All characters mentioned in this book are Copyright of Sega of America, Archie comic publications, and DIC. The author allows the reader to print this story off of the web, but you can't sell it.

NEVER talk to strangers.

Down in Knothole, a village home to the freedom fighter rebellion. Part of the rebellion consisted of the planets only ruler, a sixteen year old princess, A cyborg rabbit, a scientific wiz of a walrus, a nerdy eighteen year old fox whose only dream was to serve as a royal guard, and a blue hedgehog, who could travel faster than the speed of sound. There is another, two I should say, but they live deep in the heart of a barren, flat canyon for the summer. The couple say its like spending a season in a paradise. They were quite inseparable little foxes, but they were no ordinary foxes, they both had two tails.

The others that were there were dominions of a Floating Island, they were scheduled for departure two days from now. However, the only interesting thing happening today was down in the canyon.

The sun was rising over a canyon. On the top point of the canyon was a sign.

LOvErs CAnyON. PriVAte PrOpeRty. NO terS TrESsPaSSinG.

Rubbing her eyes and trying to adjust to the brightness, Snowflake got up and started to freshen up. She looked out the window and was pleased. Two days ago she and her boyfriend were disturbed rather rudely during a love scene by Mother Nature. They had to spend the night in a cave behind the waterfall.

"Tails? Tails wake up. It's beautiful out!"

No answer. She tried his pulse,

Just to be sure,

and found it.

It's better to let sleeping boys sleep, that way they're well rested and ready to play some bad games

She giggled. Snowflake was a little love crazy over Tails, and no one knows why. Was it because they met when Tails gunned her down with a blaster set to stun? Or was it just an amazing coincidence? At any rate, they were lovers.

Tails eyes first opened up, then he sat up in bed, breathing heavily.

"That was one serious nightmare." He told himself. Sensing he could go back to sleep, he lied down and tried to get some more shut-eye. He shut his eyes just as the sun came through the window, and opened them once again.

"Oh, man!" He complained. Normally he wouldn't be up before the sun was, but his head produced an Imax size nightmare that did anything but put him to sleep. He stretched, did his hair, had breakfast, brushed his teeth, and got ready to go for a dip in the lake.

From this vantage point, you could get a whole view of the lake. Tails had seen Snowflake dive from this point into the water, but he himself would never do that. He sat at the edge of the rock, looking down into that wonderful lake that he and Snowflake loved to play in. He was so busy admiring this that he didn't hear Snowflake creeping up behind him. He didn't feel the tips of Snowflake fingers against his back. He did hear Snowflake say,

"See ya next fall." In an instant Tails was falling from 2000 feet up into a lake that seemed to enlarge with every second that went by. His stomach packed it's bags and moved to his chest. Tails stretched his arms out in front and shut his eyes. He felt something smack against his head. It wasn't hard, it didn't hurt, and soon he was wet. Wet all over.

Don't breathe

He was in the lake. He had switched from reverse to first in an attempt to surface. It didn't take him long, and he was gasping air. Boy did that feel good. He felt himself get drenched once more when Snowflake hit the water. She was on the surface five seconds later. He hit the water with his hand, and created a wave that caught Snowflake off guard. She coughed. Giving Tails an angry look which soon turned evil, she dove underwater. She was an extremely good swimmer, and Tails knew he didn't have a chance against her attacks unless he was on the shore, but they were in the middle of the lake. He swam as hard as he could to shore, but Snowflake caught up with him, and pulled him under. Snowflake had a weakness under water, and immediately Tails was ready to blow air bubbles up her nose. But she was too quick. She sealed his lips shut with her own, and Tails decided to play along, until she surfaced.

That night they had decided to stay up late. Their was not a cloud in the sky that night, and Snowflake's favorite activity next to romance was astronomy. She loved the stars, little bright lights in the sky that looked like they belonged to a Christmas tree. They were up on the jumping rock looking up at the stars, held close to each other with their tails and arms. Tonight Snowflake noticed something different, she saw a star that was almost purely blue. Something new to dream about. Tails had noticed it to.

"It's beautiful. That blue one has got to be the best one up there." He turned his head and met Snowflake' eyes.

"Wouldn't it be beautiful if we had a planet all to ourselves?" Snowflake had nothing to say. She stared deep into his eyes. Tails now knew that it would not be appropriate to ask anything else. She pulled herself closer to Tails head, and whispered something into his ear. She was good at this. Even though nobody was spying, she always played secret games. As she spoke, Tails expression went from attentive, to confusion, then a mixture of the latter and disgust.

"Snowflake!" He didn't get an answer. All he got was a look as obvious as the night sky. He interpreted it as a "Why not?" look. That's when the magic started. Before either of them had time to think, the sky had begun to light up. Tails looked to the east to see if the sun was rising. It wasn't. It was still the middle of the night. What was happening?

"Holy shit! Tails look!" Whiplashing his head toward Snowflake and shielding his eyes from the brightness, he looked at her and asked, "What?" She was pointing to the sky, and Tails still saw nothing. That's when the brightness suddenly came to an end, and Tails was blind while his eyes tried to readjust to the darkness. When he saw the night sky again, he saw their "blue star" fly through the sky. It was going to land in the canyon! Tails and Snowflake watched in amazement as it flew over them incredibly fast.

"Something's wrong," Tails said, "it made no noise." He spoke to soon. Suddenly there was an incoming noise that sounded like thunder. It got louder and louder until it seemed to fly right over them. It was beyond the point to which Tails could stand, and his eardrums felt as they were going to shatter. Then it left. It went away. Not in a snap but gradually until it was safe to remove their hands from their ears.

Snowflake had already begun to run off in search of what they had seen. Tails was still unsure. Sonic couldn't make that noise no matter how fast he ran. Perhaps it was the difference in

physical characteristics

size, or something else.

To conclude, you must experiment

Snowflake was already at the wreckage site when Tails arrived, and he knew, this was no asteroid.

To Tails, it looked like an ejection pod from a spacecraft. To Snowflake it looked like a weapon of war. They both just stood there, gazing in awe. It was spherical, a type of smoky gray, and it had jet propulsion units on the rear. It also was very beat up.

"Tails, I think we should leave." And she started to back off. She was expecting Robotnik. Tails was expecting Robotnik, but nothing happened.

Yet.

As Snowflake moved to run away, a loud hissing sound broke the silence, and clouds of steam came through the crack of an opening cockpit. A figure emerged from the pod, and quickly examined the surroundings. He was HUGE! About 8 feet tall, in black leather toga, and a black leather cloak on his back. His face was partially concealed under a golden mask that covered everything over his mouth. He had five foot long dreadlocks, and a staff in one hand. He looked like an ancient shaman, and possibly was one as well. His voice was very distorted. Deeper than Tails had ever heard before.

"This place is full of a magic aura, I can feel it!"

Tails quickly ducked behind the pod, where he met Snowflake. Her face showed perplexing expressions. His showed downright confusion.

The shaman began talking to himself,

"Eh? But I am not alone here. I sense the presence of," he put his hand to his forehead, like he was trying to clear up a distorted mental picture. "One, yes one… no, wait… yes one here, hiding from me?"

who is he after, me or…

"Ah, mental thoughts. That someone is thinking!" he pronounced thinking like, theeeeng-king. "He is afraid, yes, afraid of me."

he can read my mind

"Yes, stranger. I can read your mind!"

shit

"Watch your language, stranger, I don't like… lippies!"

don't think Tails, whatever you do, don't…

"Think?"

damn

"But *I* am thinking, Tails. What a rather funny name," Tails felt tapping on his shoulder. He turned around and faced the shaman. "how did you get it?"

He froze, instinct told him to freeze, but that made the Shaman angry.

"I asked you a question," He hoisted Tails up in the air, by the throat. "BOY! Now answer me!"

how can I? I can't breathe

"A likely story." He placed pressure on Tails' windpipe, discontinuing his ability to breathe, almost fatally threatining.

"Let him go!" Snowflake ran at the shaman and attempted to deliver a flying kick. Attempted being the operative word. Somehow she was thrown back ten feet. She landed quite inaccurately and cried out. She was hurt. Her spinal cord had broken. She was paralyzed from the waist down.

Tails boiled with rage, and managed to free himself from the shamans grip.

The Shaman knew now that these two were not usual. He was confused, but he threw it aside.

"ENOUGH!" He bellowed. His voice echoed many times over through the canyon walls some 300 feet away. Tails rushed past him to Snowflake. He examined her. Sure enough, she had broken her back and could not stand.

Tails looked up into the golden mask of the giant, and asked him, "Who are you? What have you done to her?" This only made the shaman angrier.

"Who are *you* to question *me*?" He rose an arm into the air, and slowly closed his hand, like he was gripping something. Then he opened it again, and clenched it into a fist. At the same time, Tails heard a loud crunch. Snowflake screamed. Her arm had been broken. Not just fractured, but crushed into a jelly like substance underneath her skin.

"Leave her alone, dammit! Or I'll shove that staff so far up your ass you'll be bouncing for years!" The shaman looked surprised.

He waved his hand, and Tails was lifted off the ground, approaching the shaman as he beckoned. When Tails was close enough, the shaman released the spell, and suspended Tails by the arm.

"Who are you to tell *me* what to do?" Tails didn't answer, he just hung there.

"I will ask the questions here boy, and I want answers. If I don't get them," He made a fist again, and Tails heard another crunch, and another scream. He had broken Snowflake's other arm.

"LEAVE HER…"

"SILENCE!" Tails shut up. Quite quickly too. "Now, why do you care so much for her? Don't answer with your voice, I've heard enough of that already."

I love her

"Love? Well isn't that just sweet." He lowered Tails gently. Tails raced over to where Snowflake was lying. She was in a heap of solid body parts with jelly-like arms. He held her head up and gently stroked the fur on her head. She was softly whimpering because of the pain. Her tears dampened Tails dry fur. He knew that he would have to overthrow this shaman before he killed somebody. He didn't know how, though. He was a subatomic particle on a grain of sand on an infinite beach compared to this wizard.

"Love. That is a different story. Yes." Tails ignored him. "It is also very foolish. To bring someone's care for a person to such heights that at the price of their own life, they would save their lover." Tails turned his head and met the shamans golden mask with a serious glare.

"What do you know about love? It is more powerful than you could ever be!" The shaman stood, and pondered the thought. Tails was sure that he had him beaten, until the shaman spoke up.

"Loves power is not yet determined, however, if you wish to know how strong it is," The shaman raised an arm, "you shall know soon enough." Tails felt in an instant his body feel like it was being pulled out of a suction cup, but it was over in three seconds. When he opened his eyes again, he noticed the shaman juggling a mysterious ball of pink light. It glimmered with every movement. For some reason, Tails felt weak. He couldn't understand. He got scared.

"In my hand, is but a fraction of the emotion you call 'love.' It is quite large for one one millionth of your love for this creature. I can tell you right now that even though I have the power to heal your lovers injuries," He raised a hand, and Snowflake was healed. Tails began to think that it was all over and that he would either wake up, or be able to walk away. But instead… "your love, can do the exact opposite." He threw the ball at Snowflake, and it took the shape of her body, and sank into it. She screamed a bloodcurdling scream. Gradually, Snowflake turned gray and hard, and then just crumbled, like a clump of soil being squeezed by the hand of a toddler.

dead

Tails was overwhelmed, but he didn't understand

she's dead

what happened to Snowflake.

crushed, she was crushed

But slowly, his brain sent him logical messages. He began to understand

she was destroyed

That she was no longer alive,

you killed her

He also began to understand

your love became part of her and destroyed her

That he in fact

MURDERER

had killed the only one that he had loved, with love.

you loved her so much it killed her

"NO!" Tails was outraged, furious, and extremely aggressive. He ran at the shaman and delivered the most accurate flying kick he could give. His bravery became fright as he stopped short, suspended in mid flight just in front of the shaman, being held up by some kind of magic.

"This is no way to treat a guest, is it Tails." Tails, even though under magic, managed to squeeze out a few words that truthfully told the shaman what Tails thought of him, "You bastard! You son of a…" He stopped, he couldn't speak any more. He couldn't breathe. His body just in a snap refused to take in any more life giving oxygen. The shaman was choking him physically, suspending him off the ground with no magical aid. Tails' throat felt like it was going to collapse.

"I suggest you watch your mouth, young warrior. It may seem like it, but rage is nowhere near the power of love. In the long run, I can't afford pests like you to be interfering with my plans, so, I leave you here, with your dusty friend."

The shaman took the side of his hand and struck Tails on the forehead. Within seconds, Tails went blank, and hung limp in the shamans hand.

Tails awoke, very tired, and in incredible pain. His vision was blurry, and so was his memory. He tried to remember what the past events were, but all he could recall was being hit hard on the head. He had no idea how he ended up in the knothole infirmary, or what day it was for that matter. He tried to sit up, and felt such an ache in his head that he almost blacked out again. He laid back in the bed and shut his eyes, trying to get more sleep. His eyes started to keep themselves shut, and his conscious mind went on shut-down, letting his unconscious mind take over. He drifted deeper and deeper into the Astral Plain, (the section of your unconscious mind where dreams are made and simulated) until the simulation was complete.

Tails was walking. Where to he did not know. This part of Mobius was strange to him. He did not know the trees, or the grass. The trees were yellow, and red, The grass was blue, and it was very cold. There was no snow, no wind, so how could it be cold? Tails looked around him. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, until he saw the sun. It was small, very small, and green.

Tails felt a tapping on his shoulder

careful, use peripheral vision

turning his head slowly and using his eyes to try look behind him, he saw a white cloaked figure, no expression upon the face. Tails turned all around and stared.

brain check, see, search data banks for possible match. searching… searching… searching… confirmed, 1 match possible. identity, Snowflake, descendant of the Frost family. personal status, girlfriend. age status, deceased.

"Snowflake?" The figure just stared back, and didn't answer. Tails extended his arm in an attempt to reach her, but he was just out of reach. He tried harder to reach for her but she was just inches away. A voice passed over the area, distorted, and familiar.

"Strong are those emotions that begin to haunt us,

the want, the desire, the need for something that is lost,

courage, love, and peaceful are the emotions that remain with us,

the little or large amount we have, but for what cost?"

Tails tried in vain to reach Snowflake, he was bound by some unseen magic but it meant nothing to him. The voice returned, but this time children playing could be heard.

"Children at play, teens competing, adults enjoying life,

an infant laughing, a toddler sleeping, and a husband with his wife,

these are the people who know that their life is good,

and want absolutely nothing to change, but if it could,

what would happen?"

Tails could feel the magic loosening, but he still could not reach her. The voice returned, and Tails became aware of the world around him. It got darker, living things died, and the ground turned red. When the voice spoke, he could make out screams, crying, and people dying.

"What would happen, if everyone became a killer?

What would happen if violence became ruler?

What would happen if death was a common subject?

You should know Tails, you… killed… her…

The magic released Tails from it's grip and he embraced Snowflake. Something was different about her. She felt bony. He looked into her eyeless sockets

eyeless sockets?

and fell back in surprise. There was no more Snowflake, just a skeletal statue resembling her. In an instant, she collapsed into a pile of dust. Tails…

…screamed. His conscious mind took over, and he was wide awake. He was very confused for a few seconds

where the hell am I?

before he began to understand

knothole infirmary

that he was still detained.

"Tails are you all right?" Rotor asked as he came rushing in. Sally followed. Tails rubbed his head. His hand got drenched with sweat.

"Jeezum Crow, what happened to me?" Sally only shook her head, but a new character emerged from the shadows, holding and studying pieces of paper. He had an incredible resemblance to a bipedal duck. In fact he was a bipedal duck, except he had a white cloak on, and had a lollipop in his mouth.

"That can be quickly answered young'n!" Tails shot an eyebrow up into his head.

"Who's he?" He asked tonelessly, pointing to the "draped duck." Sally introduced,

"This is Dr. Quack. He recently was transported here after his Freedom Fighter group was somehow annihilated. When we searched for information on the battle, we only found two letters burned into the ground."

Dr. Quack? Should be THE Quack!

"Young man, according to what I can determine from this Neural Activity chart, for five hours in a row you were nearly flat-lined. But for the last half hour, your neural activity shot through the roof! Were you dreaming?"

"Y… Yeah, I guess I was." Tails said as he scratched his head, Dr. Quack stared him in the eye.

"About what?" Tails hesitated. He didn't answer. Dr. Quack became nervous.

"Tails, did you have a nightmare?" Tails got angry.

"Aren't you supposed to be a thanksgiving supper right about now?" Dr. Quack wasn't amused.

"Watch it buster, or you'll find your skin as my new floor rug!" Sally muttered two words to the doctor, "Hippocratic Oath." Dr. Quack drew back. And whipped out a clipboard,

"All right, tell me about your nightmare, and by the way, I'm a duck, not a turkey." Tails kept his lips sealed.

"Ahh, a girl, isn't it?" Tails' whiplashed his head in Dr. Quacks direction.

"Kid, this old rocker here," he pointed to his skull. "has been in medicine AND psychiatry, plus I'm over 40 years old, and I've been around the block a few times." He chuckled as he wrote on the clipboard.

"Is she deceased?" Tails didn't answer.

"Yes?" Dr. Quack blurted out. Tails held his head in his hands.

"Damn, I'm good." Muttered Dr. Quack to himself. He wrote down more notes. "Now why won't you tell me about it?" Tails didn't say a word. "Did you kill her?" Tails finally said something,

"No!" Dr. Quack hit himself.

"I figured that."

Sally went over to Dr. Quack and whispered in his ear. Dr. Quack remained expressionless, he eyed Tails, who was drumming his fingers on the bedside. He asked a question again.

"Are you sure?" Tails repeated himself. Dr. Quack shook his head, and pointed his lollipop accusingly at him.

"You're lying." Tails stared at him funny. "Sally just told me that no one knows of your girlfriends death. Mind telling EVERYBODY why she's dead?" Tails stared shocked at Dr. Quack, but turned his head when Sonic, Knuckles, and Bunnie walked in. Dr. Quack stared him in the eye again.

"Tails?" Tails shook his head.

"I swear I didn't do it! It was a big guy with red Dreadlocks, a magic like suit, and a golden mask! He was being…" Knuckles interrupted,