Tails is safe and sound in his bed. After a hard days work, he deserved some good shut-eye. His sheets feeling awfully prickly. "I'll wash it tomorrow.." he utters, turning to the wall. His eyes are heavy. The creaking floorboards cut the weight holding them down.

CREAK..

Tails' eyes snap open. He can feel a pressure on the bedsheets. It's like he has to will every bone in his body to turn. The cold, sharp hand that grabs his shoulder makes him jump out! He tries to run from his door, but he's forced at a walking pace.

In the corner of is eye, is that Mecha Tails, slowly peeping in. It's face is emotionless, yet taunting. Daring him to make a move he's not ready for. Tails is able to nudge himself out of his bedroom, but oddly enough..he's in his garage. With NO plane to be found.

"This isn't right! I have to get out of here!" Tails shouts to himself, making a run for the garage door. All he has to do is press one button, and maybe the sunlight would blast this phantom! He's able to get some legroom, but a dark dust clouds forms out of complete nowhere.

A robotitcized Sonic appears, a cannon in hand. Tails backs away, aware that he can't take him alone. The machine kicks him right into Mecha Tails chest! The darkness covers his sight, as the chest closes in on him…

"NO!"

"AH!"

Tails wakes up in a sweat! He's never been more relieved to feel real grass after that nightmare. His shout gets Sonic's attention. The blur kneels down. "What's wrong? A fire ant get ya?"

"No.." Tails curls up again.

"What's up?"

The Fox finds the words to describe what the hell he just saw. "Sorry, I just need to…phew.."

"It's ok, take your time bud."

"I saw him again.." Tails confesses, sparking concern. "The robot. I don't know why he keeps showing up. I don't. I want him to go away.."

Sonic inhales. He recalls the collar on Tails neck, and how bad of a spot he was in. "There's nothing quite like trauma bonding. Hope it makes him feel better." Sonic tells himself.

"What do I do, Sonic?"

Sonic clears his throat. "Alright, bud. Wanna know a secret? I have nightmares too." That confession puts a look of shock on the boy. "We've had our unfair share of bad days. Sometimes I wish someone could hocus-pocus me back to stop it all. But I can't do anything about it."

"So..what do you do?"

Sonic forces another smile on, for his friends sake. "I got strong enough to stop that drama from happening again. I don't wish it on anyone. Don't get stuck in the past forever, Tails. Focus on what's here now." He picks a dandelion off the ground. "We only live once ya know. Do you really want to focus on a machine that got scrapped already? You're much better than that."

Tails, even when panicked, nods. "I just want to sleep peacefully.."

"There's nothing to worry about. Even IF those robots come back, we're gonna send them back where they came from." Sonic offers his fist again.

"But I'm not strong enough.."

"We had this conversation before. You ARE. You stopped Eggman from his sneak attack at the plant. You literally saved me from the concrete he called 'grass.'" Sonic reminds him. "Without you, we'd be goners."

Tails gets a little nod. "I did.."

"With my speed, and your brains, I KNOW we can knock out any copies they throw at us! It doesn't matter if it's me, you, or that douchebag in Windmill. Nobody's getting their hands on us." Sonic declares, looking for some confidence in that kid.

Tails returns the fist bump, but his expression is rather flat. "If you believe in me, then it..has to be true right?"

"You need to put yourself on that pedestal." Sonic advises. "Now come on, we've got.." he pauses. "One hill to discover." Tails walks to the edge, and spots the mass of water below. Right across from them, is a faint Emerald Hill.

"Um..where do we go next?" Tails asks, and Sonic lets him see the map. The boy covers his mouth in confusion. "It says we're close..but all I see is a cliff. I could fly you over I guess. Maybe it's buried underwater?" He theorizes.

"Oh.." Sonic lets out a little shiver. "I'd rather take a secret passage."

"Let's go then." Tails says flatly, taking the blue ride down. Sonic speeds in, and taps his foot at the slow pace. "Are YOU ok?"

"Ride could be a bit faster."

"You know Sonic, I'm starting to think you hate everything that isn't…three hundred thousand miles per hour." Tails jokes, trying maybe his first attempt.

"It's like going ten miles on the passing lane. People aren't gonna love that. Know what I mean?" Sonic asks, to silence.

"I've never driven a car.."

"But you can fly?"

As Tails explains his tragic backstory of going license-less, that bitter voice whispers it's mean messages to the hedgehog.

"Can't practice what you preach?"

"I wasn't gonna tell him to shut it."

"You're such a hypocrite."

They hop off the little ride, and move ahead. Edge of the cliffs not too far away. Sonic zones out, and it doesn't take long for Tails to pick up on it. "Sonic? Are you in space again?"

"..huh?" The hedgehog asks, forcing himself into the real world. "Oh. Yeah, I was just appreciating the water."

"I thought you didn't like the water?"

Sonic's alarm bells go off. Quick! Scramble! "No no, I was appreciating how bad it is. Nothing could ever make my skin crawl worse."

"..ok?" Tails asks, finding his behavior odd. Maybe Sonic's not the cool and calm guy he thought he was. They keep walking anyway, no progress on a secret button.

"Ever been cliff diving?" Sonic asks.

"I wasn't looking forward to it."

Sonic comes to a stop at the very edge. He peeks down, laughing nervously. "Hehe. Me neither!" As he walks back, he falls through a patch of grass! Tails runs over and gets a look down the hole. It's suction is so strong, he goes in too!

Hill Top is absent. All for one familiar drone. Robotnik's been looking for tabs on Sonic since tracking his footprints, and now he finally has it.

Sonic's shot from the tunnel, into a sign that spins around! It's labeled: Hydrocity.

Sonic feels his head for bumps, rising to see the new spot. Besides the purple walls and the glowing orange lights in the background, there's not much room ahead accept for a waterfall. A soulless waterfall, practically begging Sonic to jump in. Literally begging. "Join us." It booms.

"..no thanks."

"You don't have choice."

Sonic shakes his head. "We could always jump across from you!"

"Nothing there."

"aaaaAAAH!" A flying Fox knocks Sonic right back down! Sonic kips up, while Tails checks his body for any scars. He breaths in relief when he feels none. "Where are we?"

"Hydro-city."

Tails walks over to the sign. "Sonic, it's called Hydrocity."

"Must have been a typo."

"It's not. There's no space between 'hydro' and 'city.'" Tails points to the sign. "Don't really know how to say it."

"How is it not 'Hydro City'? This sounds like a city full of water." The dread immediately hits. "Oh."

"Uh..don't worry! I'll carry you!" Tails says, trying to force a smile. "That's just the..strong hero I am."

Sonic peeks over the edge, seeing a little walk away below, coated with water. The waterfalls wave forces them both in! They have a decent fall, screaming as they dip!

"I'm sick of getting forced into things!" Sonic shouts.

SPLASH!

Sonic stinks like a stone. The second he spots a series of air bubbles, he flails around, trying to run to them..but he's at walking speed. Luckily, Tails grabs ahold of him and uses his helicopters to pick up the pace a bit. They swallow their air bubbles and move on. Those tails help with elevation when they need it.

Sharp spears shoot up, keeping the duo on their cursed toes. Through all the vacuums, chains, and dodging, they finally make it to land. There's a little boat leading to the next area.

Sonic coughs up a storm. "Oh my god, Tails, you wouldn't believe how hot my lungs were.."

"Is this your nightmare?" Tails asks.

"Oh just one of them. But hey, I'm facing it, right?" Sonic asks. Tails gives a little smile at the confidence. The unending confidence in their partnership can't make the fox stay mad. Maybe it's just Sonic's effect on him. When Sonic's around, he normally feels safe.

That ship leads to a path with blue bricks, and water that barely reaches a toe. "Is there a village here?" Tails asks.

"A fish village sounds pretty sweet. If the tourists could control themselves it'd be even sweeter." Sonic jokes. It flies over the fox's head.

"Oh my gosh..what if there are Atlanteans? I can only imagine what innovations they have!" Tails gets lost in fantasy. "Sonic we have to find one!"

"We've earned a nice vacation after this mess." Sonic stops at the sound of a crash. "You heard that too?"

Tails points up ahead. "Look!"

Mecha Sonic flies down at the other end. Tails immediately backs away, while Sonic pops his wrist. "Ho boy. I'm gonna keep it real: Last copy looked better."

"Irrelevant."

"Sweet, someone got their voicebox." Sonic applauds. "Bravo. You won't go gentle, will ya?"

Mecha hand retracts, revealing a cannon. "You'll wish I did."

Both Sonic's rush into danger, ready to scrap and see who's number one. Mecha fires a missile at the last second, but Sonic just kicks that up!

BOOM!

Blue debris comes crashing down! Sonic blows his tongue out and goads Mecha to follow. The bricks crush him before he gets the chance! With the new opening, Sonic grabs Tails. "Hanging in there?"

"I didn't know your copy would show up.."

"No worries. We—"

Mecha bursts out, and tackles Sonic into the bricks. He's got a hand on the head, slamming the hedgehog's skull into it over again! Sonic gets both hands to stop himself, and retaliates with chopper kicks!

One kick, two kicks!

Red fist, blue fist!

Mecha's getting the combo of a lifetime, and Sonic pins HIM to the wall. "Don't love the concussion. Not cool dude."

Mecha fires a beam that sends Sonic THROUGH the bricks! He lands in another blue brick passage, with various fish passing by at the speed of light. Mecha's rotor kicks up, and he flies right through with his eyes on his duplicate.

"RESISTANCE IS FUTILE."

He gutpunches Sonic into the air, brings a foot up, and slams it into the back of his head, sending the hedgehog crashing down! Sonic gets to his knees, but Mecha is relentless, driving his Metal knee into the gut, grabbing him by the quills, and hurling him at the bricks again! Sonic collides, getting some whiplash.

He coughs. There's no time to speak with the oncoming Mecha. Sonic bounces off the wall and hops onto his back! "Let's see how YOU like it!" He yells, grabbing Mecha by his quills, and slamming his head into the bricks! Sonic wraps his arms around Mecha..and drops him on his head with a devastating suplex!

Sonic brushes himself off. When Mecha gets to his knees, Sonic can see the exhaustion in his movements. Enough headshots doesn't just effect the flesh. "Had enough, faker?"

Mecha punches the ground. "NEVER."

Mecha curls into a ball, his quills sharper in the form. Sonic does the same, curling up and spinning faster to gain more energy. The lightning increases with the pace. They clash, bouncing off each other, to come back stronger. Blue on blue violence is rampant in Hydrocity!

Tails peeks through the rubble, watching Mecha and Sonic clash. Each clash causes a spark in the center. The fox gasps at the copy's sharp ball, and eyes the brick next to him. "I can't sit here. Sonics depending on me!" he tells himself, looking for that motivation to fight the phantom in his nightmare.

Tails closes his eyes and hurls it. He's scared to death, but it's his best shot…

.

.

CLINK!

It connects with Mecha, but gets eviscerated in his spindash. When both men pull back, Mecha stares right through Tails. "YOU!"

Tails yelps in fear, flying away. Good news, Mecha's off Sonic's back. Bad news: he wants Tails'. The kid spins his tails the fastest he's ever had to, feeling soreness in the area. Mecha's stone cold on the chase, feeling no such thing.

Tails gets sucked into a vacuum, as gates unhatch. He has to force himself up and down to avoid the prickly spears. Mecha just tears right through them! He has a terminator on his hands! Tails rolls into another stop, but this time the city is in full view. Plenty of little apartments in the distance. He can't focus on the fish people yet, because Mecha lands too. He aims his cannon, with a dozen bullets ready to go..

"Is this the hill you die on?"

Mecha goes airborne, but Sonic homes in, and puts him THROUGH the ground! Sonic hops out, taking a quick knee to catch his breathe. "Jeez..talk about an upgrade. We'll take forever fighting that guy." Sonic's eyes widen. "Oh! We'e getting outta here!" Sonic takes off ahead, Tails following. The battle with Mecha is inconvenient timing, but with him in the rearview, they are a step closer to the compass.

Or so they think.

Mecha's sharp nails claw out of the ground. His visor flickers orange and black, but his cold heart beats with a vengeance. "How does a weak creature skate by?"

A familiar echidna glides in behind him, red fur soaked. The cold doesn't bother him, but the state of his ally does. "Come. You must recover."

Sonic and Tails shoot out the exit, landing on a sheet of snow. Actually..it's a land full. A land distant from Westside, but smaller too. Must not be a full civilization.

Sonic kisses the ground anyways. "Mwah! Mwah! Land at last!"

"Sonic..that snow could have germs."

"Good thing I'm no germaphobe!" Sonic yells, slapping the sign in joy. It reads: Ice Cap. "What's the map say?" Sonic asks.

"Hmm.." Tails points out the drawing of the Compass. "If that's here…" his eyes light up! "We're close! I don't know what we even do with the map, but it must be something cool, right?"

"Let's find out. Last one there's a rotten egg!" Sonic speeds off.

"Hey! No fair!" Tails yells, trying to keep up with his friend.

Sonic and Tails are getting a break. So they think. That roach of a drone floats over the premises. They aren't the only ones with their eyes on the compass..

If you've seen the movies, you already know that it's GOING to get real serious soon! Our pair may be much closer to the compass than they think. Unfortunately for them: Robotnik's drone is still tracking them. Get ready for chaos at Ice Cap, coming next chapter! It'll be out soon :)

Until then..enjoy your day.