Mirror Image

V - Double Trouble

The main plaza of Station Square teemed with life. Crowds of busy shoppers weaved across the grey cobblestones, dancing in and out of each other's strides, while teenagers draped over every wall and bench, lost in the portable world in their hands. A single aroma wafted through the sunny streets, the culmination of all the various foods being cooked or eaten around the plaza. Amidst the bustle, Tails the fox walked alongside a blue hedgehog who looked a lot like the famous Sonic.

"I still can't believe you're taking me shoe shopping," moaned Tails, "couldn't we have gone, I don't know, anywhere else?"

The Sonic imposter, the not-Sonic, smiled his mischievous smile.

"Not just any shoe shopping, buddy," he said, "it's only the Super Sneakers Super Sale! They've got 75 percent off all red and white pointy sneakers. If you spend fifty rings or more, you get a free toaster!" Tails sighed heavily, his spirit deflating before Sonic's grin.

"I know," said Tails, "that's why we have seven of them already. I used up five making the Toasterbot 9000™." Tails shuddered at the thought of one his less successful inventions. That poor bakery never stood a chance.

Turning to face his friend, Tails saw he had a black smartphone in his hands, his fingers a white blur speeding across the keypad.

"Who are you texting?" asked Tails. Ever since they had got back from Jungle Ruin Zone, Sonic's text alert had been buzzing non-stop. The previous evening, Tails had been vexed by Sonic dropping everything to grab his phone, especially when it kept interrupting their game of Super Marxio Kart. Tails had tried to find out who kept sending the texts that Sonic coyly laughed at every time they came in, but Sonic kept making jokes about it being Shadow, and Tails had got fed up and gone to bed.

"Just catching up with Shadow," said Sonic.

Not this again, thought Tails, this stopped being funny the first half a dozen times. He considered using one of his devices to intercept the messages, but that would have to wait until they got home. Until then he would just have to be more persistent.

"Stop saying that," he said, eyes glaring, "it's not funny anymore. Tell me the truth."

"Hey, do I ask you what er... nebula you're... re-transmogrifying.. and then don't believe you when you say it's neutrinos, or something?"

"No, but only because that's complete gibberish," said Tails, failing to hide his smile at Sonic's inability to grasp anything remotely scientific. His laughter hushed when he laid eyes on a sign propped up outside a bookshop, all thought of strange text messages vanishing from his mind.

"Sonic, look!" he gasped, with a slight effeminate affectation.

The sandwich board, decorated with brightly coloured chalk, read:

'BOOK SIGNING HERE TODAY. JAMES S. S. MATTHEWS' LATEST BESTSELLER.'

"So?" said Sonic, "Is that important?" Tails stood with mouth agape at his friend's ignorance.

"It's James S. S. Matthews!" he cried. Sonic stared back with a vacant look, "author of 'A Ballad of Wind and Water?'" No response from Sonic, "they made it into that hit show 'Sport of Kings?'" Sonic held up his hands, his face screwed up as if to say I got nothing.

"You're so lame, Sonic," said Tails, a warm smile spreading. To his surprise Sonic now stood with his arms folded, a stern expression on his face.

"Tails, give the geeky stuff a rest for once. We need to get moving before Super Sneakers runs out of stock." Tails only half-listened, nearing the doorway of the bookshop.