Sonic couldn't believe Tails had just ran off like that.

"Smooth, Sonic..." Robotnik said.

"Shut-up, Robuttnik! I'm gonna kill you for making Tails your pet to begin with!"

He started to fight with Robotnik and suddenly heard laughter. Sonic turned and saw Shadow casually leaning on a tree saying,

"You 2 never cease to surprise me."

"Huh?"

"Washing Tails' memory and making him a pet... that was probably the most cruel thing, ever." Shadow said.

"I just put him under brain control..."Robotnik muttered.

"Wait, how'd you know about Tails?" Sonic asked.

"A little birdy told me."

Shadow said and ran off.

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

Tails tried again to get the collar off, and sighed. It just wasn't gonna happen. He'd been trying to piece together what had happened, and it hurt his head too much to go any further than the lake. Tails sighed. He couldn't stay mad at Sonic. He missed him. A lot. After all, Sonic WAS only trying to protect him... wasn't he? He lay down lapping at the water(A/N: When I wrote this, my bro insisted that if I was going to write a book like this, Tails had to "lap" the water at least once. Don't ask) in the lake, and sat up, wiping his mouth.

"Aye, ye ran away now, did ye, laddie?" Tails looked up and saw the geek.

"How'd you find me?"

"The same way Robotnik probably will... the tracker on your collar."

"Can you take it off?"

"Sorry, lad. No can do. It isn't an ordinary collar. Once you close it on, it requires a certain fingerprint to take it off."

"This sucks."

"Aye, but enough about that. Why're ye mad at Sonic?" Tails explained and the geek said,

"Ah, well, he probably meant nothing by it, lad. He just wanted Robotnik to get what was coming."

"But I feel so... owned! It's horrible! You don't even know! It seems like I'm either taking orders from Sonic or Robotnik, and there's nothing I can do about it."

"Ye aren't taking orders, lad. Ye are being loyal and respectful. Ye were loyal to Sonic, until Robotnik made you loyal to him and now ye don't know who to be loyal to. Ye don't have a master, laddie, just a heart. Listen to that and you'll be okay."

"But Robotnik has me owned!"

"Maybe so... but he can't make ye do anything. So ye were his pet.. Big deal! Ye aren't anymore, are ye? Sonic saved ye, and look what you've done. You downright disrespected him."

Tails sighed. "I know. And now I can't go back."

"I'll go with you. Come on, now." he stood up and whistled, and Tails got up standing next to him.

"Good boy. Now remember, there's nothing you say or do that you don't have control over."

"Thank you sir."

"No problem, Laddie."

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

Sonic sat by the tree with the leash and padlock next to it thinking about Tails. 'I really didn't mean to hurt him... or offend him. Maybe he's right. Maybe I am just as bad as Eggman...' Suddenly, Amy and Cream ran to Sonic and said,

"Sonic! Where's Robotnik?!" Sonic shrugged.

"Shadow came and when I was chasing after him, I guess he got away." Sonic said

"Shouldn't you look for Tails?"

"Nope."

"Why?"

"He doesn't wanna be around me. He'll be back, he just needs some time to think."

"How do you know he'll be back?"

Sonic showed the container of pills.

"He never took his pill. He's gonna drive himself crazy from the pain if he doesn't take it." "Oh."

"Speaking of..."

Amy and Cream looked and saw Tails being escorted by the geeky know it all dude. Tails looked like he'd just finished crying and the geek had an arm behind him to encourage him to keep walking.

"Sonic, please hand me the lad's medicine." The geek said.

Sonic gave him the pill, and the geek gave it to Tails.

"Here ye go, lad." Tails ate it and the geek stroked his back.

"There you go, you'll be okay..."

"It-it hurts so bad..."Tails groaned.

"Just keep walking..."

The geek walked Tails next to Sonic and padlocked him back to the leash again. Tails sat down and put his head in his hands, shaking in pain. Sonic looked at his and said,

"Tails? I- I know this is probably a really bad time to tell you but, I'm really really sorry I used you."

"It's not your fault." Tails groaned.

"Yes it is. All because I wanted revenge. I shouldn't have–"

"Sonic... it was Robotnik..." Tails groaned, cutting Sonic off. He gave Sonic a hug and said,

"You were only trying to help me." he let go and looked at Sonic.

"It took me a while, but now I get it. You weren't trying to own me, Robotnik was. I'm so sorry I got mad at you... friends again?" Tails asked, holding out a hand.

"Friends." Sonic said, doing their handshake.

Then they heard evil laughing and Robotnik say,

"Well, isn't that precious..."