Sontails: War of Faith

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Land Vs. Sea

The cruel, harsh sun beat down upon the barren earth with its unblinking, malevolent eye. Not trees sprouted from the earth. No shade being cast by their magnificent leaves to shield from the unrelenting heat. No critters scurried along the dusty rocks and those that remained slithered towards the boulder canyons to the south. The air was thick, dry and hazy. Billowing gusts picked up dust and peppered it through the air, blanketing the scarce shrubbery. To the untrained eye, nothing but a barren plain but to those privy to what event was about to unfold, it was the setting of nightmares. To the Vaposians, it was the last stretch of land separating Razor from the menacing talons of Earthia and her wicked offspring. To the Zuncons, it was their last line of defense from the crazed jaws of the warmongering shark. However, to Sonic and Tails, it was merely a small stretch of worthless sand that kept them apart for no longer.

The Zuncons kept to the shadows of the tree line, remaining hidden until the opportune moment to strike. Razor walked ahead of his army, steadily closing the gap as many aquatic animals, all different shapes and sizes marched behind him. However, two in his arsenal were slightly different. One violet feline strode of his left and a more confident sapphire hedgehog kept in step to his right. Abyss was not far behind. Earthia pushed her way past her people, her two daughters Galaxia and Cosmo close in tow. Her eyes widened as she saw the sheer number of enemy forces that were ebbing ever closer.

"Is that him?" Earthia whispered to the smaller golden fox that shuffled up next to her, the two echidnas close behind him. Tails simply nodded, unable to emit words from his mouth. He was too overcome to even move. "If you can prevent any death for peace then I'll owe you big time," she smiled down on him, placing her hand on his back and nudging him forward.

Knuckles' eyes widened as she saw her almost pushing him out into the battlefield, surprised by her forceful nature and complete disregard for the boy's safety.

"You can't just make him go out there!" he bellowed as loudly as he dared, making sure not to release the element of surprise.

"He has to. If he can convince Sonic and Razor to stop, nobody has to die today."

"But they might shoot him on sight."

"That's a risk we might have to take. I have faith in him."

"Tails, you don't have to do thi-" Knuckles began, turning to face the fox but to his amazement Tails had already taken that pivotal step out of the grove and stepped foot on the sand. The harsh juxtaposition between biomes caused momentary pause in his movements but after he adjusted to the almost surreal change in climate, he continued walking.

"Is that one of them? Should I fire?" Abyss asked, fire alight in the squid's eyes. Razor was ready for battle, his thirst for vengeance so close to being quenched after so long but upon looking at the boy walking towards them, he hesitated.

"Isn't that a Mobian?" the shark questioned but as he shifted his gaze to Sonic, he instantly understood.

"Tails…" the hedgehog whispered almost inaudibly under his breath. Before he knew what had overcome him, Sonic sprinted out of the lines of men. His eyes strained on the ever-growing image of Tails, the sun glistening off his fur and illuminated his sparkling azure pools. Tails seemed almost angelic to Sonic as he closed the gap between them. Sonic crashed into him, wrapping him tightly in his arms and lifting him off the ground to twirl Tails around in the air, a look of complete bliss and relief forming on Sonic's face.

"Sonic… it really is you," Tails breathed as the hedgehog placed him back on the ground. The two just stood inches apart, marveling each other as emerald got lost in azure. It was as if all the light in the world vanished leaving only a spotlight illuminating the two. Nothing else mattered. Not the war. Not Razor or Earthia. Not Blaze, Knuckles, Tikal, Shadow, Amy or even Vector. No, neither one could focus on anything accept the Mobian standing in front of them.