A Monarch's Corruption
Chapter 2: The Start of Something New
"It has been twenty five years since the events of that dreadful day took place. The world changed greatly since King Shadow took over the Kingdom of Acorn. Laws have changed, and cities have changed. At least where I live now, his influence is only minimal and not as severe as it is back on the mainland ,where his palace is located, the old Palace of Acorn." thought a fox standing out on a small terrace at his house in the middle of a city in the land of Downunda. The yellowish colored fox stood on his terrace looking out at the small city that he now lives in now. He can see people walking the streets going about their normal daily routines. There the occasional Dark Legion soldier walking down the street as well, but most people seem to be used to them now and not really fear them anymore like that used to before. They were now more or less like King's police force all around the world.
That's another thing now a days, King Shadow didn't stop at just taking over the Kingdom of Acorn. King Shadow wasn't happy or at least tolerable until his influenced spread over the entire planet Mobius, and in twenty five years of ruling as the King, Shadow's influence has spread over the entire planet, in at least some form or another. Shadow doesn't care as much about this region as others, and the Dark Legion around here are also much more tolerable since this was the original Echidna home land anyway.
The fox was getting into his thinking when there was a call from behind him inside the house. "Tails? Are you out there on the terrace thinking again? You should come on back inside or finally tell me what has been on your mind lately?" asked yellow looking female mongoose. She had long purple hair, with a black top, and a long purple skirt. She was also wearing a pair and green boots and was smiling over at Tails. She was slightly worried about Tails with how much he has been going out there, but rarely showed it.
"Oh Mina, your home, I didn't hear you come in." he says and turns and walks back into the house and shuts the door behind him. He immediately makes his way over to her and gives her a hug and a small kiss on the lips. Mina smiles gladly returning the kiss when Tails offers it, she not going to deny him a kiss from his wife.
"Dear, you have been standing out on that terrace a lot lately. If you won't tell me what is going on, then I can't help you, or you could at least tell me to get whatever is on your mind off your chest. You know you can tell me anything?" asks Mina letting go from his hug and walks over to the couch and pats it motioning for Tails to sit down onto it right after she sits on down onto the couch already. Tails can't resist a request like that and finally breaks down and goes to sit down next to her. She was right, if he was never going to get this off his chest, it was going to keep bottling up inside of him and picking at him every day until he says or does something about it.
"Now, are you going to be a good fox and tell your wife what is going on here? I want to help you make sense of whatever it is that is bothering you? You have been out there so often, I'm surprised you haven't been wanting your meals out there as well." she says to him, though says it in a small kidding kind of way, but Tails looks back at Mina with a bit more of a serious look on his face than she had. "Dear, it's just ummm, I just can't stand the way things are any more. I thought I could live with the way things are today, but I just can't anymore." says Tails as he shakes his head looking down at the floor. Tails was now looking actually a little depressed about what he has just said and this was greatly concerning Mina seeing him like this.
"Is it something I did Tails? Did someone else do something to you?" she asks very concerned now with whatever is going on since it sounded so serious to him. Mina seriously hoped it wasn't something she did, since if it was, that would be even scarier for her and much more to worry about. Mina just hoped that wasn't the case.
"No no dear, you have done nothing, this isn't about you. You are a wonderful girl, and I am pleased that I have ended up with you. It's just the situation in this world that is finally getting to me, that I can't take it anymore. I thought I could live with it, but I can't anymore." says Tails looking up to Mina and gives her another reassuring smile and nod that this is not about her but about something else. Tails then reaches over and gives Mina a small hug just to me sure Mina knows it is ok.
Once the hug was done and they were looking at each other Mina couldn't help but ask, "Tails is this about the King again? You know that if you were to try anything then you would most likely be killed or thrown in jail for the rest of your life. You need to let it go and just live your life in peace. It's why we moved down here to Downunda and had our family here." she tells him, since he has mentioned something similar to this in the past. However, Tails had never seemed as serious about this before today. It all just sounded like speculation, which in these times could still be considered a jailable offence.
"Mina, I have had a wonderful life here with you for all these years. We have grown to love each other, gotten married and had two wonderful kids, but I still think there is something we can do to fix all of this and get a better life for us and our kids." says Tails to her sounding so serious about this, that it kind of makes her wonder what he is planning or thinking now. There was no telling what Tails might do when he gets super serious like this. Tails was known to jump into situations he shouldn't be in sometimes, but he usually thought them over before he did so.
"Dear, what has made all this come to your mind? We have a perfectly happy life here, and you have never seemed so serious about this before." questioned Mina. Mina was starting to get worried that Tails might be thinking of something that would get him hurt, and Mina wasn't likely to let Tails just run off and do that without a good explanation as to why he would do it.
"I know I haven't, but for one, I miss my friends, my old home, everything I used to love and grew up with. All of that was taken away when Shadow took the throne, and I don't think its right. I just know there is something I could do if I could head back to the west and return to city where all of this started." he tells her still looking serious but also kind of concerned, because he knew the people that lived back on the mainland where he grew up were not as well off as they were down here. Tails and Mina had it good here, but that is because Shadow never cared for this continent at all. It was just too far from his throne for him to care too much about it. Shadow didn't ignore the country, but he didn't do as much as he did to the places closer to him.
"Tails, if you were to return there, you could be thrown in jail or killed. I can't allow you to go back there and have you risk that. If I lose you, I don't know what I will do." says Mina now leaning over and hugging onto Tails tightly. Mina didn't want Tails to do something that might make her lose him like that, but the way he was sounding, that's what he seems to be planning he wants to do. Mina just hoped she was wrong about what she was thinking.
"Mina, listen, I know we have had this talk before, but I can't handle it anymore. If I don't at least try and do something to save this world and find my friends then I don't know what I will do. I haven't seen my family or any of my friends in at least five years. The last time I went to go visit my parents, I just barely was able to see them, since there were so many guards around making sure of what everyone was doing and such. Especially me, when I showed up there in my plane. I haven't seen Sonic in years either. I did hear rumors at one point that he had escaped prison a couple of years back, but then there is the other half of those rumors that say he had been executed. I need to go back and fix things. I need to learn the truth of what is going on in our world and if there is even the slightest possibility of being able to fix anything. I need to at least give it an attempt. I love you a lot and I always will, but if there is a way and I don't take it, then I will be letting not only myself down, but the people of this entire planet who want their normal lives back. We just got lucky that the Dark Legion is pretty lenient and a few are even kind of reasonable here in Downunda, but other places they are so strict that it's not funny. Wouldn't you rather go live and raise our family where you grew up? The city where we spent our earlier years before we fell in love and got married? Well as long as that Tyrant is still in power and oppressing the people of this planet that is not possible. I need try and fix this, even if I just put the smallest spark of change into people's minds, I will feel better about things. However, if I don't go and give it a try, I will never know if I could or not. Do you understand dear?" asks Tails as he finally takes a deep breath and just looks back into Mina's eyes. Tails now just hoping he got through to his wife with that little speech he just gave to her.
Mina was quiet now as she looked right back at Tails and right through his eyes and into his soul. She could tell that this time, these feelings weren't going to pass, and instead of just pushing them off this time, it would probably be best if she didn't fight them this time. She knew she might lose him for this, but she couldn't just deny him this time. "Alright Tails, You have my blessing. I want you to return back to our native lands and find out what you can do to help us all. Even if you don't do it directly I'm sure there is something you can do to help. I'm all for it this time dear, go, the kids and I will stay here where it's safe. No need to put your entire family in danger by going back there." she says and simply smiles back to Tails. This does make Tails smile a lot more and lean over immediately to embrace Mina lovingly in his arms and kiss her on the cheek and keep her wrapped up in his arms.
"Thank you dear, that is all that I ask for from you. I know that this world isn't right and there has just got to be a way to fix it all. However, I will promise you one thing. I will try my best to come back alive for you." he tells her and gives her another kiss but this one straight dead on the lips and not no small one either. This was a deadly passionate kiss that looked like it could last forever as their lips remain pressed together and wiggles around as they continue to kiss each other.
Tails finally pulls his kiss away from Mina and just smiles back at her as Mina does the same back to him. "Why don't you at least postpone this until tomorrow at least? That way we can get you some gear and get all packed up before you leave. If you're going to be away for such a long time, then you should at least be prepared." she tells him.
Tails really couldn't disagree with that and simply nods to Mina. "Yes, I should get prepared for this journey. You always have the best ideas, even ones that slip my mind from time to time." he tells her just keeping that same smile on his face. Tails was rather impressed with that idea, since he was thinking of just rushing out at this moment. Waiting till the next day sounded much better idea now.
"Don't worry, I will have your utility belt and side satchel all packed with essentials by tomorrow when you go." says Mina knowing just the things he would need if he was going to be in a situation like this. Tails has had to do some work around here before, so she already knows some of the things he would possibly need on this trip he is going on.
"Good, I know you're a big help." he says pulling Mina close to him and wraps an arm around her to hold her there close to him. Mina gladly lets Tails pull her over to him and snuggles back up to him, just wanting some more time with him while they can for now. Mina had no idea what might happen during this trip, so she wanted to enjoy what time she had left with Tails before he left.
The rest of the night went rather smooth. It was like any other day after that conversation was finished. The kids made it home not long after the talk, they getting home from their kindergarten, friends houses just in time for dinner. The boy, who looked very similar to how Tails looked when he was younger, only his fur just a tad different style, while the girl looked very similar to her mother when she was young as well. The kids apparently adored their parents and wanted to be just like them, if they were trying to look so close to the way their parents used to look.
Dinner passed by at a normal pace, but that is also when Mina and Tails told the kids what he was going to be doing tomorrow. They did look upset that he was leaving, but they were pretty mature kids and didn't stand in their father's way and respected his wishes. The kids just didn't want to lose their father, since they did love him very much. It didn't take long before dinner was over and Tails and Mina had put the kids to bed so that they wouldn't oversleep and miss him leaving in the morning. Tails went to bed right afterwards, but Mina stayed up a bit longer as she was packing some essentials for Tails that she thought he might need while he is out there doing whatever he is going to be doing. Once she was done, she went and got in bed with Tails, and they went to sleep for the rest of the night so that they would be well rested for when he left.
The next morning, Mina got up early and was in the kitchen making sure she made Tails a nice breakfast before he left. Tails walks in the next morning and immediately sits at the kitchen table to get ready for breakfast, they not waking the kids yet, since it was still too early for them to get up anyway. "So, what's for breakfast this morning?" he asks her and sits there looking ready for his breakfast.
"Just some eggs dear, I wanted you to eat at least sort of light, before you leave, since I know you will be flying for awhile. I figured that flying long distances on a full stomach might not be a good idea." she says now walking over to the table and sitting a plate there in front of Tails.
Tails immediately smiles hearing that, thinking that was a good call as well. He didn't need to be making several pit stops during his journey back to the mainland. "Good call, I wouldn't want that happening." he says to her and starts to slowly start to eat his eggs in front of him.
Once Tails started to eat, Mina left the room for a moment before comings back and sitting a small satchel and a pretty big belt that had many compartments all around it next to Tails. "I did as I said I would as well. I packed up and put some essentials in here for you. In your satchel I put some spare canned food and pouched food for you, that way in case you can't get any food, any other way then you have some food on you to sustain you for awhile. There is a small pocket Knife in this compartment of your utility belt that has a knife, a can opener, a bottle opener, and a small pair of scissors on it as well. Your satchel also has some rope in it, it's not very long, but you never know what you might need it for. There is a small blaster hidden in one of your pouches in your belt, as well as I happened to find two flash grenades in your shop and placed them in there as well. You never know, so I stuck them in there as well. There is a water canine over here, a small med kit in this pouch, some mini binoculars, and matches. There is some paper and some pens in your satchel for whatever you might want them for, some batteries for whatever, though I think that will be used for your blaster if you actually do use it, since those will give it more shots. There are also a few coins and such in your satchel as well. I made sure you had just about anything I could think of that is small and easy to carry with you. Just be sure if you need something from the satchel and you don't want the satchel, you use the one of the belt attachments and attach it to your belt for later use." says Mina and smiles as she sits these things on the table to show him. Tails just smiles as he sat there and ate breakfast during this whole explanation that seemed to last for quite a bit. Mina apparently had packed him pretty full and fast to have all of this ready for him to take on the trip.
Tails sat his fork on down, he already having finished the eggs, since he was eating while she was talking and looked very impressed with her now. "Wow, apparently you really thought this through and packed me many essentials for survival. I didn't know if I would need all of this, but you certainly seem to think I do. I will definitely use all this stuff, I just hope it's not all too heavy for me to carry, but that's what leaving the satchel behind is for if it is." he says and smiles looking over all the gear that she has packed up for him in front of him here on the table.
"Well, I would rather you be a tad over packed than under packed and then later realized you could have used something you didn't have later on you know." she tells him, which did make perfect sense to him. What if Tails did need something that was in this pack of equipment and he neglected to bring it with him? That would spell bad news if he was in a sticky situation.
"Alright, I shall take all of this with me when I head to the airport and take off in my plane." he says nodding and just smiles once again. He was still very impressed with Mina packing all this for him on such short notice. It showed Tails just how much she loves him, if she is willing to do all this just for him.
Tails got on up now and walks over to sit his plate in the sink for Mina and then walks back on over to her. "I guess I will go tell the kids that I'm going, get these things here on me, and I'm out dear. I know that this is all happening fast, but I know it just has to be done. If no one does anything, this world will continue to suffer under his rule." says Tails and looks her right in the eyes hoping she agrees with him now.
Mina couldn't help but just nod and agree with him. "After having a night to think on what you said last night, I have to agree with you. If there is anything we can do to fix this world and make it right again, then it has to be done. Who knows, maybe it was your destiny to make something happen for us all?" says Mina still with a smile on her face, showing she understand fully now the things he has told her. Tails is glad to hear that and just gives her yet another hug to show her his appreciation for what she is doing all for him.
Tails then turns and walks over towards his kid's room. Tails walks inside and sees his kids lying in their two beds still asleep. Tails turns their light on in the room then walks over to their beds and knelt down and gives both of them a light shake since their beds were right close by to each other. It didn't take much to be able to wake them both up at the same time, but that's how he often woke them up anyway. "Kids, can you wake up for a moment please?" asked Tails and gently shook them until they both opened their eyes and leaned on up to see what their dad wanted, but they already knew what it was from what they were told about the day before. "Alright, I know you both know what I am about to tell you, and I'm sorry that dad has to go away for awhile. However, as long as you both keep me within your heart and pray that I am going to be alright, dad will be alright. Don't worry, I'll set it up as well that you two are well looked after, so don't worry about being unsafe with dad not here either. You both are safe and I will be back as soon as I am done with what I need to do. Do you both get what I'm saying here?" he asks them and leans over and gives each of them a kiss on their heads that make them smile when he does it.
The kids were sad that their dad was leaving, so they didn't really say anything just yet, but both of them lean up in the beds and wraps their arms around Tails and hug onto him tightly, they not wanting him to leave and maybe not come back to them. Tails was fighting not to cry since this was hard for him right here to leave his kids behind, but he knew that he had to if he wanted them to be safe. If they were to come with him, then they might be hurt and that was something he would never let happen. Tails would give his own life if it would make his kids be safe from harm.
Once Tails was finished hugging and explaining about what he is doing to his kids, he quietly tucks them both back to bed and leaves the room, putting them back to sleep. They could sleep late today since it was the weekend and there was no school for either of them. Tails silently gets on up and turns their lights back out and leaves the room quietly. Tails then walks back over to the kitchen table where Mina was sitting and eating her own breakfast. "How did they take it?" asks Mina looking up when she sees him walk over towards her.
"Pretty well I think, though all three of us were near tears at one point during that." he says and shakes his head a little bit showing that he was pretty upset about leaving his kids behind like this, but he had to do it. Mina just smiles figuring something like that was going to happen, because she was most likely going to be in tears later today after he leaves and praying for his safety with whatever he does.
Tails reaches onto the table and grabs his belt, which Mina had already repacked back up while he was in there with the kids and saving him a few minutes. Tails had already mentally memorized where everything was so it wasn't like he needed to pack them all up so that he knew where everything was. Tails wraps his utility belt around his waist and clicks it in the front and makes sure it's tight and snug around his waist so that it wouldn't fall if he was running, flying or sliding. Whatever he was doing, that belt needed to hold onto him through it all. Once his belt was secure around his waist, he grabs his side satchel and throws it over his over his right shoulder. Tails then goes over near the door where he keeps more of his accessories he wears now. He grabs his old white gloves and casually slips those onto his hand, but then right afterwards, grabs some brown fingerless gloves and slips those over the white gloves and secures them on both of his hands just like that. He then bends down slightly and slips his feet into his tall brown boots, that he started wearing awhile back and secures these to his feet as well too. He then reaches up onto a coat rack and pulls off a brown looking scarf and wraps this around his neck very loosely that it hangs down around his neck, but it's secure enough that it wouldn't fall off.
Mina sat there and watched as Tails put all his equipment on. Once he was done, Mina walks on over to him and just can't help but give another hug to show that she really didn't want him to leave, but was supporting whatever Tails wanted to do now. Tails smiles and hugs her back before leaning in and gives her another loving kiss on the lips to show how much he loves her. This kiss didn't last that long, but once it was over, they just hold each other in each other's arms and stare in one another's eyes. "I love you Tails." she says and just continues to look in his eyes. "And I love you too my dear." says Tails and gives her one last hug before he slowly lets her go and opens the door walking into the hall. Tails turns and takes one last look back at Mina, who continues to look right into his eyes. Tails smiles once more and blows her a single kiss that she immediately returns. Tails shuts the door behind him as he leaves to start his journey.
Tails makes his way down the stairs from their full floor apartment home and down to the street, locking the outside door. Only people that live in the building have a key to get in, for safety reasons. Tails makes his way on down the street now, he going to head to airstrip where his plane is stored when not in use. As Tails is making his way down the street, he is waved out by a few people that he knows. There are even a few Dark Legion soldiers that wave to him or shake his hand, since he's been here for awhile not making trouble. They are actually pretty friendly in this area unlike in other parts of the world, though this is partially because the population here isn't that concerned with them being around at all.
Tails makes it to about midtown where there used to be a pretty nice fountain, but the fountain was replaced with a statue of the goddess Maria that everyone worships now. Anyone that knew Shadow before he took over would know exactly why Maria was now the new goddess of the world, but not many people seem to mind that at all since she was beautiful and did remind many people of a goddess so everyone just prayed to her constantly for prosperity and a better future pretty often. Her statue often had people on their hands and knees praying to it a few times a day. Tails and his family have done so on occasion, but it's not something they do heavily. Tails passes by the statue, placing a single coin in the coin box that sits there next to the statue that gives donations to their church before he continues on down the street to the airstrip.
Once Tails gets to airstrip, all he has to do is show his empire ID and the guards allow him to enter the airstrip so that he could go get his plane out of his private hangar. Tails puts his key into the little side door and enters into the hangar and presses a button nearby that makes the shutter in front of his plane. As the shutter is coming up Tails reaches over and pulls the dust cover off his plane and throws it over to the side, to show his bright yellow and sparkly colored plane that he has built about a few years ago. It was more for casual flying, but it could handle normal long distance flights. It was built as a two passenger plane with controls in the front and in the back, but normally, Tails just flew it alone.
As the shutter gets all the way up a single Dark Legion soldier looks into the hanger carrying a small clip board in his hand. "Well, Mr. Prower, I see we are going out for another flight today are we?" asks the soldier, this making Tails turn and look and smile seeing which soldier it is. It wasn't unusual for someone to come and make sure the correct people were getting into the right planes for security purposes.
"Oh hi Joe, yep, but I'm going on vacation for a little while." says Tails taking his side satchel and throwing it into the seat of his plane, where it would be at his side while he is flying. Tails figured he might as well tell he is going on vacation instead of going to do what he is planning on doing. That would raise red flags right away.
"Vacation? Where's your family then?" he asks walking over and actually removing his hood to show that he was a brown colored echidna with yellowish looking eyes and long brown dread locks. However, two of them are metal like most Dark Legion soldiers dreadlocks are. The echidna was at the same time looking over at Tails's plane as he is chatting with Tails now.
"They aren't coming, this is more of a business vacation you know?" says Tails as he steps off the wing of his plane and on down over towards the echidna. Tails figured business would be a better word for it, rather than trying to make a change in the world. This way he wouldn't raise any suspicion with his friend here.
"Ah, well, just gotta document you heading on out as usual, that way we know who is in and out, and if we need to send search parties and such you know, the usual." says Joe and just hands out the clipboard towards Tails, which he immediately takes to sign.
As Tails is signing his name to the form he questions Joe some more. "Hey Joe, would you mind while I'm away, if you could see if you could swing it with the guards if you can get them to have an extra patrol pass by my apartments just to make sure my family is ok while I'm away. I don't know how long I will be gone, but it would be very much appreciated you know?" asks Tails as he hands the clipboard on back to the brown echidna. Tails figuring he might as well asking, since this soldier was a friend of his, after going out from the hanger so often and seeing him so much.
Joe takes the clipboard and nods to Tails. "I'll see what I can do and hope you have a good trip. I'll be here when you get back and won't let anyone mess with your stuff here your hangar man." he says and walks on out of the hangar and immediately puts his hood on back up.
"Thanks Joe, see you later." says Tails and climbs back up onto the wings and hops into the pilots seat of his plane and then press a button to immediately start the engines firing up. The engines sputter alive and the blades on the front start to spin mega fast and normal, there seeming to be no problems at all with the plane as Tails checks all his gauges to make sure there wasn't anything he needed to do before he left the hangar. When Tails didn't see anything that needed any attention, he presses the peddle on the floor of the plane, and the plane finally starts to move forward and on out of the hangar over towards the runway. As Tails pulls out, he presses a button inside his plane that makes the hangar he just came out of start to close up and shut tightly so no one will go in there and mess with any of his tools and plane supplies he keeps in his hangar here. As Tails is slowly moving down the road towards the runway, he slips his headset onto his head and tunes it into the frequency it should be on and head onto the runway.
Once Tails makes it onto the runway, he stops at the end of his usual runway he takes off from and speaks out. "Do I have clearance to take off?" asks Tails to the people in the tower nearby, but there is soon a response to his question over his headset. Tails knew it wouldn't take that long for a response since the runway was almost always clear for him to take off right away from.
"You're clear Mr. Prower, clear skies and no activity, you are free to take off." says the voice over the headset, this making Tails smile that he has clearance and immediately presses the gas and makes his way speedily down the runway towards the end of it, but right before he reaches the end of the runway, he pulls back on his control stick and the plane takes off into the air and off to destination and adventure.
To Be Continued……