Title: A Christmas Tale.

Rated: K+

Summary: Tails decides to go for a flight using his Tornado plane and then... When it starts to fail at the highest height it can go, he finds something amazing. Written for Christmas! Merry Christmas everyone! :)

Tails was finishing working on his Tornado bi-plane when he looked over the workshop. There were SO many inventions in it. Including the X-Tornado, a Jet Plane, he had worked on with Christopher and Chuck Thorndyke - Even his Starship, The Blue Typhoon, which was currently sitting pretty near a small island.

He wiped his forehead and jumped into the bi-plane, turning it on and watching it spin up and come to life. He had a big grin on his face.

"Let's go for a flight... I'm sure Sonic won't mind. I mean, I'm only going for a short flight... And then I'll be back for the big dinner he wants to have with everyone." He frowned, "Wait... Can Sonic cook?" He chuckled. "I guess I'll find out!"

Lining up the plane with the runway - He made his pre-flight checks and then made the plane started down the runway at speed.

It started to rumble as the wheels started to lift. Lifting the flight stick up, the bi-plane made a small whine and went into the sky - Like it was born to do it. Much like Tails himself. Proud of his "adopted" plane he smiled. Sonic had given him his plane because he could see how great a pilot Tails was. From the moment he had done though - Sonic never really relied on the plane for flight from then on. He had the Emeralds and/or Tails for that.

Tails began to hear a small tune in his head as he cruised up and into the clouds above. Nothing was going wrong, everything was good.

For a change.

Tails felt the plane shudder slightly as it hit its highest point of travel. Then... That's when he noticed something odd - The fuel light was on and when he looked over the side the plane was losing fuel - FAST.

It was leaking. Tails took in a deep breath. He could either allow the plane to crash into the ocean far below and recover it at some point with Knuckles and the diving teams... Or, he could try to land it with what little fuel it had left. He could've SWORN he put enough in there this morning!

Anyway, Tails shook his head and concentrated. He set the plane on an autopilot course that would leave it in the underbrush of Emerald Hill and jumped to the top of the plane - standing on the wings.

Up here, it was amazing. He felt the air as clean and as crisp as it should be. He could feel his tails loving the breeze. He loved it here.

Something about being high in the air was almost... Almost intoxicating to Tails. He loved it to pieces. He wouldn't trade this for the world.

He noticed that it was also cold. VERY cold.

"Well... I AM over thirty thousand feet above Sea level..." He reminded himself as he began to spin his tails. He had an idea - See if he, himself, could go higher than the plane. As the plane began to descend with the auto-pilot route; Tails jumped into the air and allowed the undercurrent to power his wings, taking off high into the sky.

This was the highest the twin-tailed fox had EVER been in his life... Without mechanical aids that is.

He spun his tails strongly and the wind encouraged it. Eventually, however, he started to notice something rather... Weird.

There was a castle or Citadel in the Skies above where Green Hill would be. He blinked in confusion. A castle? Here? Why? More importantly, HOW!?

He shook his head and knew he had to make for it - He wouldn't survive long as this altitude with or without his twin tail strength and powered forwards for it.

Sweat began to pour onto the fox's forehead and he started to struggle.

There was a light unlike any other at the castle gates which was... Dragging him in?

'Since when do lights do that?' - Tails thought to himself as he could feel the power of the light dragging him in. It almost had a Chaos Emerald feel to it... But it was stronger. MUCH MUCH stronger.

He felt his consciousness slip away as he landed at the front of the castle. A pair of strong... Yet feminine arms grasped ahold of him and seemed to carry him into the castle's gates.

"You'll be okay, Miles... Just rest now. There will be plenty of time for questions, later."

Sonic tapped his foot. Tails was late. His best buddy was NEVER late. Especially, not to the Christmas festivities! Shadow had even agreed to dress as Santa for once! SANTA! Shadow!? Impossible! But it was possible... Somehow.

Sonic sighed and made his way to another part of the house. "Tails!" He shouted. No response.

He looked to the workshop next and made his way to it. Eventually, he discovered the Tornado was missing. The Bi-Plane. Maybe he had gone for a last-minute flight before the festivities?

Sonic walked to the runway and pressed on a button. "Where did Tails go?"

The computer screen came up with a detailed flight plan... Right up until the plane... Disappeared.

"... What?" Sonic said to himself more than anyone else.

Sonic considered going Super and chasing Tails' flight plan, but he heard the door click behind him.

"Sonic, everyone's waiting and- Wait... Where did the fox go?"

Sonic turned and spotted Shadow looking around. "His plane is missing, Shadow. I just... I dunno where he's gone."

"He couldn't be at that castle in the skies, could he?"

Sonic blinked. "The... What?"

Shadow rolled his eyes. "That's right, you wouldn't know. Basically-" He sighed. "There's a castle high in the sky that is almost impossible for him to reach without the plane. It would certainly be impossible for us without either the X-Tornado or our Super forms."

Sonic frowned. "I have to find him Shadow. This is a Christmas meal, we're supposed to have!"

Shadow nodded. "You go. I'll try and keep everyone calm. But, don't be long. Got it?"

Sonic nodded. "Right. Did you get the Red Emerald? That's all I need."

Shadow chuckled. "You got the others haven't you?" He noted the silence. "... Good answer - If we haven't heard from you in 3 hours, we'll come looking. Alright?"

Sonic nodded again and took the red emerald from Shadow. "Alright. Let's do it." Sonic sped down the runway, changing into Super Sonic and launching into the skies high above.

Shadow on the other hand suddenly reminded himself that he had AMY ROSE to deal with... And without Sonic around... She would cling to him. Shadow sighed.

"Not again..."

[To Be Continued...]