Disclaimer: I don't own the Sonic the Hedgehog comic book or any of its characters. If I did, well... I don't know.
Copyright: These ideas are mine and mine alone. No one is to use this fic for any monetary gain nor false recognition under ANY circumstances. Also, NO PLAGIARIZING!! Wow, big words.
Chapter 1: Combat Training
The Kindom of Acorn seemingly glistened under the warm afternoon sun. A comforting breeze stirred the green leaves of the springtime trees and the birds sang merrily as they soared through the clear blue skies without a care in the world. Not a single cloud was in sight and the air was fresh and clean. It was one of those days that made you feel so alive.
Castle Acorn stood proud in this picturesque scenery, its stone walls standing strong even after many many years. Beyond the wooden doors sat the prestigious King Maximillian Acorn, having just recently recovered from a coma and taking his place at the throne once more. Queen Alicia Acorn sat beside him to his left, hands folded neatly in her lap.
Geoffery Saint John, leader of the kingdom's Secret Service, stood before the king and queen. He stood statue-still with his hands behind his back and a stern, concentrated look on his face. His bright blue eyes were almost completely unmoving as he kept his eyes on the king.
There was a fourth person in the room, a newcomer to the Kingdom of Acorn named Krystal. Perhaps she could be best described as "different", if anything. She wore a white tanktop with camoflauge pants and combat boots. This seemed pretty normal. Her bushy red fox tail stuck out from a hole cut out in the back of the pants, held low to the ground and slowly swaying back and forth. Her large fox ears bent forward to catch every word of the king as he spoke. This also seemed normal. What made her so different from the other mobians in the kingdom is that she wasn't quite a fox at all. She was a hybrid, supposedly kidnapped as a child by an evil scientist who performed an experiment on her that involved the use of fox DNA. No one knew much detail of the story, even she herself was unsure. Her kind, half overlander half mobian, was frowned upon by society.
All that was known about her is that she came to the Kingdom of Acorn hopefully live a better life. King Acorn allowed her to live among the mobians and even serve him. Nothing was known about her parents, not even she knew anything about them. For all she knew, they were dead. Growing up, she was raised by two very strict caretakers (who had told her about her being kidnapped with vague details and ais nohing of her parents) and had no friends whatsoever. Anyone who got near her would either run away or spit in her face, just for being who she was. Despite being a social outcast, she developed a strong will and rock-hard determintation over the years.
She befriended Geoffery St. John during her time at the castle. She would assist him in whatever he was doing, whether it was delivering an important message or carrying heavy loads. She was always eager to help out and was even paid for her unwavering effort. But she had always wished for something more in her life, to venture beyond the walls of the castle in seach of adventure and danger. She wanted to brave the harsh environments and face the unknown. She needed a more daring approach to her seemingly secluded lifestyle.
The king cleared his throat and spoke up. "Miss Krystal, I understand that you would like to become a member of the Secret Service. Is this correct?" said the king, his voice reverberating off the walls of the throne room. "Yes your Majesty." said the hybrid quietly with a small nod. "You would need the proper training to join, perhaps St. John here would assist you. What say you?" He turned to the skunk, who continued to stand perfectly still. Krystal's emerald eyes darted to her mobian friend as she eagerly awaited an answer. "I would be glad to help her train." he said in a slight British accent with almost no hesitance. She smiled and swished her tail happily.
In only a few moments, Krystal found herself outside in a makeshift training area in a forest clearing. St. John stood with her, a gun held firmly in his hand. He had a very calm, yet firm disposition to him which the fox teen highly admired. "Alright, the first thing you have to learn, kid, is reaction time." He spoke in a cool tone but with authority behind it. "Imagine you were in a hand-to-hand combat with the enemy, your reaction is crucial to the fight. You have to pay attention to his every move, watch for a weak point. It won't become obvious right away, you must watch closely and look for an opening. Oh, and also make sure you don't get yourself killed while you're looking for that crucial point."
The minute he said "point", he quickly threw his leg out, tripped Krystal, and pointed his gun at her. "You apparently need to work on these factors." he said as he watched her struggle up off her back. She stood up, brushed herself off, and braced herself. Instead of acting again however, St. John started to pace slowly around her, spinning his gun nonchalantly in his hand. "Remember to use your key senses carefully, those being sight and sound." He was now behind her, still following his circular path. She kept an eye on him and followed his voice with her ears. "But you must also make sure you are aware of your own vulnerability. If you don't watch youself carefully," He made another leg sweep, knocking Krystal to the ground and pointing his gun at her again, "you could end up like this."
His face held complete seriousness, though Krystal knew he must've been enjoying this. She sighed in frustration and picked herself up again, this time better preparing herself. She watched every little thing as he started to pace again. She listened to his footsteps as he walked, watched for any sign of tension or any falter in his movements. Wait for it... He almost made a full circle around her, coming around to the front of her from the left side. But she didn't react just yet. She knew. He was making another path around.
His feet hit the soil rhythmically. Crunch crunch crunch. He was now on her right, making his way around to the back of her. Almost... His breath came out calmly. Then she heard it. The sound was very quiet and it reached her ears in less than a second. It was a very VERY slight hitch in his breathing. NOW!!
Krystal spun around instinctively just as St. John was about to kick under her again. She knocked the gun from his hand and tripped him with one fluid motion. He landed with a soft thud on his back as Krystal smiled triumphantly. "There ya go kid, you got it." he said, trying to make his breathing sound steady and relaxed even in his current state. He got up and brushed the dirt from his thick black and white fur. "But that's not the end of your training just yet. We're FAR from over."