Disclaimer: Sonic the Hegehog, Miles ‘Tails’ Prower, Amy Rose, Omochao, The Jet Anklet, Emerald City (as in their version not from The Wizard of Oz) and Mobius are copyright Sega. Batman and The Flash are copyright DC Comics., JC Denton is copyright to ION Storm and Eidos. GameCube is copyright Nintendo. I do not own any of the copyrighted characters mentioned in this story and am just using them for fun. This story is non-cannon in the Sonic universe. Please do not sue me.
* * *
Mark worked as a support technician for Gamera Industries; a company that produced games for various console systems as well as the PC. Entry-level employees started with support for issues with their games and sometimes offering tips. Mark had worked for the company for eighteen months. The twenty-four year old had gone to college to train as a programmer and this job seemed a perfect way for him to attain that title. Although he enjoyed the job, the problems he faced were sometimes mundane and repetitive, leaving him feeling as though he were in a. He sought a challenge in life to showcase his abilities. His job thus far was not providing one.
After a long and exhausting Friday, he could barley keep his eyes open as he reclined in his seat on the bus as it traversed the route leading to a stop a few minutes walk from his house. He scratched at his five-o-clock shadow, sitting up and yawning when he saw his stop was close. He disembarked into the warm afternoon when the bus arrived at and stopped at his stop ten minutes later. He pulled the cord to indicate that was his stop.
Yawning, he walked at a slow pace towards his home; happy that if nothing else, at least his job paid well enough to afford him a decent house in a good neighborhood. Walking onto his street and up to his house, he unlocked the door, walked in and closed the door behind him. Sliding his shoes off and throwing the keys onto the kitchen counter, he sauntered into the living room, plopping himself on the couch.
Picking up the TV controller, he started to flip through the stations. As was usual for 6:15 PM, there wasn’t much on. Lying back, Mark considered what to do. He was too burnt out to want to do anything on the computer; besides most of his online friends didn’t come on until a bit later on a Friday night.
He didn’t feel like cooking anything, so he decided to order his favorite type of pizza, a large with pepperoni, onions and bacon. Walking upstairs, he groaned as he undressed. Removing his tie felt like removing a leash, removing his shirt and pants like casting off the stress of a long workweek. Putting the work clothes into the hamper, he got dressed in more comfortable blue jeans and a blue tee shirt before heading back downstairs and putting the kettle on.
The water was almost boiling when the telephone rang. Mark looked at the call display and discovered it was his parents calling. Wondering that they wanted, he picked up the phone.
"Hello?" he asked.
"Hi, Mark," it was his mother. "I was wondering if you could watch of Paul for this evening? Your father and I are going to a show and dinner and we need someone to look after him."
Mark had no other plans for that evening and at ten years old, his brother was too young to be home alone for more then an hour or two. Since he lived ten minutes from his parents, them dropping off his brother weren’t too big of a problem.
"Yeah, I guess so," Mark answered.
"Sorry for such short notice, the Johnson’s would watch him but they’ve disconnected their phone. The tabloids wouldn’t stop calling them, so we don’t blame them."
"No, it’s okay, I’ve ordered a pizza and they’ll be enough for both of us so it’s okay. Why are the tabloids harassing the Johnson’s?"
"Didn’t you hear that Kyle vanished a few weeks ago? They’ve apparently told the police what happened but any information about the case is classified. They aren’t talking about it but they insist he’s all right. Paul can tell you more, His friend’s brother is friends with Kyle," she said.
"Isn’t he the conspiracy nut?"
"Yes and he’s been talking to Paul. Anyway, we’ll drop Paul off in ten minutes; see you then."
"Bye."
Mark’s parents arrived on schedule ten minutes later. He answered the door seconds after the doorbell rang, finding his mother and brother standing there. His mother was dressed in fancy clothes, and his brother in blue jeans and a brown tee shirt with a picture of a cartoon kangaroo on it. Paul stomped into the house behind Mark. Mark noticed Paul was holding a couple of papers, tabloids by the look of them.
"Must be a fancy show," Mark said.
"It is, suit and ties, the whole thing. We should be home by twelve at the latest," his mother said.
"Sounds like fun. You guys have fun," Mark said.
His mother nodded before walking back towards the car. Closing the door behind her, Mark turned to see Paul had discarded his shoes on the floor.
Mark walked back into the living room and picked up Paul’s shoes, noticing Paul was already playing with his GameCube, playing one of his racing games. The two papers lay open to Paul’s right.
"Hey squirt," Mark said.
"Hey! Don’t call me that!"
"Sorry, so what’s this about Kyle disappearing?"
"You didn’t hear?" Paul asked, half-paying attention to Mark, evidenced by his concentration on the game.
"I’ve been busy and I don’t watch the news; too depressing," Mark answered, sitting down on a leather chair in front of the TV.
"His parents said he’s fine but everyone’s saying they’re not allowed to tell anyone what happened. These papers say what happened, other newspapers won’t tell the truth," Paul said, pointing to one of the papers.
Mark picked one of the appears up and saw the article; beside was a picture of what appeared to be a humanoid fox with two tails playing basketball with a handful of children Paul’s age. Mark read over the article, rolling his eyes at what he was reading.
"It’s so cool; Kyle got turned into Tails!"
Mark looked at another picture; one showing the same fox with Kyle’s mother. He did indeed bear a substantial resemblance to Tails.
"Paul, these tabloids are no more real then a video game!"
"But," Paul protested "they have pictures of him flying over to his house. How can they fake that?"
"You can fake almost anything with computers. Believe me bro, people don’t become Sonic characters. If Kyle is Tails now then where is he? If the Johnson’s had Tails living with them, I’d think the more legitimate news sources would have said something!"
Pausing the game, Paul looked up at his brother.
"That’s just it! They won’t say anything ‘cause they don’t wana scare people! That’s what Sean said; he thinks it’s a conspiracy. Kyle’s so lucky, imagine how cool being Tails must be!" the boy said, standing up and waving his arms about with excitement. "He gets to have adventures all day and never has to go to school or take a bath!"
Mark rolled his eyes before chuckling.
"Well squirt you’re not Tails, so you have to put up with both!"
Paul hung his head and appeared sad.
"You don’t believe me do you?"
Mark knelt down and touched his brothers’ shoulders.
"I’m not saying you're lying. The pictures look real but they aren’t. As much as even I’d like to think it’s possible, we can’t let our imaginations cloud our judgment."
"What’s that mean?" Paul asked.
"Well, like if something bad happened to him. By believing this," Mark said, pointing to an image of Kyle hovering by his house. "We might end up hurting him if something bad has happened."
"But what if that’s really what happened to ‘em?"
"Then the world is a far stranger place then I thought. If something turned Kyle into Tails, it could do the same to us!" Mark responded, standing up.
"Cool!"
Mark decided to humor his little brother a bit. The kid in him wanted the pictures to be real but the adult him in thought it knew better.
"Maybe not; we can’t all be the main characters. What if you became a bad guy?"
"Ick!" Paul replied, sticking out his tongue as he cringed.
Mark smirked and petted his brother on the head.
"Yeah, I know. So, don’t be so quick to stop being Paul and start being some video game character," Mark said as he sat down in the leather chair. "I always wondered something about those games. With all the species they have, they’re no raccoons. They’re a popular species; it seems weird Sega never included one."
"Beats me," Paul answered.
Mark shrugged his shoulders.
"The pizza will be here soon, I’m going to get the dishes ready," Mark said.
As he finished that sentence, Mark felt dizzy with the sensation of water flowing over him for several seconds. The feeling faded and he elected to ignore it. Little did he know that someone with a solution to his problems knew of his desire for more challenges in life.
Walking into the kitchen, Mark reached up to a cupboard. Opening the cupboard, he retrieved two large dishes and placed them on the counter along with two plastic blue glasses, some paper towels and two cans of pop from the fridge.
An itching sensation mushroomed from the center of his back, hitting his shoulders and rear end. Mark assumed it was stress related and only fidgeted. The doorbell rang, interrupting him. Mark grabbed his wallet from the kitchen counter and walked over to the front door. Opening the door, he saw the pizza deliveryman standing there with the pizza in its protective case. The deliveryman took the pizza out of the case, placing the case on the ground.
"That’s one large pepperoni, bacon and onion pizza; that’s $14.50," he said.
As Mark handed the man the money, he noticed the man looking at him as though something was wrong. Mark’s jaw was itchy, as though he needed a shave.
"Everything okay?" Mark asked.
As the guy handed Mark his change, he nodded.
"Yes, everything’s fine; you … um just looked familiar for a few seconds but I was wrong," he answered.
"Um, okay then. Well, thanks!" Mark said, taking the pizza and putting the change in his pocket.
"No problem sir; good day!" the man said before picking up the protective jacket and walking off.
Closing the door behind him, Mark brought pizza into the kitchen. When he put it on the counter, he scratched at his chin, feeling significant hair growth that felt softer and finer then any hair he’d ever touched.
"Paul, the pizzas here; come and get it!" Mark said, rubbing his chin with his right hand.
Paul bolted into the kitchen, grabbing one of the plates Mark had set out.
The itching on Mark’s back intensified, spreading to his sides and stomach. He initially fingered an allergic reaction as the cause of his discomfort but couldn’t think of anything that he’d eaten that could've caused one.
"I love pizza, what’d ya get on it?" he asked, sounding perhaps a bit too energetic.
"Pepperoni, bacon and onions," Mark responded, itching his chest, "why is it so hot in here?"
Looking at his fridge, Mark saw via his distorted reflection that his beard had indeed developed days of growth in an hour.
"Whoa!" Paul exclaimed.
"What?" Mark shouted with a trembling voice.
"Your beard is growing so fast I can see it happening right now!"
"You’re joking right?" Mark responded, concern and curiosity gripping him.
"No! How come your beard’s blue?" Paul asked.
Having had enough, Mark ran into the bathroom and closed the door. Looking into the mirror, he saw that his beard now covered his entire jaw, looked and felt like fur! Even worse, its color was blue instead of his normal brown!
Elsewhere, navy blue fur was forming on his face, everything but around his eyes, where it seemed to be turning black. Even his eye color was changing, turning from a blue into what appeared to be a shade of green.
His entire torso now itched like crazy and was roasting. Throwing off his shirt, he gasped when he saw his face wasn’t the only thing with fur growth. Blue fur covered his chest with navy blue elsewhere, which he confirmed by turning around and looking back at the mirror.
Okay, there’s a rational explanation for this!
He did his best to calm down and put his shirt back on, noticing that it now seemed a little too big for him. His jeans felt loose and for some reason the clothes were starting to feel awkward on him.
Paul knocked on the door a few seconds later, startling Mark.
"Are you okay? How come your face has blue hair on it?"
Mark noticed the developing fur on his face and torso now included his arms; the strands of brown hair on them twitched as they became one with the fur. He looked at the white door, fearful of how he was going to respond.
Okay, I can’t stay in here forever. I’ve got to get help or something!
His hand trembling as he saw black fur emerging on it, Mark opened the door. Paul looked at his brother and let out a shocked gasp.
"Don’t panic!" Mark said, unsure he’d be able to follow his own advice.
"It’s so cool! What if you’re like Kyle? I wonder who you’re becoming?" Paul asked.
"This isn’t cool Paul, and I’m not becoming a character; there has to be another explanation!’
Mark’s torso felt odd, as though it was getting a bit plumper and his legs itched. The top of his head tingled and he felt his hair growing when it touched ears that seemed higher on his head. Warmth and a dull pain surrounded his jaw; attention to which was distracted when Mark felt as though he was falling. The entire room seemed to grow, as his clothes grew several sizes for him in seconds. Mark grabbed at his pants, holding them up in a desperate attempt to stay decent.
Paul laughed as Mark found himself at eye level with his brother, a stature for Paul that should have been a decade away.
"It’s so cool, your eyes are turning green like emeralds! I was right! Those stories are true" he said, jumping and smiling as he pointed right at Mark.
Feeling something pushing at the back of his pants, Mark didn’t have to what it was.
"Oh man, I think I’m growing a tail!" Mark lamented, noticing his voice sounded a bit higher pitched, possibly a little younger.
"Why ya keeping your pants on? It’s not like you’re gonna need em anymore!" Paul said.
"Paul, I can’t go around like that, especially not in front of you!" Mark replied.
Mark did however, realize his clothes felt restricting and awkward. Something inside of him wanted them off, seeing them as more for style then warmth or modesty. The pressure his forming tail exerted in the seat of his pants was now painful, leaving him with little choice.
"All right but look away just in case," Mark replied.
Paul turned around and Mark let his pants fall to the ground before removing his shirt. With a gasp, he realized the progress of the changes to his body. His torso was plumper, looking consistent with a Mobian appearance. Blue fur covered his chest and navy blue fur covered the rest of his torso. Brown hair no longer covered his legs, now the same navy blue fur from his torso covered them. It was an exotic, yet even in his fear and denial gripped mind, fascinating appearance.
As he turned to run into the bathroom to look at his face, he felt something move behind him. He could feel the air on it. Turning his head, he saw that he now sported a long bushy tail with four black rings and a black tip. The tail had just missed Paul. Somehow, Mark knew this appendage was a potential weapon and its missing Mark was a good thing.
I wonder if I can move this thing.
As Paul watched, Mark concentrated on trying to move his new tail. At first it twitched, moving to his right slightly.
"What’s it feel like?" Paul asked.
"I…" Mark started, feeling a wave of dizziness followed by euphoria. Standing tall, in an instant he knew how to use the tail. Grinning, he moved it back and forth, feeling the breeze it created ruffling its fur.
"This is so cool; if this can happen to you, then that means Kyle really is Tails! I wonder what he’s doing! I wish this could happen to me!" Paul gasped.
With his jaw warm and still hurting, but the feelings subsiding, Mark entered the bathroom and looked at his face. He now had a muzzle, complete with black nose; tufts of fur were at the end of the blue fur on his jaw. Triangular ears now adorned the top of his head and he had longer navy blue hair that had somehow formed its way into a pony tail; while an atypical look for a guy, it contributed to his exotic appearance. He had to admit he was cute looking; his appearance interesting and perhaps what he’d pictured a Mobian raccoon’s appearance.
Me and my big mouth. How am I supposed to explain this to my boss?
Mark looked at his torso; realizing he didn’t need clothes for modesty; he’d opted against putting any on for the time being.
He felt Paul touching his tail, a strange new sensation that took him a moment to recognize. He turned his head and regarded his brother.
"So, can you use your tail to fly, or can you run real quick or smash boulders?" Paul asked.
"I’m not sure," Mark replied.
Hear sounds and smelling scents at the new level his Mobian body allowed him, Mark smelled the pizza. A new hunger from within him took over. "Can’t talk now, must eat!"
Edging himself past Paul, Mark at first walked carefully. His new tail had altered his center of gravity, and it took him a few seconds to grow used to it. Once he did, he ran into the kitchen to the pizza. He jumped and grabbed the box, taking five of the ten slices and putting them on his plate before putting the box back. Energy that seemed to come from nowhere was awakening within him and his burnout mentality was melting away.
He picked up and bit into the first slice of pizza, Its divine taste exploding in his mouth as its aroma tickled his nostrils. He’d devoured the initial slice within seconds and repeated the process with the next four slices.
Turning around, Mark felt elated. His fatigue and burnout were replaced with a playful energy. He didn’t know how or why but he felt different somehow. He licked his lips as he saw Paul staring at him from the hallway, the boys’ expression fascination. Mark found the humans’ enchantment charming. It took Mark a few moments to realize he’d thought of a human as a different species.
For an embarrassing few moments, Mark realized he wasn’t wearing anything. He felt as though he should wear more then just gloves and footwear; assuming that perhaps he’d be one of the few anthro Mobian males to wear a top.
"Sorry about my lack of clothing bro."
"You’re not naked; you’ve got your fur!"
"Yes but I don’t have my gloves, shoes or shirt!" Mark said.
What am I doing? I’m thinking of these things as normal? Why do they feel normal? This is so strange.
"Your shirt? Only girls from Sonic wear shirts!" Paul said.
Paul poked at Mark’s chest fur. Looking his brother right in his brown eyes, Mark assumed the boy was just curious.
"So, what’s it feel like? Kyle must be having so much fun right now, flying around and going on adventures. Maybe you’ll get to meet him? I wonder how he’ll feel about you? Maybe I’ll get to be someone to. You’re so lucky to have something so cool happen to you!"
"Mom and dad might disagree," Mark replied, rubbing his chin.
Paul was right however; Mark did wonder how Kyle was doing. He’d started out as a nineteen-year-old; Mark seemed to know that he was around twenty-one now, only a difference of three years. If those tabloids were correct, Kyle had become a character that was eight years old. Mark wondered how that felt for Kyle and imagined fighting along side him.
"I’m sorry for doubting you Paul," Mark said, hanging his head a bit.
"That’s okay, you were trying to help. I didn’t think this sort of stuff happened for real either and it seemed so cool to think it was true. People always say this stuff isn’t possible, now that it is, life seems so much cooler!"
"But why me? I don’t think I can fly or run fast or smash stuff but … I do seem to understand other things,"" Mark asked.
"Like what?"
"Well, I always did like games where you can sneak around and knock enemies out rather then killing them. I also enjoyed hacking into computers in them, not in real of course. Before, it seemed like a game; now I feel as though I have those skills for real."
"Cool, you’re like Batman!"
"Or JC Denton," Mark grinned.
"Who?" Paul asked.
"A character from a game, his brothers is named Paul too," Mark responded.
"So, what’cha gonna call yourself? Those guys never use their real name. I bet’cha Kyle will hate it if you call him Miles," Paul giggled.
"I’m not sure; I have a mask, maybe Bandit?" Mark suggested.
"Na, doesn’t sound right," Paul said, walking around Mark. "Oh, I know!" he said, pulling at Mark’s tail.
"What?"
"How about Rings? You’ve got those rings on your tail; Tails has his two tails, so why not?"
"Hmm," Mark said, scratching his chin. "Yes, Rings, I like the sound of that."
Paul giggled,
"You’re Rings! Come on Rings, let’s go play outside and see what you can do!"
"I don’t know, what if someone sees us?" Mark asked, nervous over the prospect of the police or animal control chasing after him.
As if they could catch me
Wherever that thought originated, it installed in him confidence that he hadn’t of felt in years. Looking at his brother, Mark saw him in a different light; Paul was someone to protect from the ones who would to hurt him. Mark was never much of a team player but now his abilities would be an asset to a team. Now he’d be part of something bigger. He felt liberated from the rut he was stuck in. No longer a daydream, being a hero was now a reality.
"I don’t think I can let people see me like this; the world isn’t ready for a talking raccoon," he said.
"Oh okay. So where did Kyle go?" Paul asked.
"I don’t know how but I know Kyle is all right and that he’s having a good time. I need to tell his family; they know where he is; they need to know he’s not alone and that he’ll have someone to take care of him." Mark walked over to the closet by his front door and pulled out a light gray hooded jacket.
"We’ll have to be careful; this coat should prevent anyone from seeing what I look like. I think the Johnson’s only live a few blocks from here; we should be able to walk the distance," Mark said as he slipped the coat on.
Mark could smell the human scent on it; it seemed alien to him now. When he kept his tail down behind his legs and the hood up, the coat covered everything. Unless someone walked right up to him, they wouldn’t see what he was.
"I wish I could change too; then I could go on adventures with Kyle," Paul said.
"Be careful what you wish for bro," Mark said.
"What’da ya mean? You’re so cool looking and I bet ya got all kinds of powers and stuff," Paul responded.
"A few hours ago, this was impossible as far as I knew," Mark started, facing his brother and pointing to his body for emphasis. "Now I’ve become something that should only exist in the world of fantasy. If this is possible, anything’s possible. Even if you did change, it’s too dangerous for you to go on adventures at your age."
"But Tails is only eight and he does okay," Paul responded.
"That’s just a video game, it’s not real!"
"But … you’re real!" Paul pleaded.
"I … I know but I couldn’t have you risking your life!"
"Don’t ya worry, I’d be fine."
Rubbing his little brothers head, Mark grinned at him.
"Let’s hope we won’t have to worry about it. Come on, let’s go see Kyle parents."
Mark retrieved his keys from the kitchen counter and both walked out the front door, Mark closing and locking it behind him.
Standing in the sun, Mark was at first mesmerized by the scents and sounds of the outdoors. Never before had he experienced them in such vivid detail; sounds previously a mere whisper were now loud and clear; scents formerly hidden to him now stimulated his mind. He felt alive, a part of the outdoors.
He and Paul walked for thirty minutes, making sure to keep to side streets as to avoid someone seeing them. When they arrived at Kyle’s house, Mark took a deep breath and led Paul up Kyle’s parent’s driveway and then towards their front door; reaching it, Mark rang the doorbell.
"I’m going to stand off to the side Paul, you talk to them at fist, I don’t want to alarm them," Mark said.
Kyle’s mother opened the door just as Mark stood off to the side.
"Hi Paul," she said.
"H…hi," Paul stammered.
"What’s wrong dear?"
"I know what happened to Kyle … for real," Paul said.
"We’ve heard what the tabloids are saying but I assure you, it isn’t true," Kyle’s mother said.
Mark took that as his queue and stepped behind Paul looking down so Kyle’s mother wouldn’t see him.
"It’s all right, we know it’s true," he said, lowering his hood.
Kyle’s mother nearly fainted at the sight.
"Who’s at the … door?" Kyle’s father asked.
"I … please … come in," Kyle’s mother said.
Paul and Mark walked into the house and Kyle’s mother closed the door behind them.
Five minutes, the quartette was in Kyle’s parent’s living room; Kyle’s parents sitting on the couch, Mark and Paul standing on the floor. Mark had reluctantly removed the coat; although it was starting to feel more comfortable without clothes; it still felt weird. He stood there as Paul grabbed at his tail; perhaps, the young man guessed partly with fascination and with envy. Mark has told Kyle’s parents what had happened to him.
"So, that’s what happened to me. We don’t know why," Mark said. Although, maybe I should learn to keep my mouth shut. No Mobian raccoons indeed.
"How do you know about Kyle? Have you seen him?" Kyle’s mother asked.
"No … it’s hard to explain. I know he’s all right and I know I’ll see him soon. Trust he, he’s having lots of fun where he is," Mark responded.
"He seemed so excited about what happened to him … I hope he’s not taking any risks … I don’t want him getting in over his head," Kyle’s father said.
"Mark, can you do us a favor?" Kyle’s mother asked.
"I’d be happy to," Mark replied.
Kyle’s mother stood up, walking over to mark, she knelt down and put her hands on Mark’s shoulders and looked him in the eyes.
"I … we need you to promise us you’ll look out for him; help him out if he gets in any trouble. He seemed to think we’d be joining him soon. I don’t know if something’s going to happen or not but if it doesn’t and we can’t see him again; will you take care of him?"
Kyle’s father joined the duo.
"Kyle’s a good kid but he’s a bit of a dreamer. We’re worried he’s taken this too lightly. I know it’s a lot to ask but when you do see him; keep an eye on him for us," he said.
"Don’t worry, I’ll keep a look out for him," Mark said.
"And if I change too, I can be his friend now. Being friends with Tails would be so cool!" Paul said.
"Don’t be in too much of a rush for this to happen Paul, I have a feeling all of this is going to a major responsibility for me; it won’t all be fun and games," Mark said. Taking Kyle’s mother’s hands into his own, he gazed into her eyes. "Kyle’s in good hands."
Kyle’s mother hugged Mark and when she released it, Kyle’s father shook Mark’s hand.
"A month ago, if someone told me we’d be telling a Mobian raccoon to take care of our son turned Mobian fox, I’d probably have called the men in white coats," he said.
"Mr. Johnson, if someone told me this was going to happen to me … I’d have called them myself," he chuckled.
"We’d better tell Mom and Dad," Paul said.
Kyle’s parents nodded and Mark retrieved his coat and put it back on before he and Paul started towards the door.
"One more thing," Kyle’s mother asked.
"What’s that?" Mark asked, turning his head.
"Tell Kyle that we love him and that we’re proud of him; you too dear, I know you’ll make your parents proud," she said. Looking towards the stairwell, she blinked. "Actually, there’s one more thing; I’ll be right back."
Kyle’s mother went upstairs. When she came back, she was carrying an anklet, it shined slightly in the light; which appealed to Mark’s raccoon side. Kyle’s mother walked up Mark before handing to him.
"What’s this?" he asked.
"An anklet, he used to like wearing it; he’ll know it’s from us," she answered.
Mark nodded, smiling at her.
"Don’t worry … he’ll get the message; I’ll make sure of it," Mark said.
Mark and Paul left the Johnson residence and headed back to Mark’s house.
* * *
Neither said much until they were a few minutes from Mark’s house.
"So, you think you’re going to Mobius then?" Paul asked.
"I do … I don’t know why I know but I just do," Mark answered.
Paul sniffed in upset.
"But if I haven’t changed like you, does that mean I won’t ever? We’ll never see each other again!"
"Don’t worry bro, we will … trust me on this," Mark replied.
"How do you know all of this stuff?" Paul asked.
"I can’t explain it; I just know. It’s like I know how to be Rings. I don’t just look like him on the outside; I feel like Rings!"
"It sounds so cool. It’s not fair," Paul said, folding his arms and pouting. "I wana be like you; I wana go on adventures too!"
Mark smiled at his brother.
"Just hang on for a while bro; your time will come."
When they entered Mark’s house, Mark took off the coat, feeling odd without clothes but not indecent. They played GameCube until Paul started to tire. Not wanting to leave his brothers side, Mark allowed Paul to lay on him on the couch watching TV while the waited for their parents; Paul soon feel asleep. Mark was starting to drift off when he heard his parent’s car pulling into the driveway. Mark opened his eyes and smiled at the cute sight of his brother sleeping with him as a makeshift bed and pillow. Shaking Paul a little, he whispered towards him.
"Hey dude, Mom and Dad are back; you gotta wake up," he said.
Weary eyed; Paul sat up and looked at Mark.
"It wasn’t a dream? That’s so cool!"
Paul climbed off the couch and faced the door as Mark stood to his right.
They’re going to find out their son is a raccoon. They’re going to call the police of animal control or something.
Their parents opened the door a minute later. Mark could smell cigarette smoke as well as the smell of a lot of people he didn’t know on their clothes. Mark was too nervous to feel embarrassment over his lack of clothing.
"Mark we’re home," his mother said, seeing Paul.
"Who’s the guy in the animal costume?" she asked.
"Um Mom … this isn’t a costume … it’s my body," Mark said.
"Whoever it is, it sounds like your brother Mark," their Mother said.
"Paul, what did we say about letting strangers into the house? Where’s Mark? What’s going on?"
Both of their parents charged over to them, trying to put distance between the two of them.
"He’s not a stranger!" Paul protested, grabbing onto Mark’s torso.
"Mom … Dad … I know this is going to sound insane but it’s me … Mark. This isn’t a costume … I’ve become a raccoon person. Please, touch my fur, whatever it takes, you’ll see I’m real," he said.
As their mother forced Paul to let go of Mark, their father touched Mark’s chest fur and poked him around his back.
"I never thought you the type to have a ponytail. Speaking of having a tail," he said.
Oh man, don’t grab at my Tail; I hate it when people do that!
His father grabbed at Mark’s tail; sending a wave of pain through his body.
"Dad, please not the tail; that hurts! I know it’s hard to accept but I am a raccoon. I also still your son!"
"He’s telling the truth Mom and Dad; I saw him change myself!" Paul said.
His father looked at his mother and sighed.
"That’s not a costume; he’s a flesh and blood raccoon person."
"All right, let’s hear it then Mark. What happened to you?"
Mark told the story of what had happened to him and of his visit to Kyle’s house. He even retrieved the anklet from his kitchen. His mother sat down on the couch afterwards.
"You’re telling me you now have fur and a tail and don’t wear clothes and the Johnson’s son is now a twin-tailed fox child and he’s gone to a magic world?" she asked.
"I’d say you have to be joking or are insane if the evidence wasn’t standing here before us," their father said, folding his arms.
"Why you?" their mother asked.
"Yeah, why not me?" Paul asked.
"Please Paul, not now!" his mother scolded.
"Sorry."
"I think it’s because I need to protect Kyle somehow. His parents want me to keep an eye on him. Maybe this needed to happen to me because of something I know or because I could get to Kyle’s parents; I don’t know," Mark answered.
"So what happens to you now? How do you go to this place he’s gone to?" his father asked.
"I don’t know but I think we’re soon to find out."
"So this is it? We never see or hear from you again? What if something happens to you over there?" his mother asked.
"Don’t worry about me Mom, I’ll be careful. I don’t know if I’ll be able to come but I won’t give up on seeing you guys again. Don’t think of this as goodbye; think of it as until next time," Mark answered.
"When you said you were getting your own place and needed to find a life of your own; this isn’t quite what I expected," his mother said, tears starting to form in her eyes.
"Don’t cry, I don’t want to leave either but … I have to … people are depending on me. Not just Kyle but millions … maybe billions."
"My son the superhero," his father said.
Mark chuckled.
It was then that he felt it. First a tingling, almost like static electricity on the fur on his back. Then, from out of seeming thin air, a small light appeared a few meters behind the group. They all turned when Mark did and pointed it out. That speck of light soon grew into a portal of sorts. Blue, white and yellow energy swirled around inside of it. Mark felt warmth from inside it. He felt a calling from it.
"Looks like my ride is here," he said.
His mother stood up, bent down and hugged him, his father and brother joining in. Paul sobbed, and then everyone started to as they released the group hug.
"You take care of yourself out there," Mark’s mother said.
"I will and I’ll miss you guys. Somehow, I’ll find a way to see you all again," he started before touching Paul’s shoulders. "You take good of Mom and Dad, you’re the man of the family now bro, they’ll need you even more then Kyle will need me."
Paul sobbed before wiping his eyes and nose, sniffling and nodding. Mark shook his father’s hand, and kissed his mother to say farewell … for now at least.
Walking towards the portal he stood before and turned around. It ticked his tail as it drew the appendage partly into it.
Waving goodbye to his family, Mark took a deep breath, turned around and jumped into the portal.
* * *
Exhilaration, his fur standing on end, his scenes tingling with stimulation; Mark yelled in excitement as he flew though the sea of red, blue and yellow. He saw several energy wisps in the distance flying towards him. He was helpless to prevent their colliding with his feet, hands and torso. The white energy blanketed his parts, forming into clothing of black boots, gloves and a black long sleeved shirt.
Not too bad of a look
The anklet tingled glowed as another wisp collided with it. Mark watched in awe as it reformed into a familiar shape.
The Jet Anklet
He saw something at the end of the tunnel, a scene of sorts. As he approached it, he felt a sense of welcoming. The scene filled his vision as he made contact with it. With a thud, he landed on his rear end, waves of pain shooting through his tail. His vision cleared and he found himself sitting in a forest as he felt the portal close behind him. He stood up and brushed himself off. Looking around, he saw the sun shinning through the trees and onto him. It felt warm, inviting. He looked at the shimmering Jet Anklet in his right hand.
Don’t worry guys, I’ll take care of Kyle … I’ll keep my promise.
Mark hung his head when he looked to see the portal had vanished. He already missed his parents and brother. They felt so far away and he hoped they’d be all right while he was ‘away’.
Having no idea where to start looking for Kyle, Mark starting walking in a random direction. He didn’t walk far before an Omochao floated down in front of him. Rings titled his head to the right as he regarded it.
"Hello, I’m Omochao!" It said its voice upbeat and friendly.
Mark remembered these guys were a source of information and decided to test his luck.
"Hello, would you happen to know where Kyle … I mean Tails is?"
"Yes, I do," the Omochao replied.
"Where is he? I need to see him," Mark asked.
"Tails is to the west, at Hillside Town," Omochao answered.
"Thanks ‘hon," Mark responded.
He looked back and forth, unsure which way West was.
"To your left," Omochao said.
"Thanks."
Mark turned left and started walking. Throughout the journey, pristine forests that appealed to his raccoon side covered the land; they felt like a home away from home. He walked for what felt like hours until coming to a road leading into a suburban area. To its right was a sign saying he was entering Hillside town, a town with a population of 35,000. He followed the road into a residential area, where he smelled smoke and heard a commotion nearby. His heroic side kicked in and he ran towards it. An anthro kangaroo wearing a brown vest and baseball cap hopped by Mark as he grew close enough to the scene to see the smoke. Stopping the roo, Mark looked him the eye.
"What’s going on?"
"Fire at the hillside mall mate!" the roo answered.
"Where?" Mark asked, apprehension started to take over as he envisioned Kyle flying through flames to rescue people.
"That way mate, just follow the smoke!" the roo answered, pointing towards the smoke.
"Thanks, get help!" Mark yelled out, petting the roo on the back as he hopped off.
Mark ran to the mall as fast as his legs would carry him. It wasn’t long before he arrived and saw flames dancing through the roof and windows of the west end with smoke billowing out from all directions. Mark could see several people running out. He ran into the parking lot amongst a group of humans waiting for what Mark assumed were relatives of peoples still trapped.
"There!" a man yelled, pointing into the sky.
Mark looked up to see a figure flying through the smoke. When it emerged, Mark saw it was Tails, and he was holding a child. Mark watched in awe as the fox descended to the ground. He was covered in soot, the white on his chest gray and his fur disheveled. He handed the child over to a waiting woman, who kissed him on the cheeks several times, thanking him between kisses.
My God, it’s him. Kyle is Tails. This is so wild; there he is as real as day. Okay, get a hold of yourself Mark.
"Kyle! Man, this is incredible, you really are Tails!" Mark yelled out at Kyle as he approached him.
Kyle looked back at the people behind Mark; he petted Mark the on back and started walking. Mark put his right hand over Kyle’s shoulder, walking with him.
"How do you know my real name?" Kyle asked.
"Then you’re Kyle and not Tails?" Mark asked.
"Yes and no. I am Kyle but I’m Tails … now. I don’t know what happened to the original one but now I’m he. Who are you?"
"I don’t have time to explain but I have something for you; it’s from your parents," Mark answered before handing Kyle the anklet with his free hand. Kyle stopped walking and Mark turned to face him as the fox inspected it.
"It’s … the Jet Anklet! Wait a second, are you Mark?" Kyle answered.
"Yes; how did you know?"
"Only Ben knows I used to be human. Everyone else sees me as Tails … even Amy," Tails answered.
"Amy’s here too? So who’s Ben?" Mark asked with a smile.
As though of queue, a blue bur ran past the duo, ruffling their fur. Mark looked back to see Sonic himself delivering an older man to an older woman. Mark heard them thank him before Sonic ran right in front of Mark.
"Yo Tails, who’s the raccoon dude?"
"This is so wild … the Tails and Sonic standing right here before me! So you must be Ben," Mark said.
"Tails … who is this guy? How does he know about us?" Sonic asked.
"It’s okay Sonic, he’s cool; he’s like us," Kyle said, pushing against Sonic’s chest with his right hand. "That reminds me; Mark, I have something for you; I had a compulsion to make it starting a fortnight ago," Kyle said, handing Mark what looked like an earpiece.
"Thanks, what is it?" Mark asked, putting the earpiece behind his right ear.
"Touch it," Kyle answered.
When Mark did, the earpiece grew into a visor that presented him with a tactical view of the mall. It showed him where people were trapped.
"This … this is incredible; Kyle you’re a genius!" Mark yelled.
"Awe, it was nothing," Kyle said, holding his arms behind his back.
"I can see four more people trapped," Mark said as he looked over the mall.
"Then maybe we should go and get them instead of talking," Sonic suggested.
Mark saw a pink dot representing Amy moving towards someone.
"There’s two people stuck in a department store at the south end. There’s an elevator stuck between the basement and first floor; the doors for the first and second floor are blocked from damage but the third floors doors aren’t. Kyle, we can get them. Ben, you get one of the people in the store, Amy can get the other," Mark said.
Kyle tapped on Mark’s shoulder. Mark knelt down beside the fox’s face.
"He prefers to go by the name Sonic now," he said.
Mark stood back up, looking Sonic in the face.
"Sorry bro, Sonic it is," Mark said.
Sonic nodded before darting off. Seconds later, Amy dashed in front of Kyle and Mark. She was carrying a child, no older then Kyle by the looks of her. Amy delivered her to a waiting woman. The woman thanked Amy before kissing her and leaving the scene. Amy waved to them and looked at Mark, looking him up and down.
"Who’re you?" she asked.
"No time to explain, there are two people trapped in an elevator … Sonic’s going after someone in a department store. Kyle," Mark stopped himself, looking at Kyle, who shook his head. "Sorry, Tails and I are going to rescue two people trapped in an elevator," Mark said.
"Let me help!" Amy yelled.
"Thanks for offer ‘hon but I can see two other people trapped in the department store at the south end. Sonic’s going after one of them; he can’t carry them both. I need you to find the other one. He’s stuck on the third floor, by the electronics section."
"’hon? Who are you, my father? And who put you in charge?" Amy asked.
"Please, we don’t much time. I’ll explain everything later!" Mark insisted.
Amy bolted off in a pink blur.
"Don’t worry Mark, I can save the two people in the elevator … leave it to me!" Kyle said.
Kyle was about run off when Mark grabbed Kyle’s right shoulder.
"Hold on; I made a promise to your parents. I said I’d protect you. I can’t let you go in there alone. Let me help," Mark protested.
"Okay," Kyle started.
Kyle nodded, jumped and hovered a meter above the ground so Mark could grab his legs; Mark did so.
"I hope you’re not afraid of heights!" Kyle said.
"Well, I’m not crazy about them," Mark said.
"Just don’t look down and you’ll be fine," Kyle answered.
Kyle flew them through the air and smoke, both he and Mark coughing as they traversed it. Kyle soon saw a hole in the ceiling and descended through it, landing in the middle of a clothing store. The stores’ sprinkler system was working and had doused the flames. It soaked Mark’s shirt, which annoyed him. Kyle seemed to almost enjoy it as it partially cleaned him off. The fire alarm was blaring, which hurt Mark’s ears. He held them close to his head, as did Kyle.
"I don’t understand; if the sprinklers are working; how come the fires spread so far?" Mark asked.
"We don’t know; maybe someone broke ‘em," Kyle answered.
"We’ll have to worry about it later. Come on, let’s get to the elevator!" Mark shouted.
Mark switched off the visor and it shrunk into back into the earpiece behind his right ear. Both he and Kyle stepped out into the hallway and were greeted to a hellish scene. The entire hall was filled with black smoke and the flames had charred the floor. An inferno raged only a few stores behind them, the heat nearly overcoming the two Mobians. Mark pawed at his shirt, annoyed at it being soaked. The entire floor around them was dripping wet. Mark knew his shirt would only get wetter to the point where it’d slow him down.
"If it’s bugging ya, why not take it off? Not too many of us guys wear shirts anyway," Kyle said.
"All right but it seems wrong somehow," he said, lifting it off and putting it on a nearby bench. Despite his earlier comfort with his body, it felt a little weird running around without a top. He put his discomfort aside for the time being; saving those people was paramount.
"We’d better hurry!" Mark yelled, starting to run through the dark, puddle soaked hallway.
They ran for several minutes before coming to a set of four elevators. Mark turned to the closest one to their left.
"It’s this one. Unfortunately, unless we can get the lift to this floor; the doors won’t open." Mark said.
"Leave it to me!" Kyle said.
Mark stood back as Kyle pulled a small cylinder from his right glove. He pointed it towards the doors. Lights on both sides of it blinked and the elevator doors opened before them.
"Nice," Mark said.
"It comes in useful," Kyle replied.
Kyle floated into the elevator shaft and Rings grabbed onto Kyle’s legs. It was dark and smelled of grease and smoke. Light from the fires lit up the two jammed doors below. Kyle floated them down to the top of the jammed elevator. Floating down beside Rings, Kyle looked down at the escape hatch on the roof. When he tried opening it, he ended up falling into his rear end with a thud.
"Ow!" Kyle cried out.
Mark held out his right hand and helped Kyle up.
"How come you wear black gloves anyway? Are you weird or something?" he asked.
"I dunno, they just sort of appeared on me; I guess this is my look. Come on we have to save those people!" Mark answered.
Kneeling down, he banged on the hatch.
"Don’t worry, we’re coming; just hang in there!" Mark yelled. Standing up, he looked Kyle in the eyes. "Come on Kyle, I know we can get it open if we both try!"
Kyle nodded and they both knelt down and grabbed at the hatch. Mark nodded and they both tugged at it as hard as they could. It barley budged, likely from warping from the heat. Mark had heard legends of people achieving incredible things during times of extreme duress. Something seemed to click inside of him and he guessed Kyle as well. For a few short but decisive seconds, Mark felt like he had super strength. They both grimaced as they felt the hatch opening until it finally flew open, sending both onto their rear ends.
They picked themselves up and jumped into the elevator. A boy and girl no older then eight were huddled in the corner closest to the doors. Both were reasonably terrified. Mark landed closest to them and held out his right hand.
"It’s okay, we’re here to help," he said, helping the boy to stand up while Kyle helped the girl.
"He’ll get us to the top of the elevator. Then he’ll fly your girlfriend up. I can carry you up if needed," Mark said.
The humans only nodded. Kyle first floated up to the top of the elevator before holding his arms down. Mark helped the girl up first, with Kyle pulling her the rest of the way before they repeated the process with the boy. Kyle then helped Mark out. On top of the elevator, Kyle floated in the air, asking the girl to hold onto his legs. She didn’t say anything and complied. Kyle soon took to the air while Mark looked at a ladder leading up the shaft.
"Can you manage the climb?" he asked.
The guy coughed before shaking his head.
"All right then, grab onto my back and don’t let go. I’ll get you out of here; don’t worry, you can count on me!"
The boy grabbed a hold of Mark, holding onto his shoulders tight. Mark looked at him and grabbed onto the ladder, finding it warm but bearable.
"Here we go!" he said.
Mark started climbing, finding the boy heavy but manageable. They were soon at the first and then the second floor. Towards the third floor, Mark could feel the boys’ grip loosening and feared for him.
"Hang on dude, just a few more steps!" Mark yelled.
When they were within arms reach of the open doors, Mark could feel the boy slipping. Fortunately, Kyle was there and he offered a hand for the boy, who with Kyle’s help, climbed onto the floor. Mark followed soon after.
"Come on we’re almost there!" Kyle said.
Mark wasn’t sure how Kyle would carry three people. Mark and Kyle helped the humans run back in the direction of the store they’d entered from. Something was different this time; the hellish warmth from the flames was absent. Foam now adorned the floors with the water. Mark saw his shirt laying where he’d left it but it was still soaked and he didn’t want to put it back on; he’d find something else to wear.
The group encountered a group of firefighters seconds later.
"Collins! We found a group on survivors!" one of them yelled into a radio. He smiled at Kyle, and Mark; Mark had a good idea, the man knew they had saved the two kids. "It’s all right, we’re here to help. There’s a fire exit just down the hall; we’ve cleared the flames that were blocking it!"
They draped fire blankets around the quartette and led them to the exit, down a few flights on stairs and outside. Mark saw Amy waiting for them; she ran to their side when the firemen led the group to a waiting ambulance and sat them down. The paramedics started giving the group oxygen; Mark felt incredible relief as he breathed. He saw that Kyle felt the same way. They barley had enough time to sit down and receive some well-needed oxygen before Amy zipped over to them. Amy zipped in front of Mark and Kyle, a large smile on her face.
"Ohhh Tails, I was so worried about you! That was so brave of you; you’re such a hero," she said, kissing him repeatedly on his cheeks a she squirmed.
"Hey, cut it out!" Kyle cried out from under his mask.
"Please miss, don’t stress him, he needs to relax," one of the paramedics said.
Amy stopped kissing Kyle and looked at Mark "You’re cute! What happened to your shirt?"
Mark looked at Kyle and then at Amy, unable to stifle a grin.
"It got all wet and I had to get rid of it," Mark answered, taking several deep breaths.
Ten minutes later, the paramedics had treated Kyle and Mark on the scene using the incredible technology available to them. As a precaution they took the children to the hospital. The fire was almost out, and Kyle and Mark stood watching in awe.
"That Amy … she sure gets obsessive at times. She’s so affectionate it’s embarrassing" Kyle said.
"I think it’s kinda cute," Mark said. "Come on, you know you like it. I know you love the attention!" Mark said.
"Cut it out," Kyle said, blushing enough that the red showed through his white cheeks.
"Okay, sorry, I’ll stop. Anyway, it was a good thing I found you; if you hadn’t of given me this thing, we’d have never known those two kids were there," Mark said.
"I guess we just got lucky. I dunno why but I had the urge to make it for you. Somehow I knew that you’d were the one when I saw you. So, how do you know my parents? Who are you? No one here but Sonic calls me Kyle, and even he’s stopped," Kyle asked.
Before Mark could tell his story, a blue bur ran up to the two of them; It was Sonic.
"You still haven’t told me your name!" Amy protested.
"Me either," Sonic added.
"You guys can call me Rings; that name seems to fit," Rings answered.
He explained his story to the trio, including telling Kyle about his parent’s message.
"Any friend of Sonic's, especially one so cute, is cool with me. But what are you talking about? What do you mean you used to be a human? Are you crazy or something?" Amy said.
"It’s okay Amy, he’s just … joking about that part. Anyway, looks like they got the fire out. Maybe you should make sure the mall is okay?" Sonic said.
"Oh … my mall! Gotta go!" Amy yelled out before darting off.
"Be careful about telling her who you really are Rings. We must be here for a reason, I think we should pretend we’re the real things. At least until we find out what’s going on," Sonic said.
"Yeah, so call me Tails from now on okay? It still kinda makes me shiver hearing that name and knowing I’m really him but I should act like I’ve always been him," Kyle said.
"Okay … Tails. Man, that’s so weird yet so cool to say. I know Tails … that’s just beyond belief! So why can you guys remember who you are but she cant?" Rings asked.
"We don’t know. We’re not sure if we’re going to remember forever. Hopefully we’ll find out more as time goes on," Sonic answered.
"So, my parents want you to keep an eye me? I don’t take risks or ever get in over my head," Tails protested.
"You just took a risk! Anyway, they’re just trying to help; they meant well," Rings giggled.
"I know; I just wish they’d hurry up and get here so I don’t have to be alone. I miss em and I get so lonely," Tails said.
"I could stay with you for now; that way I can keep my promise and neither of us has to be alone. You do kind of remind of my brother," Rings said, petting Tails’ head.
"I guess that’d be okay," Tails said, unable to contain a giggle.
Sonic seemed distracted, he was holding his right ear, listening to the microphone in it.
"If you two can hold off your polite discussion, we have a new problem!" he said.
"What’s wrong?" Rings asked.
"Amy found a bomb in the basement, we have to do something! I don’t trust her not to do something stupid like try to smash it."
"Why don’t you lay off her? She’s just a cute little kid with a case of hero worship," Rings protested.
"Rings, if you were at the receiving end of her ‘hero worship’," Sonic said, making air quotes "you’d be afraid of her too!"
"Guys, we have a bomb to disarm!" Tails protested.
"Right, sorry guys," Rings said.
"Can you disarm it Tails?" Sonic asked.
Rings didn’t know how or why but he knew how to disarm that bomb.
"I can disarm it!"
"Who do you think you are Batman? Disarming stuff is more Tails thing," Sonic asked.
"Yeah, I can do it; leave it to me!" Tails said.
"Wait, I know how to do it. No offence or anything bro but this is more my field. I can do it," Rings said.
"Sonic! I wana do it!" Tails cried.
Rings looked at Tails to say something and then at Sonic, who seemed to be studying him.
"All right dude, if you want to try it, be my guest. Tails, we should let him try. I can always run it to a safe distance and throw away if it’s too late!"
"Who do you think you are; The Flash?" Rings asked.
"Hey guys, while you’re arguing, this thing’s still ticking. I don’t want my mall to blow up!" Amy yelled.
"Here, grab my hand," Sonic said.
Rings complied; assuming Sonic would run them to the bomb.
"Okay but how fast can you get us…" Rings started; not having time to finish that statement before Sonic had them in the basement and standing over the bomb. "Fast," Sonic winked.
"Why’d you bring him? Tails can disarm this thing!" Amy protested.
"He said he wanted to protect Tails and that he can disable the bomb," Sonic answered.
"And you brought him here just for me? Oh Sonic that’s why you’re my hero," Amy moaned, hugging Sonic. Looking at Rings, she jumped at him, hugging him. "You didn’t want Tails to get hurt; that’s so brave of you!" She seemed to have trouble deciding whom to show affect for and jumped back on Sonic, "Two cuties, which one to choose?"
Rings chuckled before kneeling down before the bomb and opening its’ case with the ease and caution a surgeon would make his or her first cut. He shook his head as he breathed a sign of fear and anger.
"Whoever put this here knows that they’re doing. This thing may be small but it’s powerful enough to destroy a small town," Rings noted.
"But my mall! They can’t destroy the mall! Where will I shop?"
"Not to mention all the people they’d kill," Sonic added.
"Amy, there’s more at stake here then just a mall!" Rings said.
"Hey!" Amy protested, drawing her mallet from its unknown hiding place.
Rings held out his right hand.
"Enough! We can play smashie smashie later. For now, you and Tails get everyone out of here," Rings said.
"And leave my Sonic?" Amy asked.
"Please honey, I’ll make sure he doesn’t get hurt."
Amy took off in a pink blur without any further protest.
Kneeling back down, Rings re-activated his visor and looked over the bomb.
"That friend of yours is amazing; this thing is incredible. How does he do it?"
"You think I know? Ask him, he’s the genius. I really admire him. Just don’t tell him I said."
"Okay, the timer says two minutes left. If I can’t get this thing off by the time it says twenty seconds, will that be enough time for you to run it to safety and then get out of the blast radius?" Rings asked.
"Don’t worry," Sonic answered, putting his right hand on Ring’s left shoulder.
Rings looked over the wires and how they were connected to the detonator and each other before going to work. With precision and caution, he pulled them out systematically as the timer counted down, each tick an annoying but motivating reminder of how much time was left.
With only twenty-five seconds to go, Rings pulled the last wire; which disabled the detonator and allowed him to remove it from the casing so the bomb wouldn’t be able to detonate even if the countdown resumed.
"We’ll have to get the authorities to get rid of this thing so they can detonate it safely," Rings said, standing up.
"Awesome job Rings. Come on, let’s get out of here!" Sonic said.
Rings grabbed Sonic’s left arm and in a matter of a few seconds, Sonic had them both in the parking lot.
A group of police officers were there, and Rings approached them.
"It’s alright, we disabled it," he said.
"Good work. We’ll take it from here!"
Amy rushed at Rings out of no where and started hugging him.
"My hero … you saved my mall!" she cried, kissing him repeatedly.
Rings looked at Sonic, who just shrugged his shoulders and grinned.
"Er … just glad to help sweetie," she answered.
Amy stuck her tongue out at Sonic.
"He likes me, don’t ya Rings?" Amy asked.
"Well, you are kinda cute," Rings said.
"Dude, don’t! Once she gets a hold of you, she’ll never let go!" Sonic griped.
"How can I ever repay you?" Amy asked.
"Well, for one; could you get me a new shirt? My old one got ruined. Do you have any in blue or gray? Pink’s not my color."
Amy kissed Rings and let him go. She darted off westward, vanishing in a dust cloud. She returned a few minutes later, carrying a charcoal gray turtleneck sweater. Handing it Rings, he put it on, finding it fit perfectly.
"Thanks ‘hon," he said.
"Anything for my hero!" she said.
Rings noticed Tails looking at him.
"So, my parents really said they’re proud of me?" Tails asked.
"That’s right Tails and … so am I. You did a lot of good today," Rings said.
"Hey, don’t discount yourself Mr. disarm a big bomb and save the whole town!" Tails said.
Rings smiled. A few seconds later, a police sergeant walked up to the group.
"Any idea who would do this son?" A police sergeant asked.
"I have a pretty good idea," Sonic said, rubbing his chin.
"Egghead again? But why would he hurt all those people?" Amy asked.
"Maybe he knew we were going to be here and just wanted to hurt us," Sonic suggested.
"It would certainly fit that guys modus operandi," Tails said.
"His what? Man Tails; in English please!"
"You know, his MO his methods, what he does, that sort of thing," Tails said.
"Well, thanks for saving the day yet again guys; some times we wonder where the world would be without you," the officer said before walking off.
"So Sonic, who were you before all of this happened, and who were you Amy?" Rings asked.
"I was Benjamin Bonner I think I was the first one hauled into this, unless ya count Egg-Face, but I don't have a clue 'bout him," Sonic answered. "Every one calls me Sonic, so I’ve adapted the name as my own."
"What are you guys talking about? I was never human, I’ve always been Amy!" Amy protested.
Rings felt strange for a few seconds; somehow Amy saying she’d always been as he saw her now affected him. His life seemed hazy, as though it’d been a dream he was waking up from. He now remembered his family, not as humans but as raccoon people. His memories of his schooling were now of an education on Mobius. Although, this mental transition momentarily had him terrified, after a few seconds, he felt at peace with himself. He was Rings, not just a physical copy of him. Now, he knew Tails, but not as a human, but as Tails, the creature that stood before him.
Someone tugging at his shirt brought him of out of the trance like state he was in.
"Are you all right Rings?" Tails asked.
"Yes," Rings answered with a smile and confidence. "I’m just fine."
"Come on, let’s go home then; I’m hungry," Tails said.
"If you have nowhere to say then you could stay at my hotel, my hero," Amy suggested.
Rings looked at Tails his eyes wide.
"I made a promise to his parents to keep watch him while they’re away. I need to keep that promise," Rings said.
"Just no hogging the TV," Tails replied.
"Thanks Miles, it means a lot," Rings said.
Tails eyes went wide.
"Rings, there’s just one rule you have to remember with me and we’ll be great friends," Tails said.
"What’s that?" Rings asked.
"Never call me Miles; that’s what my Mom calls me. She can get away with it but no one else!" Tails said.
Rings smiled.
"No problem … Tails," he said.
"Come on, let’s go home; it’s been a long day," Tails said.
Tails nodded and took to the air, Rings grabbing the fox’s legs once he was high enough. They were soon hovering a few meters in the air.
"You can’t escape me that easily!" Amy protested.
Rings and Tails laughed before Rings say Tails’ Jet Anklet glow and soon they were soaring towards Tails’ Emerald City home. Rings intended to keep his promise no matter what it took and looked forward to the crazy adventures he know he and his friends would get into in the coming weeks and months.