Chapter 5: The Plan and a Day Out

"Good morning everyone, I hope you slept well." Volcania said as the group entered the war room (the same one as the day before).

"Oh yeah! I was out like a light!" Sonic said with a smirk. "For a civilization of rock people, you make some really comfy beds!"

"Hmph, or you're just too carefree and are able to fall asleep on anything…" Shadow pointed out.

Everyone nodded in agreement at that.

"… Rude." Sonic said, his arms crossed.

Volcania couldn't help but smile at their banter.

Tails looked around, and noticed someone was missing.

"Where's Cosmo?" He asked.

"Oh, Lavi I believe is still getting ready to start the day. She'll be joining us soon." Volcania said.

Then, she got a serious look on her face.

"Now, I said I had a plan, and here it is." She said, before pushing a button.

The Planet Egg appeared on the screen.

"Red X wants our Sacred Gem… I suggest we give it to him."

That caught everyone off guard.

"Whoa, WHAT?!" Sonic asked.

"I know, it's risky, however I don't see much choice here." Volcania said. "Even if we could defeat him, we can't if we have no idea where he is. And whose to say he won't just destroy the planet from a distance if we fail to meet his demands?"

Sage then popped out.

"So you're suggesting we use the Planet Egg to lure him out of hiding. Is that correct?" Sage asked.

Volcania nodded.

"Yes, that is what I am suggesting." She said. "We use the Planet Egg to lure him onto the planet."

"And then we beat him down! Awesome!" Sonic said. "Sounds like a plan to me!"

Volcania then shook her head.

"No, I don't suggest we fight him on the planet." Volcania said to everyone's surprise. "The citizens are not to be any more involved than they already are, and if we fight him on planet there's no guarantee that they'll be safe."

"Ok… so what? What do we do?" Tangle asked.

"… We send someone in as a fake prisoner." Volcania suggested.

Tails' eyes went wide.

"Of course! Then we could track them to their ship!" Tails said. "Heck, if we attack the ship from the outside, I'm sure whoever would be sent in could free the Planet Eggs and severely weaken them while they're distracted!"

"Exactly." Volcania said.

"Hacking into their systems should be easy for me if I get plugged into their main computer." Sage suggested.

Sonic nodded.

"Then that rules out Tails for this, since he's the only other one who could pilot our ship." He said.

"I also believe it would be unwise for anyone involved in the Metarex incident five years ago to go on this mission." Sage said. "You are all well known in this Galaxy because of it, so they may be more cautious with any of you on board."

Tails then got thinking.

"That probably means that we should also rule out Metal Sonic, since he could probably very easily figure out he's just as capable as Sonic…" He said.

That just left one person.

Everyone turned and looked at Tangle.

"...Oh heck yeah! I GOT THIS!" She said with a pump of her fist.

"… It'll be very dangerous." Sonic pointed out.

"Psh, are you trying to convince me to do it, or not? If not, then you're doing a bad job." Tangle said with a smirk.

Volcania then stepped forward.

"Thank you Tangle, you are very brave."

"Heehee!" Tangle said, looking quite smug.

Sonic then turned to Volcania.

"So, now that that's set… where's the Planet Egg?"

Volcania then pushed some buttons, and a picture of a volcano appeared.

"There is a sacred mountain a day's travel away." Volcania explained. "Magnus will serve as a guide and will be needed for you to be granted access to the mountain… as for getting it, that'll be up to you."

"Then I'll go. It should be easy for me." Shadow said.

"I also suggest bringing brother. He's lava-proof." Sage suggested, to which Metal Sonic gave a thumbs up.

Shadow nodded.

Sonic however seemed confused.

"He is? Since when?" He asked.

Metal Sonic just glared at him.

"Father wanted to create countermeasures to your friend Blaze, so he went a step further than fireproof." Sage explained.

Sonic frowned at that.

"Remind me to warn Blaze when we get back." He whispered to Tails.

Tails just nodded.

"Alright… sounds like we have a plan!" Sonic said. "Let's get to it gang!"

"YEAH!" Everyone, minus Shadow and Metal Sonic, cheered.

At that moment, the door opened, revealing Cosmo.

"Oh! Good Morning Lavi! Did you sleep well?" Volcania asked.

"Oh yes! Thank you mother!" Cosmo said happily.

Volcania nearly fell over when she heard the sound of her daughter's voice.

"I… YOU CAN TALK!" She said happily, before pulling Cosmo in for a hug.

"Thanks to a device Tails gave me, yes!" Cosmo said happily. "And not only that…"

She then pulled away and took off her mask, revealing her new hair color.

"My new friends helped me discover a new style! I think I really like it!" She said.

"Oh yes! I agree! It looks great on you sweetie!" Volcania said.

Amy at this point turned to Tails, who was mesmerized by Cosmo's new look.

'Mission accomplished.' She thought.

"Anyways, we just finished discussing our plan of action sweetie." Volcania said.

"Oh, well there was something I wanted to discuss with you mother." Cosmo said.

"Oh, sure. What is it?"

Cosmo then looked to Tails.

"Yesterday taught me that we are in a very dangerous situation right now… and I need some extra protection." She said.

Volcania nodded.

"Yes, I agree… alright, I will station more guards to…"

"Actually… I was thinking of something different…" Cosmo said, before walking over to Tails. "Tails has already proven to be incredibly capable, and incredibly kind… I would like to hire him as my personal bodyguard for the duration of his stay."

Tails turned red at that.

"Wha-huh?"

Everyone seemed equally surprised at this.

"I have no objections." Volcania said. "Are you alright with this Tails?"

Tails just looked to the others, who gestured for him to say something.

"Uh… y-yeah! Sure!" He said.

"Excellent! Then until the mission day, you are to be accompanying her at all times! You should go back to the palace and move your things to her room once you get the chance." Volcania said.

Tails nearly fell over at that, his entire head red now.

"WH-WHAT?!"

Cosmo just looked confused.

"What did you think 'personal bodyguard' meant?" She asked.

"N-not that I'd be rooming with you!" Tails explained frantically.

"It's fine, I trust you more than anyone Tails." Cosmo said with an innocent smile. "Plus, it's less a room and more a set of rooms, if you're worried about privacy."

Well, that certainly seemed a lot better.

"… Alright, I guess it's fine…" He said shyly.

"Great!" She said with a smile before putting her mask on. "Now come on! I want to show you around the city!"

And with that, she grabbed Tails' hands and dragged him out of the room.

…

"So… back when you knew her… were those two…" Volcania started.

"Crushing on each other? Oh absolutely." Sonic answered.

Volcania nodded.

"I see… I'll have to have a talk with him later then." Volcania said before leaving the room.

"… What did that boy just agree to…?" Sonic groaned out.

Cosmo was skipping along the streets, dragging Tails along.

Tails watched this with a smile on his face. He didn't need to see her face to know that Cosmo was in a very good mood right now.

For some reason, whenever Cosmo was happy, the people around her just feel more energized. It was just one of the many reasons why he loved her.

Truth be told, he was also really happy right now. He had spent the last five years thinking this girl was dead, and now he got to spend the next three days with her!

A few days ago, he'd have called this a dream come true.

Not only that, he thought that it'll give him plenty of opportunities to help her regain those memories that she lost.

"Oh oh! Let's go in there! I think you'd love it here!" Cosmo said, dragging Tails into a shop.

When they got inside, Tails saw it was a parts store.

"Whoa…" Tails said, stars in his eyes.

"Oh! Hello Princess Lavender! To what do I owe this honor?" The shopkeeper said, walking over.

"Just showing my new friend here around. He's a genius mechanic!" Cosmo explained.

The shopkeeper was very surprised by this.

"Princess! You can speak!" She said.

Cosmo nodded.

"Like I said, genius mechanic!" She said, happily taking off the pendant to show her friend. "He invented this device that allows me to speak, even if my voice isn't working!"

The shopkeeper got a closer look.

"All that in a beautiful pendant… my you really are brilliant!" She said.

Tails just scratched the back of his head bashfully.

"If I'm correct though… aren't you one of those heroes who came to help protect the kingdom?"

"Yeah, that's me." Tails said. "The name's Miles Prower, but all my friends call me Tails."

The shopkeeper then got a sly look on her face.

"My princess, just a day into meeting him and the two of you already started dating? You work fast!"

Tails turned completely red at this, and judging by her body language, Cosmo was too.

"W-We're just friends!" She said frantically. "He's only with me right now because I'm having him work as my bodyguard until the threat is over! That's all!"

"Y-Yeah!"

The shopkeeper just laughed at that.

"Is that why you've been holding hands this whole time?"

The two looked down, and saw that she was right, before separating as if their hands were on fire, causing the woman to laugh.

"Oh I'm just teasing you two… but my would you be adorable together!"

"Honey? Do we have a guest?" A new voice said, and a man covered in oil came out. "Oh! Hello Princess!"

Cosmo waved.

"Hello!"

"This young man invented a device to let her speak! Isn't that amazing?!" The woman said, gesturing to Tails.

The man seemed impressed by this.

"Say… rumor has it a young boy with two tails was the one who built that space ship those heroes came here on… is that you?"

Tails nodded.

"Yup, I'm the one who built the blue typhoon." Tails said happily.

The man looked incredibly shocked by this.

"But… you're so young!" He said. "What are you… twelve?"

"Thirteen… and would you believe me if I said I built it five years ago?" He asked.

He could practically see Cosmo's jaw drop.

The man just laughed.

"Pretty sure you'd knock the socks off of any mechanic on the planet here with that tidbit! Color me impressed young man!" He said. "Would you mind if I swung over and took a look at the craftsmanship some time?"

"Of course! I love sharing my work with those who are interested!" Tails said happily, his tails swishing behind him.

Cosmo watched this and smiled.

'He's so cute when he gets excited like this…'

Her cheeks turned red when she realized what she was thinking.

"Anyways, we have much to do! So we shouldn't keep you!" She said frantically.

"Alright, have a nice day you lovebirds!" The woman teased as they left, causing them to go rigid for a moment.

The couple in the store turned to each other and smiled. Those two were so obvious.

Meanwhile, Cosmo was having a crisis in her head.

'Why did I think that?! And why did I actually LIKE being called his girlfriend?! We just met!… No… no we knew each other years ago apparently… did I like him back then? Do I like him now?! Oh gosh I DO! AND I HAVE TO STAY IN A ROOM WITH HIM FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS NOW?! WHAT WAS I THINKING?!'

Thankfully, salvation came in the form of… Metal Sonic and Sage?

It appeared that Metal Sonic was carrying the scattered remains of a robot, with his sister floating along side him.

"Sage? What's going on? I thought Metal Sonic was supposed to be heading out with Shadow soon…" Tails asked.

"Oh! Hello Tails! Cosmo!" Sage said. "I requested brother's assistance in bringing the remains of one of the robots to the Typhoon so I could analyze it, he'll be leaving once we are done."

Cosmo tilted her head in confusion.

"Where's he going?" She asked.

"To retrieve the Planet Egg for our plan to defeat Red X." Sage explained.

Cosmo nodded at this, seemingly understanding.

"I guess you want to know why you were locked out of controlling these things?" Tails asked.

Sage nodded.

"Indeed… I should be capable of taking control of any machine to some capacity, no matter how complex they are." She explained. "To not be able to do so is troubling…"

"Alright, let me know later what you find out." Tails requested.

Sage nodded, and the two went on their way.

Tails then turned to Cosmo.

"So… anywhere else you want to go?" He asked.

"Oh yes!" Cosmo said happily. "I was thinking we could stop at my favorite place to grab lunch, before going back to the palace to get your things!"

Tails smiled at that.

"Yeah, sounds like a plan!" He said, as the two of them walked on… unconsciously joining hands again.

'Wait… ARE WE ON A DATE?!' They both suddenly thought.

The two were very quick to eat their meal (though in an awkward silence) and were now on their way back to the Palace.

Something Tails noted was that a part of Cosmo's mask actually could be removed, revealing her mouth and allowing her to eat.

Apparently, that was acceptable for the Princess to have removed in public.

"You know… you should keep that part of your mask off more often… you have a really nice smile." Tails said without thinking.

Cosmo went rigid at the compliment and turned to Tails.

"Y-you think I… have a nice smile?" She asked.

Realizing what he just said, Tails turned red and looked away bashfully.

"Y-yeah…"

Cosmo didn't respond vocally, and removed the piece of her mask.

"Then… I think I'll keep it off from now on…" She said shyly.

"If that's what you want!" Tails said. "Oh hey! Here we are!"

He then began power walking, going straight for the boys room with Cosmo following close behind.

'Please be there…'

When he arrived and opened the door, he was relieved to see that Sonic was relaxing on the couch, reading a book.

"Hey little bro! Cosmo! Having a good time?" He said in a teasing tone.

"Y-yeah! Today's been great so far!" Tails said nervously.

"Great! Now, I got your things together already, so you can just go and get settled in with the Princess." He said before smirking.

Tails just gave a nervous laugh before turning to Cosmo.

"R-right… uh… Cosmo? Can you give us some space? There's something I want to talk with Sonic about." Tails requested. "… Boy stuff."

Cosmo nodded at that, before stepping outside.

"Take all the time you need!" She said.

In truth, she was happy to have an opportunity to collect herself after what she'd been dealing with this whole time.

When the door closed, Tails rushed over to Sonic.

"Sonic! I still love her!" He said frantically.

"… Duh." Sonic said in a deadpan tone.

"This is serious! I… It felt we were on a DATE all day Sonic!" Tails admitted. "Even the townsfolk were teasing us about it! I am completely unprepared for this!"

"Mentally or emotionally?" Sonic asked.

"BOTH!"

Sonic nodded sagely at this.

"Dude, relax. We all know that Cosmo liked you too five years ago. I'm sure those feelings are starting to resurface for her too." Sonic tried to reason. "There's nothing to be worried about!"

He then put his hands on his brother's shoulders.

"Like Shadow said, you have a second chance here… is it really that bad?" He asked.

After a moment, Tails shook his head.

"N-no…"

"Then relax!" Sonic said.

"But… that doesn't mean I am prepared for having to share a room with her! I know it's more so connected rooms but STILL!" Tails said. "I feel like my heart is about to burst just thinking about it!"

That was completely understandable.

"Ok, how about this." Sonic said. "I'll talk to Amy, convince her to have a girl's night in Cosmo's room tonight. This way, you have a whole extra day to try and get less freaked out about it, and it's a day less that you gotta deal with it."

"… Yeah… that'll help a lot." Tails said.

Then Sonic pat him on the back.

"And I'm sure that Cosmo will be happy to spend some time with her friends. Heck, she might want to just have girls nights the whole time we're here!" Sonic said with a smile.

"Yeah… yeah ok. That sound's like a good idea."

Sonic then grabbed Tails' things and began pushing him towards the door.

"I'll go talk to Amy about that now, so why don't you go get settled in while I do that." Sonic said before opening the door.

"Right… see you later Sonic." Tails said as he stepped out into the hall.

Cosmo then walked over, a frown showing under the mask.

"Is everything alright?" She asked.

"Oh yeah! Perfectly fine!" He said with a smile on his face. "I just uh… was concerned about Sonic! You know he's gonna be on his own now until Shadow and Metal come back!"

Cosmo looked to Sonic, surprised by this info.

"Do you… get lonely?" She asked.

"What?! N-"

Tails elbowed the hedgehog and gave him a look.

"I mean, yeah, totally. I thrive off of social interaction!" He said with a grin. "But don't worry, I'll be fine for a couple of days!"

Cosmo still seemed concerned, but decided to leave it.

"Alright… if you say so." She said. "Come on Tails."

Tails nodded, and the two were on their way, with Sonic going the other direction to go and find Amy.

End of Chapter 5

Forgot to mention this, but the pendant was really just a way to simplify writing Cosmo communicating with the others. Just easier to write that she is saying these things rather than pointing out her pull out the whiteboard and writing it down.

The plan is set and in motion, and Tails and Cosmo are in for a VERY awkward time! Also, they are absolutely rediscovering their feelings for each other and not dealing with it well.

See you next time for Tails and Volcania to have a little chat ;)

… Oh right. With this chapter, I am officially done posting stuff for 2024. This has been quite the year for me!

Restarted Tangle's Log and finally finished Act 1 after several years, starting this story and the Missing Series… I'd say this was a good year for me. Entirely Sonic, but honestly? I have the most fun writing Sonic stories I think.

Next year will feature the end of this story, the official start of Tangle's Log Act 2 (A recap chapter of act 1 is out now) and hopefully the last half of the missing series, with a few more surprises along the way!

Thanks for sticking around this year, and I hope to see you all in 2025!