I'm sorry for the long delay. I'm a procrastinator sometimes. Now for chap 5.

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"Get up man." A voice called through the memoir of the dreams. The older vulpine groaned, he was so tired, he'd been tired his whole life. Tired of the struggle of everyday life, why can't everyone just leave him be. "We're gonna be late!" The voice cried.

The future Tails snapped up, hitting his head on the top bunk. He looked toward the voices direction, and he saw the green eyes of the albino mouse looking at him. "Late. For what?" The fox growned.

"For the perliminaries. You didn't forget did you?"

"Oh, man." 'Selim' slowly sat up and put on his shoes. Though he was tired, he wouldn't miss the opportunity to see Sonic once again. He and Jerome left together and headed for the meeting spot in front of the quarters.

"So are you nervous?" Asked the pale mouse.

"I don't know, I'm kind of worried what Sonic will think of me." The vulpine stated.

"Hah, first things first. I'm just nervous about seeing him." Said Jerome. "I've heard so many stories about him and how he has thwarted Robotnik. And now I'm going to actually meet him in the flesh. That alone makes me nervous."

Though he has met him before, the future Tails felt nervous about meeting his old friend again. "Me too." Was all he could say.

******

They were now outside, and just five yards infront of the door was a line of about twenty other strangers. Jerome and 'Selim' got into the line, and a few figures were approaching from the distance. At first it was hard to make them out, because the rising sun was right behind them, but as they came closer the vulpine recognized them. Sonic and Tail's younger self we a dashing in, leaving a dust cloud behind them. Sally, Bunnie, Rotor, and Antoine followed suit at a more averge pace. Of course Sonic and the younger Tails got their first.

The line of recruits stood in awe at the sheer speed, except 'Selim' of course he just smiled. Sonic started look across the line. "Well, let's see who we got this time." His gaze then glued when he came across the recruit from the future. Surprisingly slow, Sonic walked up to the vulpine.

"And who might you be?"

"Selim Reworp sir." The fox choked out. "I noticed you have two tails. What do ya think you're trin' to pull?" The hedgehog seemed upset. "Are ya' pokin' fun at my bud, 'cause if you are I'm gonna knock your teeth out."

"I was born this way sir, I didn't mean to insult anyone." The older Tails said simply. He then felt a tug from behind. Spinning around he saw his younger self tugging at his tails.

"They're real Sonic!" The kit said excitedly.

"Get away form 'im little bro. I don't trust him." Sonic siad in a dangerous tone. The kit listened to his bud and returned to his side.

"Man Sonic, I don't even have the chance to welcome our recruits and you're already started to badger them." Came Sally's voice as she arrived. "I see you've found Selim."

"Ya' Sal I did." Was all Sonic muttered as he walked away.

{Well. That went well.} Thought the older Tails shaking his head.

*****

The sun was a little higher in the sky as recruits stood, awaiting the meeting commencement. The elder vulpine was still puzzling over the confrontation with his old commrade earlier. He almost felt as if he were going to break down. He had dreamed his whole life of seeing Sonic again, and now that he did get to see him again.

"Hey, you alright?" Came a nearby voice. The fox looked over his right shoulder to see Jerome giving a concerned look.

"It's nothing." 'Selim' stated in a cold voice.

"You didn't expect him to welcome you with open arms did you?" Jerome questioned. "He doesn't even know you."

In a way, the future Tails knew the mouse was right. To Sonic, he was Selim Reworp. A stranger with two tails. On the other hand, Sonic was his long lost friend and the two had been buds for years. Sonic might not be dead here, but the fox's identity as his bud was.

*******

"Attention recruits!" Called Sally, initiating the meeting.

With the ground squirrel's call came the line's full alertness. 'Selim' stood straighter then any of the others, his height was greater than most in the line. Sally walked up and down the line to make sure all were mentally focused and ready to listen. She then began here speech which 'Selim' knew word for word.

"Welcome to Knothole fellow Mobians. Today, you are going to try out in order to become one with our Freedom Fighter force. Unfortunatly, we have limited rooms and supplies so we are forced to chose between you and the people that stand beside you at this moment. Don't feel ashamed if you fail here, it took a lot of will and dedication for all of you to make it this far. We only have room for four canidates this month, and as you can see there are about twenty of you. Being the best one out of five will not be an easy task, and I wish all of you good luck." The princess concluded.

"For ze first test." Antoine stated. "you whel hav to run ze race."

Sonic took over the explaination. "All right, listen up! You are to run a mile course that starts at this flag pole." The hedgehog indicated the flag pole in front of the sleeping quarters. "You'll head straight across Knothole between the cones set up. Enter the forest and go up a steep incline for about a quarter mile. Touch an indicator with your initials on it and touch the pole. Sally will watch the pole, Tails is up by the indicators to make sure ya guys don't cheat, and I'll be moving with ya guys to make sure all is going smoothly. Pace yourselves, don't go an' waste all of your energy before the hill, and you'll all do just fine."

As he concluded the hedgehog walked toward the line and passed by the older Tails. "An' I'll be keepin' an extra close eye on you S'lim." Said the hedgehog dangerously. While the statement did make the task feel more foreboding on the vulpine, it did have it's humorous quality. Sonic had already came up with a shortened version of the fabricated name.

******

The competitors were all prepared to go. Sally stood ready to signal the start. The older Miles knew that he shouldn't overdue it, if he were to go at full speed it would arouse suspicion. And if this was the past he should try not to greatly intevene in the events that accurd.

"Ready.Set." The vulpine's heart raced, how slow did he have to go to seem like an average joe?

"Go!" Said Sally signalling for all to begin their jog.

As the group started their trek, the future Miles was sure to keep an eye on his fellow draftees, he kept toward the fourth position, making sure to keep his feet at the torturously slow pace.

The recruit in first was obviously sprinting, he got really tired really quickly and slowed down, raising the vulpine to third. 'Selim' looked to see that most of the leaders were breathing pretty heavily, their exhales were showing up in condensation clouds. Though he wasn't even in dire need of oxygen yet he tried to simulate heavy breath.

"Hey.Selim." Came a voice from behind. Jerome was surprisingly gaining pace on the leaders and he came up next to the fox. "Got some. fast people. here."

"Don't talk a lot," The vulpine advised. "You run short of breath that way."

Suddenly a blue hedgehog 'ran' up next to the pair, obviously bored of this jogging already. "Hey Slim, you don't appear to even be breaking a sweat. what ya holdin' for."

The older fox, tried his best to act tired suddenly. "Honestly. Mr. Hedgehog. this is my. fastest."

The hedgehog got in front of the two suddenly. "That's disappointin'. I know a good runner when I see one. If this is all you got, I'll be sure yere cut."

"He's in third ain't he." Jerome stated.

"I don't care. If he can't even beat the lead man by one minute, I'm gonna disqualify ya'. and if he doesn't show me his full speed, I'll disqualify you too, whitey."

"That's rediculous." Jerome weezed.

"I know you don't like me!" The older Tails yelled, suddenly getting defensive and stopping his running, Jerome following suit. "But don't you bring my friends into this!"

The three suddenly noticed that all the sixteen racers behind them had stopped. 'Selim' sighed, he was already causing a scene.

"Then get going. I'm counting to three." The hedgehog said, starting the countdown.

The fox's mind raced, he didn't want Jerome to lose his recrution, and he definatly didn't want to lose his. Then again if he went all out he'd be morphing history.

"One."

He could try to get just a minute ahead of the guy in first, but who knows how far he was during this long talk. The leader was in the forest somewhere that's all he knew.

"Two."

Sonic had a good eye for runners, that was certain, if only he had learned to act earlier. As the final second ticked away a memory came to him, about Jerome. The mouse was a freedome fighter, he barely got fifth in the points. He got third in the running event, which was a reason he had gotten on the Fighter's team. So if he went, he'd change history, and if he didn't it would also change.

"Thre-"

"ALRIGHT!" Cried the vulpine, in the nick of time. "I'll do it!"

Sonic smirked. "That's better, now let's see if you're worthy of those tails."

Something about the last comment set it off. The future Tails, uncaring on what the consequences were, wound up his tails and blasted off. All of the spectators, Jerome and Sonic were all thrown backward about a yard from the sudden concusion wave brought forth by the vulpine's speed burst.

*****

The young tails was waiting near the counsels, bored to death of all the waiting for the impending slowmos. He looked at the ground and sighed to himself when suddenly, a hardly noticable blur shot at him and went back to where it came from in the next instance. Then there was silence.

"What was-" The young one started in when a harsh microburst knocked him backward. He hit the ground with a sudden crunch of leaves and grass. He opened his eyes and looked at the sky. Blinking twice, trying to contemplate what had just happened, he slowly regained his footing.

The kit brushed himself off and walked forward, loose debris and leaves still steadily rustling about from the sudden blast. "What's going on?"

Just out of a strange curiousity he looked upon the counsels. And a little to his surprise a new one seemed to be lit, SR. A sudden wondering on who this SR person was rose up in Tail's head, and ignoring his orders to watch the counsils, he wound his tails and began to fly down the hill, back to knothole.

*****

Sonic, who was caught off guard for a minute stood up, along with everyone else in the race. The wind whipped them one direction, then the next second they were whipped the opposite way. The hedgehog looked up the forested hill to discover a cloud of leaves and other debris misting down to the ground. Dust was thick in the air, as if a tornado had just whipped through. However, what confused the hedgehog most was that it only lasted a few seconds then it was quiet again. He looked over his shoulder to find a skid mark, sizzling from friction lead past to the finish line where the older Tails stood.

'Selim' was already finished. The older vulpine just stood there a look of neither victory or defeat on his face. {What have I done?} He thought to himself as he looked up the racing trail, the trees on the course devoid of leaves. {Now I have some explaining to do.}

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Yehaw! Sorry, but school tends to intervene with my writing. Maybe over the summer I can get more done, I hope. Anyway, I'm already kind of dreading for next year and I also can't wait for it. Those of you who don't know there's a new Sonic series premiering in September. So I'm kinda stuck in a limbo. anyway, until next time. (Hope it's soon.)