Antoine was guarding the entrance to Knothole, or at least that's what he said when he'd been left there by the others. The fact that one sword wouldn't do much against the army of Swat-bots and patrol pods that would descend on him if Robotnik knew what he was guarding, he comfortably ignored. Dedicated training and long practice had made him almost as good at ignoring things he found inconvenient as he was with his sword.
The rain of the past hour had stopped, and he'd come out from under the broad leafed forest giant he'd been sheltering under. Rays of sunlight were breaking through the clouds, and moving across the glade that contained the entrance stump to the Freedom Fighters' secret village. The rain had also washed a lot of the mugginess and heat from the air.
There was a rustling in the undergrowth, and he tensed. Only Princess Sally, Bunny, Tails and that annoying Sonic were outside the Freedom Fighters camp at the moment, and it was most likely Tails. Sonic had probably been behind the massive boom he'd heard about an hour ago, and was probably still preening over whatever he'd just destroyed. Bunny and the Princess would most likely be with him, unless they were the ones bringing Tails back.
He straightened slightly, intending to put his best, guardian warrior pose on if it was the Princess, which meant he was somewhat non-nonplussed when the stranger appeared. A fox, as tall as Antoine himself, about the same age, and even more dressed up, not normal for a Mobian. A beam of sunlight momentarily haloed him as it passed, reflecting off webbing and polished metal.
Red and black boots, a green, short-sleeved jumpsuit and some sort of sleeveless leather jacket made up his costume, and white gauntlet gloves adorned his paws. A white webbing belt supported some unfamiliar kind of gun, and a pocket computer. A staff of some kind was strapped to his back, and he had a wireless headset designed for fox ears.
His arms were bare, not muscle bound, but clearly trained. His movements also added to the impression, Ant was good enough himself to pick that up. The fox looked familiar, but Antoine couldn't place him. The fox clearly knew him, because he grinned and called out, "Mr Antoine! Gosh, you haven't changed a bit!"
"Who is coming 'ere!" the continental coyote challenged.
The fox looked puzzled, then shrugged. "I guess I have changed a bit… Shouldn't that be 'going there'?"
"You are not going anywhere, unless you are making the answer vite!" Antoine had his sword point up, and was in a ready stance. The voice was sort of familiar too, but once again he couldn't place it.
"Same old, same old…" The fox turned to present his back, and looked over his shoulder. "Notice anything familiar?"
The jacket had a large patch, yellow rimmed with orange, that might once have been part of a different top, based on the way it was made. It had some sort of complex black symbol. But it was the tails that hung below the jacket that caught Antoine's eyes. Three tails to be precise. "Yep, I'm Tails, but I kinda grew out a bit."
The coyote's eyes darkened, and he spat out. "Do you take Antoine D' Coolette for the great fuel? I have seen Robotnik's imitation of the Princess, and you are the far less convincing one. Maybe the real Tails was made captured by Robotnik while Sonic was off grandstanding. And now he sends the poor imitation."
"Hey, watch what you say about Sonic! He's so way past cool he may well be below absolute zero! And I am Tails, wouldn't you expect me to have changed after all this time?" The fox looked annoyed.
"What is it that you are speaking? I have been seeing you… I mean the real thing this morning only!" Antoine was fuming. "And you were your usual self. I mean…"
"This morning?" The fox suddenly stood stock still. "But… how long since Robotnik's dimensional vortex cannon was destroyed?"
"If you are meaning the biggish boom that I 'eard, that was just over an hour. The Princess went off to investigate the signals just before with Mademoiselle Bunny and that hedgehog…"
"An hour?" The fox chuckled, then started laughing helplessly. "One hour? And here I was hoping you'd all hold out long enough…" He stopped dead, pulling out his computer. "Uh oh… No, please don't let the time rates be that asynchronous. I've lost a family once… Plex, please bring up the equations for the Beltino dimensional interface, and could you show me a comparative scan using quantum signature analysis for this continuum and the Lylat-verse."
"Working Miles." The box spoke with a mechanical voice, and a hologram appeared overhead of a set of equations, and a pair of complex two dimensional surfaces, which overlaid each other. The fox examined it for a second, then sighed with relief.
"No temporal phase imbalance, or none to speak of. It should have shown up in the synchronisation parameters when we first established the gate anyway… And they'd have called early…" He slapped his forehead. "Dang, that was a waste of a perfectly good panic attack."
Antoine was not used to being ignored… well not by a complete stranger when Antoine had him at sword point. The fox was now off in a brown study. "Obviously there must have been some temporal index shift during one of the dimensional transits, probably Robotnik's…"
"You are to be putting yourself under my arrest!" Antoine stepped forward, thrusting at the fox to make his point. Almost absent mindedly, the fox side-stepped and in the same move brought up a gauntlet and caught the point of Antoine's rapier between his fingertips. The annoying thing was he didn't even seem to be paying attention, it was like a reflex action.
Antoine tried to haul his rapier away, but it was like trying to remove it from a block of granite. He made a series of straining and grunting noises as he hauled on the hilt with both hands, bending the blade dangerously.
The fox just said, "Thanks Plex.", slotted the computer away in his belt holster. Then he seemed to notice the frantic French fighter. "Oh gosh! Sorry!" He let go and the coyote naturally tumbled backwards, letting go of his rapier, which clattered against a tree root near the Knothole entrance. Antoine measured his length on the ground.
It was the sort of unfortunate chance that seems endemic to heroic types that it was at that very moment that Sonic, Sally and Bunny trudged around a turn in the path and into the clearing. They saw Antoine tumble backwards to the floor, sword skittering away, and the red fox stranger standing over him, arm outstretched. This prevented them from making any detailed analysis of his appearance, which might have saved everyone a lot of trouble.
Bunny leaped in, feet first, calling out, "Antoine!"
The red fox spun around, and his initial expression was one of surprise and joy. "Aunt Bunny! Whoa!" He brought up both arms in a cross block, and took the flying double kick on it, sliding back a few feet as his tails flicked up and a slight golden glow flickered around the tips.
Antoine screamed out. "'E is the robot spy, claiming to be Tails! 'Ow else could he 'ave bested my swordsmanship!"
The red fox called out, "Wait, no…"
Bunny added a flying spin kick which the fox ducked under. "Uh uh, sugar, I've sent Swat-bots into walls with that move! I don't know what you're made of, but Robotnik's not insulting that brave little kit's memory with a phony!"
"But I am the real Tails! I'll prove it! Sonic, Big bro, you believe me, don't you?" He was continuing to back away, circling as he evaded or blocked Bunny's best attacks. Off to one side, Antoine was scrabbling to reach his sword.
.
The blue hedgehog was simply winding up for a dash. "Don't you call me that!" He yelled. It was clear all the anger and depression at failing to save Tails had finally found an outlet. "No-one ever calls me that again but the real Tails! And not one of Robotnik's Bot-heads!"
He zipped forward into a Sonic Buzz-saw, a blue glowing disk capable of slicing through battleship steel. The fox made a mighty backwards leap, pushing Bunny off to one side with a force that sent her sprawling, and called out, "Tail-spin defence!"
His rebound went into a forward spin that became a glowing disk of yellow light. Sonic's attack hit it and the two rebounded off each other with a discharge of energy, Sonic flipping backwards while the other rebounded upwards off a tree trunk. The glow faded some, and unfolded into the fox, hovering there in Tail's own signature move, hovering on his rotating triple tails maybe twenty metres off the ground.
"Stop it, please!" There was genuine hurt in the stranger's voice. "I don't want to fight anyone… least of all you… except in sparring, maybe. I always wondered how my Tail-spin techniques would match up against the Buzz-saw… that was totally awesome, way beyond cool!" He was clearly enthused, then he sobered up and shook his head. "I'm sorry, I know this looks weird, but I can explain…"
"You can start by explaining why you attacked Ant.", Sally said, regarding him with folded arms.
"I didn't! He tried to poke me with his sword so I grabbed the tip, more by reflex than anything else. I was in the middle of working out something, and kind of forgot about him… uh, sorry about that Mr Antoine, but the time differential between continua is a tricky thing to analyse, it kinda took all my attention. He was trying to pull his sword free, I let go, he fell over."
Sonic was winding up again, but stopped at this explanation. "I've gotta admit, that sounds more like Ant's style…"
Bunny staggered to her feet. "Well he sure hits like monorail train!"
The fox shrugged. "I had to get you out of the way. Sonic looked real mad, and I didn't know what'd happen when we hit each other. You could have been hurt. Look, I said I can prove who I am. Problem is, while only an hour has apparently passed for you, I've experienced six years.
"I was sent to another dimension, several in fact as I tried to get back, and every step of the way I was also training so that next time I faced Robotnik, I wouldn't be so weak. But Nicole should have my old medical scans. If I come down, will you promise not to attack while she scans me. Heck, she should be able to tell you I'm not a robot right away."
Sally spoke in her command voice. "Sonic, Bunny, stand down! You too Ant! Very well, 'Tails'. Come down here."
The fox, who they now realised was no older than they were, flew down to stand in the middle of the clearing, as Sally pulled the pocket computer from her boot.
"Nicole. Scan this individual. Compare with the last medical scan of Tails."
"Working Sally… Subject is carrying numerous advanced artefacts, but he is fully organic. No active transmitting devices detected. Comparison with Tails' medical file produces a 60 percent match, plus or minus 5 percent."
The fox spoke. "Nicole, compensate for 6 years of ageing on my telemere patterns."
Sally frowned, but said, "Do it."
"Match is now 97 percent, plus or minus 5 percent. Physically, the subject is physiologically equivalent to Miles Prower as a 15 year old, one who has undergone a high level of physical conditioning."
"Thanks Nicole." The fox smiled, and then they realised that he did look a lot like Tails, more grown up, but there was something familiar about the features, the expression, the attitude. But Sally still regarded him warily. "That doesn't explain how you just took Bunny's and Sonic's best shots without flinching."
"The same way I was always able to fly, or Sonic runs so fast. I studied under the Turtle Master…" He turned to show the symbol stitched to the back of his jacket. "… a powerful martial artist. Aunt Bunny, you're a martial artist, you know about ki."
"Sugah, are you claiming to be a ki master?" Bunny raised an ear as if it was an eyebrow.
The fox blushed and started examining his feet, "Not a master, but I can use it. I always did, I just didn't know what I was doing. Physically, there is no way my tails could generate enough lift to carry me, no matter how fast I spun them. But the whole time my ki was focussing in my tails, amplifying the air currents and driving them to create lift."
Sally was looking thoughtful, and Sonic and Antoine confused. The royal squirrel said, "Bunny, what is this 'ki' he's talking about?"
"Well Sally-gal, according to the old stories, it's life energy, or spirit energy. That's what 'ki' means in one of the ancient languages. Every living thing has it, and martial arts is supposed to help you focus it. Mah sensei taught me a little about it, before he…" She hung her head sadly. He'd been one of the tutors from the palace, and one of few adults to escape to Knothole, and led freedom fighter missions until he was captured.
Sonic shook his head. "I thought martial arts was about being able to kick someone's kidneys out through their nose."
This was the perfect thing to bring Bunny out of her self imposed funk. The rabbit giggled, "Well, that too, Sugah-hog! Anyway the greatest masters were supposed to have been able to use it to amplify their abilities, pushing their bodies beyond normal limits. I guess I should have figured that was what Sonic and Tails were doing, but like I said, it was only old legends, and I _was_ more interested in the 'kicking someone's kidneys out through their nose' part mah-self."
Tails nodded, "The Turtle Master's training was like that, the ki part, rather than the kidney kicking part, I mean. It forced me to apply the energy to other things. So I can be faster, stronger, tougher than my physical body would allow, everything I need to be the can-opener that will unload a massive amount of tail whopping on Robotnik's tin plated rear. And if I can do it, I know Sonic will easily." There was quite clearly still a lot of hero worship in his voice.
"If you want more proof I'm the real deal, I can tell you stuff only I would know. Remember, when he sent in a robot double of Sally, it was the things she didn't know that tripped her up. For example, if Robotnik even knew that the entrance to Knothole is over there, under that tree stump…" He pointed, "… he wouldn't send a spy, he'd send an army of Swat-bots."
He described some more features of Knothole village, and then added, "Aunt Bunny, you remember the last story you read to me? The one about those people who had to destroy a ring in a volcano, and I asked why they couldn't just get the big eagle to carry them there? I don't think anyone else heard that."
He turned to Sonic. "And I'll always remember the day before I… of course to you that's yesterday, isn't it? It was sunny, and we raced all the way to the end of Green Hills." His eyes are distant, and it's quite clear he's forgotten where he is and is enjoying reliving the memory. "We chilled out by the waterfall, the one with the funny tree that looks like it's smiling overhanging it, and you were saying that Sally should relax and smile more because you really like it when she…"
Sonic choked and spluttered, and even Tails realised that he was saying stuff that he really shouldn't. "Oops, sorry, you said I should never tell anyone…" Then he realised he was just making things worse. He waved his gauntleted hands in a negating gesture.
Sally was smiling, and Bunny was outright giggling. Antoine was just glaring, but he was glaring at Sonic, not the newcomer. Tails was standing there with a paw behind his head, and an embarrassed expression. The hedgehog himself was looking at the fox with surprise, and for the first time hope. The way he'd just reacted clinched it.
"Tails? It really is you?"
Tails' expression lit up at the change in Sonic's attitude. "Yeah, I'm back and ready to go rootin' and scootin' with my big bro!" He extended a fist, and Sonic matched him. As they exchanged the Freedom Fighter handshake. Tails said, "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that… Hey does that mean I'm a Freedom Fighter now?"
Sally sighed. "Tails…" She realised she'd just admitted to herself that she was convinced he was the real thing too. "Tails, you were always a Freedom Fighter, just because you weren't allowed on missions never stopped anyone from thinking you weren't one of us…" She stopped as she saw tears brimming in the fox's eyes.
She decided to add, "And it's not going to stop me from burning your ears off about the stupid stunt you pulled back in the forest, mister. That's the kind of leap first think later, or not at all, scheme I'd expect from Sonic, but I thought you had more sense!"
The fox looked subdued, not meeting her eyes. "I'd like to say it was a carefully calculated plan, that I figured the loss of the three of you would be a greater blow to the Freedom Fighters than me. But the truth is, you're right. I wasn't thinking, I just saw you guys in danger and moved to stop it. "
"And didn't think how losing _you_ would hurt us! We thought you were dead! And dead in a horrible way! Because you protected us!"
"But I had no choice…"
"There was falling debris! A piece almost hit us seconds later. Couldn't you have diverted that into the beam instead?"
Tails took on a stunned expression. It was clear that he hadn't considered it.
The squirrel princess put her hand on her forehead and exclaimed wearily, and rather too theatrically. "Oh great Mobius, not another one… I can cope with one, but two of them?"
Tails had missed the theatre aspect, and now looked utterly downcast, so she added, "There's only one thing to do…" She stepped forward and hugged him tightly. The scent of his fur was different, but underlying it was the scent she knew from when he was a nine year old kit. But the body she was hugging was most definitely not a nine year old kit. If there was an ounce of fat on him, it was in his toes. Under his clothing, she could feel the solid muscles.
"Tails, don't _ever_ make us feel like that again."
He was getting good at looking stunned, at least he was getting enough practice. He gingerly put his arms around her in return, glancing over at Sonic with a 'what can I do, she started it', expression.
Bunny Rabbot stepped up. "Stand aside Sally-gal, I want a piece of that!"
As Sally let go, she spun him around into a one armed hug, her real arm. He returned it with both, his head on her shoulder, eyes closed. "I missed you so much… all of you! Back when I was first transported, I cried myself to sleep…"
Sally put an arm upon his shoulder, the one currently free of rabbit, and he gingerly moved to hug her back. "Well you're back now, Tails."
Antoine fumed. This new Tails had made him look foolish and was taking all the attention from him. He was especially annoyed at the attention Sally was giving him. It was bad enough that Sonic hung around her constantly. "But wait! Princess, I was tumbled on the ground, should I not also have the hugging?"
Tails looked confused, and released the two girls. "I didn't think you'd want one, but okay." He moved across and hugged Antoine, who spluttered and gasped for breath ineffectually.
"Tails, I think he meant for Sally to hug him!" chuckled Sonic. Unlike Ant, he didn't feel threatened. He knew Tails, and he knew how he felt about the two girls. Nothing he'd seen had changed that opinion.
Tails stepped back, looking confused. "But she's not the one who got transported… Oh, you mean this is another case of him finding excuses to get close to… But I thought you and… Oh, I see! Miyu always said I was a bit slow on the uptake about that kinda thing…"
"And who's this Miyu, sugah-fox?" Bunny asked, ears all a-twitch with eagerness.
Tails' face lit up again, the way it had when Sonic acknowledged him. "Oh, she's my wing-mate and my best friend, apart from Sonic, but it's not quite the same.... We fly patrols, hang out together, go out for mint choc ice-cream… She's fun, and pretty, and really brave and smart. I think she's sorta my girlfriend."
"Girlfriend?!" There was a massed exclamation, and a face-fault that might well have revealed Knothole to Robotnik if he'd had seismic sensors in the area.
Bunny picked herself up first. "Mah stars, it sounds like you've got a whole lot of story to get through, so what say we get the hippety hop outta here and you can tell us over a cool glass of carrot juice at Sally's place?"
"Okay!" Tails moved over to the concealed entrance and dived down it without hesitation. The others followed, their heads filled with question marks.