Battle of Soleanna - Field Hospital

[Giichi Twinkieland]

Giichi chuckled at Tails' last comment.

"You know...you're the first person in a long while to actually call me an adult. Everyone still thinks I'm still 17 years old, even though I'm really 24. Ow..."

The cat momentarily clutched his wounded arm. He'd moved around a little too much, and the laser burn on that arm really didn't like him doing that. He settled back into a still position.

"If it were me, I would strike out on my own and get as far away from Sonic as possible. That would make it much easier to establish your own legend like Sonic has done. That's what I think you should do." Giichi gave a broad smile. "Maybe YOU could find your own sidekick when you get older. Continue the tradition and all, you know?"

[Tails]

Tails smiles at Giichi's reply about being an adult. "Look, I'm only ten. So anyone your size looks like an adult to me."

Tails frowns at Giichi's other comment. "I don't wanna abandon Sonic like a prom night dumpster baby. Besides, it probably won't be for another five years before I can actually go by myself without someone to love me or to know that someone cares. Sonic has been with me since I was very young. He's been a father to me for a long time. I know I won't be with Sonic forever, there's no doubt in my mind about that, but even a heroic legend like Sonic needs a little brother to help rise him up from sadness.

Tails thinks for a little bit and continues. "It might be great to have a sidekick one day. But for now my heart belongs to Sonic. I'm too young right now to rely on myself. I think like someone's who's older than me, but I still cry when I have no one to cuddle with. My kid ways still ring true. I like Sonic, he treats me like his equal. He may sometimes get annoyed by my rambling, but that's only because he's eager to get to the next adventure. I admire that about him. That's why I strive to be like him. Even though I try to out fox Robotnik with Sonic's help, Sonic is still my hero. He brought me in when no else would. So I'll simply postpone my thoughts and allow myself to accept Sonic for who he is.

"I hope he shows up soon. I wanna talk to him."

[Giichi Twinkieland]

The cat laughed at the size comment. "But Tails...I'm a little guy. I'm not that much bigger than you are. It's why I have a hard time getting people to think I'm an adult."

But the next thing Tails said briefly removed the cheery mood. Prom night dumpster baby? Giichi's eyebrows visibly raised at that comment. Tails, to him, practically personified youth and innocence. So with much pondering, he wondered how this kid knew what a "prom night dumpster baby" was. And what else did he know besides that? Quite frankly, it scared the hell out of him thinking about it.

In any case, he figured it'd be best to shrug that off and move on with the conversation as fast as he could. The less he thought about it, the better.

"So...um...back to Sonic. You said we won. So do you know where Sonic went? Sounds like you two got separated somehow. Is he still chasing Robotnik?"

[Tails]

Tails feels like crying just thinking about Robotnik and what Sonic might be doing without him. He controls himself. However, he knows that if he explains what's going on he might just cry for real.

Tails explains with a little hesitation. "We won, Robotnik wanted to get out of there. I followed him on my airplane, but Sonic went as well and took a ride on Robotnik's escape pod. I wanted to make sure Sonic was okay, so I couldn't attack Robotnik so he was as good as safe from harm. So was Sonic and me, we were safe from harm. I wanted to get back Robotnik somehow for shooting my arm with a laser, but then Sonic and Robotnik did something that I don't like one bit."

Tails cried in defeat and couldn't hold it in anymore. "Then Sonic and Robotnik made amends and told me to get out of there! They told me to get out of there so they could embark on some friendship for the time being before Robotnik came back again to terrorize the city. Now, I have no idea where Sonic is and, who knows, maybe he's joined Robotnik to terrorize the city. And now, who do I have to look up to? Who can I trust? This is too much to bear!"

[Giichi Twinkieland]

Giichi furrowed his brow at what Tails had said last. "That doesn't sound right at all. Look, maybe Sonic's getting ready to pull some kind of trick on Robotnik, so that he can take him by surprise and capture him. It sounds like something he'd do. Maybe he'll drag Robotnik back out here by his moustache." The cat chuckled at the vision of the doctor being dragged at the speed of sound across, dirt, mud, jagged rocks, and whatever else he could think of. In the meantime, he slowly slid his legs off the bed, so that he was sitting up.

"I don't think Sonic would just suddenly side with Robotnik without a really good reason, so really, I don't think you have anything to worry about Tails. It makes no sense for them to team up."

For a moment, he gazed off into the distance, but thinking about Robotnik reminded him that he still had to get that car back... "Tails...would you mind helping me with something? When I was in Robotropolis last time, I left behind something very valuable and important. Do you think you could help me get it back?" He gave a soft smile, as he looked down from the bed at the little fox.

[Tails]

Tails wipes his tears. "I think I know what we can do. I could fly you to my workshop and then we could walk the rest of the way. Then once you got your car, I can ride with you and get to know you for awhile. It'll be fun. We can stay up late, play some kid friendly games. Then in the morning, you're making waffles. We'll just have a blast at your house. And maybe if you're house is close to the beach, we can go swimming! You'll be my new best friend and my new hero! Do you like the idea?"

[Giichi Twinkieland]

Giichi visibly reared back as Tails described his plans, although he tried to maintain his smile. The fact that Tails was suddenly so cheerful caught him off guard, especially with how sad he was before.

Wow...I forgot what being a little kid was like. All the hyperactivity and mood swings. But I suppose it just goes with the age. When Tails does it, it's actually kind of adorable. He's like a little puppy dog. Anyway, I suppose I should calm him down.

Giichi slid off the bed, swayed to a stand, and gently placed a hand on the young fox's shoulder. Despite being fourteen years older, Giichi stood only a couple inches taller than Tails. They were practically looking each other right in the eyes.

"Me? Your new best friend? But didn't you just get done talking about how you don't want to leave behind Sonic? Maybe you should talk to him before we go do this. It's not like I want to leave right this instant. I'm still kind of banged up, you know."

The cat moved his wounded arm to show the bandages covering his laser burn.

"And a hero?" Giichi grinned, chuckling softly. "Tails, I'm with the Thieves' Guild. I enjoy my work, but I'd hate to see you end up in jail while following me around. I've been there before and you're too good for that place. You don't deserve to end up there..." The smile faded, as Giichi visualized an image of Tails in his head in prison. To see him in a place like that, quite frankly, chilled Giichi to the bone. It simply wasn't right.

Oh, and not to mention you still just asked him to help you get back something you paid for with stolen money. Not so noble now, hmm?

[Tails]

Tails wonders about the thieves guild and decides not to get angry or go crazy on him. He sits down in a chair and explains. "I won't turn you in as a thieves guild member, but you have to do something for me. If I go down there and you do more things you shouldn't, like steal things, this fox won't step a foot on the airplane. But if you promise to turn the thing in you stole and get a real job that doesn't involve stealing and earn decent wages to pay it back so it will actually be yours, I'll do it."

Tails raises his right hand. "Raise your right hand and swear that you won't steal anymore and swear that you'll return the money or one day someone will find you."

"After this I'll let you decide what your options are and the rest is up to you. Until then, I need to get Sonic. I miss him. but after you tell me what you're gonna do."

[Giichi Twinkieland]

When Tails raised up his right hand, Giichi chuckled and shook his head.

"Are you serious?" He felt like he was being talked to by an aggressive evangelical Christian. The cat was starting to regret being so honest with the boy. "No...just...no." Giichi continued to chuckle as he rubbed his forehead. "Tails, I like my life as a thief too much to stop. Besides, I'm like Robin Hood. I steal only from people who can afford it, and I donate a lot of my 'wages' to charity too. The only thing I spent a lot of money on was my car. The rest of my life is pretty modest."

After a bit, he finally settled down and quit chuckling. He retrieved his cloak on the bedside table. All the while, he launched into a little rant.

"Look at it this way...what I stole probably would have been taken as taxes by the Soleanna government anyway, ok? And they probably would have wasted it on something stupid like studying the effects of cow farts on children. But with my way, more of the money ends up going straight back to the poor as welfare, which is where it really needs to go. The government really shouldn't be doing anything else but supplying a military force to defend us, building an infrastructure for communities, and that's it. I hate seeing tax dollars wasted on so many stupid pet projects by corrupt politicians. Anyway..."

The cat cradled a small smoke bomb under his cloak, where Tails couldn't see it.

"I guess I'll just have to find someone else to help me get that car back. I've got plenty of Thieves' Guild contacts to pick from. And you may as well just let me go. I've been to the jail here. I won't be there for long. The Thieves' Guild will get me out pretty quickly. It's happened many times in the past, and we know the system. The guild looks after its own. All you'll be doing is wasting the taxpayers' money if you take me in.

"Besides, are you going to just forget about everything I did today for my city? Were it not for me, Soleanna probably would have been taken totally by surprise and overrun before anyone knew what was happening. We'd all probably be slaves by now. I think I deserve to be let off the hook for that today, don't you? So how about it? You still gonna try to take me down?"

Giichi said the last part as a challenge. While the laser wound still hurt a bit, he thought he'd recovered enough to make a break for it, if necessary. Truth to be told he figured he'd have to do this eventually, considering it was government-sponsored and he was a face the police around here knew...

[Tails]

Tails simply bows. "If you think your arm won't hurt on your way to find someone to help you find your car, I'll let you go and I'll find Sonic. In fact, I'll let you go first if that suits you more."

Tails goes to eye level with Giichi and pats his shoulder. "The fact you use your money to help the less fortunate, you're a hero in my book. If there's hope in this world where people are starving, at least I'll know you will be there. Maybe if I lose my home, you could send money to a charity to help me. You can do what you wish. When you leave, so will I.