This was for a Christmas contest at FUS (satamsonic dot com). The rules of the contest were that you must retell an existing Christmas story, and you must use only SatAM characters, the only allowed exception being Santa (whom I didn't use). I didn't have any better ideas — I didn't want to do The Grinch or A Christmas Carol, as they had already been done by Sonic Christmas Blast and Archie Sonic #6 — so I ended up doing a take on Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. This is the result.

I rushed to write it at the last minute, so I freely admit that parts of it could be better, although it did come out much better than I thought it was going to. Regardless, I've decided to post it as I originally submitted it.

So let's begin the story of...

TAILS, THE TWO-TAILED FOX

By Kef Schecter

"You suck, Tails!"

"Hey! What have I ever done to you?" shouted Tails, narrowly dodging a thrown rock.

"What have you done?" echoed the bully. "I'll tell you what you've done. You offend me."

"Offend you? How??" he asked, trying to maintain his distance from the encroaching bully.

"Are you retarded? 'Cause you're an ugly two-tailed freak." His eyes narrowed. "You're offensive to my sight!"

"B-but—"

"Just looking at you gives my eyes cancer. Now go, before I cut that extra tail offa you!"

Tails shuffled away. He paused to look back, a tear in his eye. "I- I'm sorry..."

"Go!"

"I don't think I'll ever be popular," said Tails. "Well, actually... I don't really care if I'm popular. I just want to be accepted. Or at least treated like a person."

"Aww, Tails," said Bunnie, "There, there. You're a bright young boy. I'm sure you've got something they haven't got."

"I don't see what," said Tails, "or how."

"Cheer up," said Bunnie. "It's Christmas Eve! Tonight Sonic will give presents to all the good little girls and boys. And that certainly includes you, sugar!" She planted a friendly kiss on his nose.

In the distance they heard a heavy pitter-patter, followed by the distinctive plonk-plonk of boots on wood. Sally rushed into the hut. "Guys! Guys!" she gasped, pausing for breath.

"That doesn't sound like good news," said Rotor.

"No, it's the worst!" Sally shook her head. "Sonic and I were on our mission at the border of Robotropolis, and... and..."

"Spit it out, sugar," said Bunnie.

"Sonic got trapped by Mega Muck and was captured by Robotnik!"

Tails couldn't sleep that night. How could he? He sat up in his bed, moping. "Poor Sonic. I hope at least he's OK."

Then he felt a different emotion welling up inside him. He arched his eyebrows. He bared his teeth. He got up and furiously paced about the room. "That stupid Robotnik," said Tails. "He just winds me up!" Subconsciously, his tails mimed his words, twisting into a double helix. "Capturing my best friend — almost my only friend — like that. I could just... rrrggghhh!" He felt himself release the tension in his tails in one shot. He was shocked to find that the next thing he felt was the ceiling against his body.

"Oof!"

He fell back down, bouncing safely on his bed. Tails blinked, a bit groggy. "What... was... that?" He spent a minute processing what just happened. "I just twisted my tails, and... and then..."

It hit him. "I can fly?"

He slipped out the window and tried it again. Nnnnggghhh-yah! He could get his tails to spin again, but it wasn't strong enough. The motion died down until it stopped.

"Aww, I guess it was just a fluke." He hung his head. "What does it matter, anyway? Maybe flying is overrated. I mean, what else could I do if I could fly, anyway?" He pondered the question. "I guess I could make shorter trips to the chili dog stand. I could go up trees without climbing them." His thoughts returned to the only thing that really mattered to him. "I could rescue Sonic."

Rescue Sonic.

"That no-good Robotnik..." His tails wound up once more. Without even thinking, he unleashed all his energy and resolve, and felt himself defying the grasp of gravity. "I did it! I'm flying!"

No time. He replaced his excitement with determination and shot straight off towards Robotropolis.

Tails wandered down the halls of Robotnik's headquarters. "I know Sonic must be around here somewhere," he thought to himself. "But how am I ever going to find him in such a big place? It's not like I have a map or anything. Shoot, I haven't thought this out at all..."

"INTRUDER ALERT IN SECTOR 7G. INTRUDER ALERT. INTRUDER ALERT." Tails had been so lost in thought that he forgot to watch out for security cameras.

Tails turned around and ran with all his might, huffing and puffing. He heard a metallic cacophony in the distance. No good — Swatbots in that direction. He turned around again. More clanking; more Swatbots. There was nowhere to go. He was trapped.

"RAISE YOUR HANDS, PRISONER."

"H-Hi, Sonic," stammered Tails to a startled Sonic. The cell door closed with a metallic clank. The Swatbots turned away and went back to their usual patrol routes without a word. To Robotnik, this would be his greatest victory. To them, it was a job — one they performed without the slightest amount of consciousness that they were doing it.

"How on Mobius did they get you?" said Sonic. "You were supposed to be safely in Knothole." His eyes widened. "Oh no. Don't tell me they've found it!"

"Knothole is fine," said Tails. "Relax."

"How can I relax? It's bad enough they're gonna roboticize me, but they've got you too! I can't just sit here while they get all of us one by one!" He sighed. "At least, not if I had any choice."

"It's OK. We can escape," said Tails.

"How? There's no way out."

Tails pointed to an air duct in the ceiling.

"But that's all the way up there! We can't climb up there. I can't even run up there. The walls are smoother than anything."

"Shh," said Tails. "Stand back," he whispered.

"What—"

"Just stand back."

Sonic nodded and complied. Without another word, Tails twisted his tails, then released the tension. His tails spun like a rotor. He floated above the ground, grinning.

Sonic gibbered. "What the — wghth — fghlmnb — HOW ARE YOU DOING THAT??"

"I dunno," said Tails. "I just kinda twisted my tails, and then I let go, and, well, this happens. So I decided I'd fly here to Robotropolis. To rescue you."

"Aww, that's sweet of you, Tails. But it's way too dangerous! We're lucky just to have a possible escape route. We could have been in a cell without an air duct. You could have gotten roboticized — even killed! And there wasn't even the slightest guarantee that you'd find me!"

"But I have nothing else to live for. You're almost my only friend. Certainly the only guy I can relate to. All the kids at school make fun of me."

"Oh, Tails," Sonic said. He gave him a tearful hug. But then his face brightened. "It's OK, buddy. I have a hunch they're not gonna do that anymore."

Tails smiled back. "Let's juice."

"OK, Tails," said Sonic. "I think we're out of the danger zone. I think we can touch down now. Easy does it." Tails lowered him to the ground.

Sonic put his hand on Tails' shoulder. "You saved Christmas, buddy!"

Tails beamed. "Yeah. I guess I did!"

"Not to mention my life. You must be pretty tired."

"Actually, I'm still wide awake," said Tails. "I bet I couldn't sleep even if I tried."

"I guess all this excitement gave you a bit of an adrenaline rush, huh?"

"An adrenawhat?"

"Never mind. Let's get you home."

A thought struck Tails. "Sonic, we wouldn't have the heart to have Christmas without you."

"Aww, Tails—"

"But that means that nobody's putting the presents under the trees. By the time we get back, it won't be long before the sun rises. There might not be enough time to hand them all out."

Sonic thought for a moment. "I'll tell you what. You can move pretty darn fast when you're flyin'. How about — if you think you're up to it — we deliver the presents together?"

"YEAH!"

The following morning...

"Go ahead, open it," said Sonic. "I know you're gonna like it. I picked it out myself!"

"A vest!" said Sally. She slipped her arms through its sleeve holes and looked at the mirror, observing her body in various poses and angles. "It even matches my boots perfectly!"

"Hmm, I could use a hat like this," said Rotor, putting it on. "It could keep the sun out of my eyes." He then flipped it around. "Or I could be hip instead of totally square, yo. Rotor in the hizouse!"

Sonic shook his head. "Rotor, don't even try."

"...Can I at least keep the hat backwards?" he asked.

"Okay, but never say anything like that again!"

"I already have the best present of all," said Tails. "I got my best friend back!" Everyone applauded. At least, everyone except for a stubborn coyote.

"Sacre bleu," said Antoine, "I am thinking I am going to be sick."

"I bet it's a good present indeed!" said Sonic, ignoring Antoine. "But that didn't stop me from getting you that dirt hockey stuff you've always wanted."

"COOL!"

Antoine smiled. "Now it is time for me to be opening my present." Finally, Antoine opened his present. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded. All heads turned to look at him. He removed what looked like a yellowish wad of thread.

"It's fuller and made of nicer material than your current one, Antoine," explained Rotor.

It was a toupee.

"Are you saying that this blonde hair of mine is not entirely natural?" he said, jabbing his index finger at his own hair. But he did so with too much vigor and not enough aim, for he dislodged it and it fell to the ground.

The laughs echoed throughout the room. Sally quickly cupped her hand across her mouth, trying to conceal her own laughter, with limited success. The others didn't even bother.

"Stop! This is not being funny!"

"No hard feelings," said Sonic, placing his hand Antoine's shoulder with a smile. "But anything is funny when it happens to you, Ant."