Robotnik stormed into the central control building in Robotropolis. It had been at least a day since the Freedom Fighters had rescued Sally and he was still mad. Sonic, Tails and Amy stood in front of him awaiting his next order. At the start he had had the upper hand against them but now he was actually having to defend himself. He didn't like this change of tactics. Now that the Freedom Fighters had established a new base he was starting to lose ground.
"And they had the nerve to call it Knotlake!" roared Robotnik slamming his hand down on the console.
He spun and looked from one robot to the next.
"I want Knotlake found! I don't care how! I WANT IT FOUND! Go now!"
The three robots turned and walked from the room. Robotnik turned back to the console and hit it again.
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The sun was high in the sky the next day over Knotlake as T2 removed the blindfold around Alicia eyes. Her first reaction was to blink and then to squeal. In front of her was a huge table set out with food. A large banner hung across the table between two huts. It read 'Happy 14th Birthday Alicia'. Alicia took a few deep breaths and spun around. She flung her arms around T2.
"Oh T2! It's brilliant. I thought you had all forgotten." she said.
"Not a chance Alicia." replied T2.
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A little while later the atmosphere had clamed down slightly. Alicia had received a few presents from various people, nothing on the scale she had had back in Mobotropolis but she was very grateful. Just then T2 stood up and hit a spoon off a glass making a small ringing sound. Everyone looked at him.
"I trust we are all enjoying ourselves." he said.
"Of course not!" replied Manic with a laugh.
This reply got a small laugh from a few people.
"Good. Well today is special for more reasons than just Alicia's birthday." continued T2.
Alicia looked up from her piece of cake and stared at him. T2 got up and walked over to a small platform near the table. Alicia hadn't paid this much attention. It defiantly hadn't been there last night. T2 turned to face everyone.
"Alicia. Would you come up here please?" he said.
Alicia looked slightly nervous but slipped off her chair and walked over to the platform. Miles was watching with interest.
"And could you come up here too Miles?" said T2.
Miles blinked.
"Me?" he said quietly.
"Yes you." said Charles giving Miles a little push.
Miles walked over to the platform and joined T2 and Alicia. Everyone else started to gather round the base of the platform. T2 started to talk again.
"We all know that Miles and Alicia have been training hard in various fields since we had to flee Mobotropolis. Before I go further I'd like to thank Bunnie, Charles, Manic and Petya for there help. Second I would like to say that they have both preformed beyond my expectations. I didn't actually think I'd be doing this so soon."
Miles and Alicia were both looking puzzled now. T2 turned to them and smiled.
"And now without further ado I will get to the point. By the power granted to me as leader of the Knotlake Freedom Fighters I hereby make you both full members and welcome you into the fight against Robotnik."
Miles and Alicia both blinked hard. They couldn't believe it. They had both been officially made Freedom Fighters. Miles suddenly leapt into the air.
"ALRIGHT!" he cried.
Alicia just continued to look astounded. Just then Sally pushed her way through the crowd and jumped onto the platform. She caught hold of Miles and Alicia and hugged them tightly.
"I am so proud of you." she said.
The crowd burst into cheers. Alicia looked into Sally's eyes.
"Having you back is the best present I could have received ever." she said slowly.
Sally smiled at her and gave her another hug.
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To one side Lavender stood watching the events on the platform. She was happy for Miles and Alicia. They had everything now. Sally had been rescued, they had been made Freedom Fighters. It just seemed that they had everything. All Lavender had was hope. Hope that her parents would be rescued, hope that her grandparents were alright, hope that she would one day be made a Freedom Fighter too. She turned away and sighed. Deep down she believed it would happen but that feeling as just a feeling. On the surface she hardly had any hope at all. She walked away from the crowd and gradually the noise decreased. She sat down next to the lake and put her head in her hands. She looked out over the lake.
"They're all gone." she sighed.
Just then a feeling struck her mind. She was so surprised that she almost fell off her seat. It was a strong feeling and it came all of a sudden. She took a few deep breaths and then remembered a dream. It was a dream of two years ago. The dream that had set her on the path to her change. The dream she wished she could forget. She let out a gasping sob.
"No. No go away!" she said to herself, "GO AWAY!"
She could feel their presence again. Feel it as if they were still alive. But they weren't. They were dead. They had been dead for two years.
"Pholon!" she wailed to herself.
"Lavender? Lavender what is it?" said a voice.
Lavender looked up to see Bunnie walking towards her.
"What is it sugah?" she said.
Lavender sprang from her seat and ran to Bunnie. She grabbed hold of the rabbit and latched herself into her leg.
"Woah there suagh." said Bunnie pulling Lavender off her leg and kneeling down next to the young kitsune, "What is wrong?"
"I felt them again. They're back. I know that they're back." said Lavender.
"Who?" said Bunnie.
"Them!"
Bunnie instantly knew what she was talking about. Lavender had never called anyone 'them' but two people, Tails' parents. After the incident they had with Lavender, Lavender just couldn't bare to say their names. She always called them 'them'.
"But sugah. They can't be! You and Tails defeated them two years ago."
"I've felt them. I know I did."
"Sugah listen. You didn't feel them. Trust me on this ok sugah. They're gone and NOTHING can bring them back. You've had a very stressful few days, now why don't you go and have a lie down and a little rest. I'm sure you'll feel better afterwards."
Lavender just nodded. She began to think. Had she actually felt them? Or had it just been a reaction to the memory of the dream? No the feeling had come first. But Bunnie was right, they were gone. She let Bunnie lead her up through the village towards the hut she slept in.
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The robotic Tails flew high in the sky. Robotnik had observed what Snively had done when he had robotisised Tails many years before. He had liked the idea so much he had recreated it. The rocket boosters on Tails feet propelled him through the air as a very high speed. He was currently in search mode looking for any sign of activity but more importantly any sign of Knotlake. As of yet his search had turned up nothing. Just then he detected a small heat source nearby.
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A blue fox cracked his knuckles. He knew he was in the right place. He stood up off the log he was sitting on. He cocked his head to the sound and listened. It was very faint but yes he could hear it. Jet engines. He quickly picked up his staff and stood ready. Storm clouds started to form above him.
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The robotic Tails localized the heat source and dived into the forest below him. He landed quickly and looked around. Standing about ten meters away from him was a blue fox. He held a large golden staff and a long pale yellow cape flapped behind him. Tails quickly did a small calculation and determined that the fox was hostile. He took a step backwards and a large set of blades extended from both of his tails.
"So you want to play?" said the blue fox, "Come get some."
Tails didn't speak very often but chose to this time.
"So you think you can take me on. Very well then, it is your life to waste." he said.
The blue fox smiled at him and spun his staff around behind him. Tails lunged forwards and then threw his tails in front of him causing them to crash together in a jaw like way in front of him. The fox had jumped to avoid the attack and just as Tails' tails clashed together he landed on them. One foot on either tail. Tails looked rather surprised at this. The fox slammed his staff down on Tails' head. As he did the blue gem at the end of it glowed brightly and Tails felt a surge of strange energy flow through him. He felt dizzy, if a robot can feel dizzy, and stumbled backwards. The fox somersaulted backwards landing a few meters away. Tails head quickly cleared and he charged again. This time he spun his Tails around the side in a slicing like action. The fox did another backward somersault and rose his staff into the air. Lines of orange energy started to form around the end. The clouds above them suddenly darkened and the sound of thunder roared. Suddenly the clouds above them erupted with lightning, showering the ground below with high-energy bolts. Several of them hit Tails and he stumbled. The fox used this moment of weakness to dive forwards. The gem in his staff glowed and he pointed it directly at Tails. The gem erupted with a fine blue beam of energy. Tails couldn't dodge in time and the beam hit him. He felt weak, as if the very fabric of his mind was being ripped away. He suddenly found himself more aware of his surrounding. He found he could control his own body. He felt free. The fox watched on as Tails collapsed to the ground.
"Now you are free my kin." said the fox slowly as he sat down on a log next to the unconscious Tails.
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Robotnik always seemed to be angry at the moment. He was now storming around the control room growling to himself. Sonic and Amy had just returned from their patrol. They had nothing to report but this was not what he was angry about. Tails had not reported back and was also not accepting any kind of communication or orders.
"If those Freedom Fighters have done it again……" growled Robotnik.
He growled again and didn't finish his sentence.
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Tails slowly opened his eyes. Above him was blue sky and sun. Birds tweeted in a nearby tree. For a few seconds Tails couldn't remember a thing. Why did he feel like this? He hadn't felt like this since before he was robotisised. Robotisised! He suddenly sprung upright and looked at himself. His entire body was still made of metal. Panic suddenly slipped in and he yelped.
"Aah….I see you have woken up." said a voice.
Tails head suddenly leapt from his body to looking at the surrounding area. A blue fox sat a few meters away on a log. Tails remembered him.
"You're the fox that I fought." he said.
"Yes. Indeed I am." replied the fox.
"Why am I? What am I? WHAT IS GOING ON?!" wailed Tails.
"Easy now. It will take a while for you to adjust."
"Adjust? To what?"
"To being free again."
"Free?"
"Yes free."
"But how…….who are you?!"
"My name is Links. Links Prower. I am your uncle."
Tails suddenly gasped. He dug his hands into the ground and crawled backwards a few feet until a tree stopped him. He looked at the fox with a mix of panic, fear and astonishment.
"UNCLE?!" he said totally astounded.
"Yes. I am your father's brother."
"My father?"
Just then a small voice came back to him. The last thing his parents had ever said to him, 'You haven't seen the last of us. Pholon will never die!'. Tails suddenly went tense.
"Then you're with Pholon!" cried Tails springing to his feet.
"I was at one time. Not any more though. I was expelled from the order by my brother."
"You expect me to believe that?"
"No but listen to what I have to say. My brother, your father, and I never did get on well. We and his wife Juanita were the last of our order after our parents passed away. When you were born your parents got rid of you for being a freak. I was disgusted. I challenged my brother decision and he in turn expelled me. It was one against two. If I hadn't have left they would have killed me. During my exile I learned a great many things. I learned that the path I had been treading was tainted with the blood of so many people it almost made me sick. I cast off the name of Pholon and removed my mark."
Links moved his hand to his head and pulled his fringe up. Beneath it was a large circular scar. Tails winced slightly.
"That was nearly fifteen years ago. Since then I have changed my ways. I sought out the ways to make up for my mistakes and finally found them here."
Links patted his staff.
"What is that?" asked Tails.
"The staff itself is nothing special. I carved it myself out of a piece of yew wood. The blades I made from metal which I melted in the heat of the Great Volcano to the north."
"And that blue thing?"
"Aah. This is where I found my salvation. This gem is no ordinary gem. It is made of pure energy. The purest form of energy you can possible imagine. The power of the energy rings themselves."
"Ring substance!" said Tails slowly, "My god! We thought that was gone forever."
"No not gone. It is just very rare. I spent eleven years searching for this piece and the piece in my amulet here."
Tails looked at amulet around Links neck. A similar blue gem was imbedded in it.
"That is how I was able to break your programming." said Links.
Tails remembered this being done before. Sonic had used a power ring to snap Sir Charles out of his programming long ago. Just then Tails remembered something else.
"But it didn't last! The programming restored itself after several hours!" said Tails frantically.
"Relax my nephew. That was a weak form of the energy you used last time. This is pure and because of that it is permanent." replied Links.
"Wait a minute! How do you know about last time?!" said Tails.
"Well you see, once your parents abandoned you and expelled me I found myself….well inclined to look in on you and see how you were getting on. I couldn't spare much time and I didn't want to reveal myself until the time was right. If you had known about Pholon back then it would have distracted you from your work and that would not have helped your cause. I didn't like it but I thought it best that you didn't know your past. You were entitled to make your own life and not keep looking over your shoulder at the past."
Tails was astounded. He looked down at his metal body again and then back at Links.
"So if you're not Pholon, what are you?" he said.
"I am my own self. I belong to nobody except….."
Links trailed off and looked at the sky. He took a short deep breath and then looked back at Tails.
"Apart from my love." he said.
"Who is that?" said Tails.
"Was my nephew. She is dead."
"I'm sorry."
"No don't be. It was not your fault. It was not mine. It was what happened. Anyway, I am my own person. I belong to no group or cult. I am what you see in front of you."
"Which is?"
"Your uncle, your friend and most of all…..your family."
Tails couldn't take it. He had had too many events like this and his nerves were very frail. His head sunk to his hands but he found he couldn't cry. This freaked him even more and he buried his head in his arms. Links came over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
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A few hours later Tails and Links walked side by side through the forest. Tails was still finding everything hard to understand. He had been captured, robotisised, rescued by a fox who turned out to be his uncle and then freed of the power controlling him. He looked down at his metal body and shuddered. Links saw this and patted him on the back.
"So what now?" asked Tails swallowing a lump in his throat.
"Well I guess finding your friends would be the first step." replied Links.
"But I don't know where Knotlake is. I've been under Robotnik's control for two years. I know as much as him about the past events."
"Then we have a problem it would seem."
Tails just nodded and looked at his feet. He suddenly felt something stir inside him. He didn't recognize it at first but after a second he got it. He put his hands on his chest.
"You know what?" he said slowly.
"What?" replied Links.
"I think I'm hungry." said Tails totally astounded.
Links smiled.
"I had forgotten what it felt like." continued Tails.
"Well I don't have much food with me and what little I do isn't all that appetizing." said Links.
"I don't care." said Tails sitting down on a log, "I need something."
"Very well then."
Links sat down next to Tails. He opened a small pouch on his waste and took something out. It looked strangely enough like burnt toast. Tails took it and ate it eagerly. He didn't really notice the taste. He was just happy to actually feel the need to eat again.
"It will be night soon." said Links, "We need to find somewhere to sleep."
"Sleep?" said Tails.
He sighed and looked up at the sky. The sun had started to go down and it cast long shadows everywhere.
"Sleep." said Tails to himself.