Big Secrets and Big Mysteries- A SonTails Story

Chapter 10: Team

"Speaking of, let's see how that knucklehead is doing." Sonic sped off towards Angel Island. Tails smiled, and bagged his inventions. Now that they were complete, he went and placed them where Tails knew Eggman would be.

"Hey, Knuckles." Sonic greeted, only to see Knuckles sleeping.  "Guarding Angel Island from all the attackers I see." He teased.

"Shut up." Knuckles wasn't asleep, merely resting his eyes. " No one has reason to come here except Rouge and Eggman."

"Hey, I just wanted to check up on my old pal." Sonic leaned against a pillar. "How's it going?"

"It's going. You just missed Shadow." Knuckles informed Shadow had just visited.

"What did he want?" Sonic asked in curiosity. "Is he feeling lonely. Are YOU feeling lonely?" Sonic continued teasing. "Are you seeing each other?" He winked.

"Shut up." Knuckles stood up, a bit angry now. "He wanted to know if a certain thing was possible. He wanted it secret, so I can't tell you." Knuckles crossed his arms

"Oh, it's possible. Me and Tails are dating, you know. SO it's fine if you are. It really is." He giggled, then stopped, not wanting to wind Knuckles up too much. "You know I hate secrets. Especially since we're a team."

Knuckles held back a growl. "You, me, and Tails are a team. Shadow is with Rogue and Omega. His secret is still his, and therefore my lips are sealed." He warned.

"Fine, fine. Whatever." Sonic shoved it off, looking out to sea. "Hey, remember Chaos? That water creature with the brain?"

"Yes. He's safe in the Master Emerald for now, along with Tikal. They only come out if absolutely necessary." Knuckles informed, glancing at the huge Emerald.

"Remember the first time?" Sonic reflected. "With the prophecy and the temple, seeing the past... How angry Chaos was. All he knew was hatred." Sonic looked at the Master Emerald. "I still think about it. He was so lost..."

"Sonic." Knuckles stopped him. "Stop moving backwards. I thought you were all about moving forward."

"I am." Sonic protested. "It's just something about Chaos. I just wonder how much pain he was in..." Sonic shook his head. "Sorry. It's just... This thing with Tails now. I guess it's making me soft."

"He's soft." Knuckles referenced Tails. "You realize that, right?" He pounded the ground in idle boredom.

"Why don't you go on a date with Rogue or something? I could watch the Emerald if you want." Sonic offered.

"Because someone needs you at home." Knuckles gestured to the Mystic Ruins, where the runway from Tails house was barely visible. "No one for Knuckles. The guy who lives alone. On an island. Guarding a bit of big jewelry." He sounded depressed.

"What up with you?" Sonic asked, looking at Knuckles. "Seriously. You never talk like that."

"Me and Shadow aren't together. But he did tell me something that he wanted to keep secret." Knuckles told the truth. "Being the last of my race isn't exactly a good dating conversation."

"I won't pry, then." Sonic sighed. "You sure you don't wanna blow off some steam somewhere?" Sonic offered. "You won't get an opportunity like this again. Especially from me."

"What do you mean?" Knuckles asked.

"Just, hang out with someone, take a walk! What else do you think I meant?" Sonic asked, thinking it was obvious.

"Well, I would if I could. I can't leave the Emerald vulnerable." Knuckles declined.

"I'll protect it for you." Sonic offered again. "You deserve a break every once in a while."

"You have someone waiting for you." Knuckles said again. "But I just got an idea." He gave a smile. "Stand back." He stood up. Sonic took a few steps back, watching Knuckles closely. "Chaos..." Knuckles focused. "Bubble!" A big green bubble formed around the Emerald. "See if you can break it."

Sonic nodded. "Sure thing." Sonic tried spinning, kicking, running, and diving into it, only to bounce right off. "Wow..." Sonic rubbed his arm after crashing on the ground. "That's a good bubble."

"I wonder how long it lasts, or if I need to be here to keep it up." Knuckles asked himself.

"Only one way to find out." Sonic smiled. "Let's go for a little while, check back once in a while." Sonic gave an idea.

"Okay, but if it's gone when we get back, I'm blaming you." Knuckles warned, getting ready to glide to the main land.

Once off the island and in the city.... "Where to now?" Sonic asked.

"Let's stop by Tails' place." Knuckles suggested. "I'm sure he's waiting for you. Plus, I kinda want to hug the little fuzzball." Knuckles smiled.

"Everyone wants to hug him." Sonic gave a small look of jealousy. "I need to get use to it, I suppose." Sonic led Knuckles to Tails' house. "Hey, buddy! Knuckles is here to see you!" Sonic announced. But Tails wasn't back from his trip yet. He left a note on the workshop door, saying when he'd be back. It was within five minutes of when the duo arrived. "He's out." Sonic tried the door to the workshop, but it was locked. "He really doesn't want me to know what he's been building. He's been so secretive."

"And what's wrong with secrets?" Knuckles asked with a small grin.

"They're annoying." Sonic tried to peek inside to see what Tails was working on. Whatever it was, it was gone. All that remained was a weld stained floor. "Darn." Sonic growled. "Well he'll be back any minute. We can wait."

"I'm home!" Tails announced with a sly grin, flying in through the front door. "Oh, heya Knuckles." Tails waved hello.

"Heya Tails." Sonic greeted first. "Where have you been? Not getting into trouble I hope."

"Nope. Not too much anyway." Tails giggled.

"Let me hug you, you little fuzzball." Knuckles pleaded.

"Of course." Tails hugged Knuckles with a giggle. "Anyway, glad you're here. My skylight in the workshop needs replacing. I was hoping we could all three work together."

"Let's... not go into how that broke, shall we?" Sonic blushed. "Let's just fix it, pretend it never happened."

"Yep." Tails gave Sonic a dirty look, and went into the workshop after he unlocked it. Everything was normal. Nothing amiss, aside from weld stains and bits of broken glass. Knuckles placed a flashlight on the floor while Tails hovered up to the skylight.

"So what are you working on, Tails? Come on, I need to know!" Sonic pleaded.

"I just told you." Tails fur blew in the wind. "Fixing the skylight. Watch out, I gotta get anything that wasn't broken out of the frame." He put on cut proof gloves and began picking at the frame.

"You know what I meant. Whatever you were building before my run." Sonic stood out of the way of the falling glass while Knuckles swept it with a broom

"I'm not telling." Tails said angrily as pieces of glass continued to fall.

Sonic huffed. "I'm sorry Tails. I shouldn't have been snooping around like that." Sonic apologized. "I trust you. Can you forgive me?" He pleaded.

"I'll forgive you once you start helping." Tails continued picking.

Sonic jumped, grabbing Tails in one arm, and dragging Knuckles with his other hand. He placed them on the sofa, set up the recliner, and made them tea all in the matter of 2 minutes. "Let me do all the work." He ran back into the workshop, cleared the frame, then the floor, and replaced the broken skylight. Tails and Knuckles widened their eyes in surprise.

"Could I get an Earl Grey bag please?" Knuckles requested.

"If you're trying to nice your way to me telling you, it's not gonna work." Tails advised. "Mint please."

Sonic made the duo tea. "Well, what can I do to make it up to you?"

Knuckles raised his hand. "Let's quickly go back to Angel Island to check on the Emerald, then it's off to the movies!"

"Okay, I'll run ahead." Sonic went off.

Tails went to his workshop, and picked up two devices. "Let's go."