If there was one thing that Sonic hated the most, it was going slow. And water. Going slow over water was even worse. Much to Sonic's dismay, Tails loved to go slow over water. The fox loved seeing the waves dance on the ocean surface and the fish glide peacefully underneath the boat. The wonderful scent of the salty air and the spray of the refreshing cool water was enough to make his golden fur tremble in delight. It was a wonderful day for sailing.
Tails pushed his small body up against the side, sniffing the wind and tasting the salty spray on his lips. Deep, fulfilling breaths filled his lungs with the glory of the sea as the fox sighed with contentment. Everything from the temperature to the wind direction was perfect, and Tails adored it.
Sonic, on the other hand, stayed in the direct center of the boat. He laid himself flat on the deck and refused to move from his somewhat secure location. His fear of water overruled his normal, fidgety ways and left the poor hedgehog parylized on the damp steel floor of the vehicle. Although Tails had designed the ship, and Sonic had every trust in his mechanical abilities, the young blue speedster still doubted his ability to stay dry.
"Isn't it a wonderful day!" Tails squeaked delightedly. Seagulls that flapped overhead filled the air with their cries, occasionally squawking at the duo in either disdain or delight. Neither of the two children could tell. Sonic "Mm hmm'ed" anxiously back at his younger brother. Tails didn't even seem to notice how stressed the hedgehog really was.
"They'll never find us out here!" The fox giggled as he piloted the boat around a random rock in the sea. "Everyone knows you don't like water!"
The boat came to a slow stop, gently bobbing up and down on the gentile waves. Tails turned the motor off, looking across the horizon for signs of any other ships. Nothing - good. A hint of confusion crossed the young captain's mind.
"What did you do to even make them so mad?" Tails asked, turning around. Sonic just laid there, completely silent. In confusion, Miles looked over at him for the first time in the entire trip to see how his friend was faring. His friend was not faring well. Sonic had a white-knuckle grip on the nearest life jacket while looking as pale as one of the pearly white clouds that floated overhead. His peachy eyelids were shut so tightly, the fox thought that Sonic would implode.
"Are you going to be sick?" Tails asked, slightly concerned. Sonic merely shook his head.
"No." He hoarsely choked out.
"Well, do you mind telling me why we have a military faction chasing us down then?" The fox inquired. Sonic mustered the courage to open his eyes. A wave took that chance to lightly splash over the side of the boat, making the hedgehog shut his eyes even tighter than before.
"It wasn't a big deal, honest!" Sonic squeaked, balling his fists even tighter.
"Uh huh.." Tails looked back at him, a look of disapproval crossing his face.
"All I did was borrow one of their Emeralds a while back! They're just mad because I didn't give it back." The hedgehog snapped back. He crossed his arms defiantly, with a pout on his face. Miles gave him another look.
"... That and I accidentally destroyed half of their resources looking for it - but that's not the point!" Sonic finished. He frowned cartoonishly.
"That doesn't justify them trying to capture me! I'm only eight! Aren't there laws against catching an eight-year-old?" The blue blur shouted. Tails planted his hands against his hips.
"Sonic! You should know better!" He scolded. "You shouldn't steal from government organizations!"
"I really needed that emerald! It was either me or Eggman!"
"Maybe you should have let Eggman do it." Tails mumbled. He reached into a compartment to retrieve the anchor, when the water started to bubble.
The small fox peered gingerly over the edge, large blue eyes trying to catch a glimpse of what could possibly be making such a disturbance. Unnervingly, the water started to bubble even faster: as if something was starting to surface.
"Uhhh Sonic?" Tails anxiously asked, voice wavering from fear. Whatever it was, it was big.
There was no response from Sonic. The cobalt speedster had retreated into a tightly curled position with all of his defensive spikes on display. Tails watched on as something rose out of the water in front of him. Shrieking in surprise, the fox leapt at the wheel to drive the boat away from it, only for something metal to clang against the bottom, jolting the passengers upwards. The ocean receded from underneath the ship, causing droplets of water to splash off the boat. With a harsh realization, the young inventor realized what was happening. The little ship was being lifted out of the water.
After the giant ... thing stopped moving, Miles began to investigate what could have raised them out of the sea. Peering over the side once again, he looked around to discover they were on a tubular metal surface. The fox's sharp eyes caught a circular symbol on the surface of the object. A familiar symbol. A military symbol.
Shoot. A submarine.
"Sonic get up!" Tails shouted. However, before the young hedgehog could properly react, a door slammed open on the huge navy vessel. Soldiers raced out from the hole and quickly surrounded the smaller boat. Slowly, Sonic peeped his head over the side.
"G.U.N! STEP OUT OF THE BOAT WITH YOUR HANDS ON YOUR HEAD!" An officer shouted. Weapons aimed straight at the small duo as the two weighed their options. Run? Or submit?
Surprisingly, Sonic chose to submit. All the lazers dotting their bodies and the vast ocean around them was more than enough to convince the hedgehog to surrender without a fight. Where was he even the run off to? The two did as the officers told, and were soon on the hull. Before he could even speak to his little brother, Sonic found himself being roughly handcuffed and dragged away; leaving behind a bewildered Tails.
"Hey! What about me!" He cried, taking a step towards the blue hedgehog. A soldier approached him. Kneeling down to his level, the officer reassuringly placed his hand on the young fox's shoulder.
"You were not part of our mission, kid. We will let your ship go as soon as we submerge." He kindly explained. Tails' large blue eyes welled up with tears as he looked into the kind face of the soldier. With a smile, the officer patted his shoulder gently and returned into the ship; locking the door tight with a loud bang. The sound of a horn, and the rumbling of the submarine, told Miles to return to his boat before the sea claimed him. With a hurried motion, the two tails on the fox's body spun, lifting him into the air and onto his deck.
The rumbling returned, and Tails was knocked off his feet as the ocean slowly rose, catching against the metallic side and swaying it back and forth. As soon as his ship was properly afloat, the military vessel gave a friendly toot before vanishing completely under the waves, leaving the frightened fox alone in the open waters without his best friend.
What would they do with him? Tails anxiously pondered. Where are they taking him?
"Don't worry Sonic!" The young fox proclaimed aloud. "I'll get you out of there in no time!