Sally hit the alarm on her clock. A thin and intermittent line of pale red light came from her window to the east. It seemed weak and meager, nothing like the strong ray of sunshine she was used to. Pulling the covers over her head and curling into a comfortable little ball, she purred contently. … Gods of Mobius, it was early! Thinking about it, she again asked herself why she had planned on waking up at such a gods' forsaken hour.

"And what would YOU know about working too hard, Princess Acorn?"

Oh yeah…

Conceited, arrogant, self-righteous…! It was a matter of principle to show him up.

Determined, Sally draped her vest over her shoulders and put on her boots before stomping outside. But, walking to the ring pool, she saw only one form, and he was standing, his back to her, looking out over the tree line. Then, from just above the branches, streams of yellow light broke through, as if freed from some prison in the woods, and, slowly, majestically, the sun rose over Knothole amid a bath of reds and oranges, lighting up half the sky.

Tempest never turned to acknowledge her presence.

"You know, Princess… at home, my home… the aurora borealis, the Holy Northern Fire, would set the entire sky aflame… but you don't get them down here, do you? Would you even care if you did, I wonder? You sleep 'till noon; you make your own lights, and bathe in them… You plow over fields of wild grasses, mine deep mountain veins, cut and dam rivers beyond recognition… I do not understand your kind. Nor do I expect understanding in return. From you or any other, here in this southern forest… These Southern Lights are fair, to be true, but they are not mine."

Sally walked up to him, feeling shyer than she had on a long time. Where was Tails? She was expecting him to be here when she showed up. Without the younger Kitsune, it was just he and she, alone, watching the sunrise. Then she remembered that she wanted to get to know Tempest better – needed to know him better. He had taken on the role of Tails' surrogate father, or at least mentor. Plus he could be a great asset to the Freedom Fighters…

"It is beautiful… where's Tails? He'd like this."

"I decided to let him sleep in today." Tempest's fur ruffled in the wild slightly. "He is a growing boy. In his own way."

"Why is it sometimes you act like you hate me, and then the next moment you act halfway civil… "

"Life is full of such quandaries and confusions, Princess Acorn. Do you really want me to answer that question? Do you really want me to choose so quickly between hatred and civility?" Tempest huffed in the cool morning air. "Why are you up so early, anyway?"

"I wanted to see what sort of a training regimen you put Tails through," she lied. Kind of… she was curious.

"I put him through what my father put me through. And what his father did to him. And so on for a thousand generations. It is harsh and difficult, but to hold back on him would be an insult to his Clan, and Family. Besides…" he trailed off, apparently not wanting to elaborate.

"So… you're just going to stand around out here today, or what?"

Tempest hooked a thumb over the thick leather belt wrapped around his waist. "I did have other plans, yes."

He lay down on the grass stretching his right leg, touching his toes and holding the position. Looking down at him only for a second, Sally smirked, and carefully hung her vest on a low tree branch nearby before sitting down on the soft morning grass. Holding her leg out, she stretched, touching her head to her toes easily. She could bet that she was more flexible than he was, and it would be a nice start to the morning to show him up a bit. Seemingly relaxing into that position, she let her head turn in his direction to see his reaction.

He was grinning, pleasantly.

Tails finally woke up. Looking around his room, he thought back to the night before. He'd… hunted… killed… eaten… For a fraction of a second, it felt wrong. It felt at odds with everything he'd come to accept, everything he thought he was. Then he realized that he felt good. Really good. He felt strong, invigorated, alive! He wasn't hungry, his stomach wasn't cramping, and he was literally bursting with energy!

"Hey!" He pushed back the curtains to the only window in the tiny house. Bright light flooded in, and Tails had to squint his eyes at its sudden and unexpected intensity. "What time is it?"

A glance over to his clock confirmed his suspicions; it was 7:02. Tempest had let him sleep in… maybe to see if he could wake up on time? Was this another test?

Some kind of 'wake up at the crack of dawn' or be ambushed by enemies thing?

No…

Either way, he was late. Getting out of bed, Tails slipped into his shoes, arranged the day's workload, and ran outside. A brisk jog to the Ring Pool took less than a half-minute. Approaching the place, he saw Tempest practicing his blows against a tree, barely glazing the trunk with his fists, but still chipping away bark with each strike. That, however, wasn't what surprised Tails. It was Sally, on the other side of the tree, striking as quickly, expertly in between each of Tempest's blows, as if they were double-teaming some unfortunate enemy.

"…Sally?" Tails called out, loud enough to be heard, but quietly enough not to wake everyone else on Knothole. "What's going on? What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like, boy?" Tempest growled, taking his eyes off the tree. "We're going to see how you fight."

"What? Now?" Tails couldn't help but grin. He already knew more than a little about the pugilistic arts. He'd been fighting for years, and he'd picked up some more formal styles by watching Sally, Bunnie and others. Most of it was only marginally useful. He fought with his chaos powers, and with his tails, and that was a style of combat unique to him and him alone.

As a result, most of what he saw and learned from others was only marginally practical. Still, much of his people's culture was built on the concept of dominance through strength and combat… he wanted to not just know more, he wanted to experience more. It also helped to focus and hone the mind; something he found far more useful.

"No, tomorrow," Tempest replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Do your stretches, then come back, and we'll do what we can for you."

Tails nodded quickly then went off to do his stretches and a quick work out by the pool. Tempest grinned, and then turned to see Sally leaning against the tree. She crossed her arms and gave the younger fox a long look over. "He's gotten a little taller."

Tempest didn't seem to think it remarkable.

"He's was about three fifth through the Turan'ha when I got here," the kitsune explained, but then warned, "The final stretch is the most volatile, however. Which reminds me… you may wish to keep that rabbit female that I saw earlier away from him. He's likely to get very hormonal in the next day or two, and rabbits tend to be the most …effeminate in terms of pheromones. Even if they are Third Race scents. She may not mean it, and neither may you, but I can smell it quite clearly. It will only throw off the boy's concentration."

"How …hormonal?" Sally watched Tails flex his arms. He didn't look that strong, but she knew his chaos powers made up for any pre-existing lack in bulk. Luckily, he wouldn't use his tails in anything except a serious fight. They were simply too dangerous to toss around haphazardly.

"Most males take a mate during the Turan'ha, when the Urge is strongest."

"Did you?"

Tempest's eyes narrowed just a little. "Why do you ask?"

"He looks up to you. It's likely to have an influence on him," Sally pointed out.

Tempest growled slightly. "There was a female… once. You see, among my people, roughly half the males from a Clan take females from outside their Clan as mates and move to their territory. This both keeps the blood fresh, and ensures that no Clan would ever directly make war on another, as they would be fighting their own cousins and brothers to the death. Save the southern One-Tail betrayal, and the… somewhat common blood duels and individual feuds, there has never been warfare between my people. Only with invaders."

"I guess that makes sense." Sally tried to look unconcerned by what she had learned. "So… why didn't you bring her with you? What was she like?"

Tempest growled again. "She was a strange beauty, and a great warrior of the haughty Jel'Arah Clan. Her hair was a vivid red, not unlike yours, and her eyes were forest green when she was at peace, turquoise when she meant to wage war… But I digress. She is not… with me. I was not strong enough to Claim her at the time of my Turan'ha, and by the time I returned from my training, she was already mated. We parted ways soon after. I hear the dowry for her hand was very… impressive."

"I'm sorry," Sally said, and meant it. She could tell he had cared for her, even if things had not worked out. "…Really."

"The Urge clouds the mind anyway," Tempest sneered. "I'm best off without it. And so will the boy."

"You won't get any argument from me," Sally said. "So what do we do when Tails gets this 'urge'?"

"You shall do nothing. I will keep him under control, and occupy his mind and body with work. This is a Male situation, to be handled by fellow males, only." Tempest stressed the word 'only.'

"Well, we'll deal with it when it occurs." Sally stressed the word 'we.'

The older Fox only snorted.

"You did," he finally said. "Better than I thought this morning."

But before Sally could respond, he walked away to the woods. "You may want to get something to eat before we train the boy."

"What about you? Don't you want anything? We have plenty of food," she called out as he disappeared into the forest.

"Don't worry, Sally," Tails spoke up, having just finished with his warm up and wandered over. Sensing a momentary break, he retrieved a clipboard with the day's work on it from where it lay against the base of a nearby tree. "He just went to finish off the food from yesterday."

"Then why is he going out into the forest?"

"We went… er…"

"Hunting?" Sally constructed the word. "Why? We have plenty of food!"

Tails suddenly stopped in mid-stretch. "I wasn't supposed to tell you that."

"I don't understand it…" She stalked over to him and looked Tails in the eye. "You haven't gone hunting, have you?"

"Uh… No." Tails lied. "Not yet."

"Well, I don't want you to. Killing some poor animal may be the way he was raised, but you're better than that. I DO NOT want you hunting and killing innocent animals."

"Sure. Ok, Aunt Sally," Tails agreed, and watched her walk back into the village. Then, quietly cracking a grin flanked by fierce canines, murmured to himself. "Though… it's a little too late now…"

Then, with a sigh he took a few minutes to chip away at the day's workload.

When Tempest returned, the training began. He and Sally took turns teaching some of the formal stances and techniques of their respective martial arts. Tempest had explained that just like not every stance was practical in combat; every fighting art was not for every mobian. Some were taller than others, and thus had more reach. Some had longer arms, or legs, or other physiological weakness or strengths. Tempest explained that his personal style was designed to detect and predict those strengths and weaknesses, and defeat them.

The technical mechanics of it meant that Tails took to it like a fish in water.

"Higher, boy!" Tempest raised his open palm above Tails' head. "Strike higher."

Tails leapt, and threw his fist into Tempest's palm, tagging it as hard as he could. Following it with his eyes, Tails swirled, backhanding the hand without hesitation, and lunging again before his feet touched the ground. Tempest's palm then changed direction abruptly, veering left, Tails, however, cut it off with a roundhouse kick, smacking it into the air.

"Very good." Tempest shook his hand (The boy hit with surprising force!). "Now… for the real thing. Princess, if you will."

"Ok, Honey, I want you to fight, and don't worry about hurting me." Sally crouched, her arms up.

"This again…" Tails looked up as Tempest, then back to the Princess. "Ok."

"Don't hold back, boy." Tempest laid his hand on Tails' shoulder, reassuring the young Fox. "She can take care of herself. You know that. And no using your tails, either. No chaos powers."

"Fine, fine," Tails growled. Then his features softened, and he got into a crouch and faced Sally. "Be careful, Aunt Sally. Here I come."

Lunging at her, Sally just barely jumped out of the way before Tails' fist filled the air where she once was. The fox had a small snarl on his lips, not unlike the one she noticed Tempest had when he concentrated on most things. She saw Tails' pupils refocus on her for only a millisecond, before the kitsune boy twirled into a fierce kick to her waist. Bringing down her forearm just in time to block it, she swallowed hard, and threw a quick blow, a light one that, even if it connected, wouldn't hurt him too much, but, to her surprise, Tails batted it out of the way without pause and lunged again for her waist.

"We're not sparring, Princess," Tempest said calmly from the sidelines. "The two of you fight on even ground here. Fight seriously."

Faking another block, Sally thought about what Tempest had said. Abstractly, she knew that Tails wouldn't be using any of his chaos abilities, so she was a little wary to simply go after him. It was hard not to think of him as being handicapped, even though – as Tempest said – it was more like putting the two of them on even footing.

A look at Tails' face was met only by the former's feral smile, and unblinking eyes. Waiting for him to lean into another strike, Sally pushed forward, sending her fist plowing into his face at full force. The fox reeled only slightly from the blow before grabbing the outstretched limb. Her eyes wide, Sally was thrown over Tails' shoulder, and reacting only on instinct, she propped out a hand to catch the fall, and jump back into a fighting stance.

She was promptly met by a blow to the midsection that knocked the wind out of her lungs. Tails, without hesitation, drove his shoulder into her, and still running, slammed her body into a nearby tree. Sally, seeing spots, brought down both elbows into Tails' shoulder blades, and despite feeling like she hit rock; Sally could see him fall to his knees from the impact. Leaping up just before the Kitsune pounced, clipping the bark of the tree right where she once stood, Sally landed with both feet on the fox's back, and feeling the shake of the hit, jumped up and away.

Landing, she looked over her shoulder and saw Tails: crouched on one knee, one hand dug into the soft ground. A snarl escaped his lips, and he rose back to his feet. Slowly, the large ears folded back, and Tails again charged, this time faster than before, launching into a slide kick he had copied from Sonic. Sally dodged, kicking back as she turned around. She hit his tails, but encountered no resistance. Distracted, she left an opening he used to slip up behind her and wrap his arms around hers, lifting her off her feet and tossing her to the ground.

"Enough!" Tempest reached out and took Tails by the back of his neck. The younger fox, for a moment, growled and snarled, but quickly calmed down when he realized his situation.

"Over already?" Tails asked almost innocently. "How'd I do?"

"Very well." Tempest looked from Tails to Sally. "Princess?"

"I'm ok." Sally took a deep breath and winced, still feeling the sting of where Tails had buried his shoulder into her lower rib cage. She'd had some pretty serious practice fights with him in the past, but he'd never really been able to hurt her. Like Sonic and Knuckles, he mostly brawled and relied on his special powers (making his moves rather predictable). Adding a measure of skill to the mix had really thrown her for a loop.

"He learns quickly," she conceded. Had they kept fighting, would he have… beaten her?

"I learned from last time," Tails explained, reminding her of their last mock fight from a year ago, when he had left for Downunda to help fight the Black Arms. "You can put me down now."

"Of course," Tempest let him go, and patted him cheerfully on the back. "You may want to wash off. I'll join you momentarily. We will continue our history lessons afterward."

As Tails ran off, Tempest looked over the other participant in the fight. "I noticed you breathing heavily, Princess."

"I've been through worse," Sally assured him, mostly bluffing. She had been through worse, of course. But it was a good thing Tempest had intervened when he did. It wasn't like she healed anywhere near as fast as Sonic or Tails.

"I see you have." Tempest turned to join Tails at the pool. "You fought well, Princess. I trust you shall join us tomorrow, as well?"

"I'll be there," Sally answered quickly.

"Superb. Good day, Princess."

"Uh, thanks…" She winced again as the adrenaline started to wear off. Slowly, Sally made her way back to her hut to lie down. "At least he doesn't think I'm a 'Tah anymore…"

Robotropolis.

Over the last hundred years, the land where the Great River meets the sea has been a center of culture, the centerpiece of an Empire, and a city of death. With a sheltered harbor and premium location, it was little surprise when the Kingdom of Acorn made the city its crown jewel. After the fall of the Acorn Dynasty, it became Robotropolis – the city named after Robotnick. A city of steel and cable, wire and fuse. It became a city not for mobians, but for tireless robot laborers.

Strife after strife befell the city. Earthquakes shook it to its foundations, explosions gutted its streets and buildings, and battles raged that tore swaths through entire former neighborhoods. After the nuclear strike in 3236, fully half the city was little more than burned out rubble. Few of the old buildings stood, though new ones of concrete and steel clawed up at the sky with vicious tenacity. The Grand Palace survived as well, a modified memorial to the end of Mobian rule and the enduring legacy of the Eggman. Deep inside that edifice, in a large concave room that served as its heart, a conversation was underway between two of the three most important entities in the domain.

"Snively! I've been reading your progress reports..."

"Which ones, Sir?" Snively asked, approaching his master. While the Robotnick that he served was not his 'kindly uncle' from years past, he seemed to have all the negative personality traits that had typified the original. Reclining on a high chair that served as his throne, Robotnick scowled, and held up the papers in question.

Snively smiled weakly. "Oh… those..."

"Well?"

"Probably frost damage..."

"And why do I doubt that?" Robotnik hovered over his nephew. "They were destroyed. All of them. So were the surveillance stations they were sent to set up."

"Sir, none of the units actually reported any activity. It seems highly unlikely that…"

"Maybe next time I should send you along with the patrol to supervise?"

That was a de facto death threat. Snively wound his hands together. "Er… perhaps we simply shouldn't bother with that part of Mobius… for now. Besides, the logistics of supporting an operation there…"

"Do you have any idea the amount of untapped natural resources up there? Going completely unused?!" Robotnik hissed.

"But is exploiting the border region really worth this level of losses? Project Helios may be behind schedule, but it is slowly nearing completion. Maybe if Shadow was to lead a squad or two…" Snively cautiously asked, then stopped, waiting.

"Shadow is needed to collect the Emeralds for Helios." Robotnick's eyes glowed a threatening red, and in a sudden rage, he threw the papers at his assistant. Snively cringed as they hit his face and scattered around his feet. For a second, he thought he was going to be punished further, but the Eggman just leaned back in his great dais, and swiveled slowly in place. The much smaller man was still afraid, but dared to let himself relax a bit. He wasn't going to be punished… but at the same time, how sweet would it have been to ship that filthy black and red hedgehog off to that godforsaken wilderness up north!

Watching Robotnick think, Snively sighed.

This had never been a problem in the past. The north was generally too far out of the way for them to care much about. Most of the southern half of the main continent had infrastructure and, at the very least, roads to support development. There was nothing up north. Getting there was a hassle, establishing a base nearly impossible, and shipping anything you do get your hands on back south was just as unprofitable. It was only now being considered an option because so many of their mines in the southern peninsula had panned out, exhausted by years of over production.

And Project Helios was a resource hungry monster.

If it failed…

Snively wound his hands together, tighter. He wouldn't go back to the Devil's Gulag! Not again! Looking up at his quasi relative, Snively asked, hopefully for the last time, "Sir? What are we going to do?"

"Silence, Snively!" Robotnick began to smile, lips parting to reveal great big toothy jaws. "With a few modifications…"

"Sir?"

"Even a crippled elephant can topple an ant hill…!" A mad glint appeared in his inhuman eyes. "Yes, even incomplete, it should be more than enough…"

"Are you serious?" Tails asked, knocking the hard wood of the tree with one of his knuckles. "It's too hard. It's like a rock. Even Knux wouldn't try breaking open this thing. Well, maybe he would, but he's a special case."

"We're not leaving here until you crack it." Tempest sat down cross-legged, and leaned back against another tall tree as if getting ready to take a nap. Tails didn't doubt that Tempest wasn't exaggerating.

Tails looked down at his fist. "But I'll break my hand! I can split it with my tails…"

"No chaos powers."

"Why not?" Tails asked, growing a little annoyed by that oft-spoken rule. "Why should I break my hand hitting something I can cut like paper?"

"You'll only hurt your hand if you hold back," Tempest spoke without moving from where he sat, or even looking up. "If you hit it full force like I showed you, you shall feel no pain. If you hold back, your hand probably will be broken, yes."

"How about … we do this tomorrow?"

"Now. You've not yet used your full strength, and you rely far too much on your tails and this chaos energy of yours." Tempest leaned back once more, scratching his shoulders against the bark. "I can wait all day."

"How about after we eat? I'm kinda hungry…" Tails seemed more hopeful of this 'compromise.'

"No. Break the tree. Now. Or… does your Clan not breed warriors? Perhaps… you'd be best suited to tending the fields with your Third Race women? Are you kitsune or kitten?"

"I…" Tails snarled, and rearing back, formed a fist. "Fine. Fine."

"Well?" Tempest looked up.

With a swing, Tails' fist clashed with the bark of the tree, and amid a shower of broken bark and splinters, broke through. As the old oak creaked, moaned, and fell to the forest floor; broken and split. Looking down at the hulk, Tails suddenly realized that though the outside of the tree had been hard, the insides had all but rotten away. Then Tails saw his hand: unharmed. He shook it, and chips of wood as fine as sawdust fell away.

"What have you learned from this?"

Tails shot him an angry look. "That you have too much time on your hands. How long did it take to find a tree like this?"

Tempest's had the honesty to look a little chastised. "Point taken. Did you learn anything meaningful from this, though?"

"Well…" Tails thought for a second. "Looks can be deceptive. What appears hard and invincible on the outside, may, in fact, be rotting from within."

"And…?"

"When facing a dangerous foe, strike at full strength or not at all."

"Very good. Anything else?"

Tails smiled. "I can see what you mean about relying on my tails. Not that I totally agree."

Tempest seemed satisfied. "You've progressed superbly, my boy. Come, let's see what Prey the forest has for us today… do you want to lead?"

"Yes," Tails immediately replied. "I picked up the trail of a cougar earlier."

"A feline?" Tempest's nose screwed up in distaste. "They taste terrible. And there's too little meat on them. Wouldn't you prefer a deer?"

"No… I want to Hunt a hunter."

"Do… you…?"

Tempest looked down at the young Kitsune. Tails had seemingly embraced this new aspect of his life… almost a little too readily. Indeed, he seemed to be enjoying the Hunt a little too much, if such a thing were possible. The boy seemed almost bloodthirsty… though, Tempest figured, it was probably just repressed instinct just now bubbling to the surface. Most boys his age had been on Hunts before, though usually not making the actual kill, and eating fresh meat for years. Thinking about it, Tempest determined that it was likely healthier that he gets this out of his system now, rather than later.

He nodded. And Tails immediately gestured for him to follow. Within seconds, the younger fox had the animal's trail. Looking on, Tempest was almost shocked. He suddenly realized that, all this time… throughout the entire training today… Tails had been trailing that animal. Since this morning. He had been leading him from place to place throughout the day while training. Tempest had assumed the boy just liked to wander, to keep moving. But… Tails had been tracking this cougar all this time.

Impressive.

It took only a minute for the Kitsune pair to follow the trail through the undergrowth. And, to Tempest anyway, Tails kept brisk pace the whole time. Almost blending into the scenery, before finally making visual contact with the animal. To Tempest's surprise, Tails paused then, and instead of pouncing he leapt to the round right in front of the mountain lion, his arms crossed.

Landing nearby himself, Tempest watched.

The cougar growled, arching its back, apparently as surprised by Tails' behavior as Tempest was. The fox only smiled, two pairs of sharp canines bared in a snarl that shocked even the veteran fox. What was this boy doing?

"Tails! Finish this game!" Tempest roared, his voice drowning out all other noise in the forest: silencing the world.

"His move." Tails smirked. "Did you know, Tempest, that at one time … I would have feared this animal?"

The cougar began to back away.

"Now… it fears me…" Tails spread his arms, muscles bulging slightly. "Attack me!"

The cougar looked to its left, to the dense foliage.

"ATTACK ME!" Tails roared and jumped to the side, to block any means of escape. "Or… are you afraid? Afraid of me?"

Leaping into cover, the cat felt something hit it from above, slamming the animal into the ground. Jumping back off the cougar, standing between it and the cover of the bushes, Tails stood. Calm. Arms still crossed.

"Tails…" Tempest started to lose his patience. "There is no honor in this, boy. Do not play with what you kill!"

"I claim this kill," Tails spoke, quickly before Tempest could act. Freezing in his tracks, the elder fox could no longer intervene. He had no claim to the animal or the kill by Tradition - Tails had tracked it himself, and cornered it… again, himself. Tempest suddenly realized that this may well have been part of Tails' plan all along.

"You think I enjoy working all day? Slaving over schematics and data, or even doing all those exercises? No! I've waited all day for this moment, when I finally get to cut loose," Tails snarled. "I intend to enjoy it!"

Walking towards the lion, Tails' fur along his neck, his youthful Kitsune mane, bristled.

"For too long… I've been…weak… For too long, I've been afraid. Afraid of the gifts God, the Source, or the Maker gave me. It isn't that I've gotten stronger, I'm just tired of holding everything back."

Lunging, Tails seized the cougar by its left paw, easily lifting the creature off the ground. Simply, Tails' fist clenched, and the cougar's paw crushed in his grip. The animal howled, and tried to strike the fox with its other paw, but Tails' effortlessly caught it, and broke it, too.

"Tails. Finish this now." Tempest demanded. Tails looked over his shoulder, and his eyes met Tempest's. For a second, he was defiant; then, without pause, Tails' wrapped his arm around the lion's neck, and snapped the head around 180 degrees.

"Happy?" the boy asked, innocently.

Walking over Tails' kill, Tempest let himself tower over the still shorter pupil he had been training. Tails' met his mentor's gaze for only an instant, before a backhand to his face sent the young hunter flying, to the ground. For a second, Tails' eyes glazed over, then, suddenly, tears welled up, and he looked back over to the warrior standing over his kill.

"No matter how you feel at the moment, there is no honor in torture, boy." Tempest pointed down at the cougar's body. "This kill… has disgraced you. I will not share in it."

"I'm… I'm sorry… I…" Tails felt more tears come to the surface and hid his face. Reaching up to his head, he winced and ran his hand through his bangs. "I… I… I don't know what… I'm so sorry..."

"Strength without honor… is only tyranny." Tempest, kept his gaze cold, hard. "Why do we Hunt?"

"For food…" Tails answered. "And for honor."

"Honor," Tempest stressed, "Honor! Is this what you meant by fun, before?"

Tails saw his hands, white gloves stained crimson. "This… this isn't me… I'm not a killer! God, I…!"

Tempest sighed, and walked over to the young warrior. "Tails…"

"I'm sorry!" Tails looked up, and, without warning, wrapped his arms around Tempest's neck. "I'm sorry! I won't do it again!"

Tempest suddenly remembered this boy, just moments before, had broken the neck of a mountain lion like a twig, but put aside the thought. "I know you're sorry…."

"I need go home…" Tails cried into his shoulder, and quickly took steps back to distance the two of them. "I have work… and… and people are relying on me, and…"

"Alright…" Tempest found himself agreeing with the notion. Walking with Tails back to Knothole, hearing the young kitsune mumbling about his work and trying to preoccupy his mind, Tempest frowned to himself. How had this happened? Everything was going so well. An ancient memory came to the surface, reminding him how important his mission here was. A memory of a kitsune boy near the end of his Turan'ha, walking away from a pile of uneaten corpses, blood dripping from his claws, face, and jaws… Eyes aglow with madness and bloodlust…

"I pushed him too far," Tempest thought, standing next to the door of one of the boy's 'workshops.' He had retreated into it and given no sign of coming back out. "Too damn far. He wasn't ready."

"All my fault…" Tempest felt his hands cover his face. "What have I done?"

They should have sent someone else.

A Father… One of the other Ephor Anthals… someone with actual experience…

'Anyone but me.'

Hopping up into the branches of a tree, Tempest mentally recounted what he had and hadn't done. He's been basing the training regimen and the other lessons on what his father had used on him, filling in a lot of gaps for areas the boy had no experience in. Somewhere along the way, he had miscalculated. He wasn't just filling in gaps, he had to literally tread around an already established pattern of thinking and behavior. Everything had been going so smoothly, he had forgotten that the boy had been reared among non-Kitsune for all his life.

Jumping back down, later that night, Tempest had noticed something else. He had brief run-ins with some of the boy's friends. No one said anything to him, but their faces were plain enough to read. No words needed to be spoken. Even that damn hedgehog said nothing. Their eyes told him… they had noticed the boy's unusual mood, and they blamed him. They had no right to, they were not Clan, not kitsune, but they blamed him.

And they were right.

Damn them.

It was their fault too! Their fault for raising him to care! To be weak! They should have known… But how could they? He had known. Seen the signs - the instinct, the gleam in those eyes…

'Why didn't I see it sooner?' Tempest wondered as he pondered the thought on top of one of a building's roof. Open skies and high places always helped him think clearly. Most kitsune were that way. 'Was he hiding it from me? Or …maybe …I was hiding it from myself?'

"Damn."

"It's not your fault."

He had heard someone open the access door a few feet away, and he identified the voice easily enough.

"Princess." Tempest stood and inclined his head respectfully. "It is my fault. I… should have known. My Father would have. The only thing I don't have from him is his wisdom…"

"You're not your father," she said, softly, not really understanding what he had meant. "Tails… he was just raised differently."

Tempest looked over his shoulder at the forest. "You don't even know what happened out there."

"I know," she answered, taking his hand. "You did all you could to help Tails."

"And it wasn't enough!" Tempest tried to pull back his hand from hers, but it didn't budge. Tempest felt, all too distinctly, her small, warm fingers around his hand. She was not his physical equal; why didn't he want to pull away?

Why wasn't she pulling away?

Was it… pity?

"You wouldn't understand." Tempest growled low in his throat. "You couldn't."

"Only because you don't want me to." She shook her head, looking up at him. "I want to understand. I want to help."

"Why?" He asked. "Why should you care?"

"Because Tails is like a baby brother to me. I'm not blind. I saw how… taunt he's been over the last few months. Maybe not miserable, but he's been unhappy, and nothing I've tried to do has helped him."

"And," she added. "Because when I see something that needs doing, I do it."

Sally looked into his eyes, and Tempest saw hers – bright blue eyes not full of blame and scorn, but understanding. It felt strange.

"I see. That… is a very admirable way to live," he said.

Then, abruptly, her look turned disapproving. "You're thinking about leaving?"

"I am not. A warrior's first true conquest is his fear… and, of course, his apprehension." Tempest felt his heart race. He wasn't… comfortable being this close to her. And he wasn't sure why. There was something strange about her, something that he couldn't quite distinguish from smell alone. He would not feel so… apprehensive otherwise. Was it an…

Attraction?

He mentally laughed. Such a thing was impossible! Not by any stretch of the imagination! He felt only revulsion for her people. And yet, actually having encountered her kind, he found them conforming less and less to what he had expected. He could see her concern, and smell it as well. She was worried he was going to leave. Why did she care? What did she imagine she had to gain?

He was an Ephor Anthal, but he had not told her all that meant...

What did she think to gain?

Against his rapidly dwindling better judgment, Tempest felt himself act, slowly. As his hand fell down her side to her waist, he could feel that her fur was as soft as he had expected it to be, and, most surprisingly, that it didn't bother him in the least. This was so different, this physical contact, from when he had fought her days ago. Then, suddenly, like magnets they flew apart. It was hard to tell who had pushed harder on whom in their sudden separation.

"My apologies, I…" He balled his hand into a fist.

"I don't…" Sally started to say. She blushed deeply, embarrassed and ashamed. What had she been thinking getting that close to him? He didn't care for her – she knew it. It was hard to accept that he didn't like her; barely even respected her… she wanted him to like her. She wanted his respect. She wanted the respect of his people. It was one thing to be disliked by fools and natural enemies, but she knew deep down that Tempest was neither of those. Though… that still didn't explain why she had gotten so close to him.

She loved Sonic. She loved Sonic… but she couldn't help thinking that…

"Oh, Miles, you never told me things got juicy between them!"

"Don't be asinine," Miles voice chided Lara-Su from across the gulf of time. "Watching those two is a waste of time."

"Doesn't look that way to me."

"Tempest told me many times: 'kitsunes and mobians don't mix' and he was right. The kitsune mentality, their zeitgeist, is an anathema to forming any sort of relationship with a non-kitsune. It is an intrinsic part of how they are made."

"What about you?" Lara mentally asked. "You mixed with non-kitsune. Literally."

"I am… that was… a special case."

"You… you sound kind of like you regret it." For a while, Lara received no response. "Miles?"

"Lara. You asked me if I regret the one thing I did that Merlin disapproved of. It galls me, but a part of me does regret it. And another part of me looks back on it with... fondness, I suppose. I can understand where Tempest and Sally were, back then. It isn't just a matter of accepting or rejecting some path in life; we at least wish for the choice. But those two… were predestined to take different paths in life."

She loved Sonic. She loved Sonic… but she couldn't help thinking that…

Was it wrong? Was it wrong to be attracted to someone she didn't love? Was it wrong that she wanted him to see her like everyone naturally did? Still standing in front of him, both totally silent, Sally crossed her arms over her chest, feeling insecure. It was his fault! He was giving her mixed signals! If he had just hated her, or just liked her, it would've been so much simpler!

"Um…"

"Ah…"

"That was…" she started to say. "I mean…"

Tempest scratched the back of his neck, looking rather foolish. "I don't…"

She blinked. "You don't what?"

"I don't…" Tempest paused, realizing that what he had intended to say was probably the worst possible thing he could. "Don't… know what..."

He didn't really have anything resembling a good continuation for that half sentence. So he said nothing, and looked away and off to the side. Finally, he changed the topic entirely, deciding to ignore it had happened.

"I'm going to remain here until the boy's Turan'ha has passed," Tempest said, and started to walk away. "Then I am to leave and not return. Do not grow accustomed to my presence here. I think everyone will know but relief when I have gone."

"Tempest." Sally took a step towards his retreating form. "You'll get your chance tomorrow… to make everything right again. The only one who can kick you out is me, and I won't…"

And she left without another word. She had, no doubt, thought that he hadn't heard her. But he had. Silently, Tempest walked back to his hut expecting to be alone with his thoughts, but instead he found the last person he'd expect to be there, waiting for him.

"It is being about times you showed up," the other mobian spoke calmly.

"I have nothing to say to you, Keionah." Tempest pushed the small coyote out of his way.

"You will be listening!" Antoine growled and stood between Tempest and his door. "Please… Listen to what I have to tell you."

Tempest paused. "What is it?"

"You must know of the other Clans. The southern ones."

"What about them?"

"They are…" Antoine started to say. "They are being devastated by these wars…"

Tempest's expression softened. "You should never have lain with these Prey. They have weakened you. And now their fate is yours. You have my pity, Keionah…"

"That is not being all!" Antoine said, not finished. "I am the last of Surni'var!"

"What?" Tempest whirled on Antoine, and grabbed him by the neck. "You lie!"

"Eet… eet ees true…" The coyote choked through Tempest's vice like grip. Letting go, the Kitsune fox stumbled back at the news, visibly shaken.

"No…" Tempest said, shaking his head in disbelief. "That can't be…"

"I would not be lying about something this serious." Antoine tenderly felt his throat. "Mon dieu! You needs to be watching your strength…"

"How?" Tempest asked, eyes burning. "How did this happen?"

"Robotnick. Not even tze Great War… eet was just him. He did ruin us!" Antoine made a fist, shaking with anger and determination. "There are… no more… of my kind. I was not sure for a long time, but I have looked… I have traveled, I have asked… no more! There are no more of us! I am tze last…"

"The last of Surni'var…" Tempest still couldn't believe it. He had heard of species being driven to the point of extinction before. Many rare breeds of mobian had been wiped out during the Great War, especially the nomadic plains dwellers, and he knew many others were endangered, especially in the southern region of Downunda. But those were all creatures of the Third Age, and thus less important from a Kitsune perspective. But Surni'var was another Clan of the Second Age – they were the coyote – was it really possible that they were nearly all gone?

"Is there… anything I can do…?" He looked at the doomed mobian. How did he keep going, with such a burden?

"Non. Eet ees being too late for tze Surni'var." Antoine answered to the negative. "But tze others… tze others you would have once called kin… they are all in tze most grave of danger. And, though I know you do not care, so are all tze other mobians on this planet. Will you still stand by, knowing this?"

"What do you want me to do?" Tempest asked. "I am Ephor Anthal… yes: Ephor Anthal… but I cannot take my Clan to war alone. Vidar is neither the largest nor strongest of the Clans. The other Ephor Anthals… They will not all see this as I do."

"How can that be?" Antoine looked down at the sword hung by his hip. "Can they not see that the fall of Surni'var… that it ees only tze beginning?"

Tempest scowled darkly. "You do not understand. The Ephor Anthals are not united. They have not stood united in over a hundred years. Were I to propose a war to… aid the south in their insurrection, I would likely only have the support of Anthal Andras of Clan Dae'th'Ai. Bloodsmythe Na'Kalahen has been calling for a southern war for years, but he would turn it into an exercise in the most terrible savagery. Fa'Rah would oppose any notion supported by Kalahen, and Tandothane Na'Tukaido dislikes me enough to oppose me as well. Jel'Arah is too conservative, and Turo is too large to risk losing their leadership position…"

"Then you can not help?"

"I… I will help. You have my word, I will try." Tempest bowed his head to Antoine, quickly and only once. "I will just… have to be… subtle and find a way."

Somehow…