~~~~~~~~Author's Note
'Ello! HoofprintsOnWings here! [I'll abbreviate it to H.O.W now. Saves time typing
;D] Aaaaannnnnnyyyyyywwwwaaaayyysss…. NEW STORY! Sorry for not
updating the last one, I got stuck and started another and well…. you know how it is.
*hint hint*
*Special Notice* All characters in this story except Knuckles belongs to me. He
belongs to Sega. Please R&R!
Enjoy! ~ H.O.W
~~~~~~~~Chapter One: Scattered Dawn
Emmy leaned against the shadowy alley wall. Ocean green eyes observed the world casually as it hurried by. As average mobians lived average lives; average yet blessed. Blessed with powers, supernatural gifts that made everyday an adventure.
Emmy, however, was different. Not only was she an echidna, she had no powers, no gifts. She normal in an extraordinary world,
Her dark clothes hid most of Emmy's pale blue fur and made her seem almost invisible in the midnight shadows. A tiger tattoo on her neck and shoulder cleverly hid a scar from a past life: a life of pain, misery, and hopelessness.
Most of Emmy's quills were unusually short; only shoulder length. Only back three quills were full length. They were held together with several silver clasps and fell gracefully down to her heels. Despite their uneven length, Emmy's quills gave her a mysterious, almost magical appearance.
The sound of approaching footsteps made Emmy shift gears from passive observer to stern drug dealer. Her eyes narrowed as she studied the approaching strangers. The seal grey cat appeared drunk. His companion, a brown fox with black streaks, had to keep the cat from falling on his face several times. Emmy smirked at their pitiful progress.
"Heeeeeyyy!" The cat called, his voice slurred from one too many beers. "What's a purty girl like you doin' out here all alone?"
"Flattery won't work." Emmy said, her voice cold and business like. "If you want my goods, it's cash only." She flashed a plastic bag with a white powdery drug inside. "Fifteen. Take it or leave it."
"I'll handle this. Me an' her go way back." The fox said confidently and smiled broadly at Emmy. "Remember me?"
Emmy drew out a handgun and cocked it casually, handling it like it was a toy rather than a weapon. "No."
"Common, you remember me." The fox stroked her quills with a gloved hand. "The one who sprung you from jail."
"And molested me." Emmy said harshly.
"What?" The fox stepped back in shock. " I didn't do that! I'd never do that!"
"Oh yes you did! Don't try to deny it! I know you did it!"
"But… that's impossible! I've never wanted to hurt you! Don't go pointing fingers at me for something that that I didn't do."
"Don't think your sweet talk will change anything! I know who you are!" Emmy aimed the gun and the fox's chest. "You're a damn rapist, Corrin!"
"Now that's too far!"
"What is? Saying someone's something or knowing they're something?" Corrin's cheeks flushed in anger. He whipped out his own gun and aimed it at his accuser.
"Don't make me shoot you."
"Or what?" Emmy snapped. Their eyes locked in heated combat. Both were cold as steel and sharp as swords. Each second stretched into minutes.
Corrin finally threw his gun down in frustration. "I can't shoot you."
"Fine. I will." Emmy pulled the trigger. Corrin's body jerked as it fell to the concrete. His breath came in ragged gasps and his wild eyes looked at Emmy with shock.
Something seemed to shift inside of Emmy. Her confidence vanished, making her glance around nervously. The gun fumbled out of her hands to the ground, firing another bullet that ricocheted of the wall and hit a beer can nearby; the sound merged with the pounding of Emmy's feet on the concrete as she fled into the night.
The cat ran to his fallen friend, ripped off his glove and placed his hand on the bleeding wound in Corrin's chest, healing it instantly.
"Thanks, Lee. I owe you one."
"Don't mention it," Lee said and helped Corrin to his feet. "Who was she?"
"Old friend." Corrin said and looked remorsefully in the direction Emmy and run off to.
Emmy slammed her door shut and started ripping clothes out of her dresser and shoving them into a suitcase. A wave of painful regret suddenly slammed her, turning her into a sobbing mess on the floor. I killed him. The reality was as obvious as a black spot on white paper. She was a monster. Just like they had wanted her to be. How did I let this happen?
"Miss Emmy? Miss Emmy, what happened?" Through a screen of tears Emmy could just make out the form of one of the hotel maids, Kina. The petite jaguar's amber eyes were full of concern and compassion.
"I killed him. I killed him in cold blood." Emmy turned away and sobbed bitterly.
Kina gasped. She knew Emmy was different, but not like… this. "Oh my. Uh… let me get you something to drink." She hurried out of the room and soon returned with a cup of hot tea. "Wanna talk?"
Emmy nodded and sat on the bed. Kina waited silently as Emmy drank her tea.
"I've never told this to anyone before. Mostly because of shame and it's a painful subject…"
Go on, Kina's eyes whispered gently, I'm listening.
"Ever herd of," Emmy looked around urgently and then whispered, "Area 31?"
Leon whistled merrily as he rubbed the last bit of water off the table. He liked his job at the diner. It wasn't the most glamorous job in the world but it allowed him to meet a lot of interesting people. Leon was one of those guys that you can't help but like. His warm smile and friendly attitude has won him many friends. But, like some of the other unlucky dudes, never any girlfriends.
"Don't worry, bro." One of his friends told him over lunch one day. "One will come eventually."
Yeah, when I'm 30! Leon scoffed.
"Hi, Leon! Whatcha doin?" Leon glanced up to see his younger sister, Spirit, bounding up to him. Except for the light blue tips of her quills, the two hedgehogs were carbon copies of each other. Both had smoky grey fur, medium length quills, and hazel eyes.
"Just cleaning the tables. Nothing really interesting," Leon whipped his gloves off on his apron. "Aren't you supposed to be at school?"
"It doesn't start till 10 today. Can I help?" Spirit asked, her five-year-old cuteness sparkling everywhere. "Please? I promise not to break anything this time!" Leon thought for a moment. As long as I don't let her have anything fragile, I guess the boss won't mind.
"Ok. You can carry this spray bottle for me." Spirit squealed with delight and eagerly snatched the bottle out of her brother's hands. For the next hour Spirit stuck to Leon like Velcro and helped him clean tables. She squirted water onto the table, and he whipped it off. At the last table Spirit squirted Leon playfully. Leon laughed chased her around the dinner. The chase soon evolved into a game of water tag, each armed with a spray bottle and loads of adrenalin.
"Missed!" Spirit yelled and squirted water in her brother's direction. The water hit not her brother, but a certain red echidna who had just walked in the door.
"What the?" Knuckles exclaimed and wiped the water off his new leather jacket.
"Oops." Spirit was really in for it now. One thing you never do is squirt a stranger, especially one with a temper. Knuckles eyes soon locked on to Spirit's. His angry gaze made her shrink behind the chair.
"Please excuse my little sister." Leon said apologetically. "We were playing and…" Knuckles spun around, eyes flashing.
"PLAYING? That twerp ruined my $100 jacket!" Spirit shrunk lower, almost to the floor.
"I'm sorry about your jacket, but please don't kill her. She's only a kid." Leon led Knuckles to a table while Knuckles fumed and tried to regain his sanity.
"I'M SORRRRY!" Spirit wailed and ran to Knuckles. She hugged the shocked echidna and began apologizing a mile a minute. "I'msosorryboutyourjacketIdidn'tknowitwasyouIthoughtitwasmybrotherI'llpayforyourjacketsomehowohI'msoooosorry!" Spirit balled into his sleeve, staining the jacket further. Knuckles pried her off and looked into her teary eyes. For a frightening moment Leon didn't know if Knuckles was going to yell at Spirit or throw her across the room.
"Hey, it's just a jacket." Knuckles said reassuringly. Spirit stared at Knuckles blankly for a moment before smiling sheepishly. "Now, is their somewhere your supposed to be?"
"Oh! School! Bye Leon!" Spirit exclaimed and sprinted out the door.
"Darn kids." Knuckles said gruffly and examined his jacket. Leon, however, was in a state of shock. His mind just couldn't grasp how soft Knuckles could be.
"You work here?" The sudden question made Leon jump. "Well?"
"Yep. Seven days a week, 8 to 9. Not the best paying job, but it's a living."
"You call cleaning up and babysitting a living?" Knuckles laughed.
"It keeps food on the table if that's what you mean. Anyway, name's Leon. Yours?"
"Knuckles."
"Welcome to Reno's Diner, Knuckles. Can I get you anything?"
Leon whistled merrily as he rubbed the last bit of water off the table. He liked his job at the diner. It wasn't the most glamorous job in the world but it allowed him to meet a lot of interesting people. Leon was one of those guys that you can't help but like. His warm smile and friendly attitude has won him many friends. But, like some of the other unlucky dudes, never any girlfriends.
"Don't worry, bro." One of his friends told him over lunch one day. "One will come eventually."
Yeah, when I'm 30! Leon scoffed.
"Hi, Leon! Whatcha doin?" Leon glanced up to see his younger sister, Spirit, bounding up to him. Except for the light blue tips of her quills, the two hedgehogs were carbon copies of each other. Both had smoky grey fur, medium length quills, and hazel eyes.
"Just cleaning the tables. Nothing really interesting," Leon whipped his gloves off on his apron. "Aren't you supposed to be at school?"
"It doesn't start till 10 today. Can I help?" Spirit asked, her five-year-old cuteness sparkling everywhere. "Please? I promise not to break anything this time!" Leon thought for a moment. As long as I don't let her have anything fragile, I guess the boss won't mind.
"Ok. You can carry this spray bottle for me." Spirit squealed with delight and eagerly snatched the bottle out of her brother's hands. For the next hour Spirit stuck to Leon like Velcro and helped him clean tables. She squirted water onto the table, and he whipped it off. At the last table Spirit squirted Leon playfully. Leon laughed chased her around the dinner. The chase soon evolved into a game of water tag, each armed with a spray bottle and loads of adrenalin.
"Missed!" Spirit yelled and squirted water in her brother's direction. The water hit not her brother, but a certain red echidna who had just walked in the door.
"What the?" Knuckles exclaimed and wiped the water off his new leather jacket.
"Oops." Spirit was really in for it now. One thing you never do is squirt a stranger, especially one with a temper. Knuckles eyes soon locked on to Spirit's. His angry gaze made her shrink behind the chair.
"Please excuse my little sister." Leon said apologetically. "We were playing and…" Knuckles spun around, eyes flashing.
"PLAYING? That twerp ruined my $100 jacket!" Spirit shrunk lower, almost to the floor.
"I'm sorry about your jacket, but please don't kill her. She's only a kid." Leon led Knuckles to a table while Knuckles fumed and tried to regain his sanity.
"I'M SORRRRY!" Spirit wailed and ran to Knuckles. She hugged the shocked echidna and began apologizing a mile a minute. "I'msosorryboutyourjacketIdidn'tknowitwasyouIthoughtitwasmybrotherI'llpayforyourjacketsomehowohI'msoooosorry!" Spirit balled into his sleeve, staining the jacket further. Knuckles pried her off and looked into her teary eyes. For a frightening moment Leon didn't know if Knuckles was going to yell at Spirit or throw her across the room.
"Hey, it's just a jacket." Knuckles said reassuringly. Spirit stared at Knuckles blankly for a moment before smiling sheepishly. "Now, is their somewhere your supposed to be?"
"Oh! School! Bye Leon!" Spirit exclaimed and sprinted out the door.
"Darn kids." Knuckles said gruffly and examined his jacket. Leon, however, was in a state of shock. His mind just couldn't grasp how soft Knuckles could be.
"You work here?" The sudden question made Leon jump. "Well?"
"Yep. Seven days a week, 8 to 9. Not the best paying job, but it's a living."
"You call cleaning up and babysitting a living?" Knuckles laughed.
"It keeps food on the table if that's what you mean. Anyway, name's Leon. Yours?"
"Knuckles."
"Welcome to Reno's Diner, Knuckles. Can I get you anything?"
Kina waited patiently for Emmy to finish her tea. How could someone deal with so much pain, and yet still stay so beautiful? Kina thought about all that Emmy had told her and shook her head. It couldn't be. Would people really be that cruel? And just for the sake of "science"?
"I promise to get to the bottom of this. Somehow." Kina murmured.
"Hmm?"
"Oh, never mind, It was nothing. So did they really… cut your quills?"
Emmy's fur bristled and she focused on the tea in her hands. "Yes. They just dragged me onto a table and just chopped them off. No anesthesia. It was like… like… I wasn't Mobian. Like a was some disposable animal without feelings or emotions." She paused, letting the truth sink in. "That's how I got this." She removed her jacket. There, mostly covered by a tattoo and her grey t-shirt was a long scar that ran from the end of one of her front spines all the way down to her shoulder. "I got it trying to escape."
Kina shivered. She couldn't imagine how painful it must have been. "How'd you ever get out?" Emmy remained silent. "Oh… he helped you? Didn't he?"
Emmy glared at Kina. "He did not, but someone else did."
"Who?"
Emmy said nothing and stood up, ending the conversation. She then emptied her cup in the sink. "I believe you have a job to do." She said and handed the empty cup to Kina. Kina nodded and left. The rest of the mourning she was in a daze. Burdened with a secret to big not to tell, yet, it couldn't be told.
Maybe I should tell the police. But… what if they were in on this too? The thought troubled Kina throughout her morning shift until lunch.
Kina chose to eat at Reno's, her favorite restaurant. Not only because the food was good, but the welcoming and cozy atmosphere helped her to relax.
"Hey, Kina!" Leon, the waiter, greeted her cheerfully as she walked in. "Seat yourself at a table and I'll get to ya shortly." Kina chose a window seat near the back. As she waited, she watched the other customers laughing, talking, and enjoying each other's company. All of them seemed to be having a grand time except her.
"The usual?" Leon asked in his normal, happy self. Kina nodded and absentmindedly fiddled with her fork. "You okay?"
"Is it that obvious?"
"Well… you don't exactly have a poker face." Kina chuckled. If anything could make her smile, it was one of Leon's jokes.
"It's about a friend. She's… it's complicated." Leon seated himself across from her and looked understandingly into Kina's eyes. She sighed. You can't hide anything from a true friend; no matter how hard you try. "Well… let's just say she's in a lot of pain and she needs help. But… I can't help her. It's like she won't let me." Kina looked outside the window at the sunny afternoon sky.
Leon reached into his pocket and pulled out a little old book. It was worn from years of use and someone had put a piece of duct tape on the cover. "Here. Have her read this." He said and placed the book on the table. "Maybe you should too." He said and left quietly.
Kina looked down at the cover and read the title: New Testament.