Years after Miles had joined the Freedom Fighters, he still only rarely had to spend some time alone, and this was one of those times; with everyone else busy and him being finally fully trusted, he decided to spend some time at the Lake of Rings practicing his magic. This wasn't something he took seriously, as he knew he was powerful enough, so instead he saw it as just a way to have fun and show off, playing around with his wind and electricity powers, and if the few people in the park happened to walk by and stare, he knew they would be staring at his magic, and not just him. One of the people who witnessed his magic was Geoffrey. It had been a long time since he had trusted Ixis and made a mess of his life in the process, and after years of not really doing anything wrong since he quit being his apprentice, Nicole didn't see a problem to letting him in the nanite city, and he spent most of his time in Downunda, anyways. He was naturally stunned and impressed at seeing Miles' magic for the first time.

" Hey, kid, you making fireworks? " he said with a bit of a smile, and Miles, who wasn't used to strangers actually talking to him, looked behind him to see Geoffrey and replied casually, " Basically, " before looking back at the electricity in the sky that resembled firework shapes. Geoffrey was confused at his lack of a reaction to him, and walked closer to his side to talk to him better, saying, " You've never met me before, have you? I'm… " He hesitated a bit, before reluctantly admitting with a forced smile,

" I'm Geoffrey, St. John, and it's inspiring to me how much you've done for the Freedom Fighters! Considering your past, history with them. " Miles didn't recognize the name, let alone the appearance of the skunk Mobian, and said while waving his arms to move the wind like a conductor, " T-Thanks. I don't get people I don't know walking up to me and complimenting me very often. I get some smiles and waves every now and then, but usually it's just silence, people leave me alone. No offense. I'm just not social. I don't trust people very easily, if at all. "

The wind was visible in the sky as a stream of slightly blue-gray air, a natural result of wind magic by its users wanting to be able to actually see it, and it seemed to be creating lines in the sky with golden electricity above the Lake of Rings, showing an image of a thundercloud at one point.

Geoffrey responded unhappily, " I wish I was more like that. " Miles said in confusion, " Why? I mean, it keeps me safe, but social anxiety and shyness is more of a problem than a benefit for most people. Most people hated me when I was younger, but things are changing now and I still can't trust someone who's not already my friend. " Geoffrey asked, " Why are you being open and honest with me, then? I can't imagine the you from years ago would've talked about being shy to a stranger. "

" I dunno. I guess I opened up a little, after all this time of not needing to have my guard up. But what did you mean by that? Did you trust someone you shouldn't have once? " Miles said. Geoffrey looked uncomfortable and ashamed, and Miles added, " Not judging you or anything, since it'd be in the past anyways. "

" Y-yeah, but I'd rather not say who. The point is, it cost me. Dearly. W-Who taught you those powers, Miles? " Geoffrey replied awkwardly, and called him Miles instead of kid at the end for courtesy's sake, while thankful that no one else was in the park. " I did, " Miles said sadly. Geoffrey looked stunned and exclaimed, " You didn't have a mentor?! " thinking back to how hard it was for him to learn even wind magic, and that was with help. The thought that Miles could become so good at his magic by himself left him flabbergasted at the thought.

" I wish! " Miles replied, making Geoffrey cringe, and he continued while oblivious to his reaction, " It took me several years and getting really mad once to even realize I could control lightning consciously. I always had a weather sense, but I just assumed that everyone did, that it was only natural people could ascertain what the weather would be like in the next few days from feeling the humidity and whatnot in the air. It took Patch asking me if I'd seen the weather report for me to get I had such a connection to it, and that was long after Scourge was, you know, arrested, " Miles explained, feeling a little proud of himself for being able to have a natural conversation with a complete stranger without being nervous and paranoid of them the whole way through it.

Geoffrey, feeling a bit jealous and more amazed than that, said, " So you learned to be a master of the elements, all on your own?! " Deeply confused by that title, Miles said, " Huh? That title sounds a little bit familiar, " remembering the one time he dealt with Ixis by depowering him with Rotor's Scepter of Sealing, but because that was all he ever heard of him, he had long since forgotten his title and continued in confusion, " I dunno if I'm a master. Definitely of electricity, I've got that ' element ' down pat. What elements are you referring to? I have a feeling there's multiple different interpretations of how many and which ones count. " After all, it could be interpreted that there was up to 8 elements, more than just 4.

Geoffrey said, " I mean, fire, water, wind and earth, " stunned that Miles could be so good at magic moving electricity and wind around expertly, but still not know the basics of Ixis magic. He thought to himself, " I'm looking at a real child prodigy here! No wonder he's so helpful to the Freedom Fighters! Good thing he's on their side. "

Miles, still confused, explained innocently, " Well, let's see. I hate fire. I-I don't wanna go into that. I can increase or decrease the temperature of a small region around me, making a heat wave, though, if that counts. I know I can make fire, but I don't want to. As for water, well, " and pushed his right hand forwards to send wind towards the water of the Lake of Rings, and created waves and ripples in it. He made a gale force wind bend down towards the water, go under it, and move upwards to send water out of it safely like a fountain in the center of the lake. Then he created a small thundercloud above the lake raining in it, and said,

" That's the extent of my water magic. That counts as controlling it, right? I don't see the value in it, though, because water by itself can't hurt any robots. It could drown them, but most of them are waterproof because common sense, especially after I came along and it started raining all the time. Uh, by coincidence of course. " He nervously lied at the last sentence, not ready to admit to a stranger that his presence increased the amount of rain in the city.

Geoffrey relaxed, and said, " So I guess you can't control earth, either? " with his arms crossed and a smile, reassured from his jealousy. Mildly annoyed, Miles insisted, " Sure I can! " and sent wind out of his palms to move the sandy soil on the edge of the Lake of Rings, sending it flying it around above the lake in a tiny sandstorm. Then he used his wind magic to make the sand form the image of two tails and a thundercloud above it, before quickly forming it into the sentence, " Sonic rules! Eggman drools! " and sending it back where it belonged. As Miles smiled in the cute way that Tails tended to and giggled a little, Geoffrey chuckled at his childlike innocence contrasting with his magical power, and said sarcastically, " Real mature! "

Miles reasoned, " Well, I'm having a lot more fun with life than when I was pretending to be mature, and I've been told I'm actually likable now, too, so better to enjoy what's left of my childhood while it lasts. I'm already a preteen, " and looked sad at how he wasted his whole childhood on Moebius, worrying that when he wouldn't be cute anymore, his charm would run out and he'd stop getting sympathy for his moments of weakness. No matter how much he was reassured otherwise.

Miles continued briefly looking over at Geoffrey's smile, " But anyways, see, I can control the earth, just indirectly. " Geoffrey snarked with a smirk, " You cheated with your wind magic, " and he replied, " So? Creates the same effect, doesn't it? " Geoffrey thought of how Ixis would've controlled the earth, and said, " Yeah, but you still can't make earthquakes, fissures, or reshape the earth in tunnels or the soil like Ixis, " and briefly his smile faltered as he worried that he'd figure out who he was from mentioning Ixis.

Instead, Miles said calmly, " I don't see much of a need for that when I'm already powerful enough. And the only time I'm around soil is in natural environments that the Freedom Fighters wouldn't want me to ruin with that anyways. " He then looked depressed and continued with his head hung low, " People already think I'm too powerful as it is. They always have, and I'd rather not go into how they treated me because of it, or what they used to call me, several years ago. I talk about myself too much as it is. "

He continued with a more confident smile moving golden electricity around above the lake while Geoffrey looked stunned, " I already have full mastery over electricity, anyways. My enemies can't even try to attack me unless I let them. My powers come from controlling the weather and everything that entails, I don't think I'm really a master of the elements and I don't need to be. Fire sucks, water's useless, and earth's too destructive as well. At least with the wind, I can move anything I want, and with electricity, anything with energy in it isn't a threat anymore. That's all I'll ever need. " Then he asked nonchalantly, " By the way, how'd some random civilian like you know about ' masters of elements, ' anyways? "

Geoffrey was taken by surprise and stammered briefly, knowing that Miles had a reputation for having a fiery temper against his enemies that even rivalled the likes of Eggman, and said, " Well, I have some powers of my own, is all. And luckily I use them to fight Robotnik as much as I can. " Miles looked over at him, and said nonchalantly, " Oh, so you're a hero? I wonder why my friends never mentioned you. Maybe I forgot, sorry. "

Geoffrey looked uncomfortable scratching the back of his head and said, " Uh, " and Miles then said casually with a smile, " Oh, redeemed former villain, then? Just like me. " Geoffrey looked surprised saying, " How'd you figure that out? " and he replied with an understanding smile, " I have the same awkward reaction, with how I used to live. Don't worry about it, I won't ask. " He couldn't believe Miles was being so calm and reasonable. He was known for the exact opposite.

Looking stunned, Geoffrey said, " Thanks… I wouldn't have expected, that, of… " " Of an evil twin? I get that a lot, " Miles responded. Geoffrey sighed, and admitted quickly, " I used to be taught by Ixis, okay? Then I realized how hopeless he was and quit on him. Don't tell anyone we talked, alright, they'd completely overreact. I just heard about what a talented mage you were and wanted to see it in person. " Miles barely had a reaction to learning that, and said, " Oh, okay. " Still confused, Geoffrey asked, " You're not furious with me? I-I served King Max before I brought in him! I thought I could get him to take out Robotnik and- "

Miles said calmly with a shrug, " I don't care, that was the past. Nothing in the past really matters. Aside from how it makes us feel when we remember it against our wills. I wish I could forget most of my memories, and maybe you can relate. As long as you've learned your lesson from life experience and getting more in touch with what you really want, who cares? "

Then he admitted, " I'm not gonna pretend I'm completely tolerant, of course. I'm glad I didn't know you at first because I would've been a lot less polite otherwise. But from what I'm hearing, you're just another redeemed villain. And even the ' being a hero before that, ' thing, Fiona's that, too. From what Sally told me, she and Scourge became Freedom Fighters in another dimension for fun, and while they still do morally questionable things – Scourge wants to kill every Robotnik there is – they might as well admit they're heroes by now. It's the action that counts, not the intention. "

He shrugged, and then said, " Well, I think I've practiced enough today. I gotta go home before my parents start worrying about me. Good luck on everything, " briefly shaking his hand as he looked confused before taking off at high speed with his wind magic, having a tornado behind and below his spinning tails and gale force winds blasting from his hands. Geoffrey sighed, relieved at how well things turned out, and muttered, " I'd better go home too and not push my luck. What a sweet kid. " As he left with his wind magic, Nicole came out from being a tree, having witnessed the whole thing as the AI running the city, and smiled.