Series 3 - The Runes of Awakening
Episode 3
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"Where's Sonic?"
That was perhaps the most prominant question in all of New Knothole, as it had been for quite a while now. It was as if the hedgehog just vanished. He'd been part of a search party to Terantulopolis. The others returned, mission unsuccessful, and without the hedgehog. Several sightings maintained that he simply got up and left the party in the poaring rain. He hadn't returned since.
"If he had some kind of crucial business he would have told us what he was doing." Sally insisted. "He just... disappeared."
Vanished from Mobius.
"Not only that, but if he didn't tell us what he was doing, he'd at least wish Tails a happy birthday. He hasn't missed one yet, and the little guy's gonna be hitting double-digits tomorrow." Knuckles pointed out. "I think something's up."
"We'll see soon enough." Sally replied. "If he's not back for Tails' birthday tomorrow, we'll set out to find him."
Tails Prower, Sonic's best friend in perhaps the entire concievable universe, the kid who was like a little brother to the hedgehog ever since he joined the original Knothole village, was turning ten. He was born on 19/2/1990 to a mother he couldn't remember and a father he didn't seem ever to have met. He was thrown into adoption, didn't get a foster family, ended up in an orphanage, and the next he heard about his parents was that they were dead. Killed in service of the Great War against Robotnik. It was a vague, uncertain message, but Tails believed it. Just his luck.. he'd always wanted to meet his parents, but details were so faded that they might as well have been dead from the beginning.
It was six o'clock at night on the 18th of February 2000 when a select group of villagers in control of various issues around the place had a meeting. The most prominant issue was the missing Sonic. There was other important business, too.
"There's a bunch of refugees coming." Sage announced, looking at a sheet of paper. "Overworked Mobians escaped from Robo....uh, Terantulopolis. They're on their way here, we need food and water for them."
"When are they scheduled for arrival?" Sally asked, surprised. She hadn't heard of this.. she had been noticing lately that she wasn't exactly the Freedom Fighters' leader anymore.. the village was becoming more and more like a democratic council. She supposed it was for the best.
"Tomorrow, incidentally." Sage replied. "Happy birthday Tails, there's a bunch of sweaty strangers moving in."
"He won't mind, there won't be many." Sally assured him. Then she looked up and raised an eyebrow. "There won't be many, right?"
"Five or six." Sage reported. "Not many. You can't get too many people slipping out of that city, it's built like a prison."
"Like a spider web." Sally said. "Once you're in it, you're stuck."
"Could be worse, they could be eating people." Sage admitted.
Sally looked at him cock-eyed. "Thanks for that thought, Sagittarius."
She looked out the window, into the night. A full moon... not quite, it was a little elliptical. It would take only another night.. two, at most.. before it shone with all its silver beauty. But why did that seem so much like a bad thing?
CHAPTER ONE:
Seven famished, tired yet determined Mobians walked into New Knothole the next morning. One of them, a tall orange-furred fox, looked hazily into the village and thought "Finally, a refuge."
He yawned and stretched his arms. So this was the village whose inhabitants brought down the terrible Robotnik. News travelled quickly, and the fox was infinately relieved and grateful. Even though Saddam Spinster was possibly worse, the demise of Robotnik seemed like such a load off his back. He had hated the mad doctor with a passion, for more reasons than one.
He looked apon the village now and saw what the inhabitants were doing. There were streamers and balloons everywhere. For him and his six allies? No.. these were for some other occasion.. nobody welcomes refugees with happy streamers and slide whistles. Some of them were singing the "happy birthday" song. Others were laughing. The fox squinted through the crowd to catch a glimpse of the subject of their song.
When he caught that glimpse it made him shudder.. not in fear, but in surprise.. happy surprise. A genuine happiness BOMB that went off in his face and sent him sprawling. Panting, he grabbed a sheet of crumpled, old paper from his pocket and stared at it. There was a photograph of someone printed on it. He stared at the child everyone was singing about, then back down at the photo, then up again.
"Could it be? Is it really? Oh man... Oh man...... Oh HEAVENS."
Tails was laughing more like a hyeena than a fox, soaking up all the attention. He was drowning in presents and wrapping paper.
"Yo Tails, good buddy!" somebody shouted. A scrawny black lizard poked his head up.
"Drake!" Tails exclaimed.
"I got you something extra special!" Drake announced, grinning. He climbed up onto the table, brushing some wrapping paper away, and then several others helped him drag something enormous in front of the amazed fox. It was a huge cake! Baked into the shape of a huge number 10. Around the icing, ten candles were dotted.
"Oh my goodness!" Tails stammered. "It looks fantastic!"
He grabbed his dragon friend in a bear hug. Drake chuckled, "Hey, there's more!"
He stood back, and began to take a deep breath. His stomach swelled up like a balloon. Several villagers backed off nervously, knowing Drake's flame wasn't exactly reliable. But the dragon aimed spot-on, and breathed a long stream of fire across the cake like a flamethrower. All the candles were lit, and some of them melted. Drake pulled back, curved his neck upwards, and puffed a huge smoke ring into the sky, followed by a line of smoke, forming another number 10. Everyone clapped, especially Tails.
Sally, who had spotted the new visitors to New Knothole, ran over to them. She shook hands with a tall mink and greeted him. She then turned to the orange fox, who was still clutching the photograph and appeared to be crying.
"Welcome!" Sally greeted, trying to catch his shivering hand in order to shake it.
"THAT FOX!" the stranger exclaimed. "I MUST SEE THAT FOX!"
"Please!" Sally replied. "Join us first to.."
The fox glared at her, and as he stared his look softened. But eventually he pulled away. "I have to see him.." he insisted.
He dropped the photograph. It landed face-up. Sally looked down at it and saw the likeness of a very young Tails Prower staring up at her.
Tails was in riotous laughter when the stranger fox pushed himself through the crowd of well-wishers. He looked down at Tails, and Tails looked up at him. They locked eyes for quite a while. There was silence.
"Tails.." the fox muttered. "Tails! Is it.... you?"
Tails nodded. "Yeah... do I know you?"
The new fox seemed astounded. "You... you don't recognise me? It's Tyler! Don't you recognise..?" he asked.
"I'm afraid not.." Tails replied.
The new fox closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened them again, and seemed to be thinking.
"Tails...." he began, his eyes locked on the young fox's.
"Tails, I'm..... I'm Tyler. Tyler Prower. I'm your father, kiddo."
That's when the silence faded completely. Not really faded, there was just an explosion of sudden noise as everybody in the village began to talk at once. Tails appeared the most shocked of anybody, but then he shook his head.
"You're mistaken.." he replied. "My father died in the war."
"Is that what you heard?" Tyler asked. "Is that what they told you? You didn't actually think you saw me die, did you?"
"No, I..." Tails began, then he thought about it. "No, I just heard... I lived in a lot of foster families, I can't actually remember what my father looked like, and I.. just heard he.... you..... he died, you know, through word of mouth."
"I'm as alive as the next guy, Tails." Tyler assured him. "Perhaps moreso."
There was a long silence between them. Then Tails' lip quivered. His eyelid twitched. A large tear slid down his furry face. Then another.
"Daddy?" he asked.
Tyler just smiled and held out his arms.
Tails burst out crying, wailing like he never had before, and leapt into his father's arms.
"Well, this sure seems like something out of a soap opera." Sally murmured.
"Heck yeah." Knuckles acknowledged. "Tails' Dad? What proof does he have that that guy's his dad? He's never seen the guy."
"What proof does he have that he's not?" Sally asked. "I for one believe him. He seems to know what he's talking about."
Knuckles sighed. "Well, Tails sure is happy. He's been trailing the guy all day."
"They have a lot to catch up on." Sally assured him. "How old was Tails when he last saw this guy? Two? Three?"
"He told me once he missed his parents." Knuckles admitted. "Even though he never remembered them. But this whole... this whole thing just doesn't seem right."
"Why can't you believe the little guy found his father?" Sally asked.
"Stranger things have happened, Knux."
"I didn't exactly say I don't believe he's the real deal.." Knuckles replied. "It's just that... well, this Tyler guy.. he's only dropping in for a while, right? He's just a visitor. He's heading up to the Station Square Survivors Town, then he's going all the way to Catilina, the closest city, about a hundred miles that way."
"Fifty-nine." Sally corrected.
"Right.." Knux replied. "The point is... what if, you know, he feels like he's filled a hole in his life now? What if... what if he wants to take Tails with him, Sal?"
"I don't think he'd go..." Sally assured him. But she knew it was a blatant lie.
"Dad.." Tails called, smiling. He was just getting used to saying that. His father had been in New Knothole for the space of five hours, and already the little fox felt like he had known the guy all his life.
"Uh huh?"
"Dad.. I have a question." Tails admitted. "Were you there when I was born?"
It took a while for Tyler to answer. For the first few seconds he seemed surprised, then for another few seconds he seemed to be thinking.
"Uh huh." he said at last. "Why?"
"What was your reaction?" Tails asked.
"Melissa brought me a beautiful baby boy." Tyler replied. "Your mother, I mean. I was breathtaken.. it was such a wonderful gift. The best I could ask for."
Tails seemed extremely happy with this reply for a second, but then his expression changed again.
"No, I mean... what was your reaction to my... um... mutation?"
His father looked at him for a moment. The fox's double tails swayed in the breeze. He smiled comfortingly.
"To tell the truth I was hardly surprised." he said. "I mean.... no, don't worry. Besides, you could have a hundred and ten tails stickin' outta your rear and I'd love you just as much. Heck, you're my son, appearance doesn't change that."
Tails grinned and sat down next to his dad, looking over the small crystal stream which provided the village with its water.
"You mentioned my mother.." he said.
"Melissa, yes." Tyler replied.
"What was she like?" Tails inquired.
Tyler sighed deeply and a grin spread across his face. Tails thought he saw a tear form as well.
"She was... incredible." Tyler assured him. "Absolutely gorgeous. She was smart, brave.. she could be stubbourn at times, but she was just so... so reasonable and.. If I hadn't been so shy, I'd have asked her to marry me."
He looked down at Tails for a moment, but the little fox couldn't read his expression.
"Earlier." Tyler finished. "I'd have married her earlier than I did, I mean. Because I wasted so many years of my life tagging along with her and I never expressed my feelings to her. Not for a while, I mean, I obviously did eventually, but..."
He ended this statement with a sudden coughing fit that was obviously purposeful. Tails whacked his father on the back and decided not to persue the subject of his mother further right now. Maybe the memories hurt him... maybe she was dead.
"Thanks.." Tyler responded to Tails' slap on his back. "Details of our marriage are a bit blurry right now, but I can tell you, I loved that gal ever since I met her as a kid.. we grew up together. She had three tails just like your two."
Tails' heart skipped a beat. "Mother had three tails?" he asked.
He decided he might persue this topic after all.
"Where did you grow up, Dad? You and Mum.. was there radiation or something?"
"You wanna know about the multiple tails deal?" Tyler asked. "I thought you might. But I'm not sure if you're old enough to be told.."
"Tell me!" Tails pleaded. "I can handle it!"
Tyler sighed and looked his son over.
"We grew up on a tiny island in the Dark Sea called Kitsune Atole." he said. "It's actually a little country, govorned by a bunch of scientists who call themselves 'Armada'." He flapped his arms a little for illustration. "Birds." he said. "Big ones. Us orange foxes were the original natives, but Armada had bigger weapons, and they've controlled it for a hundred years or so. They work on... biological experiments. Biochemistry. They study people.. cells and DNA and stuff.. and basically work on growing limbs and organs from nothing but a few cells in a lab somewhere. They claim it's to benefit medical science, but a most of their 'subjects' are adversely affected. Most are born with extra tails, sometimes three, four, up to six. Others sprout fingers from the centers of their palms or double noses. It's really quite gruesome. A bunch of us escaped in a dingy - your mother was pregnant at the time - and those who survived the trip ended up here and were taken into Mobitropolis. The Mobotropolis govournment even tried to save the others from Kitsune once, but there were all sorts of political clashes, and it turned out that interference would probably spark a world war, as Kitsune was allied to several other countries. So, in the interest of peace, they're probably still conducting disgusting experiments over there."
Tails was horrified. "Experiments?" he asked. "They're mutating people over on some island and nobody can do anything about it?"
Tyler nodded.
Tails knew that he was somehow mutated, but he had no idea that it was due to anybody purposely meddling with his race's bodily make-up. This was almost to the same scale as Knuckles' ancestors' conspiricy. Tails didn't know about every detail in Knuckles' story, but he did know the echidna's hands were deformed, more than likely due to genetic experiments performed by the Chichi Bobo slug-aliens from Kha. Now all this about Armada and Kitsune Atole seemed frighteningly similar.
"We have to do SOMETHING!" Tails shouted. "Those are my FAMILY!"
"Settle down, we're just two foxes against a nation." Tyler hushed him.
"Now come on Tails.. show me around your village."
CHAPTER TWO:
"Well, Sonic never showed." Knuckles announced, looking at the sunset.
"Sigh, Sonic, you never call, you never write, never ask about my day.." Sally muttered to herself.
"That's too long to be missing, I suggest we go right ahead and do a full-scale search." Knuckles said. "First priority is Terantulopolis, maybe they caught on to our plans and kidnapped Sonic right from under us. We'll check their records and..."
"Hey, hey.." Sally interrupted. "Who's the leader here?"
Knuckles eyed her and sighed. "Sorry Sal. But the guy's my friend.. not to mention I owe him."
"Yeah.." Sally replied. "And I can't say I disagreed with anything you said, either. Lets do it."
Knuckles looked outside again. The sun had gone down. The sky was dark. Something big and glowing and round emerged from the clouds.
"It's a full moon." Knuckles announced.
Tyler was in Tails' hut, sitting with him. Tails was telling him of his adventures, and about Sonic. How they met, fought the Death Egg and Robotnik, and everything that had happened in that year, the year earlier and the year before that. Tyler's eyes lit up apon hearing about Chaos.
"I was told an earthquake destroyed Station Square." he said. "Are you sure this monster really attacked it?"
He knew the answer without having to ask. Tails was a kid - there was no monster, only an overactive imagination. Even if Tails' creature really did exist, for the sake of argument, the little fox would be scared half to death, if not all the way. This kid was excited.. overjoyed that he and his friends were the destroyers of a creature half the size of Station Sqauare.
"That's all Chinese Whispers." Tails assured his father. "It really happened! And he was trapped in the Chaos Emeralds, but they're all gone now."
"Sure.." Tyler said, smiling warmly. He stood up and rubbed Tails' head. "I'm going to go and speak to your leader Sally." he announced. "You get some sleep. I'll seeya tomorrow, huh?"
"It's only early!" Tails complained. "I stay up all night sometimes."
Tyler rolled his eyes. "G'night, Tails."
"Hey Dad..." Tails called.
Tyler turned to him.
"It's awful hot in here.. can you open that window?"
"Sure.." Tyler replied. He walked up to the window and pushed it open.
"I wonder if Sonic got back yet?" Tails muttered.
"Can't see him.." Tyler announced, poking his head out and scanning the village. Truthfully, he wasn't even sure about the existance of Sonic. He might have been Tails' invisible friend. But as he pondered, an annoying tingly feeling on the back of his neck emerged. Despite the heat, his hairs were standing up.. he was getting goosebumps. He got the shivers and began to grow a cold sweat.
"What's happening?" he whispered. "There isn't a..... YAAAAAAAUGH!!!!"
He screamed, and Tails looked up at him. He had no idea what his father had seen out the window. But Tyler was too aware of what was out there. The thing that scared him most, out of anything on Mobius. He was staring directly at a huge white circle in the sky - one of the biggest full moons he'd ever seen. And he'd seen many. He kept tabs on them.
"It's early..." he complained. "Dear God it's early!! I planned this so perfectly, but it's EARLY!!"
He pulled away from the window and slammed it shut behind him. Then he ran and hid behind Tails' bookshelf.
"What's wrong, Dad?" Tails asked, fearfully. He looked out the window.. he couldn't see anything but the trees and the moon.
"I have to stay here tonight.." Tyler stammered. "I can't go out. From now I have to travel by day."
"What are you talking about?" Tails asked.
"Listen to me Tails.." Tyler said, and he gulped in fear. "You don't know everything about me. If I go outside, I... I can hurt people. I can hurt.... DARNIT, WHY ISN'T THE TINGLING GOING AWAY??"
His eyes darted around the room, until they fixed on something, and the pupils shrank to tiny dots.
There was a mirror in the room. A mirror.. pointed in such an angle that it reflected the moon. The big, round, almost laughing moon that chilled him so much was reflected right in the center of the glass, directly bathing him in its light. He felt something snap inside him.. a point of no return.
"I'm sorry." he half-snarled at his son, and leaped towards the door. He actually went THROUGH the closed door, breaking the lock and making it swing open. And Tyler the fox disappeared into the shadows.
"Okay, okay, I got a REAL chiller for you." Streak said. "Once apon a time, there was a scientist... his name was Docter Jeckyll."
From the other side of the campfire, in the dark, Petals sighed. "I've heard this one." she complained.
"The scientist devised a potion.. a magical potion that he believed would have wonderful effects.. but instead, when he drank it, it turned him into a terrifying monster."
Some of the younger villagers sitting around the fire gasped. Sage smiled and threw another log into the crackling fire. Petals coughed. Big snored, the large frog on his belly going up and down, croaking softly.
"This monster was called Mr. Hyde." Streak announced. "And he terrorised the town."
"What did he look like?" a young mink asked.
"Well.." Streak replied. "He had sharp teeth. Firey orange fur all down his body. His hands were sharp claws, and his snout was crinkled and brown. And when he stalked, he snarled deeply and softly... grrrrrrrrrr... grrrrrrrrr..."
"GrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOR!" someone answered.
"Yes!" Streak exclaimed. "Exactly like that!"
A shadow fell over him. More little gasps from the circle. Sage squinted in the darkness. Petals' ears pricked up and she raised an eyebrow. Big snored on, but Froggy croaked a warning.
"He sneaked up on people, and when they least expected it..."
"IT'S MISTER HYDE!" a little voice shrieked. Several children screamed and fled the camp. Sage picked himself up and gasped. Petals groaned when she noticed the figure creeping up on Streak.
"Nice costume, Cat-boy. Who you got in that thing?"
"Wha?" Streak asked.
"Grrrrrr.... grrrrrrr...."
"Don't look now, Streak, but your horror story is standing behind you." Sage announced, grabbing behind him for his quiver of arrows.
Streak turned around. Standing there was a creature that looked like it could have originally been a fox that took too many steroids. It was covered in orange fur and muscles, and its eyes beamed down on the cat like strobe lights.
"GrrrrrrrrrrrrrRRRRROOOR!" the monster announced, raising a clawed hand.
Streak yelled and pointed at the creature.. sparks flew and the cat was given a shock.
"Oh yeah... I still haven't got that thing fixed.." he complained. The monster batted him away with as much thought as anybody else might give a pesky blowfly. He collided with a tree.
"Take THIS, you reject from a cult horror flick!" Sage yelled, drawing back an arrow in his bow and letting it fly.
Quick as a flash, the monster caught the arrow mid-flight and stared at it. He shoved the pointed end in his mouth and used it as a toothpick. The wooden rod snapped and the arrow fell to the ground in two pieces. This angered the monster. It roared loudly and beat its chest, before stomping over to Sage and whacking away the awed echidna. He collided with the side of a hut.
"Great show, guys!" Petals shouted sarcastically. "Who you trying to impress?"
The monster snarled and reached for her.
"HEY!" she shouted, backing away. "Don't you grope me, you pervert! Who's under that mask, anyway?"
The monster roared in reply, but it was pummeled in the head with a fishing pole. It turned around to face Big.
"What you think you doin' goin' round and scarin' people and wakin' up me an' Froggy?" he asked. The monster snarled and kicked him over backwards.
"What's going on out here?" Knuckles demanded, poking his head out of Sally's hut. He saw the monster terrorising the villagers.
"Holy torledo! What is THAT?" he asked.
Sally, who had been watching from outside the window, shrugged.
"Werefox?"
"We could really use Sonic right now." Knuckles sighed. "I don't know who or what that is, but we gotta stop it before it kills someone."
"The best thing I have is an industrial strength garbage bag." Sally admitted. "Think you can trap it? At least until we can sedate it?"
"We can give it a go." Knux replied. "Come on."
The monster walked through the village, snarling as it went. Its bloodshot eyes darted around in anger. Looking up at the moon, the orange creature threw its head back and howled.
"GOTCHA!" Knuckles yelled, jumping on the creature's back and bringing a huge bag over its head. The monster went into a massive fit of anger, throwing its limbs about in fury. But Sally and Sage came onto the scene, each holding an end of a long piece of thick rope. They pinned the monsters arms to its sides with it and ran around and around in circles. Knux brought the bag down all the way to its legs, which Sally and Sage promptly began to tie down as well. The monster fell over, yelling and snarling and howling as Knuckles tied more rope around it and fixed it down with knots.
"A monster?" Tails stammered. He looked up at Sally and Knuckles. "That must have been what my Dad saw! He was awful scared of something!"
"Just make sure you're careful." Sally advised the small fox. "I don't know if there's more of these things. There could be."
"Can I see it?" Tails pleaded.
"No." Knuckles replied promptly. "Nobody's going near it. It's sedated, but it could be... WILL be dangerous if it overcomes the drugs."
"Okay.." Tails replied, disappointed.
"Be careful. Stick with an adult."
"I will."
"And don't go out at night."
"I won't."
Knuckles nodded, and he and Sally returned to where they had come from.. and closed the door.
"Do this, don't do that, don't do this..." Tails mimiced sarcastically.
"I'm in double-digits now, I can do what I want. I bet Sonic's been fighting robots since he was BABYSITTED by ten-year-olds."
Knuckles and Sally returned to the hut to find what they feared:
The monster was out of sedation, and was growling, snarling and thrashing healthily on the floor.
"Looks like Death Breath needs another fix.." Knux mumbled, grabbing a needle off a cabinet. As he did so, Sally walked over to the monster with her hand outstretched.
"HEY HEY HEY SAL WHATCHA DOING??" Knux shouted, running over to her.
"He's tied down, he won't hurt me." Sally replied. "I want to see what he is, I didn't get a good look in the dark."
"Well at LEAST let me JAB him first!" Knux protested. "Then you can poke and prod anything you like! I'm really not sure some ropes and a garbage bag will stop..."
"HELP!" the monster shouted.
"...it for long. Did you see the way it swatted..."
"Help me, I can't breathe! Where am I?"
"...Streak and Sage about out there?"
"Knux, shoosh! Listen!" Sally commanded. Knuckles shut his mouth.
"Help.... is.. is anyone there? Can I hear someone? Where am I?"
Knuckles and Sally looked at each other.
"Oooooh DRAT."
Sally tore off the garbage bag. Laying on the ground all muddied up in a pile of ropes, Tyler the fox rubbed his eyes at the sudden burst of light.
"We caught Tails' dad.." Sally murmured.
"..Not the monster." Knux added. "But how?"
"It was dark." Sally replied. "Both of them were orange, both of them were walking around out there."
"But.. he fought us when we caught him.."
"Wouldn't you? If I came and jumped you with a garbage bag?"
"But.. but he was HOWLING..."
"Excuse me, my foot is tangled, is somebody going to help me with this?" Tyler asked politely.
CHAPTER THREE:
"GO LONG, DRAKE!" Tails shouted, throwing a frisbee to the small dragon, who ran and leaped to catch it.
Twenty meters away, Tyler watched them from the window in the meeting hall of New Knothole.
"You said you knew what the monster was.." Sally announced. "Well, we're all ears."
"Though mine aren't so predominant." Knux added. Nobody laughed at him, but he got a smirk out of Tyler.
"I do, but it's hard to explain." the fox replied. "The thing that attacked those villagers.. was me."
Knux was drinking a glass of water, but promptly spat it onto the table.
"YOU?" Sally asked. "Well, it would explain why you were in the bag, but WHY??"
"Let me finish." Tyler interrupted.
"I.... I have a disease, it isn't my fault. A conjenital disorder called Lycanthropium. See, the moon bounces back radiation from the sun that is otherwise diluted in direct sunlight. These rays.. they cause a... reaction in my glands that makes them produce a sudden.. explosion of testosterone and adrenaline and other things... sudden muscle growth... But the rays are only strong enough when they're at maximum strength.. when the moon is full, and bouncing back as many rays as possible. And, since they travel slower than light, they continue to hit Mobius for days afterward.. at night when they're not diluted by sunlight... I know this sounds crazy."
"Oh no no no, not at all." Knux replied. "If you told me there was a liquid monster living inside the Chaos Emeralds, I wouldn't think you were crazy. If you told me an island can fly, I wouldn't think you were crazy. If you told me a robot can be turned into a living organism, or that spiders can build a city in under a month, or that aliens were conducting experiments on my ancestors on a far-away planet of the slugs, I wouldn't think..."
"Knuckles, hush!" Sally interrupted. "So Tyler... what you're trying to say is that you turn into a monster under a full moon?"
"You were right when you called him a werefox, Sal." Knux commented.
Tyler gave him a questioning look. "I'm a Lycanthrope. I can't help that, and if you keep me out of moonlight for the next few days, I'll be fine. But my father was a Lycanthrope, his father and his father before that. It runs in the family. We all have to keep bloody tabs on the frickin' moon from the day we turn ten."
Knux and Sally looked at each other.
"Tyler.. what about Tails?" Knux asked.
"Yeah, he'll get it too." Tyler replied. "He has a year of complete freedom left. After that.... watch out. Little death-fox coming through."
"Why is he such an exception?" Sally asked.
"He isn't." Tyler replied. "He's just the same.."
"I thought you said when he turns ten.." Knux interrupted.
"YES YES!" the fox said impatiently. "I can't see where the CONFUSION is, here! When Tails turns ten next year, he turns moon-evader."
"Tyler..." Sally stated, putting a hand on the fox's shoulder.
"Tails turned ten yesterday."
Tyler hoisted his left eyebrow and looked out the window at his son. He turned back. "No, he's nine.." he replied.
Sally shook her head sadly. Tyler's jaw simply dropped.
"DARN AND CURSES!" he shouted. "They... they told me '91!"
"Is there any way to overcome this monster problem?" Knux suggested. "Any... cure?"
"Don't you think I would have USED it by now if there WAS?" Tyler demanded. "I'm PLAGUED by this!!"
He stopped and thought for a moment.
"But.. there is a chance." he admitted. "In the city of Catilina, where we're headed after we leave here. There's a genetecist named Nygel Swanstein living there, and I heard he works with Lycanthropes. Maybe... just maybe he can help restore the faulty gene somehow.. but I'd have to take..."
"Take Tails with you." Sally replied. "I understand."
"I was hoping to visit him when we got there." Tyler said. "It's a long journey."
"It's for his benefit." Sally admitted.
"Who's going to break the news to Tails?" Knux inquired.
"That he's leaving his friends?" Tyler asked.
"No, that part's easy." Knux corrected.
"Who's gonna tell the kid that he's Mr. Hyde?"
"So, when's yer' Dad leaving?" Drake asked.
Tails looked up at him. "What?" he inquired.
"I mean.. he's only staying here for a while, right?"
Tails looked at the lizard blankly. "I.. never thought of that." he admitted. "He's one of those guys escaped from the spider city.. they're heading Northward."
"Where they going?" Drake asked.
Tails signalled his friend to wait, then walked inside his hut. He emerged a moment later with a huge thick atlas in both hands. He plonked it down on a rock and opened to the index.
"Station Square.." he murmured. "Map 8, A-D" He flipped through the pages and found the city on the map.
Right down the bottom of the page was a huge orange blob marked "Mobitropolis, pop. 1,564,835"
"Old atlas." Tails admitted.
Above Mobitropolis were two 'X' marks (not printed with the map, these were hand-drawn). One of them, scribbled out, marked the location of Knothole Village, and a fresher one about ten centimeters above that one marked New Knothole. Close to that were two large orange blobs marked "Station Square, pop. 345,627" and "Casino City, pop. 241,734"
"I heard they were going there, but it's mostly in ruins, and the survivors only have a small town set up like this one.. They can't really stay there, I don't think."
"Where's the next big city?" Drake asked.
Tails dragged his finger up the map. There was another huge orange blob just at the top of the page.
"Catilina, pop. 1,347,572"
"What about that one?" Drake asked. "It's got almost as many people as Mobitropolis used to have!"
"Catilina.. I've heard of that." Tails replied. "Vaguely. There's a lot of rural area there.. Lots of food and housing. I bet they're wanting to settle there."
"Tails... that's sixty miles away!" Drake pointed out. "Sixty miles, Miles!"
Tails, who would usually scold anyone who called him Miles, just stared at the map blankly.
"I'll never see him again." he realised. "Drat.. I've spent all my life wishing I could be with my father, and now he's going to leave."
"Does he HAVE to leave?" Drake asked sympathetically. "He can live here..."
"He doesn't belong here." Tails murmured, a tear forming in his eye. "Maybe I don't either."
"Tails.. what do you mean?"
"Ten..." Tyler murmured to himself. "Who would have thought? How am I gonna talk my way out of THIS bind? If only that full moon wasn't so early I'd be fine..."
"DAD!"
Tyler spun around and noticed an out-of-breath Tails standing behind him. The little fox was awful upset.
"Why.. what's wrong?" the father asked in surprise.
"I don't want you to leave!" Tails bawled.
Tyler needed not ask any more questions. He kneeled down and took his son into his arms.
***
"So, you've decided to leave." Sally reported sadly.
Tails, tears running down his cheek, nodded slowly.
"Sally, can I speak to you for a second?" Tyler asked. Night had fallen again, and they made certain that the curtains were pulled over every window. Sally and Tyler walked into a dark corner.
"I haven't told him." the fox announced.
"What, about the disease?" Sally asked. Tyler nodded.
"I just.. I can't bear to tell the kid he's a Lycanthrope. I'll tell him when we get to Catilina and see the biologist.
"How will you keep him out of moonlight?"
"He should be safe for the next couple of days while the disease takes hold. After this one, there won't be another full moon until we're safely in the city. With a little luck, he'll never have to go through that awful experience."
As the two talked, Knuckles was chatting to Tails.
"Wow... I can't believe you're going." he said. "I'm gonna miss you, little buddy."
Tails hugged the echidna tightly. "I'll miss you too." he admitted. "But I'll write.. or E-mail... every day."
Something registered in Knuckles' mind.
"Hey Tails... what about Sonic?"
Tails looked at him like he'd seen a ghost. "SONIC!!" he exclaimed. "Oh man.. he'll come back here and find out I'm gone.. he'll pitch a fit!"
"If only we knew where he was.." Knux complained. "If we knew what he was doing.. we could contact him... SOMEHOW.. he'd come, I'm sure he would."
Tails started sobbing again. "Sonic... oh man, I'll miss him... all our adventures.."
Tyler and Sally rushed over to comfort him. Something snapped in Knuckles' mind again, he really couldn't let Tails leave.
"Tails, you don't have to go.." he said. "Stay here!"
"GENETECIST!" Tyler whispered harshly. "Lycanthrope! WEREFOX!"
"Right..." the echidna replied. "I guess there's no choice, then."
"Can't you visit?" Tails pleaded. "Can't _I_ visit?"
"It's a long way, little pal." Tyler replied. "A long way."
"Can't I write?"
"No post boxes in New Knothole, I'm afraid." Sally told him.
"E-mail?"
"I can't use a computer." Tyler replied. "Can't even click a mouse."
Tails burst out crying.
"If.... if only... I could... say.... goodbye!" he spluttered.
Knuckles put a spiked hand on the little fox's shoulder.
"You're here another day." he announced. "And we'll do everything in our power to get Sonic's blue butt right back here."
But Sonic didn't return.
It was eleven o'clock the very next night that Tyler decided they really couldn't wait for the hedgehog any longer. Sonic would just have to find them if he wanted to say goodbye when he returned. IF he returned. Frankly, there were some doubts in the village whether he was even alive. Perhaps something got the better of him, even after all his adventures. For some reason nobody could forget him. The worst thing about his disappearance was that there was nothing creepy about it. Nothing ominous, it was like the perfect crime. And for that reason, most of the villagers came to the conclusion that his departure was purely intentional.. something big was going on, and it was bigger than Terantulopolis and Tails' birthday. But, that being a different story, this is where our tale mentions Sonic and his activities for the last time. For now, with a heavy heart, Tails Prower leaves his history and his friends, including Sonic, behind.
Tyler, in an extremely thick travelling coat which covered up all of his body, even his face, from the night and the moon (For the life of him, Tails had no idea why he wore it) walked into the darkness with Tails and his six companions. The biggest farewell party the village could muster saw their departure with much sadness. After saying his final goodbyes, Tails forced himself not to look back again.
Sally didn't often cry. She did now.
As Tyler walked, Knuckles ran from the crowd and caught up to him.
"Are you absolutely sure there is no other way?"
Tyler, looking like the Grim Reaper, turned his head so Knux could just see his eyes down the hood of the coat.
"I'm as sure as I'm sure that my wife named her son Tails, Knuckles. I'm sorry."
EPILOGUE:
Dear New Knothole friends,
Hi! How are you? I hope you get this E-mail. There's so much I want to say! I miss you already! So much you wouldn't believe! We have arrived in Station Square, and everybody here is real nice. It's a shame though, because a lot of them are still badly injured from the you-know-what around Christmas last year. But the city is really cool, even though most of it is broken! There are heaps of torn down old buildings and rustic ruins of water-damaged apartments to mess around in. There's heaps of stuff here to find, it's like a treasure hunt! Oh, and I've met lots of new friends, too.
Has Sonic come back yet? I miss him. It seems so empty here without him, even though I have Dad with me. Dad says hello, by the way.
Has anything interesting happened in the village? You can mail me back, I'll be here for another three days. Then we're gonna do the big one - we're gonna travel to Catilina, which is another fifty miles from here. Some people are a bit scared, 'cos a big monster attacked last night. It didn't hurt anybody though, it just scared a whole bunch of people, but I'm not scared. It actually sounds a bit like the monster that got in New Knothole that night. Strange, huh?
Well, I'll let you go now. I'll rest up for the next few days, I have a lot of miles to cover.
Love, Tails. XXX
***
Knuckles sat wide awake at midnight, reading over the message over and over again. He hadn't admitted it, but he missed Tails. He really, really, really did, especially now that the little fox had moved on so quickly that their friendship seemed like a loose end.
"Looks like Tyler saw the moon again." he muttered to himself. "He'd better be more careful than that. After all, what did you say Tails? 'you have a lot of miles to cover'."
His eyes moved back to the E-mail on the computer screen.
"A lot of miles to cover." he muttered. "Miles to cover. Tails."
He hoisted his eyebrow and sat up a bit.
"I'm as sure as I'm sure that my wife named her son Tails, Knuckles. I'm sorry." Tyler's words repeated in his head.
"Wife named her son Tails. Miles to cover. Wife named her son TAILS. MILES TO COVER."
Knux jumped up and speed-walked across the room, almost jogging. After a while of moving, he WAS jogging.
"Gotcha." he muttered to himself. "Gotcha.. hah, gotcha Tyler, if that is your real name."
"DARN AND CURSES! They... they told me '91! Miles to cover, Miles to cover, Miles, miles, miles, they told me '91, named her son Tails, named him TAILS."
"SALLY! HEY SALLY!"
Sally Acorn woke up with a start - someone was shouting her name and banging on her door. Slowly, she got out of bed.
"Okay, okay, hang on, calm down.."
She swung the door open.
"Knuckles! What..."
"TYLER IS NOT TAILS' FATHER." Knuckles announced, out of breath. He forced his way into Sally's hut. "He's an imposter, he knows about as much about Tails as I know about retro-physics."
"Knux, are you still going on about that? It's late." Sally murmured, still half asleep.
"Hear me out." Knuckles commanded. Sally dropped back into a chair.
"When he was leaving, Tyler said something to me about Tails' mother naming him TAILS. That is WRONG, Tails' mother named him MILES, Tails was a nickname he made up by himself, and he always whinged that his parents preferred MILES and wouldn't call him anything BUT Miles."
Sally opened her mouth to say something, but thought better of it.
"In fact, Tyler hasn't been calling him anything but TAILS since he arrived here! He hasn't said the magic word MILES even ONCE. But there's more.. it ALSO explains the little detail we missed earlier, that Tyler doesn't even know what year Tails was born and how old he is! He insisted he was nine, but, he is in fact TEN, a fact we learned straight from the SOURCE. Sally, Tyler has been so determined not to tell Tails that he's a Lycan-whatever, because he ISN'T. Tails is as healthy as ever, because he's as related to Tyler as a cat is related to an elephant."
"Slow down.." Sally insisted. "Explain it to me again.. SLOWLY."
"I will." Knuckles replied. "But can you fly the Tornado 2? Because we have to get to Station Square in a darn hurry before they leave. Tails leaving with his Dad is bad enough, but I WON'T let him be taken by a complete imposter."
Tails was packing his suitcase for the long, iminant trip to Catilina City. He was beginning to really feel the sharp sting of loneliness.
"I can't believe I left them." he said to himself. "Maybe it was the wrong choice."
"You went with your heart." Tyler said, from across the room. Tails was startled, he didn't know his father was there.
"You went with your heart, and I'm so glad you chose me."
The two hugged each other. Tails' loneliness went away in a puff of smoke.
"I'm so glad I found you again, Tails Prower."
"And I'm glad you've decided to call me Tails!" the little fox added with a smirk.
"Oh, I've always called you Tails, my son." Tyler replied.
Tails suddenly loosened his embrace, if only a little.
"No you didn't.." he protested. "The one sole thing I remember about my true parents is that they never called me anything but Miles. They loved the name, they said it came from.... do you remember where it came from?"
Tyler scratched behind his ear. "Can't say I do.. your mother named you.."
"No she didn't." Tails corrected. "You did. It was family heritage. Your-- DAD'S father's first name was Miles. And Dad's middle name, too. It seems I suddenly remember a lot more about my true parents than I thought I did. Stored up in my memory like fragments which were coveed up by my excitement of meeting you."
"Tails.. MILES... none of that matters now!" Tyler insisted. "What matters is that..."
"WHAT MATTERS is that Dad's name was Robert Miles Prower." Tails replied.
"I can't go to Catilina with you, Tyler. I'm going home."
"Tails!" Knuckles shouted through the crowd. "TAILS!!"
He showed a picture of the little fox to a dingo in a coat. "Excuse me, sir, have you seen this fox?"
"Two tailed fox? No siree.. sorry there, pal."
"Excuse me ma-am, have you seen a young fox with two tails around the city?" Sally asked a mink.
"No, I'm sorry."
Tails walked up to the librarian in the small library in Station Square.
"Excuse me ma-am, I need to use the computer.. I need to use E-mail."
"Sorry, kid." the librarian replied. "Computers are down today. Try again tomorrow."
"TAILS!! TAILS, TAILS PROWER!!" Knuckles rounded a corner and ran into Sally.
"Any luck?"
"No. Let's keep trying, I don't think they would have left yet."
They looked across the street at the same time, at a small library building. The door opened, and somebody walked out.
"TAILS!! THERE HE IS!! HEY TAILS!!"
Tails spotted the echidna and squirrel, and immediately burst out in tears of joy. He ran across the road and leapt into Sally's arms. The three group-hugged until many of the city residents thought they were quite mad.
"Tails.. there's something about your father you should know about." Knuckles said, once he was brave enough to do so.
"I know." Tails responded, and suddenly burst out in a sound that was half-laugh and half-cry. "I know."
"Tails.." somebody choked, out-of-breath. Tyler. He looked at the three hugging Mobians, who looked back at him with distaste.
"I'm not a bad person." Tyler pleaded. "Hear me out, please.. I have my reasons."
"Well, we'd love to hear them." Knuckles announced.
"My name is Tyler Norfolk." the fox admitted. "I was a very good friend of your father's, Tails. His best friend, in fact. And I was in love with your mother.. very much so. But I never did gather up the courage to admit it, and I suppose that was a good thing, because you might never have been born if things were different. When you were young, I loved you as much as your parents did, and I never STOPPED loving you, even though I haven't seen you in years. Robert and Melissa called you Miles, but I knew you hated the name.. I told you that you could use the name 'Tails' if you wanted. You instantly loved it, and you never called yourself anything else since. But it wasn't such a hit with your folks. I.. I shouldn't have used you like that, kiddo, I was a fool. But just.. it broke my heart that you didn't recognise me, or even my name.. so I decided that you most probably wouldn't recognise your real parents either, and before I knew what I was doing, I was calling myself your father. I've spent my whole life looking for you, kid..." A tear ran down his cheek. Tails broke away from Sally and hugged the older fox tightly.
"I'll stay in contact." he said. "We had a great time together, Tid."
"Tid?" Tyler asked. "That's..... that's the name you used to call me! So, you..."
"Remember?" Tails asked. "Yes.. I do now. Maybe before.. I dunno, maybe I didn't want to remember. It hurt."
Tyler hugged him back, more tears streaming.
"So, I guess this means that my parents really are dead, huh?" Tails asked, suddenly.
"I don't know." Tyler replied. "I don't think so. Rob's out there somewhere, and I think Melissa might be too.. at least, last I heard."
"So.. you mean.. there's a possibility?" Tails asked.
"Definately." Tyler replied. "They were always strong. Nothing could bring them down."
"It's getting dark." Sally announced. "We'd better go home, and you'd better get under cover, Tyler, before... well, you know."
Tyler nodded. "I'll make sure I keep in touch, Tails. I'll learn how to use the computer, huh?"
Tails smiled and nodded. "Bye Tid. It's been great!"
"Yeah, seeya Werefox." Knux added, putting a hand on Tyler's shoulder.
"Thanks for letting the kid feel special."
"Don't mention it." Tyler replied, saluting.
"Well, that was very sappy." Knux announced. Tails playfully whapped him.
"You won't have to miss Sonic now, either!" Sally said. "Provided the guy decides to come home!"
"I'll just be happy to get back to New Knothole." Tails said, yawning. "I'm tired. Lets go home."
Tyler watched from the shadows, as the sun went down. He smiled.
"Seeya later, kiddo."