Winds of Freedom

Chapter 6: Getting to Know You

Chapter 6: Getting to Know You

---------

Dragon Valley – Deep Within the Forest, Noon Hours

Tails and Carol moved through the dense forest, their movements in sync despite the difference in their modes of travel. Tails ran alongside Carol as she expertly maneuvered her motorcycle through the underbrush.

"So, the prince went mad after his father got killed? That's horrible!" Tails said, his voice carrying a mix of sympathy and disbelief as he ran beside the wildcat.

"Yeah... after that, he decided to send robots to all of Avalice to try and snatch the other kingdoms' energy," Carol responded, her tone shifting to one of frustration. She revved her bike to catch up with Sonic and Lilac, who had already dashed far ahead. "You sure that Eggman has no involvement?" she asked, glancing sideways at Tails.

Tails shook his head. "As I said, it's not really Eggman's style, especially not to murder someone to start a conflict." His voice was filled with conviction, knowing that despite all of Robotnik's cruel schemes, cold-blooded murder wasn't something he associated with the doctor—at least not yet. He frowned slightly, deep in thought.

"Besides, the robots from Shuigang are way different from his designs, too—less Eggman-y," Tails suggested, trying to articulate the differences. "And also, the fact that the robots' cores are these weird creatures, these flying eyes... hmmm, are they organic? How do they control the machines inside? Where do they come from? Why does Shuigang have them...?" Tails' mind raced with questions, each one leading to another as he tried to piece together the puzzle.

Carol blinked, trying to keep up with Tails' analysis, but soon found herself zoning out, overwhelmed by the amount of information. She almost tripped over a root, causing both of them to jump. Tails quickly reached out, his hand gently pushing the bike to stabilize it.

"Carol! Are you okay?" Tails asked, his voice filled with concern as he steadied her.

"Y-yeah, thanks for the save," Carol replied with a sheepish smile as she regained control of her bike. "Sorry, not really into that nerd stuff," she admitted, her ears drooping slightly from embarrassment, which made Tails snort in amusement.

"Ah, don't worry," Tails said with a grin. "Sonic has the same reaction sometimes when I ramble." He glanced ahead, where Sonic and Lilac were already out of sight. "Well, how about something less about thinking?" he suggested, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Sweet," Carol said with a relieved smile, glad she didn't have to overthink things. "How about telling me about the adventures you guys have from the outside islands? Uh, uh, and how you guys met that Robotnik guy!" she asked, her excitement returning as she leaned forward, eager for the story.

Tails chuckled, thinking back on their many adventures. "Well, I do have a fair share of stories, but about how we met Eggman..." Tails' voice trailed off as he looked ahead with a knowing smile. "That... it's better if Sonic tells you," he said, keeping pace with her as they both followed the trails left by Sonic and Lilac.

---------

Farther ahead, in the dense, sun-dappled forest of Dragon Valley, two streaks—one purple, one blue—darted between the trees with astonishing speed and agility, their bodies becoming blurs of color. The wind whistled past them as they navigated the forest effortlessly, weaving around trees, leaping over boulders, and dashing along fallen logs.

"You've been fighting him for how long?" Lilac asked, her voice tinged with curiosity and disbelief as she effortlessly vaulted over a large boulder.

"Crazy, right?" Sonic replied, the excitement in his voice unmistakable. He darted past her, a confident grin on his face. "Been stopping old Egghead ever since he showed up in my hometown, Christmas Island. Ever since then, I've been putting a wrench in his schemes wherever he goes."