A/N: Howdy! Here we are with the first real chapter of the story! Thanks for checking out my story and thank y'all so much for all the feedback on the prologue! Anyway, please enjoy!
Leaving's Never Easy
A gentle breeze floated through Knothole, causing the branches to flick off small droplets of dew that caught the light of the morning sun for a mere instant before falling to the world below. A warmth snaked its way through the village and brought with it, the soothing scent of lavender to a young two tailed fox.
Tails' chest expanded as he drew in a long drawn out breath of the crisp air that gently flowed through his fur. This was the usual highlight of his day; watching the sunrise before setting to work on his beloved biplane. Unfortunately "The Tornado" would have to wait patiently for his return at the JSOC outpost, for he had been summoned to Knothole in order to appear before the Freedom Council.
His ears twitched and twisted in anticipation of what the council's decision would be regarding his proposal. Tails found himself to be filled with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. If the council ruled in favor, he would be able to play a key role in securing the city.
The thought of having his name in a future history book was in fact appealing and enticing, but filling a combat position was sure to have its strains. He'd seen the injuries of returning freedom fighters and the thought of being shot down and taken prisoner was truly unsettling.
"The Freedom Council will now see Miles Prower," a woman's voice cut through his thoughts. With one last deep breath, Tails walked through the threshold of the village's old mess hall. The interior had been completely rebuilt and repurposed; instead of dining tables, several benches had been formed into a semicircle.
The unfamiliar faces that stared at him filled Tails with a mild sense of disquiet and in a mere instant, he felt incredibly small and insignificant. In his peripheral vision, he caught sight of Sonic and his "Aunt" Sally and their mere presence helped to qualm the unease, even if he'd been instructed not to acknowledge them.
"Miles Prower," an old she-wolf at the apex of the semicircle called out while reading from a piece of paper. "You have been summoned to appear before the council, in response to your proposal. You have prior service with the Joint Special Operations Command as a reconnaissance element, is that correct?"
"Yes ma'am," Tails answered flatly.
"Tell me young man, before we deliver our decision," the wolf began and leaned forward to peer over her old glasses, "why are you so eager to fill a combative role at such a young age?"
The fox's body threatened to spontaneously freeze upon hearing the unexpected question. Initially, his vision pleaded to shift left and look toward his maternal figure for guidance, but he ultimately found resolve.
"Councilwoman," Tails began in a more confident manner, "I feel that it is my duty to aid in the effort against Robotnik in any way that I can. I feel that I have fulfilled my purpose as a recon element and I wish to aid my fellow freedom fighters on the front lines."
"Young man, do not think of this council as anserine," The old wolf countered with an amused grin and a shake of her head. "You'd be foolish to think that we are unaware of theatrics that have obviously been rehearsed." She paused to remove her glasses and the purple irises cut right through the fox, "Now tell me Miles, why do you really wish to fulfil this role?"
Tails let forth a sigh, he'd already exhausted his preordained reasoning well before he intended to. Deciding it would be beneficial, he humbled himself before the council and spoke his mind with open candor, "I feel that I owe a debt to my fellow freedom fighters. If it had not been for their generosity and grace, I wouldn't be alive to stand before you this morning. I wish and intend to repay them with my service." Although he hadn't seen them directly, Tails could feel the pride and affection radiating from both Sonic and Sally.
"I see," The wolf replied quietly and sank back into her seat. "Now according to your proposal, the weaponry has already been designed and built by Sir Charles Hedgehog, Rotor Walrus, in addition to yourself is that correct?"
"Yes, that is correct," he answered back.
"In the statement that you provided in your proposal, the sole purpose of this role would be to provide what you referred to as 'Close Air Support.' Would you be so kind as to inform the council of what exactly that means?"
"What that means is I would use my plane and the new weapon system to provide a precision air strike to eliminate or suppress hostile forces. As I'm sure that you are aware of, the knothole freedom fighters have repeatedly been ambushed in the sector, C-19." Tails explained and requested a large map to explain his findings.
Tails' pointed out an access tunnel; ordinarily, the opening would be recessed into a canal, but this particular entryway was slightly exposed at the base of a series of buildings. The small complex provided a perfect vantage point of the surrounding alley ways and was prime real estate, from which to launch an ambush.
"They've been moving into position by using this tunnel. If I can destroy that entrance, the freedom fighters would theoretically be able to move further into the city. Additionally, if we have troops in contact, I can provide close air support to take the pressure off of them. This weapon has the potential to save a lot of lives, Councilwoman Luna," Tails concluded.
"You strike me as a very interesting young man, Mr. Prower. I have never encountered a young individual that is both articulate and motivated in such a way as you. You seem to have a very high potential in this endeavor." The councilwoman said sincerely before addressing the other members, "Unfortunately, due to your age, I must urge my fellow council members to reconsider your proposal."
The chamber quickly descended into a dull roar of murmurs and Tails took the opportunity to finally cast his glance towards the two most important people in his life. He caught a warm smile from Sally and a quick wink from Sonic before the council was called back into order.
"Now hear this," The wolf began, "as the resolution stands, it passes by a ten-five vote. If any member of the council wishes to change their vote raise your hand now."
When no hands raised in response, Luna announced the official verdict, "Let the record show that Miles Prower's combat proposal has passed by a vote of ten in favor and five votes against. This session is adjourn."
With the clack of the gavel, the constant murmuring began once again as the council members departed from their seats. Tails watched as Sally mentioned something to Sonic before approaching him alone. "Walk with me," she requested and gently escorted him out of the hall. He found himself feeling rather anxious concerning what his maternal figure would have to say.
Sally was filled with a mixture of pride, fear, worry, and pain as she looked down upon the young fox. Although he had developed a courageous spirit and a near freakish level intellect, he was still a mere child, yet he'd been relegated to the same fate as her. "Honey I want you to listen to me, okay?" She asked and knelt down before him. "Sonic and I are so proud of you, but we don't want you to think that you have to do this for our sake. It's-"
"I want to, Aunt Sally," Tails cut her off, "I do. I… I just wish I could stay here in knothole more often. Cuz I really miss you guys."
There it was, the occasional crack in the boy's articulate exterior. In these moments she'd catch the glimpse of the adorable eight-year-old he used to be and her heart threatened to break at the thought of losing him all over again. "We miss you too," Sally said and quickly enveloped Tails in a tight hug. Although, he'd be staying one more night in Knothole, she found it nearly impossible to let go of the fox.
Time scurried forward and the sun raced below the horizon, long before Sonic, Sally, or Tails wanted it to. It was their last night together, before Tails would return to his outpost in the reclaimed districts of Robotropolis. As they ate a simple vegetable medley for dinner, they talked about old times and reminisced about their favorite memories.
Sally began giggling at one memory in particular and it garnered the attention of both the fox and the hedgehog. "What?" Sonic asked with a creeping smile.
"Oh, I'm just thinking about how you reacted when you first met Tails," Sally said with a mischievous smile.
"Oh geez," Sonic physically winced as if his embarrassment hit him with a great amount of force.
Tails raised an eyebrow at Sonic's reaction and smile quickly crawled across his lips, "Uh-oh," he said with amusement dripping from his tongue. "What happened?"
The early morning sun hand just barely peaked over the horizon, but Sally was already wide awake. It was neither the map of Robotropolis, nor any other chores that soaked up her attention, rather it was a tiny fox cub that seemed to be selfish with the princess's time.
The baby's little smile and captivating blue eyes made it nearly impossible for Sally to break away from the tiny makeshift crib she'd built. The coos proved to be far more enticing than she'd initially thought and wrapped up with little Miles' presence, she'd blocked out the outside world.
"What're yah doing, Sal?" Sonic's sudden voice caused the chipmunk to jump. The unfamiliar voice and rapid movement of Sally's figure was enough to scare the little cub, who began wailing.
"Nice going speed freak!" Sally chided Sonic harshly, and quickly scooped up the baby.
Sonic simply stared incredulously at Sally with his jaw hanging wide open. Somehow, from somewhere a little baby fox had been produced as if it were magic. He watched as Sally gently rocked the little bundle of fur back and forth and softly shushed the crying child
"Where?" the cobalt hedgehog began with a confused tone, "Where did it come from?"
"His name is Miles," Sally explained with a much less harsh tone, "I found him all alone in the great forest the other night. It's a good thing I found him when I did, it was getting pretty cold at night."
"So that would explain why nobody's seen you in a couple days," Sonic deduced aloud.
"Yeah," Sally stated. There was an undeniable glint of affection in her eyes when she looked at the kit and Sonic noticed that her smile was the biggest and brightest that it had been since Robotnik's coup. A few moments later the baby had calmed down and was happily cooing once more.
A sudden waive of interest washed over the hedgehog when those little blue eyes locked with his, and he almost automatically stuck out his arms, "Can I hold him?"
A tinge of jealousy flashed across Sally's face before she conceded and gently transferred little Miles into Sonic's waiting arms. Almost instantly, the cub began wailing with greater intensity, but unlike before there was a harsh scent radiating from the swaddle.
"What'd I do?" Sonic asked with a newfound irritation and his face wrinkled at the sudden stench.
"Give him here," Sally said with a roll of her eyes. She knew Sonic wasn't the smartest mobian on the planet, but surely even he should be able to figure out why the baby was suddenly crying again.
Gently she placed the cub on the table and loosened the bundle of blankets. Sally was well prepared for both the sight and the smell that would be unveiled, but Sonic was struck with the most foul-smelling stench he'd ever had the misfortune of encountering.
Once he'd overcome his adverse reaction to the smell, his jaw dropped down for the second time. Two little tails laid out beneath the cub and immediately, Sonic was intrigued by the strange phenomenon. He'd never seen or even heard of a fox with two tails or of any mobian with two tails for that matter.
"Woah," was all Sonic could say. "that's way past weird."
"He's not weird," Sally said sharply, "he's unique."
"Yeah, he's real unique alright," Sonic said and waived his hand under his nose.
After several more minutes, the baby was clean and once again content. His blue eyes remained transfixed on the hedgehog and his little arms reached out toward the cobalt speedster.
Sonic's wall of unease crumbled down upon seeing the baby's renewed interest in him and just as before, he stuck out his arms. Sally gently guided the child into his arms, being sure to constantly support the baby's head.
Instantly, a feeling of serenity washed over the hedgehog and his grumpy expression gave way to a wide grin. "babba!" Miles cooed happily and his stubby arms clumsily rose up towards Sonic's nose.
"Hey little bro," Sonic whispered with an audible sense of affection. "How you doing big guy?"
Sally's heart melted at the sight. It was a truly adorable display and it was in fact true that the unruly hedgehog really did have a soft heart after all.
"What?" Sonic asked and snapped out of his trance upon seeing Sally's mischievous smile.
"I thought you said hedgehogs don't make good pushovers," Sally teasingly reminded him of his brutish façade. She released another giggle at Sonic's reddening face and she rapidly closed the distance and planted a quick peck on his cheek and took ahold of Miles in one gentle and effortless movement. "Well you looked pretty soft there, Sonic."
Before she could say another word, Sonic bolted from Sally's hut, leaving her alone with the tiny fox kit. "I think he likes you," she cooed and gently poked the cub's belly.
"So you do have a soft side to yah. Huh Sonic?" Tails asked smugly.
"Can it fox boy," Sonic replied in a threatening manner.
Sally giggled at the sight and answered Tails' rhetorical question, "He sure does. He only lets it out once in a while, ain't that right?"
"You could say that," Sonic replied with a sheepish grin.
More laughter filled the small hut, but before long, Sonic and Tails retired to their own quarters for the night.
The following morning, Sally was awoken by a knock at her door. She groggily rose from her slumber and crossed the domicile and swung open the door. Standing before her was a young two tailed fox with a bouquet of flowers in his hand and a shy smile across his countenance.
The sight caused her heart to swell with affection, but it also filled her mind with grief. Tails was here to say goodbye before he headed back to the outpost. Though he wore a smile, she could see the fear and anguish in his eyes.
Without even saying a word, Sally accepted the flowers from the fox and subsequently wrapped him up in a tight embrace. She heard Tails' quivering voice whisper, "I love you," and in what seemed like an instant, he was gone.
Sally was filled with unspeakable pride for the fox, but her own pessimism greatly overruled any positivity she had in her mind. She was terrified of never seeing him again, but she was equally worried about the experiences Tails was sure to face. She knew the fox kit to be a resilient young lad, one with an undying spirit, but not even the most optimistic would be untouched by the horrors of war.
On the outskirts of the village, light lazily fell through the canopy overhead, like beams cast down from the heavens above. The sights and sounds of the great forest formed a soothing symphony that Tails so often missed.
He'd been stationed at the JSOC outpost on the outskirts of the city for several months already with only quick trips to Knothole allotted every few weeks. Tears threatened to leak from his eyes at the thought of once again leaving home and leaving his family, but his duty would ultimately come first.
Over the course of the following weeks, Tails and Rotor worked tirelessly to install the new weapon system into the Tornado. The equipment had been built and designed by reverse engineering plasma-based weaponry stolen from Robotropolis. With the mechanical wisdom of Rotor and the scientific genius of Sir Charles, a rotary cannon was customarily built to fit the primitive biplane.
"Little further Rote," Tails yelled from inside the aircraft's newly fabricated ordinance bay. As instructed the large square end lurched forward onto an inclined ramp and was subsequently secured in place by several large bolts. "Think she's ready," Tails said and dropped from the red plane, "I'll just need to weld it in place and update the wiring."
"You sure about this whole thing, kid?" Rotor asked and wiped the excess sweat from his brow. His signature yellow ball cap rested proudly atop his head albeit stained with multiple dark splotches of grease.
"Yeah," the fox answered in a confident tone, "Once it's welded to the platform, the cannon won't be going anywhere."
The walrus dug his elbow into Tails' side, "Come on, you know that's not what I'm asking."
"Yeah, yeah, I know." He answered with a softer voice and a concerned expression, "We're getting close to breaking through to the capital, but the others can't do it alone. We've lost enough mobians already, let alone the rest of the freedom fighters. I can't just stay back here and not do anything to help."
Rotor's face fell into a deeper frown as he listened to his cohort's answer. He poured coffee into an old faded mug before asking, "What makes you think you haven't helped enough already?"
Tails released a somewhat exasperated sigh; he'd already had a similar conversation with Sonic and Sally prior to giving his official proposal to the council. "It's not that I don't think I haven't done my part, Rotor. It's just that, the freedom fighters on the front lines need all the help they can get right now and if it weren't for Aunt Sally and everyone else, I wouldn't even be here. For Mobius' sake you should know!"
"Yeah, Tails I do," he nodded, but there seemed to be more to the fox's motivation than just "doing his part." Over the course of the last two years, he'd formed a unique bond like that between a mentor and student. Through said relationship, he had come to know Tails not only as his pupil, but a close friend. "So what? You think you owe us something?"
"I owe everything to you guys," Tails said quietly. "I owe you guys and especially Sonic and Sally everything. I mean when what's his name kidnapped me; how many freedom fighters died trying to rescue me? And how many injuries were there? I know none of it was my fault, but I have an opportunity to repay the freedom fighters for what you all have done. That's why I want to do this."
"Kid…" Rotor began, only to be cut off by the fox in question.
"I've made up my mind, Rote" Tails said flatly with an irritated shake of his head. "Not even Sonic or Sally is gonna change my decision."
Days later, the Tornado was fit for service and tested to make sure the aircraft would even be able to leave the ground. The additional weight had posed initial concerns, but ultimately proved to be manageable with a partial sacrifice of speed and maneuverability. With the biplane safely handling in the sky and even landing with ease, the only element that was left to test was the weapon itself.
The cannon was built with a power conversion system designed to utilize battery cores from fallen SWATBots as ammunition. According to Sir Charles' calculations, each harvested power source would provide 300 plasma rounds each. With the cannon's ability to carry three cores, there would theoretically be enough energy to provide close air support in the form of several large volume air strikes.
The day to test the new equipment had finally arrived and the final preparations had been made. The plan was simple; drop a reconnaissance team of two just outside the target area for observation. IF the weapon produced the desired effect, the final push into the heart of the city would begin. If the results were underwhelming, Tails and Rotor would have to make modifications to the cannon or start from scratch.
"We ready to go, or what?" A male mongoose asked in an agitated manner alongside a grey furred wolf.
"Just about," Tails responded from the cockpit in a flat tone, he never liked working with Ash. Though he was a competent operator, he was often short of temper with extremely thin patience.
A moment later the engine roared to life and the biplane's propeller began to spin until it was a blur of a black circle. The fox mounted a headset that covered his ears and brought a microphone down to his mouth. He looked over at the mongoose and the wolf and pumped his arms up and down, a signal to mount the aircraft.
The two mobians promptly secured their parachutes and climbed onto the rungs that were welded onto the plane's exterior. Once they were aboard, the propeller's speed intensified and the Tornado began to accelerate.
Tails watched the air speed gauges quickly increase and gently, he pulled back on the yoke. The nose of the propeller began to tilt toward the sky and gracefully the aircraft lifted off the ground and sailed into the air.
The bond between the boy and the machine was as mystical as it was indescribable. The way the aircraft lifted off of the world below just as the fox would when using his two tails, made him feel as if he were never alone in the skies above Mobius.
The rush of takeoff and the serenity of flight often combined to form a truly euphoric experience, no matter how many times Tails had left the tarmac. The image of a sky dashed with red streaks would normally bring an undeniable sense of beauty, but unfortunately, even Tails was unable to draw pleasure from the experience. The wonderful sensation had been replaced with a mild sense of anxiety, stemming from the weapon that rested mere inches below his seat.
The sight of metallic structures below broke Tails from his stupor and called out through his microphone, "30 seconds."
As per usual, Tails received no visual confirmation that his teammates had heard his message. Instead his affirmation came when the two mobians simultaneously departed from the plane. Immediately, Tails banked to the right in a large swooping helix and waited for the parachutes to open.
Unsurprisingly, two white splotches appeared amidst the gray skyline. A feeling of relief washed over Tails upon seeing the successfully deployed parachutes. It was a routine occurrence, but he was never alleviated of worry until he received confirmation of his teammates' safe arrival.
"Tornado, this is Hunter 0-1 confirming touchdown and will confirm when in position. Hold traffic." Ash's voice came through Tails' headset.
Ground reconnaissance on any level was especially dangerous and required upmost amounts of concentration as the element was often inserted behind enemy lines. Radio silence was far from a rare occurrence and the lack of traffic often proved to be necessary for not only mission success, but sheer survival as well. The element would often camouflage themselves using the environment around themselves when they weren't actively moving from one waypoint to another.
The two freedom fighters on the ground found themselves in that very situation; tucked under the discarded refuse in the shadow of an alleyway as a platoon of SWATBots marched by. The metallic stomps echoed in near perfect unison and even to the most seasoned warrior, the sound was terrifying.
"Ready Gregory?" Ash whispered quietly. His only answer came in the form of a silent thumbs up and slowly, they rose from the litter and began to maneuver southwest. Their trek was tedious and at times agonizingly slow as they snuck by multiple robotic sentries, but eventually they reached their destination.
Gregory produced a large section map labeled "C-19" from his backpack and laid it out before himself and Ash. The display was comprised of a grid of vertical and horizontal lines that represented 100 square meters with every box the lines formed. Promptly he marked their position as well as the position of the intended target, while Ash set security as a look out.
"Tornado; Hunter 0-1 confirming arrival at observation point, north of target. Element Grid number C-19 2430-0236" the wolf whispered into his wrist communicator. "Target grid number C-19 2330-0531 you are clear and hot."
Tails' voice was slightly gurgled by static, but was understandable none the less, "Tornado copies all. Stand by." The whirring of an engine barely penetrated the sounds of the city as the red biplane circled overhead, "Time to target 15 seconds."
The aircraft banked into a wide turn that transitioned into a slight decline. Seconds later the bottom of the plane glowed with a fluorescent purple and a trail of smoke was left in its wake. The two freedom fighters watched in awe as the blaster bolts slammed into the access tunnel entrance.
The display was a sight to behold, a series of small explosions kicked up a mass amount of dust that quickly enveloped the surrounding area. Only a fraction of a second after the barrage ceased, a sound that could only be described as hundreds of boulders colliding with the ground, reached their ears. Immediately after there was another, equally unfamiliar sound that rang through the sky; an aggressive hum that lasted as long as the barrage did.
The red biplane then leveled out and once again banked into a helix over the targeted area. As the dust cleared, the freedom fighters on the ground surveyed the damage with binoculars.
For a 30 yard stretch the ground was torn apart and rubble dominated the area. The access tunnel entrance had caved in on itself as a result of the unnatural impact. The sight proved to be rather unsettling; massive impact craters scattered across the turf. The sheer level of impact was staggering.
"Good effect on target," Ash reported. "Access tunnel has been destroyed. Hunter 0-1 is egressing south, over."
"Tornado copies all and is RTB at this time to refuel."
"Glad he's on our side," the wolf said warily. "I'd hate to be on the receiving end of that."
As the sun began to sink below the horizon, the mongoose and wolf swiftly made their way southward and out of the city.
A/N: Well there it was, thank you so much for reading! If you'd be so kind, leave a review and let me know what you think! As always Rock on and God Bless!