Destruction of the Innocent
  Written by:  Doug Skiles

  Chapter 1:

      It had been another lazy day in the Great Forest.  Lazy days seemed to
  be a common occurence around the forest.  At least, it seemed that way to
  Tails.  But now it was night, and Tails was wandering around the outskirts
  of the woods.  To Tails, the night brought a sense of evil and mystery
  into all things.  And it seemed like that was the only contact with evil
  and mystery that Tails was ever going to have.  Tails felt as though he
  had been waiting forever for the other Freedom Fighters to finally realize
  that he was mature enough to handle himself.  And he was growing sick of
  watching Sonic and Sally and the others always run off on another mission,
  leaving him behind in Knothole Village.  But what could he do?  Though he
  had tried to run away before to find adventure, he always ended up
  returning to Knothole.  He cared for the others too much to leave them.
  So he had to be content following the same routine each day, the same
  boring, monotonous routine, again and again and again, day after day.
  Without any sort of action going on around him whatsoever.  His only
  relief came at night, after the others had all gone to sleep, when he
  would venture out to the outskirts of the Great Forest in the darkness.
  At least, doing this, he felt like he was being SOMEWHAT adventurous.

      Tails jogged briskly along the trails, with the dead branches snapping
  under his feet the only sounds he could hear.  But then he heard something
  else.  More dead branches snapping.  But THIS sound didn't seem to be
  coming from underneath his feet.  He paused.  The sound continued.  It
  was coming from his left.  And it was coming closer.

      Tails jumped back a step and flattened himself against the nearest
  tree.  His muscles tensed.  His heart was practically beating right out of
  his chest.  Slowly, gradually, he peeked around the tree to see the source
  of the sound.  And then he saw Princess Sally walk out from between two
  bushes.  What was SHE doing out here at this time of the night?  Shouldn't
  she be asleep already?  With a single quick movement, he jerked his head
  back and pressed it against the tree again.  He dared not let her find him
  out here.  Not here.  Not now.