Part 2
A day passes after the meeting of old friends and the display in the courtyard. Tails wakes up early and gets dressed, having slept in a guest room in the palace before walking out of the large structure and out to the street in front of it. He walks down the street idly, thinking about the events of the day prior and all that was said. A moment of pause comes over him and he looks around, realizing that Genra is nowhere around. He disregards the feeling, knowing the kitsune likely has a reason to be elsewhere.
The twin-tail walks down the street to Sonic's favorite cafe and walks up to a table to take a seat before seeing none other than the king himself sitting at an empty table, only two fancy-dressed bodyguards standing by.
Sonic turns to see him and waves to him. "Over here, buddy!"
Tails nods and walks over to the table, taking a seat next to him. "What's your majesty doing out this early in the day?"
"Don't be ridiculous, gourmet food is nice and all but you know well that it'll never take a chili dog's place in my heart," Sonic says with a playful gesture. "And forget the royal stuff, I'm just your old pal, Sonic, to you."
Tails chuckled lightly. "Still the same old Sonic." He replies.
"Nothing's ever gonna change that." The blue one gives a hearty laugh, but the moment is cut short as Sonic remembers something. "Say, pal... the kingdom's in a bit of a pickle."
Tails glances over to Sonic with a bit of concern as the demeanor suddenly changes. "Huh? What is it, Sonic?"
The hedgehog clears his throat before continuing. "Well, as you know, having this new title leaves me with a bunch of new responsibilities... and there's a problem that's been looming over Mobotropolis for awhile. I'd love to handle it myself, but, you know, I'm not supposed to leave the palace for anything dangerous." He explains with a brief "gag" gesture in his mouth.
"What is it, maybe I can help," Tails says.
"Well, I hate to put it on you... but considering what I saw yesterday it's safe to say my lil' bro can handle himself. So my problem is this; there's a wave of this new drug coming over the people. It's highly addictive and very expensive." He pauses for a moment to take a drink from his shake before continuing. "Our secret service has found out that it's all coming from this guy named 'Mammoth Mogul'. I guess this guy's supposed to have more wealth than even the royal treasury. To boot, this guy's been known to pay to have everything from extortion to murder committed to those he considers a threat to his 'business'."
Tails just shakes his head. "That is horrible, why haven't your people done anything about it?"
Sonic sighs and replies. "That's because they keep disappearing every time we send them there. I can only assume that he's buying them off.. or worse. The last one we sent was Geoffrey himself, and as much as I can't stand the guy, if they can keep him from coming back... we're in serious trouble; and it's been over two weeks since we last heard from him."
Tails bows his head for a moment. "I see. Geoffrey, that's that skunk that fought you back in the day for Sally's hand, just to be used as a tool by the wizard Ixis Naugus. I had heard he'd come back to serve the crown, even though he still harbored a grudge toward you."
Sonic kicks back in this chair, folding his arms behind his head with a look of worry on his face. "Yes, that's the stinker. He was promoted to head of the secret service before I took the crown. Now I'm afraid that, he too, may be up to no good."
Tails stands up quickly, bumping the table as he stands. "I'll find out what's going on. Mammoth can't buy me and if Geoffrey is up to something devious I'll bring him back to justice."
Sonic grins. "That's my old buddy... but uh, you should probably take someone with you. I know you're a tough guy now and all, but sending you into a den of villainy by yourself isn't a good move."
Tails nods. "I see your point... who will you send me?" He says, looking toward the horizon thoughtfully.
"Well, ol' Bunnie's still looking for some tail to kick. She's settled down now with Antoine but she's been keeping herself in good shape should the need for her help come again." Sonic says, taking another drink of his shake. "She's coming to Mobotropolis today when she heard you were here, she insisted on it."
"Great! I can't wait to see her again... it'll be almost like old times again." Tails sways his tails excitedly.
"Uh, Tails... there's one more thing you should know. Right before our communication with the old stinker stopped, he reported having seen a fox like you do some incredible things there. You be careful, okay buddy?"
Tails nods and ponders a moment, could this mysterious fox be a kitsune, or maybe one of the other hybrids. He grins and clinches his fists. "A formidable foe... for some reason, I can't help but feel... all fired up. I finally get to test my strength!"
Sonic looks to the twin-tailed fox suspiciously. "Woah, take it easy, pal! I know you're eager to meet someone like you, but don't do anything I wouldn't do... errr, maybe that isn't the best advice, heh heh."
Tails nods and sits back down, taking a deep breath. "Sorry, I've just been feeling held back lately. It feels like I'm not using my true strength, Genra spars with me but it just a play fight, he's taught me a lot but I really have yet to test against someone who fights for real."
Sonic grins and looks over at the crowd, noticing a tall lady rabbit, wearing a cowboy hat. "Ah, look who's here."
The twin-tailed fox quickly finds himself standing again and runs over to the edge of the outdoor diner, seeing the rabbit with his own eyes and easily recognizing her.
"Bunnie! It's you!" Tails exclaims, rushing over to give her a hug which is eagerly returned. The two giving a quick embrace to each other.
"It's great ta finally see you!" The female states, holding him for a moment before ultimately letting go.
"Likewise, it's been a long time." Tails states.
"Whew, ya'll lookin' good, sugah." Bunnies states, taking a quick glance over the now very grown fox. "You must'a been working yourself over pretty good."
"You wouldn't believe what's happened to me recently, we'll have to talk about it soon." The twin-tailed one says, swaying his tails happily.
"Yes, I've heard ya'll been traveling... but we dun have time ta talk here. The plane's awaiting us." She says before giving a wave in Sonic's direction before turning and starting to walk away.
"Goodbye, Tails, Bunnie! You guys better be careful!" The king says with a hint of jealousy in his voice.
"Don't worry, Sonic. I won't do anything you wouldn't do." He says back to him, giving a playful wink before running off after Bunnie. Silently unable but help to wonder what Genra is up to, having not seen him since yesterday.
The two board a small plane and take their seat. "I wonder why he just didn't have us take the Winged Victory. It would've been simpler." Tails wonders aloud. "Certainly he doesn't think... that we're not going to be coming back."
"Dun worry yourself, sugah fox. I'm sure mister king has everything all planned out." Bunnie says to him reassuringly before looking away for a moment. A few minutes pass as the plane takes off the runway.
The two talk to each other about their recent lives and about all that has happened to them in the past. Another quiet moment hits as they near their destination and Bunnie looks over to the fox again, noticing he's shivering lightly.
"Ya'll okay, Tails?" She asks him. "You look nervous."
"Yes, it's just that... Sonic said there was someone like me there, someone who's abilities could rival mine." Tails explains.
"Nah, if what ya'll tell me is true, you haven' got a thing ta worry about." She reaches over and puts a hand on his nearby shoulder.
Tails smiles lightly and looks up. "It's not that I'm worried or scared, Bunnie. I'm trembling with excitement." He replies.
"Well we're almost there, ya'll get to stretch your legs soon 'nuff." She adds to him, looking forward with a bit of a concerned expression on her face.
As the plane approaches, a small city of many lights comes into view.
"This is our stop." The pilot yells back from the cockpit. "The place you're looking for is not far from the airstrip, just follow the signs to the Mammoth Casino. You can't miss it, biggest building on the main stretch."
The two nod in acknowledgment, holding on as the plane comes down on a small airstrip. The door opens and the two climb up from their seat, heading for the door.
"Oh, and one more thing... don't let anybody know you're from the Acorn Kingdom. The citizens of this place blame them for all their problems, it'll get ugly quick." The pilot yells to them once again as they exit the plane.
The two keep that in mind as they walk away from the airstrip and make their way to the main road of the small city.
"Wow, this place is... different," Bunnie mentions as they both look around at all the flashing lights and neon signs. Yet something far more ominous than the lighting catches their attention, the majority of the places look very run down, with sketchy looking Mobians hanging around outside of them.
"Haha, look at that pretty boy!" One of them teases, point over at Tails. The fox cringes a little and keeps walking.
"Dun let them get ta ya, they dun know any better sugah." Bunnie quietly reassures him.
The two make their way to the largest building on the strip, a grand golden and marble-looking casino with a giant flashing sign on it. "Mammoth Casino". The two stop at the steps and look up to the door, noticing a significant number of armed guards at the door. Tails leans over and whispers to his rabbit companion.
"How are we going to get in?" He whispers to her.
"I'm not sure, sugah. Let's look around." She whispers back to him.
The pair walks around to the side of the building where they find a scraggly looking weasel Mobian calling out to them. "Psst, psst, over here!" The pair looks at each other for a moment before walking up to the weasel.
"You guys Acorns?" The weasel asks quietly.
The two ponder a good answer to this question, finding themselves have no need to reply as the weasel motions to them. "Come this way, the basement door is where your friend is."
They reluctantly follow him to the steps leading down to the side door. "No guards and a convenient way in... this has to be a trap." Tails mumbled aloud. Bunnie opens the door, peering into a mostly dark room.
"There's not a thin' in here." She says, walking in a bit more in before looking behind her, seeing Tails just behind her. "I see something, but I'm not sure what." The fox says as his eyes adjust.
The door suddenly slams behind them, leaving them in the dark for a moment.
"This has trap written all over it," Tails says before being blinded by the sudden light in the room.
"How right you are." A bassy voice echoes from the other side of the room.
As their eyes adjust to the sudden light, they begin to see across from them a fine-looking large oak table with three others sitting at it. One is a large elephant decked out in a fine suit with a golden cane. The other is a face that's very familiar to Tails, a real blast to the past as it's none other than Fiona Fox. The other, however, is a very different one. A several tailed kitsune, pitch black in fur color and wearing an equally dark uniform.
"Well, welcome, welcome to my grand casino. It's a beauty, isn't it? It's a shame that your graves will be very much more dank." The elephant man gives with a chuckle.
"A kitsune..." Tails says softly to her "I knew I sensed one around here... but... I don't sense just one. There's two of them in range and they are both... they're both here." He says, looking around quickly, seeing no one else but the five present there.
"Well, well, well." The vixen says as she stands up from her seat, taking a few steps over toward the two others. "Look what they sent to us now. A weak little fox and a dumb bunny..." She says with a scoff. "I guess they've given us their best already, a shame... we waited all this time for nothing."
The three others by the table chuckle darkly.
"Well, I've done my part... I will take my leave now." Says the dark kitsune, literally standing up and seeming to fade from sight.
"Where did he go?" Bunnie says, looking around frantically.
"He left... kitsune aren't bound to the same laws we are, some of them can literally teleport." Tails replies.
The vixen glances back at the kitsune as he disappears before walking up to Tails, Bunnie suddenly jumping up in the way.
"Back off, sista!" The rabbit says as she jumps up directly in the way.
"Now, now... you'll get your turn, just sit down cunt." She says before giving a swipe of her hand to the other's cheek, knocking the rabbit further to the side than it should have, effectively knocking her down.
Tails tenses up and clenches his fists.
"Hah, what are you going to do? I remember you well, you are one of those Acorn softies that could be easily lured into whatever I wanted with just a bat of my eyes. I'm very much disappointed that such a weakling is what they sent to rescue their friends. Pitiful, true to the nature of an Acorn." She laughs wickedly as a faint aura of darkness leaks out around her frame.
"Well, Miss Fiona. I shall leave these two to you, do as you wish." The large elephant Mobian says as he gets up from his chair and turns to leave the room.
"Stop! Where is Geoffrey!?" Tails calls out to Mammoth.
The elephant pauses as he's called out and laughs. "Oh, that skunk fellow. You needn't worry about him, he's very much alive. Not that it matters, you will all be dead soon." He adds merely before vanishing into an elevator.
"Now softie, let's settle things once and for all." The vixen spits out before Bunnie suddenly jumps back up and attacks Fiona. Without even looking Fiona blocks the attack and grabs her fist in her hand, squeezing it painfully. "Hah, you fools have no idea what you're up against. Your precious rabbit girl can't help you, Tails. Both of you are going to be struck down by the power of a goddess." She adds with a wicked grin.
Finally, it all make sense to Tails, he sensed two kitsune because the one in front of him now is a hybrid, just like him. He grits his teeth a bit.
"They... they hybridized you. YOU of all mobians. They couldn't have made a worse decision, but it doesn't matter now. I know you're riding high, but believe me, it's not justified." Tails says with a dire tone.
Fiona scoffs to Tails' comment and as Bunnie tries to kick at her and make her let go of the hand, she simply throws the rabbit across the room with a quick gesture. Bunnie flies through the room and lands sharply on the oak table, shattering it to pieces.
"Bunnie!" The twin-tail fox calls out in shock.
"Don't worry, you'll both share the same fate." She adds before picking Tails up by the neck. The dark aura of the vixen grows stronger, spiking outward from her and surging along her body.
"I don't think so..." Tails replies before grabbing Fiona's arm in a flash, now flourishing with his own bright white aura. Fiona's eyes grow wide at what she senses Tails' energy, who in turn pries her hand from his throat and pushes her back with a quick gesture of his left paw, causing her to stumble back several feet, almost landing on her backside.
"It... it can't be... you're the one he was talking about. A whelp like you, given the power of a god. No, I can't believe it!" She says before lashing out at him with a fist clenched.
"I don't know what you're talking about." He says simply before dodging the blow as it comes near to his face. The vixen doubles back and aims an enhanced kick in his direction, going for his head which in term misses just as quickly as the attack was launched.
"It doesn't matter, now that I think about it... you don't have what it takes to strike a woman!" She says darkly before throwing another lightning-fast punch in his direction, landing directly on his mouth.
The pair pause a moment as they stare each other down intensely before Tails reaches up, grabbing the offending arm once again, pulling her fist down from his face. His blue orbs staring down into her own lighter colored eyes as if looking into her very soul despite being partially covered by her dark aura. A trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his maw.
"I don't care who you are, anyone who lifts a hand to any one of my friends is going to pay for it." He says before launching a quick punch in her direction. The blow lands and she hisses with pain and displeasure.
"You, you're not Tails... who are you?" She says, taking a step back.
"I AM Tails, but things aren't like how they used to be... we were but children back then. Things are different now. For too long have I been merely a sidekick to a legend, but my time is now! I've grown up to be a better Mobian than you EVER will; and woman or not, you will not get away with murder while I have anything to say about it!" The two-tailed fox states triumphantly as his own grown stronger, beginning to whip the room in a mystic wind.
"No... you're just a whelp, and I'm going to prove it!" She says before launching out another attack, more furious than before.
The two block and exchange blows at lightning speed, Bunnie suddenly awakens from her stupor and sits up, seeing the two in the incredibly fast dance of battle.
"After this is over I'm going to knock some sense into the one who hybridized you!" He says amongst the fury before ultimately landing a hard blow to her stomach. The vixen slides back on her hands and knees, doubled over from the blow.
"Don't... be stupid... even I can't... fight at their level." She said amidst pants before ultimately leaping back up and resuming the intense fight.
"Maybe YOU can't, you're far too dissolute to understand what it means to exist at that level," Tails says at the fight flies apart, each taking a stance a few steps from each other. "Or is it that you're just not as tough as you claim yourself to be?"
"What!? How DARE you..." She says before holding a hand up, palm open in his direction as a mass of her aura condenses into a ball which launches out in a black beam in his direction.
The twin-tail anticipated the oncoming attack and puts an equally large amount of energy into his right arm, which he uses to knock away the energy blast. That dark mass lands up on the ceiling near a corner, blowing it to pieces.
"Curse you..." She mumbles, as the density of her aura fades away slightly.
"What's the matter? You were talking really big just a few minutes ago and now I can see that you're barely putting up a fight." He says as he monitors her energies carefully.
"Just shut up!" She replies in fury as she launches back out after him, just to get knocked back down by a harsh blow to her cheek.
"Auugh!" She cries out, sliding roughly over to near where Bunnie is, who quickly gets back up to her feet and puts distance between her and the vixen.
.oO(They're not joking, I can barely even see them move when they attack. They really are at a level above regular Mobians. I'm just glad Tails is on my side.) Bunnie thinks to herself amidst the fray.
Fiona sits up and wipes a bit of blood from her own muzzle before laughing.
"It can't be... he's really stronger than I am. Such a weak fool who only follows his heart, a softie that could once barely defend himself and wouldn't harm a fly, now bares a power that can even stop me at this level. It's infuriating!" She gripes before smashing her fist into the concrete floor, shattering it, cringing.
"You think so little of me, I know... but only those with a pure heart can exist at the top. I'm still working on that much myself, but it's not too late. Give up and come back with us, my kitsune friend can make you stronger. This life of stepping on other people to make you higher no longer has any promise for you." He says, trying to convince her.
The vixen just shakes her head. "I don't care what you've become, you're not the one calling the shots!" She says before lifting a paw from her seated position and aiming another dark energy blast toward Bunnie, quickly launching it. The rabbit looks on in horror, having no idea how to defend against something like that, just bracing for the worse.
A white blast from Tails knocks it away, causing them both to explode just in front of Bunnie, who recoils, cringing from the blast. Spared with only a ringing in her ears.
Just as Fiona tries to gather another energy blast, she freezes, seeing Tails in front of her holding a spiraling white mass of power in his own open hand, directly in front of her.
A glimpse from the past enters her mind, seeing how she how she had always looked down and disrespected him. Having always thought of him as soft and loving, something she felt she could never be and ultimately had to use as her fuel to look down upon him. All she remembers is all the suffering she saw and how those who were strong were the ones who rose up and took advantage of the situation, inevitably becoming the oppressors themselves. The strong could never be soft and kind, could they? The thoughts ran through her mind as she stared up at him with the mixed look of defeat and something more.
"Go ahead... this is how it's supposed to end," Fiona says with a hint of sorrow in her voice, feeling the burn of the energy in front of her on her nose.
Tails just frowns and retracts the energy, before turning away and simply walking away.
"Let's go, Bunnie, there's nothing more we can do here, they're all dead." The fox says ears laid back in despair. Bunnie sighs and walks over to pick up her hat, looking back at the mess the two created before ultimately following the fox.
"No, they're not! The skunk is still alive... I can show you where he is." Fiona speaks up suddenly, climbing up to her feet. The two pause and look back.
"What, where is he?" Tails asks in surprise.
Fiona struggles up to her feet and motions to a large metal door that was still intact despite the battle. "He's in there."
Tails and Bunnie eye the door suspiciously.
"Don't worry, there are no more tricks. It was up to me to get rid of you... when Mammoth finds out I've failed, he's going to want my head." Fiona says, turning away from them with her arms crossed.
The twin-tail runs over to the large door and frantically looks for a way to open it.
"Don't bother, it only opens from the inside. If you want in there you're going to have to blast it open." The defeated vixen adds from her spot away from the two others, looking away with eyes closed.
Tails rubs the bottom of his muzzle thoughtfully before powering up once again, covered once again by his holy white aura as he charges up a blast right up against the door. "Hang on Geoffrey, we're almost there." The power discharges, blowing the heavy door right off of its hinges with a large dent in the center where the blast hit the door.
In the room was a bunch of boxes with the anticipated skunk bound to a chair and gagged, looking rather beaten up. The sound stirs him away and he looks up to the fox with weary eyes.
"Don't worry, we're getting you out of here." The twin-tailed one speaks as he rushes over, the rabbit quickly running over to help as well. They break the ropes and remove the gag from the captives muzzle.
"I thought I was a goner... where is that witch?" He says, standing up with a bit of a wobble.
The three look back into the previous room, just to see emptiness.
"Damn, where did she go?" Tails calls out, walking back into the other room to make sure she is gone.
"This place must 'ave tons of secret exits, sugah." Bunnie says before offering the beaten a skunk a hand, who reluctantly takes it and hobbles along with her.
"I've never seen anything like it... how is it that you're still alive?" Geoffrey calls out to the inspecting fox.
"Let's just say she's not the only one with special gifts." He says and he takes a close look at a nearby wall, still able to feel her nearby.
"Bah, a few years pass and suddenly the youngsters are all the strong ones." He gripes.
"Bunnie, take him out of here, I'm going to go after Mammoth and Fiona." He says, powering up again just to be disturbed by a voice from before.
"You're not going anywhere." The black-furred, orange eyed kitsune says, blocking the way to the door. "I don't know how you beat her, but I'm still under contract to ensure you filthy Acorns never escape here." His 5 tails swirling about behind him.
Tails turns and walks up to where the other two are and look onward to their blocker.
"A kitsune, working for a Mobian. Funny, I figured such an enlightened creature would have more pride than that." Tails calls out to the dark one.
"Feh, you have no idea what you're talking about kid. This plan goes far beyond what you could imagine. Soon that 'Mammoth' will be the owner of your entire dimension and there's nothing you can do about it."
"We'll see about that." Tails says before powering up further and walking toward the kitsune.
"You actually think you have what it takes to beat me!? I've got at least 500 years on you, kid. Face it, you're not leaving here." He says, his own aura now showing, equally black, like Fiona's.
Tails just raises his paw and charges another white energy blast like before. "Then I have no choice but to go through you." He says before launching the energy blast at the kitsune.
The energy crackles and hurls toward the other, making a loud boom as it strikes against him. A moment passes and the smoke begins to clear and there stands the dark kitsune without a scratch on him.
"Hah hah hah hah! Is that all you've got? You're not even close to my level, go ahead and waste all your power trying to get out, there's no way you could..." He's suddenly caught off guard by another explosion and suddenly falls to his knees, cringing.
"Wh-what... who was that?" He mutters, looking back behind him to see Fiona behind him, all charged up.
"You stupid bitch, what do you think you're doing!?" He calls out in anger as she powers up another blast.
"Come on Tails, this guy is strong... but together we can beat him!" She calls out to him from outside.
The fox nods and readies another blast of his own, this time putting all he can safely muster behind it. The kitsune glances between them both, now stuck and well aware that even at his level he can't safely handle two of them at the same time.
"Damn you! You haven't seen the last of me!" He says before disappearing once more.
Tails and Fiona both relax their power and Geoffrey looks on stupified.
"Why did she help us?" The skunk thinks aloud.
Fiona then turns away again and begins to walk away. Tails stops and suddenly feels something within him he hadn't felt in a long time. He was genuinely concerned about her, despite being their adversary. Somewhere in her heart, she had regret and great sadness.
"Wait, don't go." He calls out to her. Fiona looks back to him for a moment with the despair obvious in her eyes.
"Go, get out of here!" She says before running away into the streets.
Bunnie and Geoffrey come up next to him.
"That woman is bad news, bloke. Forget about her." Geoffrey offers to Tails, who hesitantly nods and reaches over to help the skunk as well, walking out into the street themselves.
"Well, we may have survived that ordeal... but it doesn' change the fact that we're stuck 'here." Bunnies says to the others.
"Not for long... there's a radio hidden in those bushes." Geoffrey says, motioning over toward a bush cluster on the far side of the street. "One call on there and we'll be out of here in no time."
They all move over, going through the stream of others around them who turn to look at them with judgmental eyes as if they knew what had happened and didn't want them around anyway. They make it over to the bushes and Geoffrey gets up on his own and digs down into the bushes.
"Ugh..." he grumbles in pain as he leans over and finally ends up sitting down. He calls out to silence for about a minute before someone finally responds. Afterward, they head back out to the landing strip where they were before, the skunk limping alongside the fox and the rabbit. It's not long before a helicopter lands near to them in which they load up into, soon to be headed off home.
A few minutes of nothing but the noise of the craft echoes amidst them before Tails speaks up.
"This is really bad, there are kitsune actively taking a part in the future of our dimension. I was leery when he spoke about the other hybrids, but never once did he say anything about pure-blooded kitsune. There's more to this than meets the eye." He says thoughtfully. "The only chance we have is to find the third hybrid... maybe between all of us we can end whatever they are planning, but the location of the other eludes me. I can sense them, out there somewhere, but I can't determine where without getting closer." He adds before falling silent again.
"You sure ya'll can get that vixen ta help? She seems to have other things in mind, sugah." Bunnie says to Tails.
"Probably not, that's why we must find the other... and hope they're reasonable enough." He replies.