Obsession

By Harun

Special Thanks to RevolCram for Editing

It was, at its most base form, childish love. The type of love that society approved of. The type of love that no one questioned. However, as Tails Prower knew all too well, society had many delusions about what was considered 'acceptable'.

He was at school that day, watching Amy flirt with Sonic. So many attempts, so many failures. Why couldn't she just give up? Even if she did give up, did that mean he could immediately jump in on the rebound? Of course not. He would be severely ostracized by the microchasm of life that was school. And, while this school seemed to have serious ethical and moral problems with gays, it did not seem to have any problems with sending his graduating school friends off to fight in a pointless conflict.

Enough was enough. Did not the old books say 'love conquers all'? Were not the stories of two lovers' self-destruction something to be admired? He walked over to the two, trying to appear casual.

"Hey, Sonic..." Tails said. The look on Amy's face told him that he was fast becoming a third wheel. Time to remove one of them, he thought. "You wanna go out Thursday?" Tails asked. Amy stopped her rambling when she heard the words come out of his mouth.

Amy glared at Tails. "What did you just say? This is MY MAN!" She got in his face. He wanted to bite into her, to tear her nose off.

"I like men. So do you." Tails said, matter-of-factly. "You got a problem?"

Amy gave him a wicked smile. "THIS ONE'S TAKEN!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. The pink blob was trying to embarrass him. A tough-looking prick lumbered toward the three, no doubt hoping to score points and enter the noble ranks of the jocks.

"Well, well, well..." The prick said, cracking his knuckles. Sonic stood in front of Tails.

"You gonna defend your boyfriend? Gonna have to kick both your asses, then!"

The prick raised his meaty fist. "You touch a hair on him, you'll regret the day you were hatched..." Sonic raised his fists in like manner. A small group had gathered around them. Sonic took a swing at him, connecting with his temple. The prick dropped to the floor.

"That was so cool, Sonic!" Amy clung to his arm, pushing herself into him. It was, literally, too much, as both fell over. The group of students was dispersing, and there Tails stood, watching the pink blob put another piece into play; physical charm.

"Get offa me!" Sonic said. He pushed Amy off, and reached for Tails' hand. "Help me up?"

Tails was all too eager for seconds, and grabbed Sonic's hand with both of his. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Gotta get goin'!" Sonic looked at one of the wall-mounted clocks. "See you later, little buddy!"

He didn't say much after Sonic left him that afternoon. Tails laid around in his room, after working on his homework. His cell phone vibrated, pulsing against his body. Tails had to find some way to appear attractive enough to Sonic so he'd pay more attention to him. "Perfect..." Tails said, taking his member out with one hand, and aiming his camera with the other. There was a gentle breeze in his room, which made the natural order of events quicken themselves. These events were helped further by his thoughts of what he'd like to do with Sonic, if the two were alone together.

Now or never. His thumb hovered over the large center button, and he checked his appearance one last time before flashing a toothy grin. Click. The boy was proud of his looks. There he was, smiling for the camera in a cutesy pose. "Here we go..." He pushed the 'send' button on his phone, condemning the newly taken photo into the mailbox of his friend. Many thoughts raced through his head as he waited for a response; would Sonic like it? Would he laugh? Would he send it to anyone else? If things didn't work out, then he would have an embarrassing situation in one of his hands.

If he could have turned on his clock's seconds display, he would have. Each passing second tore him between the old game of 'love me, love me not' played with a flower. Tails felt dizzy, and threw his head back onto a pillow. This would make or break their relationship, he thought. He was expecting a photo response, but a voice call came in.

Sonic's voice was loud and angry. The kit felt his heart skip a beat at his failure. "Stay the fuck away from me!" Was the last line heard before a click. The kit felt a tear coming down his face. Tails had failed in his chance. Now, Sonic would be guaranteed to run into her flabby arms, and he would have no hope of showing his feelings.

Two hours passed. His phone buzzed. Tails opened it to see the name 'Amy' in large bold letters in the 'From' box. He shivered at what words of wisdom she would give him. Nothing worse than those past nuggets of gold like 'I need bail!' and 'Where the hell's the keys!' One word in this message; 'TOMORROW'...

He looked outside to see lamp lights flickering on. The world was heading to sleep, but Sonic (and by extension, his stalker Amy) was planning to party. "Oh no..." Tails said. His first thought was that she had found out about the photo. Sonic had shared it with her, and everyone else. On second thought, though, he realized that most of his friends were not calling to harass him, meaning they'd not received it. What did she mean by 'tomorrow'? Did she know anything at all about the photo? Maybe she just wanted to talk about Sonic, and try to sort it all out. Tails wiped sweat from his brow. She would never win. He would make sure of it, somehow.

There she was, as she'd promised, waiting by the lockers. Was it a trap? What could she have to say to him? No one he knew was standing by her. Amy noticed him and gestured for him to come over. "Hey..." Tails said.

"I..." Amy began. "I wanna apologize for yesterday."

This was a surprise. "What's this about?"

"I was... I was just jealous."

Now he was confused. "And what do you have to be jealous about? You can get any guy you want!" She wasn't looking directly at him. He turned around, but no one was in the distance. She was evading his question.

"That's not true." Amy said. Tails looked into her eyes. She was worried, sad. "I can't have him."

'Him'... 'Him'? 'Him!" Tails had to control the burst of adrenaline that shot through his body. "Sonic?" Tails said calmly. She nodded slightly. So Sonic did get his picture. "How'd you know about it?" Amy's expression changed.

A shade of red came over her face, and she leaned in to whisper in his ear. "I was there with him." Now he was also red. Anyone who walked by would assume the two were up to dirty things.

"Did he-"

"No, he didn't share it with anyone."

Tails reached out to put a hand on Amy's shoulder. The three had used one another as go-betweens throughout their childhood. "Can you tell him somethin' for me?" It'd be easier this way, instead of fumbling into chaos with his emotions. He was very sensitive to rejection and criticism, and he didn't know what would happen if things didn't work out. Tails took a deep breath before speaking. "Tell Sonic I want to see him today." He could feel her pulse through her skin. Both knew how important the request was.

"Actually..." Amy said. "That's what I want to talk to you about. Sonic wanted me to tell you the same thing..." Tails was taken aback. Now wasn't the time for nervousness or embarrassment. He had beaten Amy at her own game, still he needed to be a good sport about it.

"Where?" Tails asked. Amy looked down the hall, towards the gym. Her hand pointed in that direction. It was clear she didn't want to say it, to admit her defeat. Tails squeezed her shoulder. "Thanks..." He said. Tails turned to walk to the gym. Classes would start soon, so they would have fifteen minutes to talk. What was Sonic going to talk to him about? Most likely, the picture.

The cavernous gym was dark, save for the lockers in the corner. Tails neared the locker rooms, when the lights flickered off. How strange...

Tails looked into the locker room. He reached for the light switch. His hand was jerked away, and he felt himself thrust into the darkness. He slammed into the wall, feeling a pair of hands against his chest, and a pair of lips against his own. He tried to push away, to scream, to fight back, but he noticed the aroma of chili dogs on the assailant's breath. It was Sonic... Tails was confused.

He broke free from Sonic's liplock. "Sonic?" Tails said. "What the hell's going on?" Another passionate kiss.

Both were breathing heavy. "I couldn't help it!" Sonic said. "You looked so cute in that pic!"

"But you sa-"

"I was with Amy. She saw it first."

Tails looked as if he were going to have a panic attack. "She..."

Sonic could hear the worry in Tails' voice. "Don't worry. She's not sayin' anything. I made sure."

Sonic took him by the hand. "Why don't you just tell her to go away?" Tails asked.

Sonic laughed. "It's not like she's gonna disappear anytime soon... We'll just have to talk with her tonight." He squeezed Tails' hand. "You know, tell her we're an item."

Tails was impressed by how well Sonic knew his way around in the dark. "What're you doing?" Tails asked.

The answer came as a surprise. "I'll show ya..."

Tails had been in this particular washroom last week, if he recalled correctly. Its exterior had not been washed, and looked grimy. There was not much else he thought could go on here. "What're we doing here?" Tails felt Sonic's finger pressing to his lips. He felt his friend's body come in contact with his own, as Sonic's finger slowly made its way down the boy's chest. "Son-" He was cut off as Sonic's mouth pressed against his, sending Tails' tongue to the back of his throat. He tried to make sense of what was happening. It was all too much, too soon, too perfect. He tried to push Sonic off, but felt his friend's finger stop at his waist.

"Someone'll-" Tails managed to say between liplocks. Sonic waved the finger in Tails' face.

"All taken care of, little buddy..." The kit jumped as he felt Sonic's finger now pressing against his boyhood.

The biggest worry he had, was if they were caught. Ten minutes before class, and now he had a raging passion for the man he thought hated him. "Hey!" Tails gasped. Sonic now had both hands on his lover's sex. Tails reached down to move Sonic's hands away, but Sonic took this as an invitation to present his own for the boy to feel.

Tails saw that Sonic was teasing him. He wouldn't let off until Tails was about to climax, then he would ease off, only to start back up again. Tails didn't know how long he could hold out with Sonic's fierce pumping.

"Just... Just wait a minute!" Tails said.

Sonic kissed him before chuckling again. "Well, well. Maybe I'm not doing it right..." That grin. That wicked grin told Tails he was in for something. His friend got on his knees, and pulled Tails close. Tails' knees seemed to go weak. The boy knew what was coming. Sonic reached behind Tails. His left arm was wrapped around the boy's legs, his right under Tails' bum.

Tails looked down at Sonic, who was still grinning. "Ready?" Tails nodded slightly.

It was sudden. Sonic's mouth was like a furnace. A moan escaped his lips. He was reveling in every motion the newly-formed duo were making. "I'm gonna-" Tails panted. The boy's eyes closed tight, and he drained himself into Sonic. As he tried to recover, he felt something that he had not felt with anyone else, a deep sense of love that Amy or her ilk would never be able to give him. The boy felt himself melt into his lover, grateful for his friend's powerful arms.

Tails looked down as Sonic removed his mouth and met the boy for a deep kiss. "Your turn..." Tails said.

At first, Tails thought that the sound he heard as he knelt down on his knees was from his bones cracking. The sound was not from Tails, however; it was from a phone inserted under the door. "What're you waiting for?" Sonic said. Tails closed his eyes and stuck his tongue out, ready to pay Sonic back with some teasing of his own. Both heads turned to the door, hearing footsteps running away. Someone had been listening in on them...

Those same footsteps ran out of the washroom. "God damn her..." Sonic said. Tails knew who he was talking about. Tails felt nervous, anxious, terrified. He put a hand on Sonic's arm. "Stay here..." Sonic said.

"But what about-"

Tails' hand fell on Sonic's back as he opened the stall. "Don't talk about this to anyone."

Tails didn't want to stay here. He didn't want to stay silent, either. He watched Sonic leave, to deal with her. Two heads were better than one, he thought, so he slipped out the other side of the locker room. She could be in a few places, but most likely, she'd be with her circle of hens near the hallway.

Tails peeked out from his locker, toward her meeting place. She was holding her phone out, laughing and chatting with her friends. She didn't notice his approach. Neither did the girls. They didn't laugh at him or start insulting him, so she must not have had time to show them anything. He knew about a similar situation when she was younger, involving a photo Sonic had taken. He and Sonic had promised not to share it, and held it over Amy's head for two months before she destroyed it.

A smirk came to Amy's face when she saw him. "Hey..." Tails said to Amy. They were arguing silently, trading blows with each other.

After a few seconds of this, one of Amy's friends, Kari, spoke up. "So... You gonna ask him out?" Laughter from her other friends.

Amy grabbed Tails by the arm and pulled him aside. "I want it back..." Tails said through clenched teeth.

Amy played innocent and shrugged her shoulders. "What do you mean?" She flipped open her phone. Tails' eyes went wide. She had taken it. The angle was terrible, but there they were. Two boys in the stall, one on his knees, between the other's legs. "You mean this?" Click. The phone snapped closed.

He had to do something about it. She would hold it over the two for years, or she would send it off to everyone. He figured it was her final 'screw you' to both of them; if she couldn't have Sonic, then neither could he. Amy waved her finger in his face. Tails reached for the phone, but she quickly shoved it into her pocket. "Now you can't get it..."

"What the hell do you want?" Tails said.

"Do as I say..." The bitch said with an authoritarian tone. "Bark."

"Fu-" He heard a beeping from her pocket. Her finger could be near the 'send' button.

"Woof!" Tails blurted out. Laughter from around him; behind him, ahead of him, everywhere. The humiliation had started.

He needed to find a way to leverage any advantage he could, but he knew none at the moment. As he turned to walk away, his salvation came in the form of one of Amy's friends.

His years of reading at the library gave him a leg up in reasoning. "Hey, Kari." Tails motioned her closer. "I need a favor." None of Amy's friends were particularly suited to kindness unless a bribe was offered, and that is what he had in mind. His friend Wesley would do the job nicely. Kari and Wesley were in the same class, and had feelings for each other.

Emotions were very easy to manipulate, Tails knew. "You're interested in Wesley, right?" Kari nodded slightly. "Well, I need a letter from Amy. Write it for me. Some kind of quick game. I just need to get a letter from her. Do that and I'll put in a good word with Wesley for you."

Tails saw that the girl's face was turning red. "Sure thing..." Kari said. It was so easy to use people when they were in love. Tails turned to wave at Amy, who was eyeballing the two.

He waved at her, as she had done to him. "See you at lunch..." Tails let the comment fall on all ears by the lockers. Both for Kari, and for Amy to hear. Part 1 of his plan was in motion. She would regret what she had done.

Tails took his lunch tray from the bin and loaded it with the usual assortment of junk and sugar. "Hey, Fido..."

Tails gripped the lunch tray with his hands. It could be used as a weapon to blacken his eyes, should comments or tempers get out of hand. He turned behind him to see Wesley, the immigrant boy who moved into town after his father landed a job at the printing press. "You're holdin' up the line." Wesley said. Tails felt the coyote's elbow nudge him in the back. His hair was long, and Tails squirmed each time someone's hair brushed against him.

What possible reason would Sonic have for keeping their relationship a secret? The kit's eyes scanned around the cafeteria floor. Groups of kids, split into factions, at opposite ends of the large room. Soon after he came to the school, he gained the reputation of a tyrant with anyone who was stuck working with him. Tails had hopes of college, and did not want to fail in anything. He would nag anyone who fell short of his expectations until they left his group.

Nobody, save a few other drifters, talked with him. He made his way to Sonic's table. "Check it out!" Wesley said. He was pointing to a girl who was waving to the two.

It was Kari. She had a notebook in her hand. "I think she's got the hots for you." Tails said.

"You think?"

The two boys sat down at their table. "I don't think, I know. She wants your number."

Tails nudged his friend in the ribs. "Just go ask her." He knew that Wesley was nervous, but moreso, he wanted to see if Wesley could notice anything about Amy. Wesley stepped up from his seat and walked over to Kari.

His meal was meager; beans, bread, some sort of soy meat, and milk. It would have to do, he didn't plan to sleep for the next 24 hours if he wanted to follow through on his plan. "Yo..."

Tails looked up to see Wesley, holding a slip of paper for him. "What's this?" Tails tried to feign surprise.

He looked over at Kari again, but she was gone. "Something Kari gave me." Tails took it. He could smell the horrid perfume from the paper's proximity to that witch. He could see the sloppy, cave etches she used as an excuse for handwriting.

Tails opened the letter. It was indeed Amy's handwriting. "What's that? A love letter?"

Wesley made a kissey face at Tails. "No... We're playing a game." Tails cleared his tray and excused himself from classes for the rest of the day. Phase 2 awaited the kit when he arrived home. He had her writing, he had three notebooks of practice paper, and he had the will to destroy her.

He opened the first page of his practice notebook. A pen, a magnifying glass, and a few cans of soda rested on a desk to his right. In front of him, he had two large monitors, one hooked up to a CCTV. He slowly moved her note under the square, and the first 'H' of her 'Heya!' enlarged to fill one half of the monitor. The first curve downward was unique, but the second vertical stroke, as well as the connecting third stroke were normal school fare for cursive. The boy was left with nothing when his parents died; no family, few friends, and only his wits to keep him alive. He did not want to put up pictures. Pictures would lead to questions, useless emotions, empty feelings that he had no time for.

Tails would be using two sets of notes; one from Amy and the other from Sonic. Sonic's notes were littered around his house. The two had been writing in class. He was glad that Kari had played along and given him the last key that afternoon.

First he had to get her handwriting style down. Sonic's was easier to mimic, as the two had spent so much time reading and writing to each other. The first note, he decided, was going to be a suicide note from Sonic, to Amy. Sonic was tired of living, as most notes began, and wanted a way out of it all. He wanted to share one last moment of happiness with her, at Stone Marsh. Tails had to be creative in his writing of the note.

Most notes would not contain the information he wanted to add. Most importantly, he wanted to get her to Stone Marsh. Alone. He had to make the letter sound convincing. His old friends, despair and depression, lent a hand in the note's composition. It was too hard for him to live and keep his and Tails' relationship a secret; he needed someone to talk to. Tails surmised that she would also assume this meant a 'someone' to comfort and help heal his wounds.

The second note was more difficult to write. In her handwriting, Amy told Sonic to meet him at Bay Creek that same night, an hour after dusk. He didn't want the pair to get hold of each other. The farther apart they were, the easier his plan would be. Her etchings were painful to reproduce. Tails took pride in his artisan-like writing ability, and it burned him to deface this script so.

Both notes were finished. He had used one whole notebook of practice paper on Amy, and thirty pages on Sonic. The next three hours he spent examining the notes to originals the two had written. Every detail had to be believable. When he was satisfied, he stuffed the letters into separate envelopes and slipped them into his backpack. The sun was rising in the distance, shining a pale glow into his room. Practice made perfect. One last stop before he could rest through the day and set the final phase of his plan into action that night.

There she was, alone, looking for him. She waited near a small dock, which had a small canoe, which lead to a large tree in the middle of the marsh. This tree, nicknamed 'The Giant', had been the subject of many tales and rumors. Many passions and many accusations lived there. Perhaps these feelings would fall from the crudely-built tree house, down into the marsh, never to be heard from again.

It had taken him a bit of planning, but Tails managed. After dropping the notes off that morning, he awoke at dusk and waited at Stone Marsh. He tied a long rope to one end of the canoe, leading back to the dock. Amy would get the hint. She was a bright girl.

In a minute, it did hit her; she slipped into the canoe and started to row toward him. Tails glanced around the interior of the tree house, making sure it was dark enough. His heart raced, and he kept hearing Sonic's words in his head. "It's not like she's gonna disappear any time soon..." Oh, how wrong he was.

Tails could hear bumping on the ladder. "Sonic!" Her loud voice bellowed up to him. All this time had been planned well, she didn't expect anything. The ladder shook once more, and he noticed the pink hairs of her fat head as she peeked into the dark tree house.

One last time to check before she entered. Tails rubbed his finger across the blade. It would do the job, just be patient. "Come on!" Her head was now poking up, and he could see her face. She was dolled up in a hideous muck. "Where are you?" Her tones were sweet, as if trying to seduce him.

She was straining, he could tell, to see anything. He had to lure her in further, lest she hop back down and ruin his plans. He clenched the knife's back end and wrapped it on the wall. "Aha!" Amy said. She lifted herself into the tree house now, horrid dress and all.

Amy was getting so close now. "I know you're in here!" She was close enough for him to strike. Go for it, now, get it done. The throat, a missing Adam's Apple would shut her up for good. She took a few steps forward, and he pulled back. His foot brushed against the wall, making a scraping sound. "Come on! This isn't fair!" She sounded angry.

He needed to keep her in. She could not see Sonic, and she was starting to step back to the ladder. "Fine! I thought this was serious!" The pouting in her voice. He slammed his fist against the wall. Wrong move. Her ears picked up on where he was. "Aha!" She leapt forward, not one foot from him. He could smell the horrid perfume that she was wearing.

Oh no, that sound, that flipping sound. "I see-" Her eyes widened, as she saw Tails, one inch from her face, illuminated by the cheap LED screen of her phone. Her face first registered confusion, but, on seeing the knife in his hand, changed to terror.

His cover was blown. Attack now. Overwhelm her. One fist knocked the phone from her hand, and his knife hand came forward, ready to slash her in the face. "Tails!"

The girl screamed. She jumped back as the blade came up, nicking her ear. A spurt of blood fell to the floor, and she shrieked. "What the fuck!"

He slashed at her face again, but she ducked, and his knife met air. "Stay still!" Tails shouted at her.

"Fuck you!" Her knee came up, and landed in his stomach. He dropped the knife, and it clanged against the floor with a loud thud. He fell to the ground, hoping to get the knife again before she could get to it. Amy wasn't going for it. She was now by the ladder.

He had to act. Tails grabbed the knife and raised it over his head, aiming for her. His arm flexed, and the kit released the knife into the air, whirring toward her. The scream told him all that he could not see. He crawled toward her. The knife was dug into her leg, just above her ankle. "Stay still!" He shouted again. It was now or never. Clicking, loud clicking, button pushing.

With one hand, Tails grabbed onto her leg, and with the other, he pulled the knife out. She screamed again. "Sonic!" She was wailing, and her body was shaking. He continued to hold her leg as he made his way up her waist, knife in hand. Tails flipped her over, exposing her chest to him. "Soni-" Her eyes bulged out. Her hands flew to her chest, where the knife now buried itself.

It was an amazing feeling that Tails felt at that moment. He could feel her heart beating through the knife. She coughed up blood, and twitched some more. Tails soon found out why she was screaming for Sonic, and what that pressing sound was. To his horror, she had opened her phone and dialed his number. "Hello?"

Tails could hear his lover's voice coming through the pounding sensation in his head, over the rain, over her heart's last beats. He held the phone in his hand. Its display read 'Sonic'. "I know what you're doing over there!" Tails' hand shook so violently, he dropped the phone. As it hit, he quickly closed it. It vibrated again, and he could feel it through the floor. He picked it up and threw it out into the swamp.

Watching a person expire was one of the few things that he thought would not excite him, but it was, immensely. He felt the blade again, this time noting the weaker beating of her dying heart. He grunted as he pulled it out of her, watching the corpse flinch as blood from the blade dripped onto her dress.

He cowered back into the shadows to survey his work. A few more minutes before she was dead. His breathing was growing heavy, just like the excitement he felt with Sonic. Now he could have him all for himself, they could be happy, they could be together forever.

Sonic walked down the hallway. A neighbor eyed him with suspicion when he approached Tails' door. Two rows of plants, as well as a small heat lamp and beaker, rested at the opposite end of his friend's apartment door. Tails loved to garden. Sonic despised both gardening, and camping, but he put up with both to see his friend happy.

He saw a rose that was jutting out of one of the pots. The boy had a knack for botany. Some at their school, as well as most residents in the apartments, suspected Tails of being a wizard.

The door rattled as Sonic's fist came down on it. He was a few hours early, and had received a letter from Amy. She wanted to meet him later. It was only natural to share this good news with his friend. Plus, Sonic could check him to see how he coped with their 'encounter' yesterday. Sonic was surprised to find that Tails' door was unlocked. "Hey..." Sonic said in a loud voice. No one seemed to be around. A bed was in one corner. His computer desk was setup in the opposite. A small kitchen area in the other room, and a door to the washroom. If there was one thing that Tails knew, it was how to live modestly.

Sonic examined the old pizza box on the table. His friend had been here recently. Why didn't he answer Sonic's phone calls? Whir... Tails' air conditioner whirred to life, providing the empty flat with cool air. A mini fan was also oscillating by Tails' pillow. He sure liked to keep it cold, Sonic thought. No dishes in the sink, no mail, and few notes around. It was like he didn't want anyone to notice his existence.

An open notebook was on Tails' computer desk. Sonic picked it up. The smell of ink on the paper told Sonic that this handwriting was recent. The etchings on the paper, however, made his blood run cold. The words 'Stone Marsh' written to fill up the page. Each line was written in a different style.

A grin came to Sonic as he held the notebook. Tails had taken the initiative, and already planned their 'talk' with Amy. Sonic looked at the computer's clock, and then picked up the notebook. One hour. He planned to sneak up on the two and surprise them, so they could all talk that night and settle the events of the photo. His little buddy might not be able to handle it on his own.

Sonic's phone buzzed. The ID read 'Amy'. He flipped open the phone and smiled. "Hello?" No answer. He thought that Amy was trying to trick him. She was probably with Tails, waiting for him to say something stupid. "I know what you're doing over there!" A thud, and then the phone cut off. Such a nice group of friends he had. He left the apartment, heading for the swamp.

Sonic swatted at a fly that was buzzing around him. "Ach..." Sonic said. The air around Stone Marsh was incredibly sticky. He didn't imagine to hear the symphony of frogs and birds that chirped every which way. He stood on the docks, looking up at a large tree.

There was a small rope tied to the dock, but it had been cut. Sonic could see the boat on the other side. So, they wanted him to earn his way up to their 'secret' meeting place? Sonic threw off his shoes and jumped into the water. What were they planning? His words echoed in his head as he neared the boat. "It's not like she's gonna disappear any time soon..."

He gasped for breath, finishing his front crawl and making his way onto the boat. The massive tree, with its small wooden ladder, beckoned him to climb.

Bang. His heart raced. Something was happening in the tree house. He took the ladder up to the top of the tree house, but could not see anything inside. It was too dark. He had no matches to light his way, either.

He could smell something. Sonic knew that something lay in the depths of this mass of wood and water. "Hello?" His words soaked into the wood, not bouncing off anything. "Anyone here?" He kept talking, in an attempt to find a place he could sit down. Another bump. Sonic froze. He held his breath, and slowly bent his knees to assume a defensive fighting stance. "Who's there!" He smelled the scent of perfume in the air. Sonic could smell it so well, he could taste it in the back of his throat.

Sonic stepped forward, toward the smell. "...Amy?" He said. Was she hiding to lure him in, only to have Tails jump on his back? "Where are you?" The rain was coming down onto the tree house The ladder down would be difficult to descend from now. Sonic screamed as a bolt of lightning ripped through the air, illuminating the tree house "A..." In that flash, he saw the body of a girl. It was not moving. It was bleeding. It was Amy.

He never expected his best friend to turn against him. The kit was in a corner of the tree house, holding a knife in his hand. "...Sonic..." He said.

The events were slowly, but sadly, sinking in to Sonic. He eyed Tails. "What the fuck did you do?" No response. Tails set his knife down. It gleamed with blood. Sonic took a step back, and felt the rain against his back. He looked down, to see the fall. Trapped.

He needed a way to escape. He needed time. "You remember what you said to me?"

This was his in. "Yeah..." Sonic nodded slowly. The kit started towards him, bumping into Amy's corpse. Could he get hold of the knife before Tails could? "I didn't mean it like this!"

Tails stopped. He seemed taken aback by this comment. "That's what you said!" His words pierced into Sonic, like the knife had pierced into her. "You said there wouldn't be a problem if she disappeared! What do you mean, Sonic?" This wasn't the cute boy that he'd had a fun fling with. This wasn't the adorable mate he'd teased yesterday.

It was a monster. A monster that needed to die. "...You mean, 'Do I love you?'" Sonic said. He felt like he was living a chess problem. A recent problem that he and Tails had played together; pinning and skewering their way to helplessness. Himself, Tails, and Amy. Neither he nor Tails could move without sacrificing an opportunity to get to Amy.

Sonic saw three options to deal with this monster. Attack Tails directly, have Tails attack him, or give in. If he attacked Tails, Tails would leave Amy, and he could have a chance for the knife. If the monster attacked him, he would have a chance to lure him into a trap. If he gave in, he could use what was left of the kit's sensitive side toward Sonic to an advantage.

"...Do you?" Tails began. It was difficult to hear anything above the pounding rain. The tree house was leaking badly, and Sonic feared it would not hold out in this encounter.

Perhaps... Perhaps it would bust itself open, soaking everyone, giving him a chance to rush Tails. "...I never did." Sonic said. He could never love something that would kill their friend just to be 'secure'. The kit's movement stopped, and he reached for the knife. His hand was still shaking, but now it seemed his whole frame joined in on the act.

A fourth option arose to trick the kit; suicide. "And I never will!" Sonic shouted. He took a step back. The monster stepped back, burned by the acid in Sonic's syllables. "You make me sick!" The kit's eyes flashed. He was going to trip over his own toes soon.

Sonic took a deep breath, calculating the distance between himself and the tree house entrance. "I wish I was never born..." It was hard for him to say those words; he loved life. He loved every minute of being with others.

He took another step back, feigning a nervous convulsion in his legs. "What're you doing...?" The monster was devolving now, into Tails.

The boy in Tails was breaking free. "Don't, Sonic..." His eyes watered. Sonic took another step. "Please!" He dropped the knife.

The child shook. "Sonic!" Tails charged toward him. One step to go. One painful jump to pull off. One friend to avenge.

As the infant leapt out to save Sonic, he caught a glimpse of a figure floating by the entrance; it was cloaked in black, and it held a silver cup in its hand. The boy recognized all too late who this unwelcome guest was. The pounding rain soaked every inch of his body as he sailed out of the tree house. He was now clothed in air.

Tails saw another sight; that of Sonic. Sonic was hanging onto the ladder. His love was secure. Tails was not. The kit could feel the force of gravity pulling him down toward the water. Frogs and crickets became louder and louder as he fell into the murky abyss. He also saw a stick jutting out of the swamp. Black and rotted, sharp and menacing. He could not control where he was falling. Everything was pushing him to his fate; the wind, the rain, the figure floating above him, and the figure hanging onto the ladder.

Tails' body jerked violently as it came down on the stick. He was facing the sky now, looking up at the tree house. Death was coming for him. The black cloaked figure was gesturing to him. It was closing in on him. With all his strength, the infant tried to wail and cry. He thrashed his arms in a weak attempt to keep the figure at bay. Tails' hand brushed against the figure's cloak, and in his last breath, he let loose a scream that shook the swamp. The figure's hood had been knocked back. Her fair face examined him with an unpitying eye.

As darkness covered his eyes, the last thing that Miles Prower felt was Amy Rose picking him up.

THE END