Standing atop as high a hill as he could find, Sonic peered out and up into the looming storm clouds in the distance. Rubbing his nose, he frowned as he set his eyes on the fleet of airships and the massive artificial island they surrounded. “I’ve seen my fair share of things that shouldn’t fly up in the air, but to think you bird brains are able to keep this whole fleet running while we’re barely keeping Zooey’s ship afloat. Just how many Rings do you have hoarded up there?

     “Heh,” Sonic at last became amused and lowered his hand to his side as he shifted his thoughts to Rosy and Gill. “I think you said you met your new friend when he tried to steal your Rings. If he’s really a Ring thief maybe I could have used the help today. Oh well.”

     Shrugging as he had no reason to dwell on having not brought Gill along, Sonic bolted off the hill and straight for the fleet. He had a plan in mind and no time to waste executing it. “I still don’t know if I can trust the frog, but I can’t afford not to distract these bird brains either. Man is getting up there going to be a pain with this flat terrain too. I really hope your plane is in a better situation than this mess Tails.”

~~~~~~

     The X-Tornado was in fine shape all things considered, but it was far from flight worthy and Tails rested on one of its wings watching the blue sky. Descending from it the Skyskipper’s coral hue was a welcome sight to the weary fox. It was also humiliating. He sat up all the same as the airship landed nearby and did his best to put on a smile. It did not last as he heard a familiar voice cry out from the vessel.

     “TAI~~~~~LS!!!!!”

     “Eh? Rosy?”

     Tails had almost no time to react as Rosy bolted across the distance and leapt into the air tackling Tails in a fierce hug and taking them both away from the plane. “WA~H! I’m so glad you’re okay! When Zooey said you crashed in a thunderstorm, I was so worried.”

     “Rosy, it’s okay,” Tails tried to comfort Rosy and stroked the top of her head. “Really, I’m just surprised to see you here. You didn’t use your emergency Ring Gate, did you?”

     “Of course I did Tails!” Rosy shouted up into Tails’ face while still crying in uncontrolled joy. “I know we’re almost out of Rings, but I know where we can finally find some too.”

     “Really?”

     It would have been impossible to hide his surprise even if he had tried, the thought of being able to find Rings in the endless prairie they had been trapped in was miraculous sounding.

     “I thought you said you couldn’t find any before?”

     “I couldn’t,” Rosy acknowledged as she sat back and gave Tails some breathing room. “All of my reading and scrying just showed me everywhere. But that doesn’t really help since everything is made up of Rings.”

     “So, what changed?” Tails pressed for more information, but the next voice that spoke was not one Tails was familiar with.

     “I’ll be. It really is a right plane. Just who are you people? Really?”

     “I already explained it to once Mr. Bradley,” Zooey’s voice reached Tails’ ears and he stood up to see who she was talking to. He was not quicker to his feet than Rosy however who immediately shouted back at Zooey.

     “Call him Gill, Zooey! He says his friends and enemies call him by his different names and I’m his friend and call him Gill so you should too!”

     “You’ve really made a friend even out here huh Rosy?”

     “You bet!” Rosy spun towards Tails and looked at him with pure joy and excitement. “Gill is really nice too. I can’t wait to introduce you!”

     The introduction turned out to be an unusual one for Gill as he looked with awe as Mighty lifted the entirety of the X-Tornado onto his shoulder. It was a testament to the plane’s construction that it did not collapse on Mighty, but Gill was simply too flabbergasted to consider it.

     “I really don’t know what to think about you people,” he croaked out his inability to comprehend. “A pair of hedgehogs who can keep stride with me is one thing, but then Ring Craft, a two-tailed fox, and an armadillo who can lift an aircraft over his head like it’s right nothing.”

     “I wouldn’t say it’s nothing,” Mighty smiled sheepishly at the unintended praise as he shifted the plane’s weight into a more comfortable position. “Really, I should get it to the Skyskipper before it becomes too much to bear.”

     “And that’s the other thing about you lot,” Gill continued his tirade of shock almost unbroken by Mighty’s correction, “you have a right airship! I just can’t wrap my head around any of it. Just what type of lands did you come from to have all of that and not understand why I’m so uneasy about it.”

     “I guess he really is a local huh,” Tails shared his observation with Rosy.

     “Hee-hee, he really is,” Rosy laughed and started swaying her body playfully. “He’s also a Ring thief–”

     “A RING THEIF!”

     Tails’ sudden shout put everyone’s attention on the fox boy, but he did not care and continued to shout at Rosy. “Rosy, I know you’re prone to mischief and getting into all sorts of trouble, but a Ring thief!”

     “I really don’t appreciate your accusatory tone there, lad.”

     “Of course I’m being accusatory!” Tails snapped at Gill. “We’re barely holding onto enough Rings to keep us going and now there’s a Ring thief in our midst. How am I supposed to act!”

     “Tails,” Rosy spoke up from behind him as Mighty began to walk off with the X-Tornado already well informed of the situation, to an extent, “ I know it sounds bad, but Gill isn’t a bad person and thanks to helping him I know where we can find Rings now. That means he doesn’t have to steal anymore either if we work together. That’s best for everyone.”

     “Rosy, but…,” Tails wanted to offer further argument, but Rosy’s innocent and naïve expression of trust was too much for him and he placed a hand over his face as he hung his head. She was his best friend in the world, and the two would go to almost any lengths for the other, but stealing Rings was a taboo that just could not be ignored. And yet…

     “If it makes you feel any better Tails I already know where to go to find more Rings.”

     “WHAT!”

     Tails, Zooey, and Gill all expressed surprise at Rosy’s casual claim and looked at her in disbelief.

     “Hmm?” Rosy tilted her head and held a finger to her mouth. “Is something wrong? I already said I knew how to find Rings here finally, so it’s not hard anymore.”

     Pulling her box of tarot cards from her sleeve, Rosy carefully opened it and withdrew a card. Holding it up she smiled brightly as she explained. “Now I just need to find the ruin near here and we can get all the Rings we need. Well, if the mean old Golems would just leave us alone.”

     “Rosy, you can’t,” Zooey’s concern made her take a step towards the pink hedgehog. “You’ve already used the last of your Rings to make your Emergency Ring Gate. You don’t have any kind of protection if something were to happen.”

     “But Zooey, Sonic is off risking everything to buy us time to get away,” Rosy countered balling her hands into fists beside her face. “I can’t just do nothing. I have to help Sonic somehow, and I can find Rings here now, so I have to.”

     “But Rosy–”

     “Might I offer my services again lasses,” Gill cut in and drew the group’s attention. “Though it is rightfully a dishonorable profession, there are perks that go along with being a Ring thief that I’m certain can assure the safety of the lass. That, and you must admit that she’s right when she says I have no reason to steal any Rings if you just walk me right to them. So, what do you say lasses, lad? Will you accept the services of Mach Frog Gill Bradley and turn your fortune here on the Prison Prairie around?"

Scene 8 · CLEARED

Desperation, End