Sonic is missing.
Sonic is missing and Tails is going to find him.
Nobody believed him when he said Sonic had been gone too long. He's resolved to bring his friend back safe and sound without help from the others.
Tails is going to find him and he knows exactly where to look.
His tails propel him silently over the carpet of twigs and pebbles that smothers the forest floor. As he flies, an occasional breeze passes between the trees, carrying the chill of early autumn and making the fox shiver.
The ghostly moonlight does little to warm him. Perhaps the middle of the night was not the best time to venture out?
But no. He had to make sure nobody saw him leave the village. They would have stopped him, told him to go back home and stop worrying, because Sonic can take care of himself. Tails knows it's true, but he has to rescue Sonic anyway. What kind of friend would he be if he didn't?
The house comes into view. Somehow it's cast in shade, despite its place in the center of a large clearing. It sends a dart of apprehension up Tails' spine.
This is not a friendly place.
The fox lets his tails slow and his feet touch the ground. The utter silence presses close. Even his footsteps make no sound as he walks closer, fidgeting with the hems of his gloves, and the darkness surrounds him. It sends a feeling of unease straight into his chest. This is the kind of place even his hero would usually avoid.
Tails veers away from the front door. Something about choosing the obvious entrance screams bad idea. The little fox rounds the corner instead and heads toward the back of the house, ducking low whenever a window crops up. All the blinds are open, and it makes him feel like he's being watched.
Once he reaches the back, Tails exhales quietly and looks up. It's there. Just what he was looking for.
The chimney.
The fox's tails whip around, lifting him up, up, up, before lowering his feet to the slanted, shingled roof. To his relief, it holds under his weight, feeling quite sturdy despite the poor condition of the house.
The top of the chimney comes up to his waist. He takes a peek inside. It's too sooty to see the bottom, but it's open and big enough and he doesn't really have another option.
He glances around. Does he seriously want to go through with this?
Sonic would. Sonic would do it for him.
Ever so carefully, Tails pulls himself onto the square rim of the chimney. A few minuscule grains of stone dislodge, falling away from the edge and into the void below. Tails follows suit.
The descent takes longer than expected. It's an awkward fit, with the fox's tails spinning above to slow him down and his limbs stretched out underneath so they don't scrape the sides of the chimney. But eventually he lands at the bottom, feet planted on either side of a small pile of branches that looks fresh from the forest.
Tails steps out. He winces at the slight creak of floorboards under his feet and keeps still for a moment, waiting. Nothing happens. There is only himself, the faint glow of moonlight from the dusty windows, and pitch black darkness everywh–...
A glint of red?
His head snaps to the side. Darkness. Denser, though, like there's open space beyond. A staircase going down, he decides.
That doesn't explain the red. Maybe he's hallucinating.
There's nothing indicating Sonic's presence on this floor. Slowly, silently, Tails creeps into the stairwell, careful not to slip. He feels for the walls and finds that it's rather narrow, but proceeds anyway. Down, down, down.
Eventually there are no more steps. The dark envelops him like thick fabric, and a dank and oddly coppery smell fills the air. Tails holds a hand over his nose to lessen the discomfort. He can see absolutely noth–...
A glint of red.
The fox stiffens. He definitely isn't hallucinating this time, though now he desperately tries to convince himself otherwise. He recognizes this red.
He thought he'd been quiet enough.
"I didn't mean any–" Tails is cut off.
Red. Closer. Unwavering.
The pain hits.
A low voice whispers to him, "Goodnight, little fox. Sweet dreams."
