Tails leaned on the tree, stunned. Sonic had never talked to him like that before. He was normally supportive and consoling, but now Tails felt more owned by him than ever! He looked at the sky and saw the sun set, feeling lonely as he saw Amy, Cream, and Sonic relaxing and starting a fire pretty far away from him. He curled up and watched the sunset reflect off his bowl of water, and licked it, staring at the ripples and watching a tear fall into them.

"Hey." somebody said. Tails turned and saw Cream.

"Hi." he said, quietly.

"You need to take your medicine." She said, holding out a pill.

He sighed and took the pill swallowing it, and she paused.

"Are you okay?" He sniffled.

"I'm fine, Cream. Don't worry about me." he muttered, laying back down.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing. Just tired of being treated like a puppy."

"I told you! We're out of cups!"

"Not just with the water. It's Sonic. He keeps petting me and tossing me treats, and saying 'Good boy' and stuff. Not to mention I have a collar and a leash. A LEASH Cream. I follow Sonic around, where would I go?!"

"Calm down, Tails. He's just looking out for you."

"How?" She sighed.

"See, Robotnik's gonna probably try to get you tonite. He can't if you're tied to a leash."

"So..."

"He probably thinks you still act like a puppy, and if he sees you like this, what else will he think?"

"But what if he wakes me up?"

"No offense, Tails, but... you still act like a puppy."

"Hmph."

"See, there were pieces of the chip left in your brain that make you act that way. Sonic's been treating you like a puppy to bring it out a little more so you can trick Robotnik. But I wasn't supposed to tell you." Tails thought about it.

"So... Sonic's just basically using me to get back at Robotnik?"

"That's what it sounds like."

"And Robotnik used me to get back at Sonic?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

"So what? Am I like everybody's little tool? Is that it?!"

"Tails calm–"

"No, I get it. Okay."

"Please, Tails! Don't do anything you'll regret later!" Tails shook his head.

"I gotta break free. I gotta ruin both of their plans."

He started pulling on the leash, and Cream whacked him on the nose saying,

"NO!"

He obediently let go of the leash, then looked at her, and passed out.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Robotnik woke with a headache. He weakly looked up and saw that Tails was missing.

"Stupid Sonic..." he muttered, going to his computer.

He typed in Tails' name, and got his location from the tags on his collar. Robotnik wrote it down, and set off to find him. It was dark outside, though Robotnik could tell it was almost morning. He found the location, and looked up seeing Tails hooked to a leash that was tied to a tree, sleeping next to a bowl of water with a large bandage on his head. Robotnik went to him and tried to unhook the collar from the leash, but got mad when he saw the padlock.

He started picking the lock, and suddenly Tails groaned. Then he saw Robotnik, sat up, and gasped making Robotnik let go of the padlock.

"Calm down, Tails. I'm trying to free you."

"Why? So you can get back at Sonic?" Robotnik paused.

He gave Tails a treat to shut him up and when Tails finished up the treat, Robotnik finished the padlock.

"There you go... come on, let's get out of here." Robotnik said patting his leg and signaling for Tails to follow.

Tails looked a him like he was crazy and Robotnik said,

"Come on!"in one of those babyish voices like you would do to a puppy. (A/N: hehe)

"Okay, seriously, what is your problem?!"Tails asked, offended.

"Quit fighting it, Tails. Come to me... come to your master..."

"M-master?" Tails asked blankly.

"Come on..."

Tails slowly started walking to him, as though in a trance when he suddenly heard,

"No! Tails, stop! He doesn't own you, anymore!" and then they looked, seeing Sonic.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Tails saw Sonic coming, and Robotnik grabbed Tails' collar before he could run to him.

"Tails! Listen to me! He can't control you, anymore. He can't hurt you anymore."

Tails tried to run to Sonic, and Robotnik pulled him back. Tails choked and Robotnik whispered, "We can do this the easy way, Miles... or the hard way." into Tails' ear, giving him the chills.

Tails struggled and Robotnik did an annoying laugh.

"So you DID get your freewill back..."

"Let me go!"

Robotnik pulled up the collar making Tails choke and said,

"I call the shots, not you."

Then he set the collar normal and Tails fell to his knees, panting. Robotnik took a knee to still be able to hold Tails' collar and said,

"See, Sonic? Brain control or not, I have your poor little sidekick, here, by the neck!"

Tails saw Sonic charge at them, and Robotnik moved making Sonic hit a tree.

"Try that one again, and I WILL kill him." Robotnik said.

"Y-y-you can't control me..." Tails weakly muttered. Robotnik pulled up the collar.

"Can't I?"

"No." Tails choked, and punched him in the face, making him let go of the collar. Tails caught his breath and ran away from him as fast as he could.

"Way to go, Tails!" Sonic said.

"Sh-shut-up, Sonic. You're just as bad as he is." Tails said.

"Huh?"

"I am not a pet. To either of you, okay?! I have feelings and they were hurt by you, Sonic. You're my best friend and you're using me to get back at Lardo over there?! And him... well... I've always hated him. I've had enough of both of you. See ya!" Tails said, and flew off.

"Tails!" Sonic yelled.

Tails ignored him and continued flying high, so Sonic couldn't see where he was going. He stopped on a tree branch and heard his tags jingle. He tried to rip off the collar again, but just like last time, his efforts were in vain. He saw a lake below him, and went to it, looking at his reflection in the water. He looked like a pet that had escaped the animal clinic. His collar was blue with a black lining on it ad he strained to read the tags. One was gold and diamond shaped and said, "Miles "Tails" Prower" on it. There was another that was black and etched in gold said,

"Property of Dr. Robotnik. If found, please notify." Tails balled a fist in disbelief starting to cry.

'He-he does own me!' Tails thought.

"Hey, what're you crying over?" Somebody asked

He turned, and gasped seeing Shadow behind him.

"Relax, I'm not gonna hurt you. Hmph. Nice collar. Sonic get it for you and finally declare you his?" Shadow asked, grabbing the tags. He read them and gasped.

"Robotnik?! You let Robotnik own you?!"

"I-I don't know what's going on. I don't know what happened. I can't remember anything. But everybody keeps treating me like a puppy."

"You can't remember anything?" Tails shook his head.

"I know what you're going through. People haven't treated me like a puppy, but I have lost my past."

"Yeah, I know."

"It isn't fun... finding out what happened. Be careful, Tails. You might wind up doing something you'll regret, later." Shadow said, and left.

'Who's HE to give advice?' Tails wondered. He proceeded staring at his reflection and thinking,

'I can't run forever. Whether it be Sonic or Eggman, one of them is eventually bound to catch me... oh my gosh, my head hurts so bad!' He paused and wondered, 'What now?'