That same feeling of dread eh Tails?

He stood in the center of a great alcove, worn with animal tracks and sagging with age. All around him, the twisting vines of flora snaked around the rocky cliff face and through the cracks of mouse abodes, only to be swallowed up within the deep black yawn of the alcove's mouth. The only thing Tails could see was a dark abyss which spread out as long as he was tall, maybe more, and probably thousands of times farther than he could walk. Slim spires of rock coiled at his feet, shells of forgotten mollusks askew. Tails would have loved to pick up these shells and study them back home, if he wasn't afraid for his life at the moment. Here he was, standing in front of a childhood memory, an entrance to what he could only remember as Knothole. Memories of children's laughter etched into his mind were created in this very alcove, which led to what he and his older brother Sonic called the Freedom Fighter HQ. This had been where they fought their imaginary enemy Robotnik, dreaming of mechanical monstrosities from beyond man's grasp.

Course now that they were older, there was no time for the silly games. No more laughter filled the air. In fact, you could say that ever since Sonic left, Knothole was dead. Tails raised a hand to his shameful face. How on earth could he still call this place Knothole? Surely it was only his imagination that was keeping the name alive. It was the single memory he could still call happy. Not even his engagement to Amy could change that. He cried into his outstretched hand, rubbing at the tears and bringing himself to once again look at least to the last remnant of the happier days. So many things happened here...But why not go inside?And indeed, that was what the twin tailed fox, adopted brother of the Hedgehog family, had set out to do. And although it brought him pain just to reminisce on the name, he would be damned if he allowed himself to flee from this place.

Pushing himself into the darkness of the alcove, Tails drew from his jacket a lantern. Gnarled as it was, the oil inside was still useful, and with a spark from a lit match, a dim orangey glow flooded the alcove with light. Tails smiled to himself, something rare of the young adult fox, and began to descend within the underground tunnel. As he passed through the tunnel to Knothole, he swung the lantern side to side, catching drawings that had been scratched by knives into the rock face. Pictures of knights and ladies, dragons and robotic creatures flashed with every motion. Even the snarling face of Robotnik himself, metal eye and gold tooth and all, was unable to hide from Tail's lantern light. Stumbling further and further into the tunnel, it wasn't long until Tails noticed a thin film of silvery light. Moonlight. With a fond smile across his muzzle, he nodded to himself and trudged through the last of the underground trail.

Shielding his eyes against the glare of the moonlight, it's brightness overwhelming to one who had been in the pitch dark, Tails found himself back to where it all began. Knothole may have been dead, but the sight of the meadow, the forest caressing it's sides like skeletal hands still caused shivers up and down the fox's spine. His mouth hung open in a wide O. "I've forgotten how much I loved this place." Was all the kitsune could muster to say. He sighed and shook his head. There was still something, no, somebody left behind. And there would always be. Ever since Sonic left...

The bushes suddenly rustled and Tails turned to look. "Who's there?" He called out, his voice even as an adult as innocent as ever. Though it was much more raspy and forced to keep it's pleasant tone. Tails waited, his arm outstretched to wave, both tails flicking behind him, as if they too were detecting each sound. The bushes kept rustling, and after a minute passed he gave up altogether. Probably just the wind, unless he was to be going mad. In that case, it wouldn't be a suprise. He'd always been slightly out of the loop, maybe a hereditary trait passed down through the family. He shrugged and looked away when the rustling suddenly grew louder, as if something was brushing up against the bush. Tails shot a look over and watched, placing a hand on his hip and leaning on one leg. His eyes became furrowed with anticipation. "Whatever's hiding in there better come out." He spoke in a tone only his adulthood had. Once again the rustling grew louder, and Tails stepped back. Maybe it was no person at all, but a horrible wild beast. The kind he once read and studied about in his fairytale books. Chills began to run up and down his spine while sweat collected in the fox's forehead. He licked his lips and bit his tongue, eyes fixated on the bush.

With a Meow that startled Tails into recoiling, the cat sprang out from her hiding spot, flicking her tail and mrowing at the frightened mobian. Tails sighed and loosened up, watching the kitty as she purred and rubbed at his legs. "Eh? A cat." Tails picked the feline up and stared into her gossamer green eyes. He noticed a red collar hanging from her short neck. "And a house one too. I bet you've lost yourself in the countryside eh little kitty cat." He held her in the arms of his longcoat and grinned from ear to ear. "I've no reason to hurt you little kit-kat, but why not return to your owner?" He asked, lifting her into the air. The cat mewed and he brought her down. "Sorry, just excited to see that I'm not the only one enjoying his origins." With a happy glance down to the purring cat, he took a step and began walking back. Now if this was a normal night, he would have walked to the street, waited for the house cat to bound off when she saw a familiar area, then walk on home. He would then have had a nice cup of tea, reminisce on the fact he had just gone to Knothole, and would have gone to sleep and saw another day.

But this was not one of those days. Tails turned and took a few steps before the air was knocked out of him. The kitsune was sent spiraling through the air, a good few yards before finally skidding through an old, beat up forest trail, dishievled and the cat running from his grasp. He went to reach for the frightful feline, but immediately he was scratched on the hand. Thin trickles of blood from the shallow wound made the fox utter a moan, before he noticed the huge gash splattered across his chest and abdomen. "EEEYYAAAGH!" He screamed before shooting up, hands on the wound, blood splashing on the ground beneathe him. His eyes were huge, his mouth open as if screaming but without any sound. Tails couldn't comprehend what just happened. Here he was, in the middle of the forest, no living things in sight (the cat having ran probably miles by now) and his stomach bleeding fountains. Tails gulped adrenaline clicking in as he twisted and turned, fear and confusion misguiding his thoughts.

Then there it was again, something seemingly there, though he could not see it's location. Movement caught his eye and he glanced to see a branch swaying in the moonlight. His heart was pounding now, the aching in his stomach only supporting the sheer terror he felt. His tails were curved inwards, submissive as the kitsune backed slowly down the trail, waiting for it. Waiting for what was going to happen next. Another sound and he saw a shape coming right at him. Instinct told him to duck, so he did, the shape flailing over him. It fell on it's side, a few good feet from the horrified fox. He seemed to be muttering jibberish as he went to inspect the shape. His heart sank when he saw it. It was the cat, or at least, what was left of her. A smear of gore and fur, ribs opened in a u-shape. All of her organs were gone or partially there. Tails shrank away from her corpse. It was all it took to send him running.

To see the fox's face as he leapt over logs and smacked into tree branches was to see a ghost itself, screaming and wailing as it swept through the forest. At some points he was on the trail, at other points on the meadow, and still on other points he was in a thicket of forest plants and trees. All he could see was the corpse of that cat, and his imagination conjuring himself in that shape. Amidst the pounding of his ears he heard it snarling, it's claws upon the ground, raking dirt and debri out at all sides. He could smell it's repulsive breath, feel the furious eyes boring into his back, planning where exactly to strike. Even as his stomach made each step it's own piece of hell, he pelted on, desperately looking back, yet hardly seeing anything at all. Breifly he saw the outline of a huge figure, but it flashed away as soon as he blinked. Gnashing teeth seemed to form from every shadow, and for a moment it seemed something had grabbed at his paws. He still went on, until he found hiself in a clearing.

There were huge stone walls rising from the perimeter to form a sort of altar. But aside from that, Tails saw a huge stone with a door. A scripture read nonsense to his instinct driven senses, and his brain was only able to form the word Mausoleum. Without a second to spare, he knew the creature would soon be upon him, so he mustered with all his might to reach the large, stone door. With an outstretched hand, his legs suddenly buckled underneathe him as he reached the stairs. Crumpled on the ground, still he would not give up, crawling up the stairs using only his arms. But it was then that the terrible shadow came over him. He knew he was doomed as soon as he saw it. With only a few moments to spare, he looked to see his murderer. His death clock ticked by as he stared up at the thing, it's hungry eyes staring into his very soul.

What do you want from me! He tried to scream, but by then the claws had already raked through his flesh, and the fox found hiself staring into the abyss, his life draining from his body. As a sudden calm washed over the fox, and his last breath escaped from a slack muzzle, his last thought was of his brother, and the children's laughter he dearly missed.

Hopefully that was okay for a prologue. Please feedback what you think. ^_^ Sorry for Tail's dying first, but he was the logical choice for Sonic's 'brother'.