who are you and how did you come across them?" He narrowed his eyes, staring at Silver.
He swallowed something, his eyes widened from the sudden interrogative question, looking as if he'd been cornered. He cast a glance at Sonic briefly, though looked back at the pick pocketer. He sighed, clutching his arm tighter around his stomach as he looked back at Tails.
"I don't know who I am," he began. "I have amnesia, and the only thing I remember is waking up in Croford a long time ago. I was – I was found by my friend Blaze. She brought me to the castle. I had been there for months, while she took care of me. She gave me food and told me about the outside world. But I knew there was something else for me. There was – something calling me, I think. I'm not sure. But I wanted to find out. So, I – left her."
Tails concentrated, his eyes narrowed, looking at his face intently. It made him frustrated, as he couldn't find the tiniest pulls or winces, nothing which indicated he was lying. It didn't make sense. He knew who Blaze was, as she was the announced princess of Croford, the highest in command, the ruler of the city. He only knew her by name and title, how this stranger had met her in person was a puzzle he couldn't solve.
"I went through the forest until I made it to the desert. Though I didn't know it was a desert at the time. I tried to walk through it, but I eventually collapsed. That's when I was found by Mighty and Ray, who explained they had rescued me and would help me. I, uhm – something happened, and they told me about Sonic. They said he was in a city named Kroxburg and that I needed to head south. I did, but I think I got lost somewhere because this isn't the same forest. I don't know how long I've been here," he continued explaining, taking a swig of the water.
Tails was still staring at him, thinking he must be tired, or his eyes were deceiving him. He wasn't lying. No pulls at the chin, no wrinkles around his eyes other than the pained ones, his fingers not fidgeting, his quills not rising, fidgeting in his spot, and shifting his weight back and forth.
Nothing was telling him he was lying.
"You had amnesia?" Tails picked the one thing he found the oddest, questioning him again. Silver looked back bemused, though nodded.
"Yeah. I have no idea who I am. Other than my name is Silver, and I come from Shita. But how and why and…- my entire life. I have no memory of it," he continued, scratching his head again.
The pick pocketer resisted the urge to growl to himself, seeing nothing changing in his expression. He was telling the truth.
"And Croford? The princess of Croford just decided to pick you up and let you live in the castle?" He continued interrogating, wanting to find something. Nothing came, as Silver bit his lip, looking at the ground briefly.
"More like hiding me. She said her royal advisors couldn't know I was there, or I would be thrown out. But she believed in me, and she knew I was special. She believed people wouldn't accept me for who I was and wanted to protect me," he explained in a lower volume, looking at his lap.
Tails saw his expression change then, though not the kind he wanted. Regret was visible, guilt, him missing the person who he claimed had helped him. His emotions were raw, making the pick pocketer believe he wasn't lying – but it was ridiculous.
It was a story of fiction. Being rescued by the princess of Croford and being hidden from seemingly everyone, before suddenly taking off and doing his own thing sounded ludicrous to him.
"And Mighty and Ray? How do you know them?" He continued, not wanting to believe him. Silver looked up again, blinking bemused, wondering why he was still being questioned.
"I-I told you, didn't I? They rescued me from the desert. I was taken to their home and given a strange pill, but it made me feel better. They showed me around town, and I saw one of their shows. Then – then they told me about Sonic."
There. A small twinge of the brow, one hand fidgeting. He saw it, it made his eyes narrow, his behind appendages whipping. He got him.
"What happened in Shita? Why did they tell you about him?"
"Tails," he was interrupted when Sonic said his name, making him turn his head at him. He looked confused and slightly annoyed, gesturing his hand at the silver hedgehog.
"Give him a break, alright?" He urged, arching a brow at the fox. The pick pocketer blinked at him in disbelief, standing again.
"Sonic, didn't you hear what he said?"
"Yes, I did, but you don't have to run him into the ground. Is he lying?" He asked, placing his hands on his hips.
Tails looked back at Silver, the hedgehog blinking confused at the both of them. Nothing had indicated his story was untrue. It made him sigh, closing his eyes briefly.
"No, he's telling the truth. But it doesn't make sense! Having amnesia, being rescued by the princess of Croford, going to Shita, meeting Mighty and Ray and suddenly he stumbled into us?!"
"Actually-" Tails whipped his head at Silver, who stopped speaking from Tails' rapid movement alone.
He bit his lip, though hesitantly continued. "You stumbled into me."
The pick pocketer blinked, turning back to Sonic.
"It's suspicious."
"It is, but if he isn't lying then he should be alright," Sonic said, shrugging his shoulders.
Tails stared back at him, trying to find something in the hedgehog who agreed with him. Though he looked relaxed, nonchalant, and wasn't worried one bit.
"We don't know if he's alright yet! Something doesn't add up, it's too… convenient."
"We've been lucky before. Maybe this is just his luck?"
"Damnit Sonic, this has nothing to do with luck!"
"Hey!" The hedgehog cut him across there, his eyes narrowed, his hands on his hips.
His brow was arched high enough for it to be a skyscraper and Tails knew why. He sighed annoyed, crossing his arms over his chest, knowing Sonic didn't like it when he cursed, and was about to spit a couple of chosen words back at him.
"Uhm," Silver's hesitant noise made him turn to him instead. The stranger was blinking at them, looking smaller by the second.
"Listen, I don't want any trouble, okay? If you guys don't like me then I can go somewhere else."
"No, it's cool Silver," Sonic decided right then and there, making Tails whip his head at him.
The blue hedgehog didn't acknowledge him, instead smiled at the misty gray hedgehog, that welcoming smile he'd seen before in his hideout, that smile he showed when he introduced himself to new people.
"I think we just need to take a breather. This place looks good enough for a camp tonight. Let's make a fire, settle down, eat some food, and then we can ask more questions later. For now, you need some rest, and we need a break. Right?" He knew Sonic's last question was targeted at him, the hedgehog looking at him.
He was both asking him to calm down and give Silver a chance, he could see the pleading look in Sonic's eyes. Tails thought about it, looking at Silver again.
No matter what history this guy had, for now, he couldn't attack them. He couldn't alert anyone since they were the only ones here and didn't seem like he knew how to fight in the first place. They were safe for now.
"Right," he agreed, then looking at Sonic which earned him a smile.
The pick pocketer looked back at Silver who tried to smile at him, Chao saying a 'chao' gaining the newcomer's attention, smiling at the flying creature now. Tails heard Sonic say he would find some kindling for tonight and see if there weren't any berry bushes as well, though the pick pocketer was observing the stranger.
A Mobian who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, having something to do with Sonic, having other stories in mind he didn't want to tell.
He wasn't going to let him get away with it.
Distraction usually worked in his favor. When something was bothering him or when he was worried about something beyond his control he turned to other coping mechanisms. If it was to read, to tinker with his device, or to look around for someone who wanted to strike a deal with him. Which option didn't matter, as all of them made his mind think of something else.
Now, however, he could do nothing other than stare at the stranger sitting adjacent to him, past the fire in front of him. The embers were cracking and sizzling, flames stretching into the dark sky, warming him pleasantly. The presence of the fire was the only comfortable element he enjoyed in the moment, as his eyes were narrowed, analyzing the gray hedgehog's movements.
He was currently nibbling on a pear he'd been offered, his eyes getting lost in the flames, thinking deeply about something. The chao had taken an odd liking to the hedgehog, currently sleeping on its back with his head resting on Silver's leg. Tails knew Sonic had told him they could read and sense emotions, and considering his clingy behavior, he figured the chao somehow found Silver in a depressive slump. Or something along those lines.
The pick pocketer didn't care, was mostly happy Chao had found another person to cling himself to, and instead turned and picked up the water bottle he'd been offered next to him.
He wasn't sure if it was night yet, though the forest had turned black around them, the fog now invisible. The fox knew, since he could still see the forest floor, the taller trees reaching into the sky, the wild and untamed undergrowth, with his night vision sight. The campfire was for the sake of warmth and light for the other two, having been created and made by Sonic. The hedgehog had scrambled around to find wood and stone, not wanting to burn the entire forest down.
Meanwhile, he'd attended to Silver when the stranger had complained about headaches and dizziness, being instructed to just rest and sleep if he could. The hedgehog hadn't been able to, and had tried to make casual conversation instead, where Tails had merely mumbled answers, helping Sonic when he could see him limping more and more with every step. He had cleaned his stab wound and reapplied the paste when the newcomer wasn't looking, the pain having dimmed since then.
Now it remained a quiet and tense setting, the azure hedgehog laying on the ground with his legs crossed, happily eating an apple, humming to himself. Tails had finished the last sausage a minute ago, sitting and trying to pick out the twigs in one of his tails, when Sonic had noticed, saying he could try and wash up with some of the water. He would've declined, though the twigs were pulling at his fur and would make it difficult to fly with as well, and figured it was the better course of action. His feet and socks were still caked in dried mud and felt itchy and uncomfortable, though that kind of luxury had to wait.
He instead poured some water over his left tail, taking off his glove to avoid dirtying it further and started to comb his own fur with his fingers. Pulling out twigs and leaves, larger clumps of mud getting washed out made him feel better already, relaxing a little from the heat of the fire as well.
That's until he could see someone observing him in his peripheral vision, looking up briefly. Silver was staring at his actions, he could see the wondering and curious gaze, switching his gaze at the other tail as well. The pick pocketer felt the frustration creep up, having endured those looks enough for the rest of his life.
"Do you mind?" As if being caught with his hand in the cookie jar, Silver blinked, looking at Tails again.
He looked away in the same moment, looking slightly bashful, making the pick pocketer narrow his eyes at him.
"If you have a problem with me, we can just talk, alright?" His sharp sentence made the gray hedgehog look back at him, blinking slightly worried.
"No, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to… I'm just curious-"
"Well, it's not glue and sticks if that's what you're wondering," Tails answered in the same sharp tone, knowing he was being rude, though looked back down at his tail, continuing his work.
Silver didn't say anything in return which suited him well, concentrated on pulling out another twig, being almost done.
"Hey Silver," Sonic asked from the other side of the fire, the fox seeing him sit up in his peripheral vision, "you feeling any better?"
The asked hedgehog didn't answer at first, as Tails deemed his first appendage clean, moving the other one into his lap, working on it as well.
"Yeah I am. Thank you," he could hear he was genuine in his voice alone, making the pick pocketer briefly look at him.
Silver was smiling at Sonic, being appreciative of the question, taking another bite of the pear. Tails looked back down at his tail, forcefully pulling out a twig, washing out the mud to the best of his ability.
"Do you mind if I ask a question?" The pick pocketer looked up at Silver, though he had turned to Sonic, not giving the fox another glance.
"Not at all. What's up?" Sonic asked with a smile on his lips, not being worried what the question might be.
It made the fox glance back at Silver, trying to gauge the question before it would be asked. Though he didn't look hesitant nor suspicious, as the gray hedgehog shifted a bit in his spot, somehow not upsetting the chao.
"I was wondering who you guys were? I've told you all about me," he asked, scratching the back of his head.
Tails had half a mind to spit 'none of your damn business' though stopped himself partially because he didn't have the energy to start an argument and because his sense of fairness was nagging him in the back of his mind.
He had practically made the hedgehog talk about himself, more than he had to, and he knew nothing about them. Tails therefore let Sonic tell the tale as the latter smiled in return.
"Well, we're both from Croford too, actually. I was stumbling around in the city, and I ran into this guy," he gestured at the fox next to the fire, "we had both experienced something bad happening in the city, so we decided to leave with Mighty and Ray, the other two guys you talked about. We then went to Kroxburg, did some stuff there as well though we had to leave it too. That's when Tails and I went on our own to a mountain pass, then we crossed the ocean, arrived in Plumouth, and left this morning. And now we ended up here." Tails looked at Sonic again, seeing the hedgehog smiling, seeing him shrugging his shoulders.
He was surprised at how much he wasn't telling Silver. About being a pick pocketer, about the hedgehog being imprisoned, about them saving a child rabbit from kidnappers, running into a giant robot, being ambushed by an assassin, traveling to an island floating in the sky, being attacked by robot fish, running into a group of thugs this morning, and now having questions about the Chaos Emeralds and the numerous amounts of bounty hunters on Sonic's tail.
A part of him was relieved about that fact, and another part of him was surprised about the character trait. When they had first met Mighty and Ray, Sonic didn't hesitate when he'd told them about his mission; his chief saying he was going to save the world.
Now it was kept a secret, meaning Sonic was still suspicious of him, and was still wondering something. Tails bit his lip from the thought, as it was an indirect showcase of trust – the fox had been suspicious about the newcomer, therefore, the hedgehog was going to be as well.
"That's – quite a tale," Silver seemingly didn't notice the broad explanation of their travel, scratching the back of his head, "I didn't know you've been out here for that long."
Sonic waved a placating hand in his direction, indicating it wasn't a big deal.
"We've managed," was the understatement of the century, though was still smiling at Silver. "Though, being hidden by the princess of Croford is quite an achievement as well."
The gray hedgehog blinked at Sonic, seemingly not expecting his own adventure being brought up again. He bit his lip from his thoughts, one hand throwing away the finished pear and started to draw meaningless patterns in the ground. Tails' ears flicked, seeing the guilty look return, one which he tried to hide with another smile.
"She was very kind to me. She gave me food, talked to me, I listened, and she often visited me. But I knew I couldn't stay there forever," he explained, feigning his regret, forcing the smile to stay on his face.
The pick pocketer could see it, his amber eyes wrinkling slightly, a pull at his nose. As he pulled out the last twig in the second tail, he pushed it out of his lap as he deemed it clean while turning to Silver.
"Why do you feel guilty about leaving?" His question came unexpectedly, Silver whipping his head at him, blinking in utter surprise.
It lasted for longer than the pick pocketer expected, blinking, and practically staring at the fox.
"How did you-" he interrupted himself, lifting his hand though letting it fall again, looking impressed. Tails was used to the treatment, shifting in his spot and took a swig of the water in the meantime.
"One thing you should know about this kid," Sonic said, making Silver turn to him, the hedgehog throwing away his finished apple, "is that he can read your face. He knows exactly what you're feeling unless you're looking away. So, if ya are planning on lying at any point then you better just tell the truth, because he'll know if you're not."
The newcomer blinked dumbfoundedly at the azure hedgehog, before turning his gaze back at the pick pocketer. He nodded in return, knowing he had already showcased his skill.
He therefore shifted a bit in his spot, leaning forward, closer to the flames.
"There's something you're not telling me," he began, narrowing his eyes at Silver again. "When you talked about Shita and what made you leave. You left something out. Something important."
The pick pocketer didn't know if it had been important, though the newcomer didn't scrunch up his brow nor change expression, meaning it had indeed been important. He only stared back at the fox, biting his lip in hesitancy before switching his gaze to Sonic.
"I did," he confirmed, looking smaller by the second, as if he was expecting an abrupt reaction from what he was about to say, "but only because I wasn't sure how I was going to talk about it or explain it but- ".
Tails wasn't sure what to expect, merely observed as the stranger became unsure of himself, seemingly wanting to walk away if he could. He opened his mouth, still looking at Sonic, before closing it again with a sigh.
"I guess I can show you," Silver said, switching his gaze between them both.
Tails exchanged a look with the azure hedgehog, the latter being confused though intrigued, as the pick pocketer watched the newcomer move a hand into his quills. He didn't know what he was searching for.
A sudden familiar surge of energy went down his spine.
So sudden and powerful it made him jump, his eyes widened when he realized what it came from.
He stared at Silver, as the hedgehog had pulled out a yellow Chaos Emerald.
"Do you know what this is?"
His words were hardly heard, as Tails merely stared at the bright gem in the hedgehog's hand. He hadn't expected them to find any in these parts of the world, being secluded and isolated, having merely concentrated on getting forward and out of here.
But he knew it was real, as the energy was prickling in his fingers, his fur puffing slightly, radiating off the crystal walls of the gem. He swore it was shining brighter than the others they had found, the energy pulsating within, its powers showcased in the light alone. Tails blinked, as he looked at Sonic.
"Didn't you feel it?" The hedgehog's mouth was open agape in surprise, his eyes wide as he stared at the emerald as well.
The fox's question brought him back to reality, making the hedgehog blink, close his mouth, and shake his head.
"No," he said, almost in a whisper, as the pick pocketer saw his quills rise in the back of his head. Emerald green eyes averted to Silver's.
"Where did you find it?" He asked breathlessly.
The stranger looked confused from their initial reactions, blinking when he realized he'd been asked a question.
"I found it outside of the desert. In an abandoned Glider," he explained, shrugging his shoulders as if it had been an ordinary daily task.
Tails let the unfamiliar word Silver had said slide, and instead looked back at Sonic again. When the hedgehog saw his gaze, he was wordlessly asked if they should tell him about the other emeralds.
The pick pocketer was unsure, though felt as the energy tickled his fingers again, feeling it going down his spine again. He was reminded of the importance of the emerald, and therefore silently nodded to Sonic.
He seemed to agree, as he turned to look at Silver, reaching his own hand into his quills.
"That's a Chaos Emerald Silver," he explained, as he produced the white emerald in his own hand.
The gray hedgehog's expression widened upon seeing the gem, the pick pocketer seeing his body shudder momentarily, staring at the gem in Sonic's hand. "And I've been tasked by my chief Tikal to collect them and save the world."
Tails looked at Sonic, could both see and hear how foreign those words still were in his mouth, how confused he was about his own situation.
As if a revelation had dawned upon Silver, he gasped out loud, his amber eyes fastening on the other hedgehog.
"Then maybe you know what my destiny is?!" He asked, sounding excited, sounding ecstatic.
Though Tails frowned in confusion, seeing Sonic blink in bemusement as well.
"I'm… sorry?" The blue hedgehog asked, arching a brow, though the silver hedgehog left a hand on his chest.
"Every day I spent being hidden away in that castle, I've always known I've been destined to do more. Blaze told me as well. I've – felt things, felt how weird energies pass my body from time to time. I've felt as if something has been alive around me. And when I found this I… I don't know how to explain it, but I can feel it. There's something with this, there's something I can do, I'm sure! I – when I was in Shita, your friends, they were performing but suddenly I just. I couldn't see anything, it was only light, and I saw images, things I didn't recognize but when I woke up again, I knew I had been from there! I knew I came from Shita, but I don't know what happened before or after that. Mighty he - pulled me aside with Ray and said he had picked up the emerald and told me it had glowed, and Mighty said it was a Chaos Emerald and you were looking all over the world for them and your name was Sonic and – and I just know you know something!"
He ended his ramble by gesturing at Sonic, looking confident, sounding determined and hopeful. His eyes were almost glowing in the flames from the fire, Chao being awoken by his erratic movements, staring at the gray hedgehog with confused and wide eyes.
Silence remained in the camp for another moment, the pick pocketer observing as Sonic was thinking about what he should tell him, lowering the emerald in his hand. As some sort of answer came to mind, the azure hedgehog met Silver with a less excited gaze.
"I'm sorry Silver. But I don't know who you are," he explained, shaking his head slowly.
The confidence the stranger had radiated pooled off his body in the same instance, blinking bemused at the blue hedgehog.
"But it sounds like you have a connection to these emeralds. Like me," the blue hedgehog said, though his words didn't seem to reach him, as Silver turned his head at Tails, wordlessly asking the same question.
The pick pocketer only shook his head, having never seen him before, nor heard of him. The newcomer slowly turned back to Sonic instead, though looked at his lap, scratching the back of his head.
"It's – okay," he said in a low volume, though the naked eye could tell he was disappointed, "I just thought… you knew something."
Tails observed him for the moment, seeing the disappointment roll off him in waves, looking lost by the second, looking as if his journey had turned up with nothing. He realized how he could relate to the same expectation, having believed he could control the powers of Chaos as well, that he merely had been behind or hadn't known how to do it properly. But no, he wasn't a powerful and exciting Chaos Wielder but a damn boring Chaos Keeper instead.
"I do know something," Sonic's words made Silver perk up as if a kid had been offered candy, pulling the pick pocketer out of his funk as well. The azure hedgehog smiled, as he lifted the emerald into the light from the flames, "these emeralds have powers. If I concentrate hard enough, I can use them. There's different colors and they each do something different. I can control the wind with this one."
Tails felt its energy as well, his fingers prickling as he turned to look at Silver who'd turned bemused, blinking in confusion.
"You can control the wind?" He sounded disbelieved, though intrigued, as Sonic's smile only widened, suddenly reaching the gem toward him.
"Yes! Try it!" Silver reeled back as if he was trying to burn him, staring at the emerald in his hand. He blinked, looking at Sonic, though he was only smiling encouragingly, "you said you could feel weird energies, right? And you felt like you had a destiny of some type. Well, maybe this is it."
If he was trying to cheer him up or fully believed he had a connection to these emeralds as well, the pick pocketer didn't know, though watched the odd exchange with curiosity. Upon the azure hedgehog's words, the stranger blinked again in hesitation, looking less intimidated as he bit his lip.
He saved the yellow emerald in his quills again as he reached for the white one, getting deposited into his hand.
Another shiver went down Talis' spine, a pulse of energy throbbing in his veins, staring at the white emerald in Silver's hand. It looked like it belonged. Key in a lock, as if it had been missing there for a long time – just like Sonic.
The gray hedgehog was staring at its crystal walls, his amber eyes getting lost in the energy swirling within, seemingly only looking at it intently.
"Now, what I do is I just start to concentrate. I reached for that energy inside of it, and then-" Sonic had been in the middle of instructing him how to use it, when the gem suddenly began to glow.
Talis felt the energy again, though it was more powerful, his eyes widening. It became stronger, feeling his hands shaking as it glowed brighter, feeling it in his fingers, his hands, his arms, his heart beating faster.
The brightness overwhelmed him, closing his eyes when they began burning, looking away, hearing Sonic saying something, though he concentrated on breathing when it felt like his heart was about to pop out. It was chaotic, the energy swirling in chest, expanding, foreign, powerful, as he resisted the urge to scream.
Then it dimmed.
And finally released him.
He took a couple of deep breaths, his body calming down again, his heart beating fast. He opened his eyes when he realized the light had disappeared, black spots momentarily filling his vision, though turned to look at Silver.
One hand was supporting his head as he had his head bowed, swaying slightly from side to side.
"Silver? Silver!" Sonic asked concerned, learning forward and left a hand on his shoulder, as if afraid he was going to fall forward into the flames.
When the newcomer didn't answer him, a pair of green concerned eyes turned to Tails.
"Are you okay? You look pale," he asked, sounding out of breath, his quills spiked, as if the energy had seeped into him too.
The pick pocketer was only breathing, his heart beating fast in his chest, having never felt such high amounts of energy in his body. He decided to nod nevertheless, looking up when Silver let out a groaning sound.
It made Sonic look at him as well, shaking his shoulder and asking his name again. One silver ear flicked from the name, his head slowly lifting again, still clutching the emerald tightly in his hand.
When he turned to look at Sonic, Tails saw his eyes glowing slightly, dimming with every second as he stared at the blue hedgehog for another moment.
He blinked, looking confused for a moment.
Then it transformed, as his eyes widened, excitement suddenly returning to his face.
"Sonic!" He suddenly yelled, mouth agape, pure joy radiating from his form, "You're Sonic!"
"Yeah? I thought we had established that already?"
"No! You don't understand! Sonic, I remember!" He was yelling in excitement, another revelation, dropping the emerald into his lap, clasping both hands onto Sonic's shoulders.
"We needed you! We were trying to find you and help us fight him! We knew you had the power; we knew you could do it!"
"Whouw, back up a second!" Sonic yelled back, wriggling himself out of Silver's grip and sprung to his feet. "What are you talking about, Silver?"
"I remember what we were doing in Shita! You were the missing piece of the puzzle! We knew you had the power and the energy to help us, we knew you had a destiny to help save the world from the greatest danger of all! We needed you!"
"What're you talking about?!" Sonic yelled back, throwing out his arms.
Tails observed as the frustration was palpable on Sonic, breathing deeply and staring back at the silver hedgehog. He was confused too, something which applied to the pick pocketer as well. He turned to Silver.
"You're too vague – what did you need his power for? Who were you fighting?" The gray hedgehog whipped his head at the pick pocketer, still looking joyous as if a miner had struck gold. He blinked from the question, however.
"I don't know," he said, "but I just know Sonic was important! I was working with a team, we – we were trying to defend people. I was at the top, I was coordinating and helping and-"
"No, hold up a second," Sonic interrupted, still sounding frustrated, sounding puzzled. "What do you mean you don't know? You can't tell me I'm important and can save the world without knowing what it's from!"
"I don't – I don't remember that part! But the emerald! It made me remember I had an important task in Shita! You needed to be found and… I found you! I did it! You're an important piece of the puzzle to help the world!"
"I know! But you can't tell me why?" Sonic asked almost ludicrously, sounding lost, sounding helpless.
Tails could see it, his eyes darting over Silver's form, practically begging him to tell him what was going on and why.
"I don't remember why! But I might remember more! This is amazing, I had a purpose!" He said seemingly to himself, beaming in delight and joy, looking as if he was going to burst out laughing. Chao began to fly and look at him from the excited demeanor, the creature saying a series of 'chao', sounding happy as it flew around him.
"Tails," the fox had been observing as Silver had followed the chao's movements with his head, though turned to look at Sonic.
"A word?" He asked, pointing into the forest with his thumb before quickly turning on his heel.
The pick pocketer briefly looked at the gray hedgehog again, before getting to his feet, following Sonic. He hadn't realized his legs were shaking as he stood, his heart still beating in his chest from whatever had just happened, looking at the blue hedgehog.
He stopped a few feet away from the fire, still having light to see, though out of earshot from the stranger.
"Did you understand any of that?" He asked in a low volume, as he looked at Tails.
The pick pocketer looked back, seeing his frustration, seeing his bewilderment too. His eyes were a little wide, his quills not relaxing just yet as he was desperately searching for answers from the fox. Tails looked back at him, glanced at Silver, turning to Sonic again.
"I'm not sure what to make of it," was his ultimate answer, making the hedgehog sigh, "he says you're important and they needed you to help people it seems like. Either in Shita or the world or – something else."
"But it doesn't make sense," Sonic said immediately, as he started to pace back and forth, scratching the back of his head.
"Tikal said I was destined to save the world, that Chaos had opened his eyes to me and realized that. And now Silver is telling me the world needs saving from something and he was working with people in Shita to try and get me to help them. I don't even know him! I've never even been in Shita before! And he doesn't even know what I'm supposed to do!" He said frustrated, throwing out his arms.
He then sighed, stopping his pacing and crossed his arms over his chest, looking at the ground.
"Sorry, it's just - a little much," he apologized, despite it being justified, the pick pocketer looking at him.
He could understand where he was coming from, getting an onslaught of information of being told he was the hero of the world, having a purpose to save it from something. Apparently a 'him'. Though, none of it was making sense and nobody wanted to provide any coherent answers.
"It's okay. It does seem a little – out there," Tails agreed, looking at Silver again.
He watched as he was giggling, following the chao with his head as he was flying around him, their excitement being shared in the campfire light.
"I don't know what else he knows," Sonic commented, as he was also watching the stranger, a seemingly new character stumbled into their lives for one purpose or another.
It made the fox shake his head.
"Neither does he," he said, sighing something out.
Sighing out a mystery that had evolved tenfold. Something which only got larger with every minute passing, something which seemed to get closer and closer with every step they took.
Traveling to the other side of the world hadn't hidden them. They had instead collected more questions than answers.
Sonic's head was priced high enough for every criminal in the world to look for him, the Chaos Emeralds were reacting differently to a completely new person neither Sonic nor Tails had met or seen before. It was sudden, it was chaotic, and didn't make sense.
It remained incoherent which made him nervous.
The unknown behind it, whatever destiny there had been for Silver to meet them and tell Sonic he was more important than he thought. They had managed to stumble into someone in the middle of nowhere, realizing they couldn't hide from everybody.
Trepidation was hanging in the air, as he knew this wouldn't be the end of it.
There was something else.
Something they needed to fight.
Something was coming.