This is my first FanFiction so both praise and constructive criticism are welcome. This story is based from sonic SatAM though I'm not setting it in any particular universe.
Warning: This mainly centers around my OC though there will be plenty of Archie/Modern characters present.
Disclaimer: I own no one here except my OCs, the rest clearly belong to SEGA/Archie.
Chapter 1: Aly
Day 95, 3238
The golden eyes of a lone mobian malamute were fixated across the snowy horizon.
Sheets of ice particles were strung up and carried away by the cold winds. The frozen plains radiated with an orange glow due to the fading sunlight. It was quite the nice and tranquil view she needed to ease her mind off the days events.
Her eyes still burned faintly with shame and embarrassment, streams of dried tears matted the white fur around her face.
She tilted her head upwards to the few stars that started to appear in the fading blue,"I better not stare too long or my eyes will burn from something else" she said to no one in particular.
Creeaak Creeaak Creeaak
Her ears twitched before she lurched up from the chair and took off around to the front of the house. She knew that sound all too well.
"Pa!"
She made a running jump in the arms of a taller, bulkier malamute.
"Ohh my little aly... well not so little anymore." His prosthetic leg starting to bend under their combined weight.
They both laughed as she got off her father's arm.
"My big girl is officially one–nine!" He dug into the pocket of his puffer coat and pulled out a bar covered in tin foil, handing it to his daughter. Curiosity striking aly as she grabbed the object, "What is it?"
His gaze fell slightly and started rubbing the back of his neck, "They didn't have any ice cream cakes left, times are starting to get... tough." He looked back towards the city.
Fruit Cake the label read on the bar.
"Aw dad, thanks." Aly pulled him into a tight hug. Taken off guard by this, the rugged malamute turned back and slowly returned the hug. A warm smile spreading across his muzzle for his daughters appreciation.
The wind started to pick up."Brrrrrrr... yeah why don't we get inside before we get preserved just like those caribou they find up north." They both broke the hug and made there way to the front door of their house. "Listen, I'll go start dinner as long as you get the table ready, sound good?" He glanced over "sounds good," She nodded. He smiled, giving her a noogie much to her annoyance.
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Aly already had the table prepared before father finished cooking. All she could do now was sit with her head down, twitch her leg, and wait for the inevitable conversation. His humming didn't make it any better.
"Mitchell Malamute, father of the best daughter on Mobius, best cook in Shellrock, and best tune hummer." Mitchell proudly presenting the Salmon Stew dinner he made and placed the pot full delicacy on the table center.
"Yeah I don't know about that last one." She couldn't help but to look up from her anxious mess and grin slightly.
Mitchell chuckled at that but frowned when he noticed Aly's long face. He grabbed the steel soup spoon nestled beside the pot and filled her bowl first since he knew she wasn't going to, then sat down after he filled his.
"Wanna go ahead and get the hard talk over with?"
"Might as well," Her voice barely audible.
Mitchell softly blew on his stew attempting to cool it down before beginning, "Your instructor stopped me on my way home from work and told me pretty much everything that happened at the Academy today." He narrowed his eyes at her.
Aly gulped and sunk in her chair, "Dad you know I despise killing."
"I know and I respect that," He paused before continuing, "But you need to know this class is more about passing some exam, it's about defending the homeland from any threat no matter the cost and you just might have to take life in order to do th—"
"But aren't there other ways like clubbing, tranq gas, and... peace?" Aly interjected and squeaked out that last word.
Mitchell just stared at her, swallowing the mouthful of stew he had. "Sweetheart, you really think a Blooded Norenzo is just gonna sit there and let you club him?"
Aly blinked
"As for tranq gas (he took a swallow of his tea) we only have a limited amount of that stuff left over from the overlanders, it's only used for knocking out yak."
"And don't even get me started about peace talks."Mitchell snorted "all those huskies ever talk about is Raynar that Raynar this— he stood up and gulped down the rest of his stew, "You don't worship Raynar?" He made a swishing motion as he threw his bowl in the sink, "YOU GET YOUR BLOOD SPILLED ON THE ICE!" He dramatized.
Aly, a bit shocked by her father's showing quickly turned into offense.
"Hey my best friend is a Nore—"
"You only speak for her who was born here." Mitchell stated simply.
"Think about all the hundreds of others who were brought up in the cold north and taught daily to hate our guts."
"Oh."
Mitchell looked down, feeling ashamed for his warmongering. "Damb I'm sorry Aly, this whole political trash talk of the counsel has my nerves on edge."
Aly started to sip her stew, getting her appetite back. "Dad, there's always been peace here in Shellrock, even with the past skirmishes the Norenzo would never attack this place."
"That might have been the case back then, but they have become more aggressive in their expansion and teachings as of recently."
He looked in Aly's eyes, "I worry for you, at least promise me you'll try your hardest on the rescheduled test, okay?"
Aly nodded.
A long and awkward silence was in the air. The only thing that could be heard was the burning of the furnace across from beside the table. The silence was eventually broken by Mitchell who got up and headed for his bedroom. Aly pushed her now empty bowl away as her dad came back in the room... carrying a wrapped box.
"Happy birthday," Mitchell said as he retook his seat and handed the box to her.
Once she had the box, she opened her mouth and used her canines to cut the bow rap. When she opened it she froze. Tears starting to well in her eyes as she gently removed a blue, salmon shaped amulet from the box.
"Dad... why?" She choked out.
"Your mother said to give this to you when you were ready... it was her last wish on her bed," He answered in a low tone.
He immediately got up once he saw the tears falling and ran to his daughters side, pulling her into a hug. Aly couldn't help but to start sniffling, then wailing.
Her crying eventually settled down to just hiccups when she let go of her dad, but she felt his paw pull her head towards his. Their eyes locked on each other.
"I'll always love you Alyssa, no matter what."
"I love you too dad," She managed to choke out.
They parted, Mitchell patting her on the back. "Why don't you go get some sleep, I'll get the dishes tonight so you can have a better morning."
"Thanks dad."
"Anytime my Aly." He smiled before moving away to collect the leftovers and wash the dishes.
She stood there and watched for a minute. She felt bad for letting him clean the kitchen by himself but he insisted when she tried to help.
She finally retreated to her bedroom after that.
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Mitchell was no doubt asleep by this point. The house has grown dark and quite. Aly was left alone in the dark and nothing but her thoughts to entertain her. She wished she would sleep, her tired eyes demanded it but she couldn't help but think about her dad's words and even worse... the academy.
(Flashback)
"Aly! Your up next so you better be ready!" The instructors voice boomed from the simulator room. Those words sent shivers down her spine. She flinched when she felt the paws of her friend pat her on the back, "You got this girl." Her words did little to ease her anxiety but she slapped on a fake smile of encouragement anyway. She glanced down at her makeshift speargun. She crafted it from the spare parts the overlanders would give in exchange for their salt and salmon eggs. It had a pistol grip and a receiver that allowed to fire two shots before the need to reload. Around the room were other students brandishing their ramshackle weapons, any other occasion an academy official would frown upon this but this was Battlefield Survival, a special class that all seniors 18 and over had to pass in order to graduate. The curriculum covered basic survival skills, tending wounds, disarming explosives, and last but certainly not least; how to use and maintain your weapon. The class became mandatory a year ago due to recent Norenzo aggression and of course Aly thought it was pointless. She would have been alright with just tending wounds but "Top Notch Adaptability" has always been the Halnal Motto.
The boy that sat in front of her appeared in the doorway and made his way to his seat, signaling it was her time to go. Aly got up, every step she took to the room felt heavy and her heartbeat speed up. She rounded the doorway into a long rectangular room mirroring that of a firing range. The instructor stood next to a table diagonally from her. He was marking something on his clipboard when he looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps. His eyes cut into hers, the cutting gaze then fell to her weapon.
"I hope you know how to use that."
"I... I do," She stuttered
"We'll see." He pointed to a mark on the floor near the table. "Stand there." Once Aly moved into position he pulled out a remote and clicked. As soon as he did, a holographic image of an unblooded Norenzo baring a Rifle appeared at the end of the room.
"Weapon at the ready." The instructor ordered. Aly lifted her right arm, finger wrapped around the trigger guard. "Get those nerves under control!" She jumped at the bark and locked her spear arm.
With another click the Norenzo started to move. It noticed Aly and pointed its weapon at her. She froze, her finger struggling to move. He looked so... real... and scared. "Is this what war is, killing someone your age who's just as scared as you?" Before she could mentally answer that...
BAM!
"Congratulations, you were killed and you'll be sent back home in a body bag." The instructor sighed before marking something else on his clipboard.
Aly forgot what happened at first.
"Try again."
"No."
He looked up "what?"
"I refuse to pull the trigger." She managed to respond.
The instructor just stared "you know you have to past this in order to graduate, right?"
Aly just looked down at her feet like she always did, gulping to prepare for his next words. The instructor grumbled from having his time wasted by this welp.
"Ugghh... I'll reschedule a retake sometime next week an—" He noticed her starting to walk back.
"Hey!"
Aly turned back
"If you aren't willing to do what it takes, I'll see to it that you don't get your certificate."
Those last words bounced around in her head. She couldn't kill but at the same time she didn't want to disappoint her father anymore. She tossed under her blankets attempting to find a warm spot, her eyes were heavy with tiredness. "Just what the hell am I going to do?" She thought. As if on cue, a cyan glow appeared on her nightstand next to her cot. She glanced over, spotting it out of her peripheral vision.
"Waa..?" She tiredly asked as she grabbed her Mom's amulet. As soon as she felt the smooth crystalline, the anxiety and troubling thoughts were just... gone. As weird as it was, Aly just laid backed down clutching the amulet to her chest. "I'll deal with it in the morning... right now I just need some sle— she was out before she could finish that thought. The salmon figurine still glowing.
