(OOC: I'll join! Looks cool!)

IC:

The sun burned down on the forest, warming the trees with it's bright glow. In the uplands riegon of the forest the trees clung to the slopes of a few small hills, not really big enough for mountains, but tall enough to give a good view of the surrounding area. Because of their openness to the elements, the erosion had created several medium sized clearings in the tree canopy on the side of the hill, and one particularly large one right at the top of the hill. The bare rocky peak jutted out from the green expance like a ship on a green sea, and the view from the top was spectacular!

Right on the peak of the sandy-colored rock, a lone figure sat cross-legged in the sun. His eyes were closed, and he was sat up straight, breathing deeply.

He was a Grey Wolf. He was in his mid fifties, but he still had an impressive strength and power about him. His shoulders were wide and powerful, and his legs were strong and muscular. His face was old and wizened, but still bore a rugged hansomness that seemed to radiate a calm but powerful air, an air that automatically demanded respect. And yet at the same time, there was a gentleness, a warmth in his face, that drew people to him like a magnet.

His clothes were impressive too. He wore very baggy dark green cargo pants, with a belt made from many pieces of string with beads threaded on in a complex pattern. Each bead was a different shade of wood, some dark, some light. Over his shoulders he wore a white shirt, the top four buttons of wich were open. Over this he wore a small waistcoat, patterned with dark browns and deep golden hues. His feet sported large walking boots, and his hair was long, coming down past his shoulders, and decorated with more of the beads that were on his belt.

Beside him was a backpack, small, grey-green in color, and a dark brown trilby hat, with a green ribbon aound the brim. Next to them was a large hunter's rifle, and a long hunting knife in it's shieth.

He sat in silence, the light breeze ruffling his fur. His mind was elsewhere. Suddenly a far away rumble caught his attention. Slowly he opened his eyes and looked across the pannorama of forest.

Far over to the east a plume of smoke was rising, thick and black, climbing out of the green forest canopy like some strainge monster. Another distant boom reached the wolf's sensitive ears. Something strainge was happening.

Slowly he stood up, picking up his knife, rifle, pack and hat, and set off walking down the hill. It was a very long way, but he was used to walking, and could keep up a fast pace for a considerable time! He estimated it wouldn't take him much longer than two hours...

(OOC: Heh, cool. Just now for some others.)

Tails sighed painfully, the people that had died today they had graced a ungraceful death and deserved a proper burial but he hadnt the manpower to bury them all in one swift blow. Then again the thought of just digging one hole and cremating all of them and disposing of them in the no burying their ashes honorably wouldnt be that. Their souls would be encased, and. Tails didnt think it was that good of an idea.

It would be like creating a haunted house.

He bit his lip.

Why me??? he muttered under his breath.

"Why not?" said a small voice from somewhere close behind the youth. Tails jumped slightly and turned his head to see who had spoken to him, not expecting any other survivors to be walking around the devistated vilage. Standing but a few feet away, was a short scruffy fox kit, his artic fur rugged and unkempt and his dulled eyes set on him like two dimmed headlamps, the slight reflection but a shadow of the innocence that must have once shone against their aqua irises. The boy seemed overly jumpy, defiantly afraid of something and yet tring not to show it at the same time, a stream of semi dry blood running from a wound on top of his head, staining a river of satin down the side of his gaunt face. The kid couldn't have been much more then eight at best, though judging his age was a long shot as the poor child was clearly a runt, thin and looking as though he'd lost the will to fight on a long time ago. Yet his vision continusly shifted around the nearby piles of rouble as though expecting someone to step out from them anymoment, the boy clearly distressed under his depressive aperance. "If not you, then who would?"

*Ooc: I know, crappy introduction, I might pad it out lateron, but the question will be the same, so you can still react to this post. Myth will be along eventualy I think, depends wether I can give him the overhall quickly enough to join at the begining, and whether I can handle Rping two people.

He had sat down upon the wreckage of broken machinery, breathing heavily and panting hard. His rod that was held in his right hand was lying along the ground besides his outstretched feet, as the figure took a moment to regain their enegry after what was a terrifying situation.

They had all came out of nowhere and attacked so suddenly. It was unbelievable, terrible and still made him shake with fear. But he had to be strong, if only to survive.

He was a falcon spieces, light white and brown featheres. He wore a muddied and tattered white vest, which would give him the space for his large wings... which were unfortunately in a lot of pain. During the battle, his wings had been shot many times. They were ruined, devastated. It was doubtful he'd fly again so soon. On his legs he wore simple back trousers and boots, which would help hide the caking mud moreso then his vest would.

He was meant to have been a guard of Knothole. To protect the inhabitants from any of Robotnik's forces, but he had failed. He was once a captain of a squadron of Knothole's defense, and during the surprise assault, he had made the wise decision of moving away from Knothole, to try and get as many of the machines away from the village and from the innocent civilians, and to deal with them away from the weak.

But they had proved too powerful. Although all the machines that had followed his group were now destroyed, it took the lives of all his men to be able to pull off the feat, which was something that haunted him. He covered his bloodied face with his hand, trying to hold in the tears.

'Don't lose it now, don't lose it now... you don't know how many of them left there could be. Hold it together, if not for those of Knothole, then for yourself.' he thought to himself, mentally urging him to fight on. But he was too weary.

It took all his strength and the aid of his rod just to stand up, and even then his legs continued shaking. He tried his wings, to see if he could fly, but found he was unable to. "Gah... must get... to Knothill..." he said again, turning in the direction back to the village.

His name was Ryuji Faconer, the sole survivor of Guard Sqaud 9, and behind him, within what was still standing of the trees of a forest, the ruined remains of Robotnik's machines and the corpses of friends.

It was a chilling sight.

The wolf stepped quietly over the piles of bodies, his eyes moving across the field looking for movement. What had happened here?

The nearby river ran red with blood. There was barely room to walk because of the corpses.

This was a deadly crime...whoever was responsible should pay. But first, there were more important things to do...

He knelt down in the middle of the field, reaching into his backpack and pulling out a small bag of ground herbs. Clearing a small space on the ground in front of him, he made a slight depression in the blood-red soil before him, and poured a small ammount of the herbs into it. Then, taking two small stones from his pack, he struck them together, flashing sparks down onto the powder. It began to burn slowly, giving off a beutiful earthy, herby smell that blotted out the stench of burning flesh.

The wolf sat back on his haunches, and taking a deep breath, he began to sing, his voice deep and powerful. He sang in an old language, a language forgotten by modern life.

He was singing for the souls of the dead, to guide them, and ease their passage back into the universe of nature from where they came.

"Why not?" a voice merely spoke, in which made the sixteen year old kitsune jump slightly. He had not suspected someone would of even survived this mess. But thats not what surprised him. He knew that voice. Tails turned around. Then the kit spoke again. If not you, then who would?

Astral? he muttered as the kit only nodded.

Why- are you not away from here?

(OOC: Short ass post. >>)

The kit looked down slightly, his tired eyes narrowing slightly as he pawed at the ground with his right foot.
"Mmm... Me and sally got separated. She tried to help me get away when all the fighting happened, but there were too many people all running the same way and I god pulled away.. I tried to go back to her, but then there was this big bang and all the lights went out." He razed a paw to his head, dabbing at the painful wound across its left flank, pulling his hand away to see the red stain it had developed. In his other hand the boy held the thin cord of a necklace, a small rune talisman writing it down and swinging like a clock pendulum when ever he moved. Astral looked around at the devastation in an almost confused sort of way "I've been looking for her, but I can't find her anywhere... that mean's she's ok... right?"
Tails knew in that moment that the boy before him was far more rattled then he looked. Astral was pessimistic and particularly shrewd for his age, seeing death along with the numerous trials of life with an unparallel level of realism, preferring to accept the worst instead of ever get his hopes up over something as frail as life. Yet here he was, worrying about someone who, given her high ranking position, couldn't have left the battle field while there was still troops to direct and defenses to organize. She would have died at her post, defending knothole and giving the civilians chance to get away, and even though Astral was used to accepting the total inevitability of death, he couldnt bring himself to believe that she was gone.

Tails sighed and crouched down to Astral. You got a bad wound. he muttered. He examined the wound and found that he would definitely need stitches but needed to be covered for the moment. Tails nodded as he grabbed his dark green colored headband and took it off. With the piece of cloth between his hands he put it over Astrals wounded head and tightened it so the headband wouldnt slide off.

Once we get away after I figure out how to bury these lost souls well get your wound stitched up. Tails said.

But, at least your okay.

The kit shifted the head band awkwardly and turning to look at the corpses again, something unusual caching his attention. Astral squinted slightly, face still with the look of general depression as he watched the small, invisible Gia-Orbs of lost souls begin to scatter and flitter out of existence, something that only his accursed existence could behold.
Someones performing a sending The kit murmured, voice expressing some vague form of worry as he shifted his focus back to Tails again with sincere, nearly pleading eyes Sally is ok right? Ive not seen her anywhere shes goda be ok.

Someones performing a sending The kit murmured, voice expressing some vague form of worry as he shifted his focus back to Tails again with sincere, nearly pleading eyes Sally is ok right? Ive not seen her anywhere shes goda be ok.

Lets hope shes alright Tails muttered as he raised a eyebrow at Asts previous statement. What? Sending, eh?

James Prower awoke to a universe of pain. Everything ached and hurt. When he moved. When he breathed. When he thought. It felt like he couldn't draw enough air into his lungs, and he could taste his own blood in his mouth. He slowly opened his blue-green eyes and looked up from the ground where he fell. His vision was blurred, unfocused.

It was like the coup all over again. The robots stormed the village without warning. He and the few freedom fighters gathered together and mustered a last stand against the relentless assault in the hopes that they could buy time for the others. It was a massacre. They were hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned.

The fox tried to sit up, but fell back in even greater pain. Feeling around himself, he could feel the deep wound in his chest, caused by a direct hit from a plasma bolt. Had it been any higher, it would have vaporized his heart and killed him instantly. As it was, it looked like he was going to bleed to death. Yippee.

He was covered in blood, both his own and others. Scratches, burns, and a broken nose from being slugged by a SWATbot. Say what you will about their intelligence, but they can hit hard. His armor was charred and cracked in various spots, ruined and useless. His cloak was tattered and burned. His sword lay nearby, deformed by a plasma bolt. His boots seemed to be the only article of clothing unharmed.

James closed his eyes and tried not to think about the losses. They could all be dead. Everyone. His friends, his familly...

It didn't look like he would have to wrry about it anyway. He was most likely going to bleed out in a few minutes, go into shock, and die. An inglorious end to the mighty Captain of the Royal Guard. A rest well-earned. He relaxed and resigned himself to his fate...

NO!

The fox growled and rolled onto his stomach. He wasn't going to go out that easily. He had fought too long and hard only to give up now. He started to crawl as best as he could away from the bodies of his slain comrades, occationally looking around for anyone close to him in the mass of bodies. He thought he heard someone speaking somewhere ahead of him. It could have just been a halucination, but it didn't matter. He crawled in that direction.

James was too damn stubborn to lie down and die. Not like that.

The kit shuffled slightly and looked back toward the bodies "Its a way of guiding the souls of the dead, helping them to let go and slide into the spectral rhealm instead of hanging around... I'd do it myself but.. ugh" The boy wobbled slightly, spreading his weight to stop himself falling over "I done feel so good"

The kit shuffled slightly and looked back toward the bodies, Its a way of guiding the souls of the dead, helping them to let go and slide into the spectral realm instead of hanging around... I'd do it myself but.. Ugh.. The boy wobbled slightly, spreading his weight to stop himself falling over.

I done feel so good

Tails ears twitched as he nodded to Astrals sentences. The sound of something moving, escaping from an untimely demise. Could it be? Another survivor? This day had been getting better than the @#%$ of a feeling it had been. And that was a understatement. Tails finally decided to turn towards the noise, and as he did so as suspected he saw a figure in a long cloak crawling, trying to make his way to him. Good, Good he thought. In it had some truth, the day was better since there were survivors. But he had thought that already.

Tails then smelled raw blood, the survivor must have had a limited time to live.

But on arrival to the crawling body he turned pale.

D-D-D-DAD? he froze.

His head hurt, his wings certainly hurt... and his legs continued to shake badly. It was a slow walk... felt almost too long. He could just see the clearing up ahead, but it still seemed so distant and far. Painful longing, and moving, until eventually, he managed it...

...and saw a fire. Someone near it, singing. What the heck?! All the chaos and carnage, the devastation... and they were singing? Who... was it?

He collapsed to the ground.

T-thank you Ryuji spoke, panting from his weariness. Youre not an enemy then.

W-who are you then? And why are you here?

"My name is Flowing River," replied the Wolf quietly, "and no, I am not your enemy. As to why I am here...I saw the smoke from far off, and came to investigate."

He looked around at the bodies, shaking his head slowly. "I would ask what happened here, but not now. Do not talk. Save your strength."

Ryuji was about to ask another question, but decided River's advice was good, and closed his mouth. River took off his waistcoat and placed it beneath the falcon's head like a pillow, then he took out some bandages and began tending to Ryuji's wounds. "I will ask one thing," he murmured as he worked, "do you know of any other survivors in the area that need help?"

"Miles...", James managed to whisper, a smile crossing his beaten face. If he died, he would at least do so with the understanding that his son had survied. That gave the wounded warrior a degree of peace.

"Hey, are you alright?", he said, "I'm...I'm sure I look a lot worse than I am..."

N-no I was away from here, fighting elsewhere. T-there are only bodies. I I Ryuji looked away from River, trying to hold back the pressing tears. T-this Robotnik. H-he must be stopped before its too late.

Hey, are you alright?, he said, I'm...I'm sure I look a lot worse than I am

IIm fine. Tails muttered, now on his knees as he looked down on his father who was profusely injured. He blinked, Tails himself had just got here and luck would have it his dad survived the massacre? This relived him, but it didnt look like he had much time. Tails blinked, he had gotten some herbs from up around the fountain of Kyszades in Orin and he did have a parcel of half water left. He smirked faintly as he helped his father up on a tree stump. Dad Tails muttered as eh retrieved the packet of silver herbs and poured them into his parcel of water and stirred it up. The herbs themselves were magical properties and sped up the healing process as well as held wounds. They also substituted a pain killer. It was all three worlds in one herb.

He handed the parcel to his father.

Drink this.

There was a small rusteling behind the two tailed kitsune as Astral picked his way across the rubbled, wobbiling profusely and slipping on objects as he sruggeld to keep his balence, his head giving him ever more trouble. He stopped when he was just behind and slightly to the side of Tails, where upon he looked at the old guard's wound and spoke to the youth with that same depresed tone, his voice slightly croked from the confustion his injuries were giving him "Want me to do the sending if he dies?"

"I'm not going to die today.", James growled, a bit of his usual fire returning to his eyes. He sighed and smiled slightly to Astral. "But I appreciate the offer."

The fox carefully took the mixed drink from his son and looked at it a moment, smelling it. He had heard of these herbs that Miles had gotten ahold of, although he doubted their healing properties. He wondered what made them so "magic."

He mentally shrugged. They were worth a try. If they did nothing and he died stoned, at least it wouldn't hurt... He swallowed the drink and grimaced as another burst of pain ran through him. He felt dizzy and light-headed....not surprising considering all the blood loss.

"Someone betrayed us. Its the only way I can see Robotnik finding us like this. And I'm going to find out who."

When he healed, at least.

"Keep calm, my son." murmured River quietly. "You can do nothing like this." There was a pause as he finished tying Ryuji's bandages, then he sat back on his haunches again. "Robotnik..." he muttered thoughtfully. "I'm not familliar with that name..."

Ryuji blinked in suprise. How could anyone not know Robotnik?

"...but anyone who commits such a crime as this must be punished." continued River, his eyes again wondering to the mounds of bodies littering the floor. He sighed and turned back to the falcon. "I will look for other survivors. I will return in less than fifteen minutes." he placed a reassuring arm on Ryuji's shoulder. "Keep calm, and try to rest. Allow the forest spirits to heal you." With that the wolf stood up and set off across the sea of bodies, once again picking his way through the remains.

Over to the west a small band of trees had somehow survived the disaster, their trunks standing tall behind the charred stumps of their less fortunate neigbours, and it was as River was moving along this line that he heard the voices from the other side. Carefully stepping through the foliage, he saw another large field of bodies. This disaster was worse than he imagined!

Then he spotted the figures stood in the middle of the field, two of them, apparently stood over one of the bodies. They didn't look too injured...maybe they had come afterwards, like him.

He stepped through the bushes and set off across the field towards them...

Someone betrayed us. Its the only way I can see Robotnik finding us like this. And I'm going to find out who.

Tails smirked, all that James needed now was some bandages and he was sure the infirmary had some in it. And the infirmary was the building with lesser damage then the others. Tails sighed as he headed for the infirmary but a pair of footsteps were getting closer.

Maybe it was that murderer- returning to make sure the job was done. The kitsune sneered and then turned for the approaching figure.

Hey! Who goes there?! Friend or Foe!? Tails shouted out his hands rested on the handgun in which was attached to his belt.

Tails gritted his teeth as he awaited answer.

River stopped and raised his hands, showing he was unarmed (he had left his rifle and knife by Ryuji). "Friend." he replied calmly. "I'm here to help."

Tails nodded. "We need as much help as we need, c'mon." Tails replied with a friendly smile as he turned for the infirmary. He needed some bandages.... and running in a almsot collapsed building didn't matter to the kitsune.

Now closer, River could see that the second figure was just a child. The boy seemed to be examining him intently.

He stepped forward, looking down at the body they had been examining, and to his suprise saw that he was alive, just badly wounded! He knelt down, putting a paw on the fox's shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"I will be." muttered James quietly.

Tails was now returning fr4om the hut with an assortment of bandages and medical equipment. Seeing that the injured fox was already being cared for, River stood up. "I found another survivor over there, behind the trees. I'll bring him here." With that he turned and set off back the way he had come, towards where Ryuji was lain.

Tails nodded as he placed the medical bag of brown leather on the ground besides James. He pulled out a assortment of bandages, and a bottle of piankillers. "Use them wisely..." Tails chuckled as he gave the bottle to his father and then bandages some of the vital wounds. The herbs would do the rest. And if he felt any pain, the painkillers should heal him.

Tails smiled. "Another survivor? ...gods...this horrible day is slightly.......getting a bit more pleasing." he sighed.

The kit, who had been untill now eyeing the newcommer in an odd manner shrugged as the wolf turned away, finding a nice sized peice of rubble to sit against and sat down heavily. He pulled his legs in a little closer and stared out into nothingness, focusing on objects that didn't apear to be there while still cluching the rune stone in his hand. Even though his apearance sugested that he cared little for evens around him, something was making it clear that he was realing inside, reterating to a safer place where all this never happened.

It took just a couple of minutes for River to reach Ryuji again. He knelt down beside the hawk, who appeared to be sleeping.

"Hey." he mumbled, qietly so as not to startle him. Ryuji's eyes opened and he looked across at him.

"I've found some more survivors...you may know them. I'll help you over to them." River picked up his backpack and slung it on his shoulder, then took his rifle and did the same. He gently removed his waistcoat from under Ryuji's head, placing it on his other shoulder as padding, then, easing his hand around the hawk's back, he began to lift him, allowing him to lean hevily on him.

"That's it...nice and slow..." he murmured.

Tails blinked, he knew he was going to give them a proper burial - maybe that wolf would offer to help him when he returned with a survivor.

"Maybe..." he said in a mutter.

River and Ryuji slowly hobbled over towards where the group of three, Tails, Astral and James were. Ryuji's vision was hazzy and his breathing ragged, but even as they came closer, and the figure's came into focus clearer, Ryuji's eyes suddenly opened wide with surprise. Despite what should have been his better judgement he broke away from River's assistance and hobbled forwards, his spear still held in his hand. However, the terrain was uneven, and his legs were still shaking. He tripped and fell towards the ground, dropping his spear which was fortunate enough not to hit any of the others, and collapsed in front of the three people before him. River ran up behind him, trying to stop Ryuji in being worried for him.

Ryuji stopped and looked up in front of him, at the person who was also lying on the ground. Ryuji knew this man all too well. He had his difficulties with him in the past, and for more or less they weren't exactly the best of friends (Ryuji was only a commander of a subgroup, whereas James the actual Royal Guard commander, which obviously led to competing and a rivalry between the two), but even Ryuji had to admit James's impressive ability within his job, and the fact that he was alive was in some way relieving. Afterall their rivalry no longer really mattered. There were no one alive lead to lead!

"Heh, it's good to see that an geezer like you is alive, James." Ryuji spoke. Any other suboridante would have said sir or Mister Prower but not Ryuji. It was his way of rivalling against him, and perhaps even in some small way, their perculiar friendship.

James gave a painful grin.

"Who are you calling a geezer, Ryuji? Its good to see you're alive, too. We guardsmen can't go out that easily."

Joking, of course. It was ridiculous that there were any guardsmen alive at all. The fox was feeling a little better. Maybe Tails was right about that herbal tea. Or maybe it was just the fact that he wasn't the only survivor. He still had a reason to keep going.

"Heh. That a fact...?" Ryuji said, wearing a weary smile. The sentence was actually within a sarcastic emotion, as he looked around at all the bodies, at all the soldiers that had died in the battle. Indeed, if there were any other guardsmen alive, it was doubtful.

"Have you guys seen anyone else around?" Ryuji said, feeling a bit better, although he was still wounded severely. His wings were all numb and he couldn't feel them at all.

"Depends what you meen by 'Around'," the cub muttered in a plain unshaped voice, still stearing into space and holding his knees close.

"The only survivors we can tell from this massacare are you, James, Astral, and Amy." Tails said in a light responce.

"Then again anyone that ran during the fight to live for another day is long gone by now. Any idea where they'd have gone? James? Ryu?" he asked.

If there was anyone here that knew it'd be one of them.

"And Sally," The kit said as he looked up at the kitsune despirately, voice sudenly razed from its monotone to something that sounded almost like a lost child "I haven't seen her, so she's ok too."

River had been listening to the dialogue between the others. At least they knew each other, that was good.

"I haven't seen any more survivors," he said, looking round the sea of bodies again, "but that doesn't mean others didn't escape."

He sighed and turned to face the others. "Brother Ryuji told me someone called Robotnik is responsible for this." he said quietly. "Who is he? Why would he commit such a crime?"

James looked up at the wolf as if he had lost his mind.

"What rock have you been hiding under for the last decade?"

After a moment of observation, the fox realized that he was serious; he didn't know about Robotnik. How that could happen was a mystery to the guardsman.

"Robotnik is a monster without pity or remorse. A cyborg overlander, he essentially has seized control of Mobius. He cares for nothing but himself, seeing us furs as only good for cannon-fodder or slavery. He betrayed his own kind and then us, stomping all over us with his mechanical army. This village was one of the last hopes we had of beating him."

"And now its dust" the kit mermered, rubbing his toes in dirt betfore him.

"But there's still other strongholds." Ryuji interjected, to try to emphasise that not everything was over. "All across the planet. We'll have to regroup with them, fortify ourselves, become stronger, and..."

Ryuji stopped, as he saddened and looked to the ground.

"But with so many having died it now seems impossible. Knothole was one of the best, and if Robotnik could destroy it so easily, then what chance do the other strong holds have?"

"It was a traitor here, though." Tails added.

"What's to say there won't be even more traitors?" Ryuji replied.

"Well it isn't safe here, so...I'm going to need help burying these bodies." Tails said blankly.

He didn't want to leave these bodies behind without a proper burial or a sending...whatever in hell that was.

"It dosn't matter," the cub muttered, eyes once again focused on the vast waist land before him "Someone already 'sent' them, their souls have crossed over, so there's no need for a clean burrial."

"Yes," murmured River quietly, "I saw to it that their passage into nature was eased."

His face hardened and he gripped his shotgun tightly. "I have lived all my life in this forest. I know nothing of the outside world, or this "Robotnik" character, but anyone who can commit such a crime against the spirits must be punished." He bowed his head and closed his eyes. "I offer my assistance to you, whatever small difference it may make. Robotnik must be brought to justice, and I will assist you in seeing that this is achieved."

Tails lightly nodded with a quick sigh. "Personally I think we should head out of here...before any more robots show up." he nodded before wiping his face.

"Any ideas where to go?" Tails thought about his question, there wasn't a lot of secured locations that could be gotten to in a quick few hours that he really knew of. A few ideas suggest various things but they all pointed out the obvious.

"Can't stay here." he muttered to himself.

With a breif smirk he took a breath, and looked in the direction of the northbound exit.

"I have an idea." Tails said as he turned to look at the group. "I suggest we head to the old pallasaide fort to the north." Tails nodded, the encapment had been abandoned for sometime. Since the heavier, more stronghold of a fort was built in the eastbound area of the forest before the coupe.

But the pallasaide fort would give them...some cover.

"Any arguments?"

River nodded. "Any cover is better than here if you believe this "Robotnik" may return." He knelt down beside the two injured party members, Ryuji and James. "I will help one, if you can help the other." he said, looking up at Tails.

"Right." he looked to Amy and nodded, and back to his father; James. He quickily helped his father up.

"So, everyone ready?" Tails asked and a voice stood out as a reply.

"I'm fine to go." Tails' glance turned to Amy as she said such and nodded. "Good, thats good." the two-tailed fox said as he looked at the others.

"Lets get a move on, I think I've stalled myself at these ruins for too long now." Tails said and turned towards the exit of the village.

He glanced back at the ruins of Knothole. "Truly a day of distress....." he said in low mutter. "Schwarze Tragdie." he said in another low mutter as he looked back at that exit.

River gently lifted Ryuji up, once again supporting th bird on his shoulders. He set off following Tails as the fox moved away, but as Tails paused and looked around, he stopped. His old, wisend face registered compassion as he saw the look in the kitsun's eyes.

Tails turned and set off once again, not noticing River's look. The old wolf glanced around at the terrible scene himself for a moment, before moving off himself.

"A terrible day..." he said quietly, just loud enough for Tails to hear, "...but they are no longer suffering, my friend. They are at peace now."

"A terrible day..." he said quietly, just loud enough for Tails to hear, "...but they are no longer suffering, my friend. They are at peace now."
Tails nodded lightly at those words, as he drew his long sword, he used it then as a sort of a walking stick but it was a sword. The two-tailed fox grinned as he walked onward. "The village in which I am going to is a good three mile hike if not more." Tails said.

"No complaining." he snorted.

Tails smirked at the thought of it and walked foward into the woods.

The long journey took time, and in that time he eventually came upon the overviewing of a SWATbot patrol - six of them. Tails looked down.

"Great, obstancles." he snorted.

((OOC: Meh, shorter than I wanted it...))

River was staring at the bots, his face furrowed in thought. "They are people in armour?" he asked quietly.

Tails shook his head. "No, they're robots. Don't tell me you've never heard of SWATbots too!"

River shook his head. "I have spent all my life in the forest. I've never seen these things." He quietly took his rifle off his back. "I don't know what a robot is, but if they are not people in armour then I can shoot them without worrying for their spirits. Do you wish me to attack them?" he asked, looking pointedly at the kitsune.