I'll show you guys, 'Young'!

(no pairing)


"So…"

"So?"

"Who's gonna lead the team when Sonic goes to that camp?"

Amy looked at the two other friends present. Sticks was hanging upside down from the couch, while Knuckles seemed to be looking for something in the fridge. Or maybe he just had left something in there from yesterday…

"Well…" Amy then stated and clasped her hands together. Sticks looked 'up' at her, and Knuckles continued to search in the fridge. "If no one else wants to be the Team leader, then I'd be happy to volunteer!"

"What about Tails?" Knuckles grunted from inside the fridge.

"Tails!" Sticks exclaimed, and fell to the floor. She then quickly jumped up back on her feet, and stomped over to Knuckles.

"His machines are evil! They can't be trusted!" She then squeaked and gestured wildly. Knuckles just pulled out his head from the fridge, while Amy dashed after Sticks with an exasperated look.

"No Sticks, machines are not possessed." Amy then said. Why does it always go to this? She slammed the door to the fridge shut. "And stop eating my snacks!"

Sticks squeaked something incoherent, and insisted, "Of course those things are possessed!"

"Are they?" Knuckles quickly stepped away from the fridge with a worried look, and Amy sighed.

Here I'm trying to discuss something very important, and they just-

"Let's sit down instead." Amy declared and put an arm around Sticks, and began to lead her towards the couch in the middle of the room. They had covered it completely with blankets, when she and Sticks were going to have their 'movie-night, girls only'. Unfortunately Knuckles barged in before they started, and said that Sonic had left and wasn't going to be back for a few weeks…

Amy flopped down on the lilac couch, and dragged the squirming badger down with her. Knuckles then sank down in the armchair, not noticing that it was full of books.

"Okay!" Amy cleared her throat, and Knuckles and Sticks looked up at her. The badger was pouting, while Knuckles had a surprised look since he just discovered that his chair was filled with literature.

"Why don't we vote instead of arguing?" She said with a little smile. An idea which won't ruin my furniture…

"Argue about what?" Amy looked at Knuckles in disbelief.

"About who's going to be the team-leader!" Knuckles looked strangely at her.

"…Now I remember!"

Amy sighed. "What do you think, Sticks?" She turned towards the badger. The orange-furred girl had picked up a book, and was staring at it like it was some kind of bomb. Then she threw it away and looked up.

"…What?"

"Who's gonna be the leader!" Amy almost yelled.

Sticks looked at her with a strange look. "I'm not gonna vote." She then declared.

… Amy face-palmed. She then sighed.

"Okay. I don't think we should have Tails as the leader, though." She looked at Sticks and then she quickly said, "Not because he's possessed, but because he's too young."

Sticks muttered something about machines being possessed, and Knuckles nodded absentmindedly.

"So are we all agreeing that Tails shouldn't be the leader?" Amy asked. Both Sticks and knuckles nodded, in their own strange way.

"Good!" Amy smiled with relief. "Now who wants some-?"

…And the door slammed open. Three pairs of eyes darted over to it, and landed on a fox who just had stepped inside. The darkness outside shrouded him, until he took a sad step inside, and his golden pelt was revealed.

"…Tails?" Amy asked. Then she rushed forward. "Oh Tails, I didn't think you-"

"Young?" He interrupted her sentence with a single, disappointed question. Amy's eyes widened, as she realised that he had heard their discussion.

"I'm too… young?" His voice raised with every word. "I can't lead the team because I'm too young, but still I'm Sonic's sidekick! What messed up logic is this?"

"We didn't, I didn't… Tails, you're really smart and all, but you're still only eight-" Amy began, but stopped abruptly. In a flash of purple smoke, and Tails was gone, and instead a tall, muscular fox with almost grey fur had appeared.

…And then Amy realised said fox was Tails.

"Wh-what?" She croaked out.

Tails, however, ignored her, and said, "I'll show you guys 'Young'!" In a much deeper and gruffer voice.

…And then he had claws, and fangs, and…

Amy found herself backing away rather frantically.

"I think you made him mad." Knuckles commented from behind, and Amy almost jumped at his sudden comment.

"You… th-think?" She replied with a shaky laugh, eyes still glued at Tails.

"He's possessed!" Sticks hissed, and Knuckles grunted something and punched in the door to her backyard. The door flew across her garden, and landed in a bush of roses. Amy glanced sadly at it briefly, and then she and the others quickly escaped outside with a last glance at the fox…


Young? You know, sometimes words like that really hurt…

Tails looked after Amy and Sticks, his enhanced nose telling him that they were heading towards the village... And such a beautiful night it was, with a large full moon taking up the sky.

Tails grinned for himself. He was going to try this, just once.

He stepped outside into the garden, and turned his face upwards. The stars looked like tiny pieces of a shattered jewel up there…

…And then he opened his mouth and howled.

Some owls flew away at the sound, scared, and Tails grinned proudly. It sounded just like a real wolf!

Bet Amy didn't like that…

He smirked mischievously and took a big leap across the garden. And then he started running on all fours, following their trails with the help of his nose…


A/N: Like this?