PART 2 - The black desert
CHAPTER 9 - A familiar face
An hour had passed when Tails looked up from the television and noticed something strange was happening. The room was becoming dimmer and a quiet murmur of sound had started to grow in volume, it seemed to emanate from thin air. Suddenly, like a doubly exposed photograph, the cozy living room faded and little spots of light broke out all over the darkening ceiling. The solid stone cave walls disappeared, opening out and revealing a scene of bustling merriment, it looked like an outdoor formal party, the dots of light were stars in a clear night sky. Smartly dressed guests mingled at well-catered tables and made their way through the colourfully lit paths of a grand garden. In the centre of a large grassy courtyard a band on a pavilion played music to a group of couples who danced slowly in each-others arms.
Tails fell to the floor with a thud. What the? Where did everyone go? The couch and all his friends had vanished and he now sat in the cool grass in a quiet, dark corner of the garden. Nearby were a few tables neatly set in lines with white tablecloths, next to them some politely chatting guests, not one so much as blinked at his arrival.
If this is a dream, it just keeps getting weirder...
Tails picked himself up and dusted the grass off, a quick glance around was all it took, he knew this place, it was the Castle Acorn and some of the faces around him belonged to townspeople he recognised. Elias, Mighty, Charles, Hamlin, over on the marble dance-floor Tails caught a glimpse of Knuckles and Julie Su dancing together, next to them he couldn't help but grin when he recognised Sonic and Sally holding each other tenderly and swaying to the music.
Heh, Sonic always looks weird in a suit.
Tails stood quietly for a while and drank in the surroundings, the slow graceful music, the romantic lights and colours, everything seemed so idyllic, so familiar. Everything was in place, everything except... Wait, who's that? Off to the side in the shadows, sitting alone on a table with shoulders hunched, a girl in a shiny golden gown watched the dancers with a sad smile.
Wow! Is that Nicole? She looks so... beautiful.
Driven by a strange energy, Tails approached quietly from the side; he noticed his hands were shaking slightly, why am I so nervous? It's only a dream. Eventually he reached her side and he paused, letting out a small cough. Nothing. Nicole seemed to be in a state of deep thought. For a moment he hesitated and nervous fear shot through him. He took a deep breath and touched her shoulder lightly.
"H-hello? Nicole?"
Nicole turned and looked at Tails curiously with her sad eyes, "Oh. Hello Tails… I don't remember you being in this place before." Her half-smile was oddly empty, little more than an attempt at politeness.
"Before? I... What do you mean Nicole, where are we?"
Nicole sighed with a hint of frustration. "Nothing, forget I said anything, you wouldn't understand" she said and looked back to the party.
"Why can't I understand?" asked Tails.
Strangely Nicole did not not answer, didn't she hear me? why is she ignoring me?
"Nicole?" Tails asked again reluctantly.
The lynx spun around with a look of frustration on her face, "You can't understand because you just can't. Look I'm sorry Tails I'm in a bad mood. Please just... just leave me alone" she said and turned away curtly.
Tails was taken aback, he'd never heard Nicole speak like this and it caught him off guard, she seemed so upset, almost cold with him. He felt a strong urge to walk away but something stopped him. A party of a hundred people, laughter and happiness and friends all around and yet it was unmistakable, he could see it in her eyes, a feeling he knew much too well. Loneliness, deep longing loneliness. Why?
Quietly Tails sat down next to Nicole and watched the party. The slow music had stopped and people now danced in small groups. A circle had formed in the middle of the dance floor where Vector and Amy were having a dance-off. Amy was winning. Time seemed to lose all meaning as the two figures sat silently together on their dark table, a pair of astronauts separated from the world by a million miles. The party became a blur and soon all that Tails could see was Nicole, he noticed her shoulders were moving slightly, the light from the stage glinted off a droplet that fell on her cheek. "Are you okay Nicole?" he asked softly.
Nicole sniffled. "I'm sorry Tails. That was really rude of me before, "I just…" she stared wistfully into the distance "This place. I don't know why I keep coming back here, every time I do I just feel so awful. It's like… like I'm waiting for something that will never happen… someone who will never come."
She glanced momentarily at Tails but quickly turned away with a bitter half-smile as if mocking herself for the ridiculousness of her own thoughts.
"Maybe I could wait with you then?" said Tails. "Perhaps whoever comes along can explain what's going on?"
Nicole laughed gently and tacitly nodded her approval. They sat together quietly, alone again in the confines of their distant spaceship.
A loud bang filled the air and Tails was hurled back into the moment, he recoiled sharply and covered his head, his hands shaking and his eyes darting around. A bright bloom of yellow and blue lit up the sky as the first firework of the evening went off. Nicole, shocked, but not by the sound, looked at Tails with confused concern and instinctively reached for his arm. "Tails are you okay? what happened?"
Tails' world felt fuzzy and anxiety filled him him like a physical pain. Nicole's soft touch was like a beacon and he concentrated on her voice, clawing himself out of his panic, trying not to flinch as more dazzling rockets filled the sky.
"I- I'm sorry for scaring you" managed Tails, still shaking. "It's the explosions… Ever since the bombs fell I... I can't..."
"Bombs? What bombs?" Nicole asked, deeply concerned.
"I know this is a dream, but everything... it feels so real." said Tails "This place, these things, all of these people, none of it should exist! When we finally defeated Robotnik, he… he destroyed everything".
"Wait. What!?"
Nicole jumped to her feet and stood stiffly upright. "Tails how could you... how do you know about…?" and suddenly everything stopped. The world plunged into utter silence, everything immediately freezing in position. People stood with mouths half open, drink not flowing from their glasses and a few dancers defied gravity as their feet hovered disconcertingly above the dance-floor. Nicole stared at Tails, eyes wide with shock and disbelief, her lip was trembling.
"T-tails..? Tails! Is that really you!?"
"Nicole? what's going on? is this real? what is this place? " said Tails. He suddenly felt faint, dizzy, the stars seemed to sway overhead.
"Tails! oh Tails it really is you! I've missed you so much!" cried Nicole and she threw herself forward hugging him tightly and burying her head in his chest. "But how? How? I thought I'd never see you again"
The soft warmth of Nicole's body felt like ecstasy but Tails could no longer answer. The world was spinning now and he fought desperately for consciousness. Looking at Nicole he could see her eyes filled with alarm and concern. He tried to speak but no words came, his legs buckled and once again the darkness took him.