The Prower Chronicles

Path of the Chosen One

Written By Joshua King

I'm tired of waiting. Ever since the day that I lost my soul mate to the cold hand of death, I've waited for her to come back through the potted plant on my desk. Supposedly she's reborn and growing in that pot, but I can't tell. And even if she looks the same, will she have the same soul?

I'm tired of being weak. It was because of my weakness that my soul mate died; both my physical limitations and my lack of willpower. I didn't want her to be sacrificed but I thought that it was the only way to save the world. My hands ended her and only they can bring her back.

And Journal, as I write in you for perhaps the final time, I'm tired of doing nothing to resolve both of these issues. Instead of floating within this team doing the usual drudgery and bathing in my sorrow and regret, I could be taking action. Starting today, I will take action. I just hope I can make the right choices on the way.

Miles "Tails" Prower

Chapter One

Tears, Conflict, and Decision

The ink has barely dried on the page and I'm already second-guessing myself. For twelve years, all I've known is this place in Knothole Villiage and the time I spent on the planet Earth. And for all that time, I've been a member of an elite team of heroes. I'm leaving that team tonight.

The leader of the team, Sonic the Hedgehog, is not going to take the news easily. To him, I've always been his "little buddy". What he doesn't know is that I stopped being that after the death of my soul mate. I lost my innocence on that day.

But I'm not going to tell him immediately…if I tell him at all. I want to let Knuckles; my mentor, friend, and the closest thing to a father that I've ever had know about my decision first.

It was no surprise to me that I found him guarding the richest prize on the planet of Mobius: the Master Emerald. It was a task that was his and his alone: to make certain that it never fell into the wrong hands.

As I approached him from the cloudless blue sky above Angel Island, the location of the Master Emerald, Knuckles waved to me in greeting. We embraced as I landed and I gave him a quick look that told him that I wasn't on a social call. Perhaps wrongly, I gave him my news as abruptly and as pointed as possible.

"I'm leaving the team tonight." I said as Knuckles bent his head a little. It didn't surprise me that he wasn't shocked: he probably knew this day was coming from the way I'd been keeping to myself as of late.

"I assume your feelings of guilt over Cosmo have brought this on. Can't say I blame you: if I was in your shoes and Tikal was six feet under I wouldn't be able to stay either. I don't even think I would have lasted the four years that you have trying to move on with the team." Knuckled admitted as he paced around the Master Emerald.

"You told Sonic yet?" he asked me as he leaned on the emerald with his arm.

"I was going to save him for last."

"Don't tell him yourself. If you really mean to leave then it's best to not tell the one individual who could possibly convince you to stay."

"Well he's not going to like the fact that I'm taking the Blue Typhoon with me. I'm going to need it and a few other things I've built for where I'm going." I explained as Knuckles pointed up to the sky and I nodded sarcastically.

Having finished my business, I waved goodbye to Knuckles and headed for Sonic Team headquarters. It was in a secret location near Knothole Villiage and I was pretty sure that the place would be empty.

For the first hour or so, my suspicions were confirmed. But as I was preparing to fire up the Blue Typhoon, a shadow moved along the wall which I knew belonged to Amy Rose. I was thankful that I had finished all of my packing in time. As she walked down the staircase into the hanger, I knew she was unaware of my plans and as such she waved to me as she usually did. Just like with Knuckles, I decided not to beat around the bush about what I was doing.

"I'm leaving the team, Amy. In fact, I'm leaving the planet itself. I'm taking the Blue Typhoon and everything else that belongs to me with the exception of the Tornado XTerra." I explained bluntly as Amy tried to recover from her initial surprise.

"You can't! We need you on the team…Sonic needs you." she responded as I shook my head.

"Well he's going to have to move on without me. Frankly that's something I cannot do as long as I'm on the team. My only hope of shaking off the guilt for Cosmo's death is to start my life fresh somewhere else." I stated firmly as Amy started to shed a tear.

"If that's how you feel then I can't force you to stay. But promise me that you'll come back someday…please." she asked as I went to her and held her for a moment.

"If I can, I will. Knuckles told me to not tell Sonic about this, so I need you to keep this news from him. You can tell Sally and the others if you wish."

"The others will find out soon enough." she decided as I hopped into the Blue Typhoon and flew off. I could only imagine what would happen when Sonic did find out about my departure…

Later that night…

"Where's Tails?" Sonic asked as Knuckles lowered his head slightly. Amy and the others at the dinner table did the same and Sonic almost did a double take.

"What's going on here? Where is Tails and why isn't he at the table with the rest of us?" Sonic said with a more intense tone of voice.

"He's gone, Sonic. He left with the Blue Typhoon and all of his tech stuff a few hours ago. He said that he can no longer be a member of the team. I'm sorry…" Amy Rose said sadly as Sonic became suddenly irate.

"You mean to tell me that he just flew off and ditched us? I bet it was over that dead girlfriend of his!" Sonic yelled as he stomped around the dining room.

"You're right, Sonic, it was. He feels like he can't move on with his life while he is here and I for one understand his point of view. She died while he was on this team by his own hand. That's something he's going to have to live with for the rest of his life." Princess Sally stated. The others quickly nodded in solemn agreement.

"So what if he feels guilt over her! Who's going to replace him and his abilities on this team? Rotor is far too old to do it and I see no one else at this table that is capable." Sonic said as the others glared at him.

"Are you listening to yourself? Do you even care that he is trying to come to terms with his life. He has desperately needed to do some soul-searching for the last four years but his duties here have been in the way. Or are you so selfish that your friendship with him means nothing?" Knuckles scolded Sonic as he proceeded to stomp off downstairs.

The others were just as upset and they didn't take too long in leaving themselves. As they headed downstairs as well, Sonic was heard kicking the dining room wall and cursing Tails for what he'd done. Then Sonic started to talk to himself and unknown to him, Knuckles had decided to come back up and try to reason with him again. Wisely, Knuckles decided to listen in on Sonic's conversation with himself.

"Damn…I thought when I convinced Tails to fire the gun that he'd be forced to stay. That damn fox and his dead bitch are going to cost me everything! I just hope he never gets wind of what was really going on during the Metarex battle or he may escape our grasp." Sonic muttered to himself as Knuckles suddenly startled him and pointed at him.

"Are you saying that we could've beaten the Metarex without Cosmo having to sacrifice herself?" Knuckles yelled as he got within centimeters of Sonic and stared at him in a furious rage.

"You put Cosmo on the chopping block just to keep Tails on the team?" Knuckles yelled again as he held his right fist against Sonic's face. "And who is this 'we' you're referring to?" The other members of the Freedom Fighters were upstairs by this time and heard Knuckle's last statement.

"I want an answer and now!" Princess Sally ordered as Knuckles backed off. Sonic laughed back at her with an arrogant look on his face.

"You'll never get an answer from me!" Sonic replied with arrogance.

"I didn't expect you to give one. For months since you returned from Earth you have shown slight differences from the heroic friend I once knew and I'm smart enough to consider that, perhaps, you are an imposter. I'm putting you under arrest for first degree murder and my friends and I will discover the truth!" Sally barked as Sonic used a burst of speed to escape through an open window before Bunnie could get a hold of him.

"Sorry sugar he got one step ahead of me." Bunnie lamented.

"Tails is going to find out about this someday you know that right?" Amy added from the far corner of the room. In their hearts they prayed that they'd be as far away from Sonic and Tails as possible when it happened. They didn't want to see who would breathe their last as a result.