Chapter 2: Tails Saves the Day... and a Girl

Hi! I'm back after a long hiatus caused by the death of my old computer. But now I've got a shiny new Laptop, and I'm ready to write again! First, to my reviewers:

SonicRules12: Thanks for the tips! I'll employ them to make myself a better writer.

Wingless Rain: Thank you for your input! I'm a new writer and I really need honest feedback on how to improve. I will better my writing.

HyperHailey: Gee thanks! To be honest, I just got lucky and found that rare plushie for $8.00 on Ebay.

Now on to the Fan Fic!

"Come on, get in the jar!"

Tails was flying about in a haphazard fashion. Normally he did this when he'd had too much sugar, but this time he was just trying to catch a butterfly.

"Yes! I got- Oh, poo. I've squashed it."

VIZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

Sonic had gone running by, and fast, too. Tails forgot about the unfortunate butterfly and wound up his twin tails. Accompanied by a sound like a helicopter, he flew at a dizzying speed until he was neck and neck with the hedgehog hero. Sonic was very concentrated on the task at hand, and Tails could see this. He had his eyes focused on the distant horizon, and his shoes were spinning like a couple of red and white centrifuges. It took Sonic a full five minutes before he noticed his sidekick.

"Oh, hi Tails. What are you doing here?" he asked the orange fox, without taking his eyes off the scenery in front of him.

"I wanted to see what you're doing."

"There's a rogue robot loose in the Green Hill Zone. Apparently we missed one when we finished off Robotnik."

"That'll be easy! We'll just spin jump him like all the others!" Tails exclaimed, pumping an exhuberant fist into the air.

"Not true. This one is not only heavily armored, it's a highly developed model, too. The longer you fight it, the more data it records on your moves and that just increases it's knowledge of how to avoid them." Sonic grumbled.

"Can I come?"

Sonic turned his head to face his adoptive brother. "I dunno... this mission will be kind of dangerous..." He semmed apprehensive.

"SONIC! I helped you trounce Robotnik hundreds of times before we capped him, how is this any different?"

"Well... okay. But If I tell you to run, you better get out fast, 'cause this fight could turn pretty ugly pretty quickly."

"YEAH!" Tails cheered. Then he looked ahead. "Um, Sonic?"

"Yes?"

"TREE!"

Sonic looked ahead just in time to swerve out of the way of a quickly approaching redwood.

"Dang, I almost became a blueberry pancake! If I take my eyes off my path again, I want you to slap me."

"Okay."

It didn't take them long to get there, but when they did, they were greeted by the sight of a deserted Green Hill Zone, all of the animals having fled in terror from a robot bent on death and destruction. There were a few fires, obviously the robot's doing, that weren't spreading very fast thanks to recent generous rainfall. A few trees had been snapped, and they could see smouldering pits in the ground where the robot's lasers had fired upon the zone's inhabitants. Thankfully, there were no signs of any animals having been killed, and the homes that were destroyed were all void of any victims. It was safe to assume that no one had been killed in the attack.

"Thank Goodness the attack happened in the middle of the day when everyone was awake, and not at night when they would have been easy targets. If that were the case, we'd be digging graves instead of taking care of the problem." Sonic muttered.

"Where's the robot?"

"I dunno. He can't be in another zone yet. See these scorched pits?

Tails took a close look at one of the numerous scorched pits in the ground. He held his hand close to the indent, knowing that it's a very stupid idea to touch something if you can't tell how hot it is.

"Hey, these pits are broiling! I'm not even touchin' it and it's burning me! OUCH!"

"Well, then take your hand away from it."

Tails put his hand in his mouth and sucked on his sore fingers.

"Owwww... My hand feels like a baked chicken!" Tails whined, his voice muffled by his hand.

"Are there any blisters?" Sonic asked, walking over to inspect the small fox's hand.

"No, just alot of red skin and sweat." Tails answered, taking his hand from his mouth. "And spit. Lots of spit. Wanna see?"

"Ew, Tails wipe it off on the grass! I don't wanna see that!" Sonic waited until Tails was done. "Anyway, what does that intense heat tell you?"

"That these laser burns are recent?"

"Right. So our mechanical adversary has to still be nearby."

So they began their search. Tails had wanted to perform an aerial search by flying above to see if he could spot the bot, but Sonic said no, due to the possibility of the robot sighting Tails and shooting him down. Sonic was zipping from area to area, seeking his metal prey, using whatever natural cover he could find in the process. The boulders were ideal cover, as rock would explode from a laser shot without the laser reaching Tails or himself. As they went, they occasonally found a few puddles of oil, so it was presumable that someone had already managed to damage the robotic menace.

"I guess they tried to drain it's fuel supply by puncturing the oil tank. Judging by the looks of it, they didn't hit it hard enough to stop it." Sonic concluded.

"But doesn't that mean it'll stop on it's own soon?" Tails enquired. "Since there's a hole in the oil tank?"

"He will stop, but not soon. At the rate the oil tank is draining, this thing could continue to run for a good two weeks before the fuel runs out."

All of a sudden, they heard a scream.

"Hellllllllllllllllllllp! I'm trapped!"

"What was that?" Tails whipped his head around and around to find the source of the sound, but his efforts were for naught.

"It sounded like a little girl's voice!" Sonic exclaimed. "Let's go, I think it's another attack!"

They sped off into the hills at warp sonic speed, dodging obsticles as they went. Occasionally they came to a dead end and had to double back to find another way, but they finally came to a clearing, where they were greeted by a horrifying sight. A little female fox with golden fur was cowering at the foot af a high ridge, a huge spider-esque robot preparing for an attack. She was obviously no fighter, and was at the mercy of an unfeeling metal automaton.

"Let her go!" Sonic shouted, and he launched a fierce Sonic Spin attack at the metallic beast.

The 'bot turned, and easily deflected the attack. The robot's armor bounced Sonic harmlessly off the chassis, and Tails saw Sonic roll backwards into a tree.

"Owwwwwwwwww..." Sonic rubbed a knot that now occupied a very noticableart of his forehead.

"Sonic, are you okay?" Tails yelled, coptering over to his best friend.

"I'm alright. I just got a goose egg on my forhead." He stood up, and snarled at the spider-bot. "You're goin' down for that, you filthy bug!"

A second attack bounced harmlessly from the robot's head.

"Drat! Another dud!" Sonic swore.

"Sonic! Try a Spin Dash!" Tails shouted, as he bounced up and down in excitement.

Sonic's spin dash was also thwarted by the thick armor, and so were five more attacks on the mechanized arachnid.

"Sonic's in trouble! I gotta find some way to help him!" Tails thought to himself.

Tails took notice of the fox girl's bucket. She had been forgotten by the robot spider when Sonic attacked. Tails flew to the girl.

"Can I see your bucket for a second?"

"You want to see a bucket at a time like this? Your friend is-"

"Trust me!" Tails interuppted, "If your bucket has what I need in it, You'll be thankful I'm wanting to see your bucket at a time like this!

She handed the bucket over, and Tails took a quick look into it. Sure enough, it contained just what he wanted to see.

"Perfect!" He grinned. And with that, he tossed the bucket straight at the robot. The bucket's contents emptied all over the robot's exterior, and it instantly started to spark and smoke.

"Water." Sonic smiled. "I should have thought of that."

There were a few suspense-filled moments in which the robot frantically tried to avert the impending disaster, but after three minutes, a bright light eminated from the robot, and it detonated in a spectacular burst of fire and sparks.

Tails flew over to his hero.

"Sonic, are you okay? I thought you were gonna be minced hedgehog!"

"I'm fine. Thanks, Tails. You really saved this 'hog's bacon."

At this time, the girl ran up to them and began to gush.

"That was awesome! You guys saved my life! I can't possibly thank you enough!

Sonic smiled at her.

"As long as you're okay, that's thanks enough."

"My name is Peony! What's yours?"

"I'm Sonic. This is my best friend and hero-in-training, Tails."

The little girl took Tails's hands into hers and looked into his eyes.

"You're so smart, Tails! How did you know that water would kill it?"

Tails grinned slyly.

"Well, once at home I dropped a waffle iron in a sink of water, and it exploded like that. So I figured it'd work on a robot, too.

Sonic let out a long, loud laugh.

"You figured, huh? Guess its a good thing you were right, or I'd be mulch!

Peony beamed at her rescuers.

"Here, take this! I don't know what it is, but it's pretty!" She had handed them a pretty yellowish-green stone on a chain. "I found it in a cave while I was spelunking."

Sonic hung the charm around Tails' neck.

"YOU saved her. You deserve the reward.

"You'll come see me again right?" Peony asked. "I can make tea and cakes to thank you!"

"Sure!" Sonic said. "We've got to go, come on Tails!

Sonic sped off, but before Tails could follow, Peony grabbed his shoulder.

"I REALLY want you to come back. You're cute." And she planted a kiss on his cheek.

Tails stood dumbfounded for a moment, before Peony's mother could be heard calling her name.

"That's my Mama. I gotta go, bye!"

Tails stood silent and in awe before Sonic came back.

"Tails, what are you doing back here?"

"Nothing... Nothing at all..."

"Then let's go."

And they were off until their next adventure.

End Chapter 2

Stay tuned to find out the secret of the stone...