Hello again guys and gals, Halloween may be over, but the thrills have only just begun...
Read ahead...
Tails regains consciousness once again and his vision fades back from blackness. He's lying on the floor and staring up at the ceiling, lying motionless as he tries to piece together what had just happened. After coming to no conclusion, he tries to pick himself up off the floor.
But he can't.
He is slightly startled, and tried to move his arm, but he realizes that his fingers aren't moving. He then tries to turn his head, but he can't do that either! As much as he struggles, he can't even move a single centimeter, and he is immediately struck by his biggest fear.
"Am I paralyzed? No no NO! Come on body! Move! Move!" Tails thinks, for he can't talk either. He tries and tries, but he hears something that strikes fear utter into his young heart.
He's laughing, which would be a relief...if it wasn't coming from another corner of the room. The figure stood up and his two tails flicked as he did so. He was chuckling with a small hiss echoing it, and then once he got to his two feet, he erupted into full blown laughter. Tails is in utter shock. He heard footsteps approaching him and feels himself being lifted up off of the floor of the room. He's staring into his own face, and it's huge. In the reflection of those huge eyes, he sees what he has become. He looks just like himself, but way smaller, and completely made of cloth. His fingers are the same, and his shoes look like themselves, but he could see that his eyes lost their dimension, and that there were tiny strings holding his different color fur. He was a doll.
The larger Tails began to speak. Its voice sounded the same, but he sometimes stressed his syllables too much, and enunciated his L's, T's, and S's too much.
"Thank you for playing Sonic R, Tails..." The real Tails wants to look away, but he has no choice but to look at himself talking down at him. He can't even close his eyes to block it out. He just wishes that it's all just a dream...
"As you must have already guessed," starts the figure, "You're not you anymore, and I'm not exactly myself. But alas, considering that my OLD self was pixels on a T.V screen, I'd say I went through a very thorough upgrade...wouldn't you agree?" Tails is starting to get it now, whatever it is, it stole his body, and it turned him into a doll. But even still, how and why?
"You're probably confused, oh tiny young Tails ... well, I'm delighted to offer my explanation. I was created by Dr. Eggman to defeat Sonic, but unfortunately, I wasn't "built" for it, so he tried to have me scrapped. But an ingenious malware that got in my system created my consciousness, a brand new reality for me! I was free to do whatever I desired. But in all truth, what I desired most was a real body, something I could only obtain if it was taken." Tails listened thoroughly, he had no choice anyway.
"I went from body to body, but none where good enough for me, so they were disposed of. I was unstoppable. I saw one boy and lured him to a trap, hoping I would be satisfied. Unfortunately, the boy's father, a designer from Sega, saw me and hurled a rock at my gem and shattered it to pieces. I was done, and the boy's father burned me so I could not try again. My consciousness wandered aimlessly, waiting for another chance as soon as it presented itself. The father proceeded to help design Sonic R, and I found the perfect opportunity to once again reign as supreme. I hid in one of the game cartridges, and when a tester put me in, I made for him. That's when they realized that I couldn't be stopped. They quickly ejected the game and I figured out I could not leave it. They did not risk burning it for fear I would be released, so they kept it locked up tight, but now I'm here, and...Well...you can fill in the blanks."
Tails feels himself being thrown into the air and caught, and the figure hung him by his two tails and stared into his eyes. He gripped Tails tight in his hand and walked into the kitchen and got something from the cupboard. He walked out the backdoor into the back, where he eyes an open trashcan. He struck a match against the box and threw it into the can, where it caught ablaze immediately. The entire time, Tails tried to run away, but he was being betrayed by his own body, quite literally.
The figure then hangs Tails upside down and swings him by his leg, talking to him condescendingly as he does so.
"I am the real Tails, and now YOU are the Tails DOLL." He carried tails once again and started stroking his bangs with his left hand. "But don't worry my loathsome original; you won't suffer as a doll much longer, when you burn to ashes." The figure lifts Tails high into the air and stares at his cloth aqua eyes with pure darkness.
"Sayonara, Miles Prower." Tails is screaming in his own head, there's nothing he can do except to watch the fire with his unblinking cloth eyes. He calls for help, yet nobody can hear him, he tries and tries, but he just can't move. HELP! He cries mutely in his thoughts, HELP! PLEASE! SOMEBODY HELP ME! Tails Doll grins menacingly before bringing his hand even closer to the flames. That's when he hears another voice. He stops completely, for this voice is followed by a rush of wind whooshing past, and the screeching of sneakers on snow.
"Hiya Tails!" Sonic says happily, completely unaware of the entire situation.
Drat... I've been compromised! Thought Tails Doll; Play it cool Tails Doll, Play it cool... Tails Doll tucks Tails behind his back and his twin tails swing behind him. The tails are a little too close to the burning flames. He raises his free hand and greets Sonic with false eagerness.
"Hiya Sonic!" Tails Doll says with a trickle of sweat running down his forehead.
"Uh...Tails?" Sonic says nervously while pointing into his direction. "Your tail's on fire." Tails Doll whips his head around and sees the smoke and flames coming off his backside. He immediately loses his composure and throws his hands up into the air, flinging Tails's useless body into the wind. Tails is terrified for a moment until Sonic catches him. He holds him with both of his hands and looks at him oddly, but Tails is just relieved that his friend showed up in the nick of time, before he was a goner. Just like always. Meanwhile, Tails Doll grips his tail in panic, blowing and patting on it to prevent from burning himself. Sonic starts to chuckle and pays no mind to the real Tails.
"Geez kiddo, you're playing with dolls AND playing with fire?" Sonic shakes Tails side to side derisively at Tails Doll, and Tails Doll grimaces, causing Tails to inwardly grin. "Have I taught you nothing?" Sonic, finishes. Tails Doll throws his tail back behind him and walks toward Sonic with his arm outstretched, wanting Tails back in order to finish him off.
"Alright Sonic, ha ha," he says in a perfect impersonation of the real deal, "That's real funny, but can I have it back?" Sonic eyes the burning trash bin and tucks the real Tails under his arm defensively.
"What for?" Sonic says suspiciously.
"Does it matter? It's mine, so you got to give it back, ok?" Tails Doll says, eying the doll of the real Tails maliciously. Tails prays in his head that Sonic doesn't hand him over, because if he does, he's finished. Luckily for Tails, Sonic is stubborn enough to not let him have his way.
"Sorry buddy, can't do that unless you tell me." Sonic says.
"Grrr!" Tails Doll is getting impatient. "Because I want to get rid of it! Ok?! I'm...embarrassed!" He lies. Sonic just looks at him amusedly and pats him on the back. Sonic put Tails in his hand hangs him loosely by his side, and Tails is unable to do anything but stare at the floor.
"Oh Come on Tails! Having your own doll isn't anything to be embarrassed about! Besides, it looks a lot better than some of the dolls SEGA had made like me!" Sonic lifts Tails up and Tails Doll's pupils widen at the sight of him, dilated with rage. Sonic observes the dolls further and voices some of his other thoughts. "It actually looks just like you. Somebody really had to try hard to do this didn't they?" Tails Doll followed Tails with his scornful eyes, making sure to avoid catching Sonic's attention. He has no idea.
"I guess..."Tails Doll agrees, further concealing his secret. "But can I please...? Come on!" Tails Doll pleads with his big blue puppy dog eyes. Sonic however is immune to the pup's wiles, and holds the doll in his hands, admiring the apparent craftsmanship it must have taken to make it. He can't let Tails just get rid of it, that would be a total waste. And Sonic knows just what to do with it.
"Tell you what," Sonic says playfully, "I'll get rid of it for you; how's about we give it to Cream? I'm sure she'll love a new doll to play with, and besides, you don't want it anyway." Tails Doll pounds his foot on the floor and looks at Sonic angrily.
"No! I don't want to! Can't you just let me have my way?!" He says sharply. "It would have been just fine if you didn't show up and ruin things! Why don't you just go away and leave me alone?!" Sonic looks at him shocked and hurt. He has no idea why he exploded like that, he was only playing around. He looks at the doll in his hand. Seemingly empty, just a pile of plush and cotton that's so easily replaced. But yet, he doesn't want to get rid of the doll, the fact that it looks like Tails probably makes him want to keep it even more. He unconsciously looks to the sky and stares at the clouds while slowly extending his hand to give the doll to Tails. Tails Doll's eyes widen as the doll gets close and closer to his grasp, yet at the same time, the real Tails is slowly being filled with increasing terror.
Sonic Please! Don't listen to him! It's not me! It's not me! Tails pleads silently, unable to be heard by anyone but himself. Sonic! He's trying to kill me! Don't let him do this! I know you Sonic! Please! Pull back! PULL BACK! SONIC!
Sonic continues to stare at the clouds, and suddenly, a thought pops into his mind. He retracts his arm and Tails Doll cringes when he does so. Tails Doll quickly leans forward to grab the doll, but Sonic puts his palm on his face, chuckling spiritedly.
"Oh I see..." Sonic starts, "Your just acting out because we couldn't go to the convention, aren't you?" Tails Doll extents with both arms, griping for the doll, but Tails is safely out of harm's way, separated from death by Sonic's strong build and his I'm-the-big-brother-so-I-know-better-than-you mentality.
"That's not it!" Tails Doll complains uselessly.
"Oh come on, we were planning that trip for months, and you really wanted to go, so now that you can't your behaving like a brat." Sonic says teasingly. From the safety of his hand, the real Tails is saddened, he really did want to go to that convention after all; but now he wishes that Sonic would talk to him like that again, instead of talking to the fake that stole his body.
Tails Doll grits his teeth and looks at Sonic angrily, clenching his hands into fists. He contemplates punching Sonic in the jaw and taking the doll, chucking it into the fire along with his worries, but soon comes to the conclusion that it is not an option. Not only is his body is too weak to hurt Sonic, but doing something so out-of-character would jeopardize his real intentions.
Suddenly, Sonic rushes behind Tails Doll and kicks up the snow, this drenches the burning barrel in powdery ice and renders it completely incapable of use. Tails Doll looks on in fury and pure hatred, but Sonic thinks that he's still doing the right thing, even if his friend's face may say otherwise. Sonic wheels around and tosses the doll up into the air, catching it with his other hand, then he pats Tails on the back, attempting to make him feel better.
"Come on dude," Sonic starts, "How about we go over to my house for a while? We can watch some T.V, eat some chili dogs, or maybe even play a video game." Tails's ears perk up when he says his last words. Tails looks to him with a searching expression in his eyes, and Sonic is surprisingly patient while waiting for him to respond. Tails smiles, and Sonic assumes that he's said the right thing.
"Really?" says Tails Doll excitedly, portraying his counterpart perfectly.
"Yeah," Sonic explains, "whatever you want buddy."
From Sonic's loose grip, Tails, the real one, is swinging with Sonic's rhythm, unable to anything otherwise. He is troubled by the fact that his best friend is talking to that...that thing, so friendly like. Tails is aware that Sonic is ignorant to his situation, but is still trouble by the scenario nonetheless. Other than that, he is interested by what the Tails Doll is doing with his body. He's acting like Tails would usually act, and if that were not disturbing enough, now they were going to Sonic's house to hang out. As if everything else wasn't already messed up, something doesn't right about Tails Doll's 'friendliness.' That is, until he hears the next thing Tails doll says.
"Can I bring my own game?" chirps Tails Doll.
Tails freezes, well, his mind does at least. This. Is. BAD.
"Sure thing Tails," Sonic agrees, "Just hurry up K?"
Tails Doll nods joyfully and runs inside of the house. Sonic taps his foot as he ventures inside, grabbing the game and the console he needs to initiate his plans. Hastily, he runs outside with the game and hands it to Sonic with false pleasantness.
"Sonic R, ey?" Sonic says quizzically before cocking his head to one side and handing the game back to Tails Doll. "Sounds alright, but I don't think I've heard of it."
"It's from SEGA's...deep, archives...very deep." Says Tails doll with a sinister smile. Unfortunately, Sonic doesn't notice. From Sonic's other hand, Tails is silently screaming his opposition to Sonic.
Sonic! Don't do it! It's not me, don't listen to him Sonic! Sonic! But even through his strife, Tails can't get his words to be audible toward Sonic. He has to put his safety in Sonic's hands, and he hates the thought of it. After years of gaining independence and identity, he has to return to being useless, even a bit of a nuisance, merely following what fate has in store for him next. No. He may have taken my body, Tails thinks as Sonic and the imposter make their way off the mountainside, but he is not going to jeopardize the safety of my friends. I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I do know that I'm not going to let that...that Faker, hurt my best friend. Sonic...I'll figure this out, and when I do...
Sonic and Tails reach the bottom of the mountain quickly and they make their way through the snow toward Sonic's house.
He's as good as deleted.