Knight Errand, chapter eight

Author's notes: I'd like to warn readers ahead of time that this chapter becomes fairly violent. It's nothing too graphic (if you've ever read the Redwall series before, KE's fight scenes are similar in tone to the ones featured in those books), but I still wanted to drop a warning just in case some are sensitive about that sort of thing.

The figure was indeed Princess Sally, or at least someone bearing an uncanny resemblance to her, standing there and looking back at Antoine with big sapphire eyes and a sweet smile on her lovely face.

Antoine hung back, ears folded back against his head as he carefully watched Sally… or whoever it was. He never thought he would have ever been so disturbed to see her. His mind was screaming at him that this wasn't right at all. Sally was all the way back in Knothole. Even if she had set out to look for him, how would she have known to come to the Cave Of Shadows to find him? He struggled between getting out of there as fast as possible and going up to her and asking was he dreaming.

Sally solved Antoine's dilemma for him, coming up to him and warmly embracing him. "Antoine! I'm so happy to see you again. I have some great news."

"W-w-w-what kind of news?" Antoine's eyes were wide as he stared at the phantom-Sally in astonishment. When she hugged him just then, he noticed that she felt warm to the touch, and her two-toned brown fur was soft just like a real mammal's. She even smelled and sounded like Sally.

Sally's dazzling smile grew broader. "Yes. Sonic and I are going to be married!"

"Married?" Antoine practically screeched.

"You shouldn't be so surprised, you know. After all, we were made to be. The beautiful, talented princess and the dashing hero!" The chipmunk/red squirrel clasped her hands over her heart in an overly dramatic fashion, gazing dreamily off into space.

Antoine still couldn't believe what he was hearing. "B-but what about the war?"

She shrugged. "What about it? Like I said, we're perfect for each other. Not only are we best friends who closely work together most of the time, but I'm the rational responsible one, and he's hotheaded and stubborn. You know what they say about opposites attracting."

Antoine had heard others going on before about how perfect Sonic and Sally were for one another, and quite frankly was tired of it. "Just because the two of you are being amies who are going on many missions together does not mean that you are 'made to be'!" He retorted, anger causing his stammer to vanish. "Oui, you and he are opposites, but that is certainly not meaning you would be a good couple! There are other friends who are different from each other, and these differences are making them disagree at times. What if your differences cause the both of you to fight a lot? And you – and Sonic are only sixteen now. You are not really knowing what you are saying. You may want to marry somebody else when you are older!"

Crossing her arms, Sally fixed him with a scornful look. "Antoine, just give it up. I'm not interested in dating someone who runs away every time he hears a cricket chirp. You know, a loser." She spat out the word 'loser' as though it were a bad nut she had just bitten into.

Antoine just stared at her. Was this truly how she felt about him? He turned away from her, wanting to gather his thoughts. "You are right," He finally said with a sigh as he turned to face Sally once more. "I cannot be making you listen to moi. I will still serve you as your loyal guard, because that is being the task given to moi by ma mére and I have promised to uphold my duty. But I am tired of being the loser, I am tired of hearing about how perfect you and Sonic are for each other, and I am tired of doing all the fighting with Sonic. If there is still a chance for me to win your amour, then I will be true to myself to do so, like mademoiselle Lupe said. But if you really want Sonic, then that is fine. You can have him." While hurt by his princess' harsh words, Antoine found himself surprised by his own. He supposed his little impromptu speech had been floating around inside his head for some time now. He’d always wanted to be able to say all of that to Sally, but it took hearing some nasty things for him to finally come out and do so.

Antoine stalked back towards the entrance without another word or glance behind him, leaving the startled Sally standing there behind him. He didn't want to remain there another second. But out of nowhere a blue… something began zipping around Antoine in a circle. It was moving far too fast for him to clearly make out what it was, but there was something alarmingly familiar about it. 'Oh no…'

The blue figure skid effortlessly to a controlled stop. Casually leaning against the wall behind him, one white-gloved hand pressed against it to support himself, the other hand curled into a fist which was presently resting on his hip, Sonic stood before Antoine, eyeing him with a superior look. He looked about as substantial as Sally did.

Taken aback by the sudden entrance of his adversary, Antoine stumbled back. Just what on Mobius was going on? Was he delusional? Going insane? Was there some sort of fell magic at work here? Tightly shutting his eyes, Antoine began whispering to himself, "This is not real, this is not real…"

"Will you quit whining and shaking in your boots for once?" He heard Sonic irritably snap. "I mean, I know that's all you're good for, but try switchin' your routine up sometime. You're gettin' predictable."

Antoine opened his eyes. Sonic was still there, unfortunately.

"Speaking of which Ant, I gotta say that I don't even know why you still bother trying to compete with me. It's not like you'll ever win or anything. No matter how hard you try, you'll always be a loser." The speedster continued on in a conversational tone.

Feeling himself growing enraged, Antoine growled at Sonic, the fur on the nape of his neck bristling, "I am not caring what you think of moi, you foolish hedgehog! Stormblaze does not think I am being a loser, and neither is Lupe!" Oh Stormblaze. Antoine was missing him more than ever. His telempathic powers would have been useful in discerning whether Sally and Sonic were merely a product of Antoine's imagination or not.

"Wow, a grand total of two Mobians," Sonic rolled his dark brown eyes. "Big whoop. Now me on the other hand, everybody totally admires and loves me. And why not? I've got cool powers, I always save the day, and I have a hot girlfriend who's also a princess!" He grinned proudly.

"Let moi through." Antoine grumbled, purposefully striding towards the exit once more. He and Sonic had never actually come to blows before in spite of how heated their bickering became, but now he was incensed enough to shove the shorter boy aside if he didn't move.

Sonic didn't budge. Instead, he swiftly lashed out with his leg, the powerful kick catching Antoine in the stomach before he could react. Winded by the surprise attack, Antoine was driven to his knees. The torch fell from his hands, landing with a clatter on the ground. Clutching his stomach, he gazed up through pain-bleared eyes to find Sonic standing over him, slowly shaking his spiky head back and forth and clucking his tongue in mock disapproval.

"Your parents would be so disappointed to see how you turned out. Check it out." He clapped once.

Antoine was too stunned to even try and figure out why Sonic had just clapped. Hearing that barb about his parents was far worse than any kick. Sonic had said some pretty hurtful things to and about him before, but that was by far one of the worst.

As his vision cleared, Antoine saw something that shocked him so much he nearly choked. He was facing a spacious garden-like area enclosed within warm beige-colored walls made of stone. A myriad of flowers, shrubs, and trees of different species, all of which were obviously well cared for, grew along the walkways. At the center of the garden was a large beautiful, white fountain. It must have been the courtyard of a castle or a palace.

The familiarity of the scene nagged at him, and Antoine furrowed his brow as he struggled to remember where he had seen it before. Wait - he knew where he was. This was the Royal Gardens of Thorncliffe Palace before Robotnik overthrew the royal family!

Completely forgetting Sonic for the moment, Antoine turned to his left when his peripheral vision caught movement from that way. A figure he quickly recognized as his father Armand was standing on the lawn, watching as a pup who appeared to be around five years of age happily scampered around and waving a wooden practice sword, called a waster. If Antoine was stupefied to see his father, then he was even more astounded to realize that the pup, who was wearing a long-sleeved blue shirt, was none other than himself. Armand was clad in a cream cavalier shirt, a departure from all the pictures and paintings Antoine had seen of him in which he was wearing his ornate general's uniform festooned with the various medals and honors he had received for his service to the crown. In one hand the general clutched his own waster, a much larger version of the one his young son carried.

As the older Antoine and Sonic looked on, apparently unseen by those they were observing, Armand lifted Antoine's much younger self into the air. Both were laughing merrily.

"When I am a knight, I will have mon own streaking pasha! He will be fast and brave and able to jump over mountains!" The young Antoine animatedly proclaimed, waster still held in his little hand.

"Such a beast would indeed be a fine steed for you, my little knight, but you must remember that there is more to being a knight then just having your very own streaking pasha," The coyote replied, smiling indulgently at his son as he set him back down before having a seat on a nearby bench. Like Antoine, Armand was speaking English, though his heavy French accent was clearly discernible. "Do you remember the Old Code?"

Young Antoine became silent before finally answering, "A knight must be loyal, true, honorable… um… valley-ris… and… gracious to women?"

"Valorous," Armand gently corrected, ruffling Antoine's fluffy headfur. "But you have it. Sometimes your mother and I fear you’re too smart for your own good." He joked before growing solemn. Catching the abrupt change in Armand's demeanor, the young Antoine observed him inquisitively. "Remember the code, and keep it close to your heart. If you do this, then you will become one of the finest knights to ever serve our great kingdom."

The tender scene suddenly shifted as though someone had thrown a switch. The courtyard remained, but decidedly different-looking from before. The footpaths and walls were cracked and filthy, the plant life had all withered and died, and the fountain looked like it had been dried up for a long time. Even the sky had taken on a sickly yellow hue, with thick whitish-gray blankets of noxious smog blotting out the sun.

Armand was still present, but the young Antoine was nowhere in sight. Instead head been replaced with the graceful figure of an adult female Mobian who was standing by Armand's side. It was Antoine's mother, Belle. She and Armand wore flat expressions on their faces as they stared at the horizon. The color of their fur, their clothing, their eyes, everything about them was dull and muted. With a gasp of horror, Antoine realized he could actually see right through them as if they were ghosts.

"Mon dieu…" Lurching towards them, Antoine reached a hand out towards the specters.

His approach seemed to stir his parents, and they listlessly regarded him. They clearly recognized him, but neither said a single word. Armand looked away from him, focusing on the ground instead and setting his mouth in a tight, grim line, while Belle continued to gaze at Antoine, great sadness in her crystal blue eyes.

Finally Armand spoke, not even bothering to look at Antoine as he did. "Antoine… Have you so quickly forgotten what I taught you? How could you shame us the way you have? Not just us, but the family name."

"I... I…" Antoine wanted to respond to the accusation and defend himself, but this was all too much.

Belle started to speak, but no words ever left her mouth. The poodle shut her eyes. A single glistening tear rolled down her cheek. "S'il vous plaît, va disparaître." She finally managed to croak out, voice heavy with emotion. Turning away from Antoine, the couple began walking together towards an archway leading out of the courtyard and back to the castle, their figures becoming fainter and dimmer in the ugly light.

"Wait!" Antoine frantically cried out. "Je suis desole! I can do better!" He reached for his mother's shoulder, but his hand passed right through her as though she was nothing more than smoke. Too late he realized that he shouldn't have done that, because his parents both vanished into thin air, leaving Antoine standing there by himself in the ruined courtyard.

Hot tears started flowing freely down his face. Sniffling, he wiped his eyes on his sleeve. He willed himself to stop, not wanting Sonic to witness him in such a state, but the tears wouldn't cease. He hadn't really cried like this since his first week of being in Knothole after having fleeing Robotnik with the other refugees. Yes, there had been times since then when he had either felt like crying or had started to, but never a moment where he had had a serious bout of sobbing. He’d strove to maintain a brave front for the rest of the youngsters, Rosie, and Cat, but the knowledge that he might never see his family or those who had been left behind in Mobotropolis alive again had become too much to bear, and one day he’d hid away behind the Ring Grotto and broke down there.

The haunting vision of Castle Acorn faded into nothingness, and Antoine was back in the chamber, though he was too distressed to take notice right then. When he had succeeded in getting a rein on his emotions and his crying subsided, a familiar voice suddenly rang out from behind him. "Why do you have to mess up everything you touch?" The speaker didn't bother to mask the contempt in his tone.

"Bonjour, Rotor." Antoine monotonously replied. He didn't make any effort to turn around and look, as he knew the purple walrus would somehow be right there waiting. He didn't know what had happened to Sonic or Sally, nor did he really care. He was drained, emotionally and physically. How much longer would this torture drag on? Would everyone he had ever known show up to berate and deride him? "Are you being here to tell me how I am not worthy to breathe the same air as Sonic?"

"Actually no, but now that you mention it, you're not worthy to breath the same air as Snively." Came the flippant response, the techie tapping his chin with a finger.

Once upon a time, Antoine had believed that Rotor was his friend. After all, at first glance, he came across as being exceptionally laidback and even-tempered. While always more reserved  in nature then Antoine, the two had played together perfectly well when they had been puppy and calf respectively, but as they’d grown older, their relationship had changed for the worse. Rotor's maltreatment of Antoine tended to be more of the subtle, sneaky variety, as opposed to Sonic's open antagonism. he would do things like intentionally target Antoine with unpleasant things like ice-cold water balloons or paintballs during the Knothole Freedom Fighters' training exercises in which they had to try and evade "enemy gunfire" on an obstacle course being controlled by Rotor. He would also laugh and talk disparagingly about Antoine with Sonic and the others when he didn't think Antoine could hear him. Antoine wondered if Rotor had picked this up from Sonic, or had just come to despise him on his own.

Strolling around to stand before Antoine, Rotor sneered at him. "Really, I don't know what's more annoying about you -- the cowardice, the clumsiness, all your stupid stories about knights and being sworn to uphold this and that, or the nonstop bragging. Seriously, nobody cares. How can you even be a knight when you can't follow the rules of acting like one?"

Antoine stared tiredly at Rotor, too exhausted to defend himself by that point. Rotor was right, and so were his parents. He hadn't practiced what he had been taught. He didn't deserve knighthood. He couldn't fight and needed to be rescued by everybody else, even after leaving Knothole on his quest. He would only be a hindrance to Stormblaze, and he would be better off without Antoine around.

"I think a change of scenery would be nice, don't you?" Rotor asked in a falsely pleasant voice. Not bothering to wait for a reply, he snapped his fingers.

Once again, Antoine found himself and his latest tormentor inexplicably whisked away to a new setting. Right away the coydog identified his and Rotor's new location as Knothole Village. The pink-streaked faint blue sky above them indicated that it was probably just a little after daybreak.

Getting Antoine's attention, Rotor pointed over to an area that was in close proximity to the huts where most of the Knotholers lived. It was the place where the Freedom Fighters would regularly hold their meetings.

The pair saw that Sally, Sonic, Bunnie, and another Rotor were there, either settled on logs or the grass as a second Antoine, clearly much older than what he had been in the previous vision, possibly fifteen years old, faced the four. standing tall and proud, he was dressed in Armand's uniform, and. His arms were folded behind his back, and on his face was an expression of utmost seriousness. Behind him was a chalkboard covered in neat handwriting that had been set up on a stand for everybody to see. Antoine realized that his double was in the process of addressing the others, and strained his ears to hear himself talk.

"… So, as the bravest and most wisest among you, I have taken the liberty of making a schedule that we will be following to the 'z'." The other Antoine grandly announced as he began deliberately marching back and forth in front of the chalkboard. "Firstly and foreman, we will be waking up at the crackerjack of dawn to be training. Of course, due to mon expertise as a warrior, I will personally be handling all training."

Sonic clapped a hand over his mouth, trying to hide his snickering and doing a poor job of it, while Sally and Bunnie both looked drowsy and like they would much rather be back in their respective beds right then. Rotor was rolling his eyes and glancing up at the sky every couple of minutes. The fifteen-year old Antoine was completely oblivious to their disinterest in his speech, now droning on about training drills and such.

Antoine grimaced as he viewed the scene. He remembered that day. The Freedom Fighters had finally been granted permission to carry out missions without adult supervision. The previous night, Antoine had requested that everyone awaken at sunrise so he could have the honor of drilling them, and had created an extensive schedule as well as a list of potential mission plans and training exercises for them. His little lecture… hadn't gone well. Watching himself behave like that was utterly embarrassing. He had never realized that the other Freedom Fighters (well, aside from Sonic) found the facts, stories, and ideas he tried sharing with them to be tedious to listen to, or how utterly ridiculous and pretentious he sounded while relating them. The others may not have treated him right, but he hadn't exactly been a pleasure to be around either.

"I… I was only wishing to show that I could be useful and smart too, like you and the princess are," Antoine quietly admitted to Rotor, staring down at his boots. "I was thinking that everyone might be liking moi better if I did. But…"

Rotor's light blue eyes narrowed. "Say it."

"… I was making it too far."

Rotor smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand, heaving a loud sigh of exasperation. "It's 'taking it too far', genius. Jeez, you can't even talk properly! Go back to Mercia. we all think you're too stupid to be taught English."

"Shut up." Antoine's voice barely rose above a whisper.

Rotor glanced over at him."Come again?"

Tightly clenching his hands into fists, Antoine stormed straight up to the slightly taller Mobian. His blue eyes had grown dark with fury. "I truly am wanting to be a better person, but are any of you ever trying to help moi? Non! All you do is sit around laughing at moi and treating moi like a pup! I am seventeen years old!" He was roaring in Rotor's face now, roughly prodding the flabbergasted pinniped in the chest with a finger. "I am being foolish and cowardly and a lot of other bad things, but even I am still knowing that that is not how a team is supposed to be working! Teammates help and watch out for each other! Not one of you has ever done that for moi! You are all being… fakes! I do not need the approval of any of you!"

Rotor actually backed away, hands out in front of him. Antoine's outburst seemed to have genuinely taken him off guard. "Well, if that's how you feel…"

Knothole was no more. he had been returned to the Cave of Shadows. exhausted, Antoine sank to his hands and knees, completely ignoring Rotor. He didn't think he could take this any longer. He would rather be struck blind before being subjected to another terrible vision. At the same time however, he realized that the things he witnessed had finally opened his eyes to the truth.

The other Freedom Fighters' typically apathetic attitudes towards him were what hurt more than anything else. While he could certainly give Sally credit for often scolding Sonic whenever he started in on Antoine, not once had she ever attempted to help Antoine learn how to defend himself or overcome his fears so that he could better serve her and the rest of the team. Yet she was the one who was always lecturing everybody else about teamwork. Antoine also doubted that she stopped Sonic out of any true affection or pity for him. Rather, it seemed she just felt that it was her duty to break up any squabbles among the group. Then there were all those times where she would ignore or grow irate with him when all he wanted to do was show her how much he thought of her. It wasn't like he had ever tried to do anything inappropriate with her – he would never dream of behaving in such a manner towards a lady. Sally was supposedly so caring and understanding, but what kind of a leader could treat another person so inconsiderately and think nothing of it? How could he have ever loved someone like that? How on Mobius could he have been so deluded? He wanted someone who would treat him with the same genuine respect and love he would shower them with.

Rotor had never attempted to impart any of his knowledge onto Antoine in order to broaden his skills, having no patience with trying to teach him anything. Sonic constantly complained about Antoine's lack of courage and how sheltered he was, yet had barely ever bothered to lift a finger to aid him in those areas. And on the rare occasion when Sonic actually had tried to train him, like Rotor, he had quickly lost his temper and started screaming insults at Antoine and telling him he would never be a real Freedom Fighter.

They all had the tendency to talk down to him as though he was either a pup or mentally deficient. If they really found his manner of speech so grating, then why had none of them ever made an effort to help him improve his English? Why must he learn their language but none of them had to learn French? Why was it that even when he actually succeeded in doing something right or helpful for a change, they either absolutely refused to acknowledge it or gave the credit to someone else instead? He had always been devoted to them and their unified goal of deposing Robotnik, but none of them would ever care about him in return.

Antoine didn't want to believe that sweet, true-hearted Bunnie loathed him like the other Freedom Fighters did. After all, she spoke to him like a friend, and almost always had a cheery greeting for him whenever they ran into each other. but he knew he had annoyed even her on a couple of occasions. Was her friendship with Sally and the rest of the team stronger, and she never had really considered him that much of a friend to begin with, but just someone she had to be nice to? Did she secretly hate him for failing to save her from the roboticizer in time? Had he been misleading himself about their friendship? Even worse, his attitude had blinded him to his own faults and had served to steadily widen the gap between him and the others over the years.

Antoine's head was beginning to really ache. He didn't want to return to Knothole ever again. As he sat there immobile, staring at the floor and wishing for a bottomless pit to open up and swallow him, his eyes happened to drift up to the wall in front of him. The light cast by his abandoned but still burning torch threw Rotor's shadow onto the wall. As Antoine watched, the familiar bulky, stubby-legged shape seemed to strangely stretch and elongate right before his eyes, becoming taller and sleeker. Realizing that what he was viewing wasn't a mere trick of the light, Antoine spun around to find a bizarre-looking creature leering at him.

At first glance, the being resembled a large Mobian wolf, with two-toned fur that came in separate shades of medium and light brown covering its frame. However, its arms were grotesquely long, and ended in long, black, curved claws which tipped the long fingers on his hands. A necklace made from the teeth of some unfortunate beast adorned his neck. Some sort of deep gray animal pelt was draped around the broad shoulders and covered his back, with the forearms wrapped around his neck and the lifeless head resting atop the wolf's own, the yellow glass eyes catching the torchlight and twinkling in a decidedly unsettling way. Sally, Sonic, and Rotor seemed to have vanished altogether.

Antoine warily backed away from the stranger."Where are they? Who – what are you?"

"Fool, they were never here in the first place," The freakish wolf harshly growled in a strange voice that all at once sounded like a mausoleum being opened and the death rattle of some dying creature. "It was only I. I am known in these parts as the Skinwalker. I must thank you for the delicious meal of sorrow and fear. I have not feasted so well in such a long time." Bringing his hands together, the Skinwalker performed a mocking bow towards Antoine.

Antoine gasped. "You were creating all of that?"

The Skinwalker grinned broadly, his toothy smile stretching from ear to ear. The sight of his long yellowed fangs caused Antoine to gulp. "With your help. I merely tapped into your mind and drew upon what I found there. It's been too long since I last had an opportunity to feast on canine," Dropping his head slightly, he theatrically sighed. "The wolves are smarter and too hard to catch these days. But you'll do quite nicely. Don't worry, you won't need to be sad about not having any friends. In fact, you won't have to worry about anything ever again..."

The Skinwalker lunged at him, claws outstretched and ready to make a quick kill, but Antoine's hand was already on the hilt of his sabre. With one swift motion he drew the blade and slashed at the sorcerer.

The Skinwalker recoiled with a pained roar, clutching his bleeding right arm. He glared nastily at Antoine. "Oh, so now you decide you want to act brave."

Antoine's only response to his barb was a decidedly un-Antoine-like growl as he pointed his sabre at the Skinwalker. The revelation that this monstrosity had invaded his mind and put him through all of that just so he could use Antoine like a battery or something was beyond vile. He felt livid enough to kill this thing.

The Skinwalker methodically circled Antoine before rushing in for another attack. Antoine lashed out at him, hoping and intending to run him through, but that time the Skinwalker was agile enough to dance out of the sword's path. He was laughing, much to Antoine's mounting fury. He didn't realize that the Skinwalker was just toying with him, feinting as he tried to find an opening to launch a real attack, until it was too late.

Slipping past Antoine's defenses, the Skinwalker took a swing at his head with one massive hand. Antoine went sailing across the grotto to crash into the wall and fall to the ground. He struggled to rise, but pain racked his whole body. His head felt the worst – it was like he had been struck by a sledgehammer. He had never been hit that hard before in his life, and was seeing stars.

Antoine's sabre had been knocked out of his grasp and was lying well out of his reach. Before he could retrieve it though, the Skinwalker was looming over him.

"On your feet, pup!" He snarled, roughly grabbing Antoine by his neck and hoisting him off the floor so that he was looking him squarely in the face.

Antoine clawed and beat at the hand dangling him in the air, but the Skinwalker's grip was like a vice. Finally, he did the only other thing that he could think of: he bit down on the Skinwalker's hand as hard as he could. Antoine may not have boasted the impressive fangs of a wolf like Lupe or Canus, but his teeth were still plenty sharp.

Shrieking in rage and pain, the monstrous wolf struggled to dislodge Antoine, but he refused to relinquish his grip on the Skinwalker's vile-tasting hand. Finally, the sickening sound of flesh and fur being torn could be heard as the Skinwalker managed to toss his smaller foe away.

That time, Antoine was fortunate enough to only go skidding across the cold ground. Stunned, he could only lay where he was. As hard as the floor of the grotto was, he didn't think he could take being slammed into the wall a second time.

"Antoine!"

Antoine painfully sat up to see Luna and Seff race into the cavern, armed with their spears. Upon seeing the Skinwalker, they stopped, paralyzed with fright.

The Skinwalker's pale yellow eyes gleamed diabolically as his gaze traveled from Antoine to the frightened siblings and then back to Antoine again. "After I kill you, I think I'll play with your little friends. How does that strike you?" He cackled.

'No!' Antoine’s mind screamed. He would not allow this monster to lay one claw on Luna and Seff – not if he could help it!

As the Skinwalker bolted towards him in a startling burst of speed, Antoine's eyes darted desperately around the grotto. He hoped to find a rock or something, anything to defend himself with. His eyes landed on his trusty sabre lying only a few feet away. Darting towards it, he grabbed the blade and held it out in front of him with both hands. Right when the Skinwalker was nearly on top of him, he stabbed upwards with all his might.

The momentum of the Skinwalker's charge drove the sabre deep into his abdomen. Surprised, he could only stare at Antoine before limply slumping forward, stone silent. Unable to support the Skinwalker's much heavier weight, Antoine hastily maneuvered himself out from under him, allowing the body to fall to the ground. Breathing heavily, Antoine couldn't tear his eyes away from the dead sorcerer. "Is… is he being dead?"

Luna and Seff hadn't yet moved, both still very much petrified by what they had just witnessed. After a moment, Luna managed to recover her wits sufficiently enough to reply, "I-I think so." She stared at the Skinwalker just to make certain, but didn't dare step any closer to his corpse to ascertain if she was correct or not.

As they continued staring at the Skinwalker, something peculiar began happening. The corpse actually began to crumble away before their shocked eyes, beginning with the Skinwalker's feet and head. Soon, there was nothing left but a pile of grayish-brown dust.

In the aftermath of that incredibly odd occurrence, it felt as though some horrible curse had been lifted and everyone could finally move again. Luna and Seff hurried over to Antoine. He was dirty from being flung around the grotto like a ragdoll, the collar of his uniform had been ripped, and he could already feel large, angry bruises forming underneath his fur. He had also suffered several bad cuts, scratches, and scrapes, mainly on his legs and hands. His nose pad was throbbing painfully as the result of an abrasion he’d received from being thrown to the ground.

Before, Antoine would have been bemoaning his "poor beautiful nose" and whether or not his looks were permanently ruined. in retrospect though, none of those things seemed important anymore. In spite of the pain he was in, he even had to laugh a little at the thought of fretting over a scratch so much.

Watching him, Luna and Seff frowned, bewildered by his behavior. Leaning over to his sister, Seff whispered, "I think he's out of his mind again."

His comment didn't escape Antoine's ears. "No I am not." He calmly replied, though he chose not to share the reason behind his amusement. They probably wouldn't have found it as funny as he did. Suddenly becoming conscious of a revolting taste in his mouth, he wrinkled his muzzle in revulsion and spat furiously, trying to rid his mouth of the taste of the Skinwalker's blood and fur.

Satisfied that Antoine didn't appear to be seriously injured, Seff gave him a lopsided grin. "Wow… You look terrible."

Shakily, Antoine returned his grin before growing serious. "Are the two of you being alright?"

"We're fine," Luna affirmed. "We heard strange noises and your voice coming down through the tunnels. When we saw you were gone, we tracked you." Without any warning, she practically threw herself at Antoine and embraced him tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay! You wouldn't believe how scared I was! I actually thought you were --"

Antoine grimaced. “Ouch! Please be careful, demoiselle!"

"Sorry!" Releasing her hold on him, Luna stepped away, embarrassed by her outburst and feeling guilt for having hurt Antoine even though it was entirely unintentional. "Um… Why don't we --"

She stopped mid-sentence, interrupted by what sounded like cracking ice or stone to their ears. The noise caused the three to give a start and look around in dread, expecting to see another horror or even the Skinwalker himself somehow returned from the dead.

As it turned out though, the cracking noise was emanating from the strange-looking boulder which stood in the center of the chamber. It actually appeared to be in the process of breaking apart. Dazzling rays of golden light seeped out of the spidery fractures that were rapidly forming along the boulder’s rough surface.

Antoine, Luna, and Seff shied away from the strange sight, prepared to flee if necessary. The massive rock abruptly exploded in a flare of gold light. Pieces of stone flew all over the place, causing the three to shield their eyes so as to protect them from both the debris and the intense light.

When the dust had settled and the light dimmed into nothingness, their ears suddenly picked up the sound of beating wings overhead. looking up, they beheld the startling sight of a feral bird that strongly resembled an osprey or another similar species of raptor in appearance flapping its great wings in order to remain aloft in the air. Its wing beats were powerful enough to stir up a small breeze.

The bird hovered a moment longer before finally landing. It smoothly swiveled its sleek head to and fro, studying the two youths and then Antoine with fierce golden eyes. Right away it was clear this was no ordinary avian. It stood at least as tall as Tails did, if not a few inches taller, and was covered in deep azure plumage, save for jagged gray stripes streaking outwards from the corners of its eyes, white flashes along the edges of its wings, and white-tipped tail feathers.

"Greetings. I am known as the Thunderbird," The bird said in a voice that was strong, clear, and feminine. Luna and Seff could only gawk as the Thunderbird then went onto address a surprised Antoine directly. "I thank you for freeing me from the Skinwalker's spell."

"Spell?" Antoine echoed.

"Long ago, I was imprisoned here by the Skinwalker's foul magic. Even with all my power I was unable to escape, and over time began to weaken. When you killed him, his power was broken and I was finally able to free myself. For your help, I now must grant you a boon."

Antoine didn't answer right away. He couldn't even begin to settle on what he should request of the Thunderbird. A hundred ideas ran through his mind all at once. He recalled one legend about a squire who freed a phoenix who had been captured by a minotaur, and how the magical bird had rewarded the youth by leading him to a cave filled with all manner of treasure. Antoine shook his head. No, he knew he didn't want treasure or anything like that.

Apparently however, he didn't have to say anything. The Thunderbird intently sized him up before nodding to herself as though confirming something. "I see you seek to become a great warrior, so I will grant you the power needed to succeed in your quest."

Unfolding one wing slightly, the bird lowered her head, and using her beak, swiftly plucked a long feather from the appendage. Feather gripped in her beak, she approached Antoine and thrust her head out at him, indicating that he should take the feather.

Antoine accepted the offering, wondering what he was supposed to do with a feather. As he studied it, the feather dispersed into a multitude of tiny, ethereal silver beads. Before his amazed eyes, the beads actually dissolved in his hand and were absorbed into his fur and then flesh. rather than be alarmed by this as he previously would have been, he studied himself in pure wonderment. Thin veins of silver light could be seen flowing through his hands and down into his arms before they returned to their mundane appearance.

Hearing the sounds of shuffling, Antoine's attention was drawn back to the Thunderbird. She was watching him closely. "You must make certain to train extensively in the use of your new abilities. Having power and failing to understand how to properly wield it can be hazardous for yourself as well as others.” She warned. “Learn how to control your power -- or it may end up controlling you."

The Thunderbird's gaze swept the grotto a final time before she bowed her head to the three canines. "Farewell." Closing her eyes, the Thunderbird stilled. After several minutes, the great bird's form was gone. a gust of wind now wildly whipped its way through the cavern. It blew away the Skinwalker's remains, dispersing the dust before winding around Antoine, Luna, and Seff, ruffling their fur and clothing in a final departing gesture before leaving for good. The fearsome cry of a raptor echoed in her wake.

All was silent until Seff spoke up. "Well I don't know about anybody else, but I don't think I'll be able to go back to sleep after all that."

Luna looked to Antoine, curiosity in her eyes. "How do you feel?"

Antoine was still staring off in the direction the Thunderbird had gone, a dazed look etched on his face. He felt like he was dreaming, standing outside his own body and watching these strange, magical events transpire. Luna's voice bought him back to the present, and he contemplated her question. Slowly he flexed his fingers. Aside from a mild tingling in his extremities, he actually felt fine. Odd, considering he had just been in a life-and-death struggle against a shapeshifting wizard. His injuries didn't even hurt anymore. He wondered exactly what sort of powers he was supposed to possess now and when they would make their presence known. He knew he should have asked the Thunderbird, but he had been so stupefied the question hadn't even crossed his mind until he’d just thought about.

On second thought… he felt better than fine. It wasn't quite the same feeling he had had when Stormblaze healed him. For one thing, he still retained his injuries, but the pain was dulled to such an extent that it was like they were no longer even there. He also felt significantly more alert and energetic, like he had just finished consuming a great deal of caffeine.

"Like…" Antoine tried to think of an English expression that fit his situation.

Baffled, Luna and Seff glanced at one another, then back at Antoine. "A million trucks."

"Uh… is that good?" Seff asked, obviously not understanding what Antoine meant.

"Better than good!"Antoine laughed ecstatically, rushing over to dance with the siblings. They couldn't help laughing along as they shared in his enthusiasm.

Suddenly ceasing his dancing and causing the others to do likewise, Seff adopted that same serious look Antoine had seen earlier on his face when they were about to cross the bridge. he still wasn't used to seeing Seff like that. "Since you saved our lives again, that means Luna and me are officially in your debt until we repay it somehow."

“He’s right.” Luna chimed in. “If you ever you need help or somebody to fight by your side, you can count on us!"

"Oh, I do not…" Antoine was about to say that they didn't need to feel like they owed him something, but both wore such intense, sober looks on their faces that he just didn't have the heart to. He doubted the siblings would have taken no for an answer anyways. "Merci, mon amis.”

"Come on. Let’s go get you patched up." Luna offered.

Smiling, Antoine allowed Seff and Luna to help him walk back to their campsite.

Author's notes: I fear this chapter may have offended fans of Sonic, Sally, and Rotor, so in just case it has, I would like to apologize. My intentions are not to bash them, as I despise character bashing. I will certainly not deny that Rotor, Sally, and Sonic all do have their good points. But while Antoine could be annoying to deal with at times, I also believe that most of the other Freedom Fighters didn't exactly treat him well much of the time (Sonic especially) or even attempted to help him with his problems. Sorry guys, but two wrongs don't make a right.

Secondly, a good team should be willing to support each and every member, not just the ones with cool powers or their best friends or whatever. How could Sally and co. expect Antoine to improve as both a Freedom Fighter and a person if their solution was to just ignore/or mistreat him? Those are the major messages that I really wanted to get across to readers with this chapter.

On a final note, Antoine's rebuttal to 'Sally' during their discussion about her and Sonic being made for each other wasn't meant as a personal attack on the Sonic/Sally pairing or those who like it, so please don't take it as such. So why did I choose to have Antoine say all of that to her? Well, let's be honest here: if there was somebody you were crushing on and people kept on talking about how she or he and another person made such a good couple, you'd probably get a little tired of hearing that too.

Translations:

Amour: Love.

Ma mère: My mother.

S'il vous plaît, va disparaître: Please, just go away.