PART 1 - A Love Unlived
CHAPTER 4 - Fortress of solitude
Tails wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead and massaged his sore neck. He'd been kneeling down for hours now, fiddling with some damaged wiring in the innards of a large control panel, it was slow and tedious work. "Ugh time for a break" he muttered to himself as he gingerly eased himself up, propping his back against the side of the panel. "T-pup keep working back in there I'll be back in a bit!" he called out and was met with an obedient yip. He rubbed his eyes, slowly adjusting to the gentle late-afternoon sunlight that shone through a large gash in the side of the room, the cold metallic grey of the control panels and walls reflected it's warm glow. Tails stared outside, admiring a view which could hardly have been more picturesque; rolling green slopes covered in long green grass and fields of colourful flowers swaying in the breeze, the start of a valley that descended into thick verdant forest. The high altitude gave a panoramic view to the horizon and, in the distance far below, Tails could see the sun inching towards the horizon, clouds emblazoned in spectacular pinks and yellows, the first lights of New Mobotropolis as it welcomed the night.
Sure was nice of Eggman to crash the death egg up here thought Tails and smiled to himself as he relaxed. His mind began to wander.
Something in the distance caught Tail's eye and he snapped out of his daydream. A flock of birds formed a little cloud as they escaped the canopy of the dense western forest. Seconds later a tiny speck of blue emerged onto the flat green plains at the base of the mountain, it was moving, zigging and zagging and occasionally disappearing from view. Tails smiled and watched as second by second the blur got bigger, streaking through the grass of the green foothills down below. Picking himself up, he strolled over to the hole in wall of the control room and peered out.
Silence, and then, suddenly, a loud ripping sound rang out from above, Tails dashed outside but before he could look up Sonic was in front of him. Sliding down the side of the crashed death egg fortress, the blue hedgehog jumped and landed acrobatically in front of tails.
"Sonic!"shouted tails and the friends high-fived.
"Hey tails, little buddy, sorry I'm late I had to get my date ready for the big dance tonight" Sonic smirked and pointed upwards, directing Tail's attention to the Robotnik 'face' of the death-egg which Sonic's spin dash had creatively given a lipstick, a bow, and long eyelashes.
"I didn't know you were into bigger girls Sonic" Laughed tails and rolled his eyes with a smile at the drawing.
"Shh don't say that she'll hear you!".
"So what are you doing up here?" Asked Tails "I thought Sally asked you to help with the preparations?"
Sonic pointed to his hand and Tails realised he was holding a small covered plate.
"She did, and I am; right now! I'm helping the kitchen staff take the appetizers out to the tables. Sally gave me twenty minutes but it only took me two. You're a guest and I figured that this lovely lady up here probably has a table inside her somewhere so I'm just doing my job, right?"
Sonic uncovered the plate to reveal a selection of tasty looking hors-d'oeuvres, he grabbed one, a pastry puff, and tossed it to to tails before stuffing another in his own mouth.
"Heh, Thanks sonic, I am pretty hungry" chuckled tails as he studied his food for a moment and then promptly devoured it. The two surveyed the view as they shared the tray of food, barely pausing to grunt approval between bites.
When tails had finished he sighed, wiped his mouth, and spoke up. "I know why you're really here y'know... but I can't come now. I'm not finished yet."
Sonic, who was reaching for the last morsel on the plate, stopped mid-movement."Oh" he muttered dejectedly, "You're sure you won't to come? It won't be the same without you little buddy. Sally and Me and everyone else, you know we all really want you there."
"Thanks Sonic, I know" said tails nodding his head earnestly, "But I can't come until I have the King's present, it's just too important. I promised Sally that I would get it and I'm so close I can almost feel it. "
"But nobody else knows about it Tails! It's not like you'll be letting me down, and Sally never meant for you to work through the party. You know she's the one that sent me here right? Serving tables, pft, do you really think she'd let me get anywhere near the kitchen?"
"Ha ha no" tails chuckled, he felt guilty and torn, a moment passed as his inner voices argued with each other. When he finally he looked up, his face was serious. "Sonic, I'm sorry, I really can't, I've spent weeks preparing for this, I'm almost finished and it's just too important to let it go. Tell sally I'll be there soon but I just need a bit more time"
Sonic sized up Tail's resolve with one last careful look, but his expression was clear, the argument over. "You win, buddy, you win. Just make sure you make it before the fireworks ok? After that we're giving the King his present and you'll be too late."
"I'll be there".
Sonic nodded, he knew that look, he sighed slightly and smiled to himself. "Alright buddy, well I gotta go before Sal finds out that it was me who stole the eats. Don't be a stranger."
"Cya Sonic" said Tails with a solemn smile.
And with that Sonic was gone, a trail of dust and a speck of blue in the distance were all that remained.
Tails squeezed his fist and grit his teeth, alright, no time to lose now, I gotta get this done.