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For once, Sonic wasn’t in control of his body. His limbs remained stretched in the air as he descended. Gravity weighed down on his back, pushing him to the planet below, the ocean a vast, blue tomb upon his inevitable impact.
The falling metal burned in the atmosphere. Parts of the Death Egg splintered off from the craft and toppled around him. Sonic counted his lucky stars that they burned to a crisp, becoming nothing more than dust before they could crash onto civilizations.
Grimacing, he managed to raise his head, his plummeting speed increasing by the second. He wondered when he would hit terminal velocity, his body spinning in a perfect circle. Nausea swelled in his stomach, but he sucked in a breath and focused on the ocean.
Although he was not a betting hedgehog, the odds weren’t in his favor. If he somehow managed to survive, then the bottom of the sea would be his final resting place. West Side Island resided in the distance, much too far for him to hit the water running before losing traction and drowning.
His eyes stung, a growing red dot forming in the corner of his vision. Squinting, Sonic focused on it, reminded of a dab of paint of a landscape portrait. Hints of gray came into view on top of it, giving it a fuzzy feeling, but as he spun, he managed to get one good look when it reached him.
The Tornado flew toward him as quickly as the engines could go. The blades whirred and cut through the ringing in his ears. And within the cockpit was a smiling fox maneuvering the biplane underneath Sonic, who did not seem as small as Sonic remembered.
Sonic landed on the upper wing. His body shook upon impact, rattling his bones and teeth. Pressing his fists to his waist, he steadied himself and stared ahead through the clouds, the tweeting of Flickies welcoming his return as the herd flew behind the biplane.
Tails had come out of nowhere. When they had met on West Side Island, Tails was a meek child, but his abilities impressed Sonic. For the first time, someone was able to follow him despite his incredible speed. And although Tails meandered and his shyer attributes took centerstage, Sonic knew he wouldn’t have been able to live to see another sunrise without him.
In his most dire straits, Tails overcame his fears and saved Sonic. Gratitude filled Sonic from head to toe, the warm feeling making him grin so hard his cheeks ached, and he slowly looked over his shoulder to face Tails.
“Hey, little buddy,” Sonic started, crouching.
Raising his head, Tails fidgeting with a few buttons, his grin contagious. “Yeah, Sonic?”
Sonic extended his thumb and smiled. “Nice save.”
He laughed, swerving the plane to the side. The Flickies scattered, flapping their stubby wings as quickly as they could. Tails dipped the plane low before bringing it up, braving the debris shooting across the sky like fiery meteors.
Sonic launched off the biplane, Tails’ laughter filling his ears. He punched the air, smirking to himself. As the wind pressed into him, Sonic looked forward to their next adventure.