Hey people! I wrote the beginning of this some time ago but it took me a couple months to get it finished. Sorry about that. Not that you even knew I was gonna post it but whatever xD I hope you enjoy this interesting crossover I thought of!
"Manic, can't you ever keep your fingers off anything, bro?" Sonic said, tapping his foot in disappointment towards his younger brother.
"It's bad enough to have a brother who can't slow down for three seconds but to have a klepto for a second brother is just crazy!" Sonia exclaimed in addition to Sonic's irritation.
"Come on, chill you guys! You don't have get all worked up over a little thing!" Manic said defending himself strongly.
"Well, that 'little' thing happened to be something that belonged to Robotnik and we nearly didn't make it out alive!" Sonia replied angrily.
"Weren't we going to take it anyway?" Manic asked.
"Yeah – tomorrow night! But you couldn't wait that long!" Sonic retorted.
"Look who's talkin'…" Sonia said under her breath.
"Hey, I heard that!" Sonic remarked but shrugged it off.
"And that's why we're here, to help you out." Sonic informed him with a comforting hand on Manic's shoulder.
"You guys act like it's a totally mondo bad thing…" Manic said solemnly.
"It is!" Sonic and Sonia said unison, startling the green hedgehog into an uneasy state.
"Do you guys hear yourselves? You're saying that my past, the thing that makes me who I am bad!"
"We're not saying you are bad, Manic. But stealing, uncontrollably, is bad." Sonia comforted him.
"Yeah, but…it's all I know other than drumming and surfin' waves…"
"We know, bud. But it's time you learn the difference between when to steal and when not to steal." Sonic told him.
"Is that why we're seeing the Oracle?" Manic asked.
"Yep. Orc?" Sonic said to the air as the three reached their secret hideout where the wiseman lay dormant. The Oracle appeared in a puff of smoke.
"I am here, young ones. What might I help you with?" The Oracle inquired respectfully.
"Manic, here, needs a lesson on self-control of his thievery." Sonic replied to the inquiry and gave a gruff pat his brother's back, to which Manic sighed gravely, unable to understand why few regard his past life as good.
"Ah, yes. I expected you three to come here for such a reason. I can assist you. I have just the lesson that can be taught to him."
"Do I really have to do this, guys?" Manic whined, scared of what might come of this 'lesson'.
"If you care for your siblings, you must." The Oracle spoke for the other two as to not upset Manic further.
Manic sighed deeply again, understanding that even through his talents which he cherished, his family and his purpose were more important. "Alright. What do I have to do?"
"You must enter a new realm, unknown to many and known to a few. On your journey, you will learn new things and abilities that you will not return with, however, the lessons you will learn upon completing this quest shall travel back with you. Now, be warned – this realm will feel familiar to you but believe me, it is not Mobius. Also, there will be events that you would not normally partake in and sights you will not wish to see again. Lastly, this lesson is a test of restraint and if you are to come back successful, you will gain wisdom that the three of you will need further down your destiny's path. Are you ready to walk into the void?"
Manic looked at his hopeful siblings with a slight tear of longing and regret of his recklessness in his eye.
"Yes." He softly said, accepting his teachings to come.
"Very good. Sonic, Sonia, your brother's body will remain here with us but his mind will be elsewhere. Please grab a hold of him when he has spiritually left this place so that when he fully transfers into this new realm he may not harm himself here." As the two each grabbed an arm, Manic took one more look at his beloved kin.
"I love you guys." Sonic gave him a thumbs up and Sonia hugged him tightly.
"With goodbyes aside, let us begin." The seer began to chant a few words and within seconds, Manic closed his eyes and fainted in his siblings arms. The others held him and waited – even Sonic in his natural haste, vowed to wait however long it took for his brother to go on his own journey.
"Oh my head…" Said a waking Manic as he immediately felt the twinge of head pain and dizziness. Upon standing, he dusted himself off. "Whoa! This place has a different vibe about it! It feels like Mobius-" Manic took a good look around the foliage around him. "But it sure doesn't look it!"
Manic habitually went to tug on his necklace, the habit he's picked up when he misses Ma, and to his shock, it was not there. "Yo, where's my medallion!" He frantically searched for it before remembering that this was a different realm. "Aw man, I guess I'll have to deal without my kit…well, it's not like I haven't before!*" Sighing, Manic walked onward and felt his belt for something that was of equal importance. "Well, at least I got my trusty fanny-pack in case I need something! Pleased that there was some joy to the chaos of no music, he felt better. He had to have his phanny pack because, after all, this quest was of self-control and restraint. "Hmm, wonder where this path goes. Guess I better check it out!"
Walking along the stone path, Manic found a body, lifeless, on the side of the road. "Dude, not cool. Wonder what happened to this guy. " He cringed in pure disgust. "Ooh, look what I found!" Manic knew it was wrong, but he could not resist the easy loot that he spotted on the deceased. Upon recovery of thirteen coins by the name of Septims, he sighed once more, saying, "Did I really need to so that or is this a test? Man, I need money!" He knew he needed the currency to do anything here but fully comprehended what this lesson he had to learn was about – self-contol.
Further on the path, Manic spotted a city and its walls. "A city! I am starved, I need something to fill my belly." There were Mobian Guards who stood at the gates. "Uh, scray guards. Maybe if I don't look threatening, they won't mind me walking into the city." Looking up at the cloudy sky, it would surely rain soon. "If it's going to rain, I need a place to crash – I am beat!" Perhaps this place had an inn of some sort. The guard to his right stopped him in his tracks, saying, "Hold there! Before I let you into Riften, you need to pay a Visitor's Tax."
"What's the tax for?" Manic asked with confusion.
"For the privilege of entering the city. What does it matter?" The guard said.
Manic had enough skill to know when entering a city had a price, it was just a greedy trick.
"This is obviously a shakedown, dude." He said with annoyance and a hint of confidence in his fatigued voice.
"All right, keep your voice down… Do you want everyone to hear you? I'll let you in, just let me unlock the gate."
As the guard did exactly as he said, Manic opened the door into the city. He took a good look around this place known as Riften and wore a big smile. "Man, this Riften place sure feels like home for some reason." He inhaled the fumes that came off the city. "Smells like it too. I don't know what it is about Riften but I think I kinda like it." Manic looked around a little more. "This place looks great to explore but I need to find a bed to fall into! All that realm traveling wasted my body…" Feeling intense ache, Manic knew that he needed to find an inn before he collapsed or he'd regret it. But before he could take a step, there was a rather suspicious looking dude that stopped him. It was a spotted hyena. This 'Maul' more or less told Manic to stay out of trouble and keep his nose out of something called the Black-Briars. He would do well to do so as he did not want trouble.
After speaking with Maul, Manic looked for an inn to rest at. The marketplace in the heart of the city was full of working merchants. "I spy with my brown eyes some green apples! I could totally snatch one or two but I've got to keep this under control if I wanna go back home. I at least need to do the right thing and buy one; can't sleep until I eat! Hopefully I have enough of these coins…" Manic said as he reached into the pocket to count them again to double-check the amount. Certain he did, Manic began walking over to one of the Merchants. Before the master thief begrudgingly could seek out a purchase, someone bumped him.
"Oh, sorry dude! I didn't see you there!" Manic frantically apologized, picking up the coins he lost during the bump.
"That's quite alright." The Raccoon had a small glimpse in his eye. "Say, you're running a light on the pockets, aren't you, lad?" The Raccoon he bumped into abruptly told him.
Manic was speechless. No one had ever displayed keen observation like this before his own eyes.
"I'm sorry, what?" Manic asked nervously, worried that he might end up the same way the fallen body was on the side of the road.
"Your pockets…" Said the Raccoon leaning against a post. "They're a little low on coin. I can tell."
"How would you know that, dude?" The green hedgehog asked the mysterious Raccoon, mimicking his posture.
"It's all about sizing up your mark, lad." The raccoon replied with a slight smirk; a friendly smirk, not a villainous one, thankfully. "The way they walk, what they're wearing; it's a dead giveaway."
Manic's eyes motioned unnoticed by this stranger to his vest and his mind strayed a moment to his casual but equally alert demeanor. Manic truly did look like a thief. But how would this Raccoon know such a thing unless…?
"I don't know, dude. I don't think my wealth is any of your business. Most people don't ask strangers about what's in their pockets unless their lookin' to empty 'em, if you know what I mean…" Manic said with suspicion in his voice. Even with his background, Manic knew by now that every thief is for himself unless with a guild – but even then, a thief must rarely trust his own, let alone trust a strange thief. Manic is quite the exception of course but regardless, Raccoons are known for their cunning back on Mobius.
"Oh, but that's where you're wrong, lad. Wealth is my business." All at once, Manic fully understood, or so he thought, as to why he was here. A test to sharpen, hone, and control his skills would definitely be needed here; amongst other things. "Maybe you'd like a taste?" The Raccoon said, interrupting the hedgehog's daydreaming, almost reading his mind with enticement.
"Whaddya have in mind?" Manic was sometimes too curious for his own good. But if this Raccoon was what Manic thought he was, perhaps things would get interesting here in Riften.
"I've got an errand to perform but I need an extra pair of hands. And in my line of work, extra hands are well-paid."
"Alright then, what do I have to do?" Manic asked, not really caring about coin but more the adventure.
"I'll tell you but let's go somewhere more…private."
"Okay." Manic was indifferent about this whole ordeal but time would tell about what this might become. Inside the Bee and Barb, the two sat an isolated table and continued their conversation.
"So, as I was sayin'…what do I have to do?" Manic resurrected his question.
"Simple…I'm going to cause a distraction, and you're going to steal Madesi's silver ring from the strongbox that's under his stand. Once you have it, I want you to place it in Brand-Shei's pocket without him noticing." Stated the Raccoon.
Madesi must've have been the lizard jeweler and Brand-shei the…whatever he is. Manic saw both when entering the marketplace, just before bumping into the Raccoon.
"Why plant the ring on Brand-Shei?" The inquisitive detective of a thief asked.
"There's someone who wants to see him put out of business permanently. That's all you need to know. I'll be in the marketplace all day; from eight in the morning to eight in the evening. Meet me there if you've got the stomach for it."
"Oh I've got the stomach for it, alright!" Manic's theft-blood was flowing in his veins – he was more than ready.
The Raccoon chuckled. "I like the enthusiasm but we will see. I'll be in the marketplace come morning. You'd better be there too."
"Oh believe me, dude, I'll be there before you will!"
Chuckling again, the Racoon shook his head and walked off.
"Oh man, this will totally prove to me if I am rusty or not! I don't think I am though, I'm the Manic man! But should I do it? Is this a test to avoid it? I have to do it…it's too good to pass up…"
Despite all the warming up he had to do, Manic unfortunately needed to cool down to rest. Manic went over to the lizard woman to pay for some food and a room and before he thought he hadn't enough, he found in his Phanny-pack that he knew without a doubt the Raccoon had place there – quite the gesture from a thief to another! He obviously dropped most of the coins he dropped when they bumped into eachother. And Brynjolf knew he was tired. Once Manic was in his room and fell into his bed, he dreamed of what could happen the following day; what adventures lie ahead afterward. Trusting his skills put young Manic to sleep before he could think of a solo he'd been working on for days in his mind. The Manic-man would dream soundly through the night.
Meanwhile, back on Mobius with Sonic and Sonia…
"Why is he smiling?" Sonia asked her brother as she was fixing her makeup where she stood. Both the sibling's arms had grown tired after holding their brother for what seemed like forever so they gently placed him on a soft pillow and were determined to stay with him if he were to have seizures or the like.
"Who knows?" Sonic said scarfing down a chilidog, lying in a chair he propped by the table edge nearby. "He might have stolen something."
"Oh, good grief, I hope not, if he does, I'll will make him pay for any damage my hair gets for the stress he gave me after the stunt he pulled last night!" Sonic said in slight annoyance.
"Calm yourself, Sonia. In order to learn this lesson, Manic must travel far and wide within himself. If that means he must steal something, so be it. How can he learn restraint if he is not tempted?"
"Yeah, I suppose you're right Orc…" Sonia sighed calmly.
"Fret not, princess. Even with his talents, young Manic will soon learn things are not as easy as they seem."
Whew! That took a lot of work even though it was short! I have to play the game just to get the dialogue fitting in here! Next time, I'll just use Skyrim as a gameplay tool and get my dialogue I need elsewhere. Heh, Elsewhere…eh, sorry lol Anywho, I hoped you guys liked it! I tried to mix Sonic Underground with Skyrim but it's proven difficult. I mean, Sonic as a franchise isn't about killing is it? Meh. I think Manic would totally fit in the Thieves Guild anyway. They aren't about killing to begin with! If you're wondering why Brynjolf is a Raccoon, it's because I needed him to look Mobian but also be something that represents thievery. In any case, if you have any suggestions, feel free to throw 'em out there! I plan on writing more soon but not sure when.
*I'm referencing here when the trio went into that place that looked like Rome. It actually kind of inspired this fanfic. Yeah, anyway, the trio didn't have their medallions. I reeeally want to insert that somewhere so I'll think about him doing something involving music but I am not skilled at songwriting nor making a cheesy song xD so if I do something, it's gonna be a real song and I think I already have something in mind... ENOUGH of my rambling, later dudes!
Edit - 2:27 AM Mar 6: Had to reword all the dialogue because I realized I needed to make it more like the cartoons where the characters say all their thoughts practically xD kinda funny.
Next Time: Manic gets to reverse pickpocket. This should be fun...