A Tale of Two Brothers

Hey Peeps, I don't own anything related to Sonic or his universe, that's SEGA and all other companies relevant to the creation of his various back-stories, and even though most of them have tanked it now that is beside the point. Honestly, I actually own very little in this fic (next to nothing to be exact) but this is my story and even though I am using characters from Archie, DiC and SEGA I will be fleshing many of them out because they were only 2-dimensional so in some ways they will appear very OC hopefully you'll bear with me! Anyway, I've bored you to tears with this disclaimer so enjoy and let me know what you think! X


Review Replies:

Slayer 666: Awww, I'm touched that your proud hun, that means a lot. I'm just glad that somebody is brave enough to leave a review and give me some kind of feedback! As for the ending of this fic; I've not quite figured everything out yet. I'm just sort of playing it piece by piece, I only have a basic storyline. I find it hard to stick to a rigid story plan so this is way easier for me. And if something just springs to mind I can add it in without having to completely rethink my story structure. X


Chapter Nine:Moving Out And Moving On

'Wow Charlie, this place is huge!' Jules declared in a mixture of surprise and appreciation. His warm hazel eyes travelled around the huge studio-lab his brother had brought him to. They were in downtown Mobotroplis where he had met his brother after his morning half of his shift for the Royal Guard. It was a massive open plan space with a fitted kitchen built into a square alcove at the far end, there was also a bathroom with a door close by but other than the rest was just open space. There was no bedroom, no living room or any other kind of recreation room attached, nowhere for Charles to go to get away from his work.

'It's perfect isn't it Jules?' The mild-blue hedgehog replied with a smile as his pale-blue eyes twinkled brightly.

'Yeh.' His almost seventeen year old younger brother drawled as he surveyed the place once more before his gaze returned to Charles. ''Cept there's no place for you to switch off.' Jules placed his hands on his hips throwing an reproachful look at his brother.

'When do I ever switch off?' Charles asked in a serious tone which made the almost seventeen year old hedgehog roll his eyes.

'It's not the point Charlie, where are you going to sleep?' Jules asked raising his brow to his brother curiously.

'We can fix a wall-bed up onto one of the walls. It'll fold away and save space. There's nothing to it.' The mild-blue hedgehog replied airily and his little cobalt brother seemed to think about this for a moment.

'That's actually a good idea; at least you won't be falling asleep at your work-desk for a change.' Jules grinned back, flashing the chip in his tooth. Charles studied his brother's smile which didn't quite cover the slight twinge of sorrow in his hazel eyes.

'You're going to miss tucking me up to sleep, aren't you?' The elder Hedgehog brother asked with a small knowing smile, though it was more of a statement than an actual question.

'Pffft…' Jules snorted with amusement as he waved his left hand dismissively. 'Yeh right, I'm not gonna miss that but I am gonna miss you Charlie.' The cobalt hedgehog sighed heavily before slumping against the wall, flattening his back-quills as he did so. 'I still can't believe your moving out. It's a lot to process, especially since dad's death.' When his hazel eyes looked across to his brother there was a little lost hedgehog in them. Charles' expression suddenly softened. Apparently his little brother was still bothered by their father's unfortunate departure. The mild-blue older hedgehog had had more time to accept the reality of Maurice's life-threatening illness at the time as Charles shielded his little brother from the truth until all hope was lost, but perhaps he had waited too long..

'You're still angry at him aren't you?' The twenty year old Hedgehog brother asked gently, not wishing to insight an argument but merely understand why his little sibling was having so much difficulty letting him go.

'What does it matter? He's dead now.' Jules suddenly scowled, folding his arms. 'Besides, in his eyes I was a just a screw up anyway.' Immediately Charles closed his eyes, suddenly understanding the problem. Jules thought their father had been disappointed in him.

'Jules.. Dad never thought you were a 'screw up'.' The mild-blue hedgehog replied causing the nearly seventeen year old hedgehog to throw him a confused frown. 'He just thought you lacked focus and direction, that's all.'

'So that's his excuse for being a quill-buster?' The cobalt-blue teenager sounded in peeved tone, his bottom lip jutting out petulantly.

'He was only strict with you because he was worried about your future and didn't know how to get through to you.' Charles sounded trying to be sympathetic but a slight hint of frustration at his brother's stubbornness escaped with it. 'You can be pretty spine-headed when you want to be.'

'I hear it's a family trait.' Jules responded with a momentary smirk of his own before his pessimistic brooding look returned.

'Yeh, it is.' Charles replied gently. 'And you're not a screw up Jules; you have direction in your life now.'

'I guess.' The cobalt-blue younger Hedgehog brother sighed heavily but before Charles could say anything Jules swiftly changed the subject, just like he always did before they could talk about his inner-feelings. 'So... You're right in the middle of town.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog smiled as he wandered over to the large window and gazed out onto the rest of Fountain Square outside. In the centre of the large square of green grass was an ancient stone water-fountain which was covered in creeping ivy and shrubbery that still poured out crystal clear waters. Around the large square of asphalt road surrounding it was the rest of the shops and studio flats of the metropolitan-court.

'Not a bad view.' Jules sounded lightly as he turned back into the room. 'Not a patch on Knothole though but still, not bad.'

'It's covenant too.' Charles added with a smile, deciding not to push his brother into talking if he didn't want to. 'The Mobian Council building is just down that road along with the city's library-' He pointed to the east-facing turn off before his white-gloved index finger swivelled to the west-facing road opposite. '-and the university is down that way along with the scrapyard where I can salvage some parts that'll help me with research. And all other amenities are right on my doorstep.' The mild-blue hedgehog smiled at his brother. 'I'll be ok, I have everything I need right here and something tells me that even though I'm moving out my little brother will still be pestering me on a daily basis.' The cobalt-blue teenage hedgehog flashed his brother a mischievous smile, revealing his chip again.

'Your darn right he will, you're not getting off the hook that easily bro!' Jules laughed freely, the warmth that had been lost in his eyes returning instantly. 'When do you sign the papers?'

'I'll sign them as soon as we're done here. I didn't want to make anything official until I ran this place by you.' Charles replied lightly, leaning on one hip.

'Well.. you've run it by me and I approve, so let's get down to the Council building and sign the paperwork so we can get this move on the road, what do you say Charlie?' Jules grinned, moving back across the room to his brother's side, his eyes narrowing keenly as he rubbed his hands together.

'Alright then.. Let's do it!' Charles sounded brightly and immediately the two brothers left out the main door to the studio-lab..


'Are you sure you guys don't need a hand with that?' Charles Hedgehog asked in a concerned tone as he watched his work-bench being unloaded from the removal truck that Sherman Walrus had borrowed from his uncle Terry. Inside the cargo-bed of the truck Jules and Tiger where negotiating the workbench out.

'Nah, it's ok Chuck we got it.' The white-furred tiger-Mobian with silver-stripes replied airily as the two best friends finally pulled the workbench free from the truck and began walking with it towards the studio-lab.

'See, nothing to it bro!' Jules declared brightly, following his best friend as Tiger guided him inside. 'But if you wanna be helpful, grab one of those lighter boxes and get your rear in here and tell the monkeys where you want your stuff, kay?' The cobalt-blue hedgehog winked at his older brother before finding himself yanked in the direction of the studio-lab by Tiger Stripes.

'Come on slow-poke, this stuff isn't gonna arrange itself.'

'Hey! The only 'slow-poke' around here is you Tig.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog smirked then jolted the workbench violently and his best friend struggled to keep a grip on the bench.

'Careful Juice!' Tiger responded with a slight yelp of shock. 'I nearly dropped that.'

'Well keep your mind on the job instead of insulting me, idiot!' Jules sounded in a mocking tone.

'Ohh! Who's insulting who now?' Tiger grinned widely, a devilish look twinkling in his grey eyes as he surveyed his best friend. This had been the first time that all four best friends had been off together and although they were only helping Charles shift his belongings from Knothole to his studio-lab in Mobotroplis it felt nice to have most of the old gang together again.

'Alright guys break it up.' Sherman sounded lightly as he appeared around the corner carrying a heavy box of metal parts. 'We've gotta job to do, remember?'

'Yeh, save the arguing for later fellas.' Lionel added as he appeared pushing a large tool-cabinet with wheels, shaking his head lightly at the two ring-leaders of their group. They may have spent weeks apart but seeing both Jules and Tiger throwing the old tease-sparring back and forth to each other proved that nothing had really changed between them. They still liked rough-housing each other like in the good old days. Quickly realising that they were holding up the moving-in traffic Jules and Tiger moved the desk into the large studio-lab, getting out of the way of the others as they entered with they're various things from the truck outside.

'Yo, Charlie-Boy!' Jules called out as his older brother appeared with a couple of his suitcases and placed them down near the kitchen alcove. 'Where do you want this thing?' The cobalt-blue hedgehog asked throwing the older mild-blue hedgehog a curious look.

'Over by the window, if you guys don't mind.' Charles replied with a smile.

'Can do Chuck.' Tiger responded with a crooked smirk and immediately he and Jules picked up the workbench and manoeuvred it into place.

'Sherman, just put that box of parts by the tool-cabinet for now I'll find a home for it later.' Charles sounded lightly as he began unpacking his clothes into a chest of drawers that they had already brought inside.

'Righto Chuck.' The navy-skinned walrus-Mobian smiled kindly before dropping off the box. 'That's everything's out the truck now so if you guys don't mind, I'm gonna scoot off and hand it back to my uncle.' Sherman added with a smile.

'No worries bud.' Jules winked and threw a 'thumbs up' towards his best friend.

'You better not be ducking out on us S-Man..' Tiger sounded with a kink of the eyebrow. 'Ow.' He then uttered as his cobalt best friend punched him in the arm with a slight scowl.

'Relax Tig; my uncle's removal firm is just round the corner on Palace Way.' The walrus replied lightly. He pulled out the trucks keys from one of the pockets in his work-belt and twirled it round his fingers.

'You better be quick then Sherman.' Lionel sounded cheerily as he began putting Charles' tools away in the tool-cabinet in the precise order he knew mild-blue hedgehog liked them in. 'If you're not Tig'll be a one-mobian search party.' The blonde lion flashed a mischievous look towards his white and silver-stripped best friend. The Mobian-tiger was wearing a solemn look while his arms were folded across his chest in a 'you bet you mobiums I'll be coming to find you' expression.

'Yeh, yeh, I know what Tig's like. Be back in a few..' Sherman drawled before turning away and heading out the door.

'Hey!' Jules called out moving swiftly to the doorway with a slight scowl. 'That's my line.' He threw back at his best friend but the large navy-skinned walrus merely waved him off with a smirk.

'Deal with him when he gets back Jules-' Charles sounded as he finished off packing away his clothes, with the exception of his lab coats which were laying on top of it. '-right now, I could use a hand fixing up my new wall-bed.' The mild-blue hedgehog gestured to the huge flat-pack box that took up most of the wall beside the cobalt teenage hedgehog. Jules' warm hazel eyes glanced around to it before he grinned widely, swiping up a hand-held power-stone-motorized-screwdriver/drill and lightly pressed on the button a couple of times causing the charged-tool to buzz twice.

'Let's do it to it guys.' The cobalt hedgehog then whipped out the red military-style switch-blade out that he'd inherited from his deceased father and sliced down the package tape of the large box. Jules pulled open the side flaps before whipping out the instructions then tossed them to his older brother as Lionel and Tiger appeared beside him to help with the assembly..


'So Lionel..' Jules asked conversationally once he had finished drilling the holes for the wall brackets using a spirit-laser as a guide. 'How's it going with that librarian-tail you've been mooning after for the last two months?' The cobalt-blue hedgehog's voice was light as he hopped down to assist the blonde lion in lifting his side of the now fixed-up wall-mount that would soon hold the spring mechanism complete with bed-frame and mattress. Lionel's expression suddenly looked a bit embarrassed.

'Emma? He finally said in a slightly wary tone as both he and Jules heaved their side of the wall-bed frame up simultaneously with Tig and Charles, who were on the other side.

'Yeh, that's the one.' Jules drawled but before he could reiterate his question Tiger blinked stunned.

'Wait? What librarian-tail has Lionel been eyeing?' The white and silver-stripped Mobian-tiger looked confused. 'And why don't I know about this?'

'It's the curse of being stuck in the Mobian Army long-term bud.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog smirked widely.

'Yeh, but two months is a long time to be out of the loop.' Tig replied with a hint of sadness in his tone.

'Tiger, you've just got back from a reconnaissance mission in the badlands. You seriously didn't expect anything to change did you?' Charles asked with a casual brush of his moustache. 'Hold this steady would you?' The mild-blue hedgehog added lightly to the Mobian-tiger. Immediately Tiger supported the unfixed wall-bed frame as Jules began to change the drill-part to a screwdriver-part and pressed the 'on' button checking that the component was in correctly.

'I know. I just didn't think I'd be this out of touch with everyone..' Tiger drawled with a sigh.

'Oh c'mon, not everything's changed.' Lionel sounded as Jules hopped onto a swivel-chair and skidded over to the supported wall-bed, being held up by Lionel and Tig. The cobalt-blue hedgehog began to fix in the screws that would attach the wall-bed to the wall. Once it was firmly in place and not budging Jules hopped back down.

'I suppose.' Tiger drawled to the blonde-lion with a slight smirk. 'So how are things going with this Emma-chick then?' The Mobian-tiger asked then kicked a curious brow. At this point Sherman reappeared into the studio-lab and grinned widely.

'You talking about the girl from the collage library that Lionel's been crushing on for ages but is too shy to do anything about it?' The navy-skinned walrus asked, a twinkling his violet eyes. The blonde lion glared, still feeling the warm heat of embarrassment about the conversation topic.

'That's the one.' Jules grinned widely as he and Charles were now constructing the bed-frame for the wall-bed. 'Any progress on that bud?' The hedgehog asked curiously, still waiting for an answer. The other four looked curiously towards the blonde-lion who sighed.

'Not much..' Lionel responded. 'Emma's got a summer job working in the public library and I've been in to see her a few times and we're on friendly terms but..' He tailed off looking forlorn.

'But not as friendly as you'd like?' Jules smirked, kinking a brow contracted suggestively.

'Right, but-' Lionel rolled his blue eyes and folded his arms. '-every time I try to ask her out I clam up. I just can't get the words out.'

'I could give you some advice on talking to girls if you want?' Tiger offered and immediately the cobalt hedgehog and the navy-skinned walrus snickered in amusement.

'No offence Tiger-' Sherman drawled with a smirk. '-but I don't think Lionel wants to get inside her underwear.'

'Not yet anyway..' Jules added with a mischievous grin of his own and both he and Sherman burst into laughter. This earned the youngest Hedgehog brother a punch in the arm from his older sibling.

'Knock it off you two.' Charles sounded with slight disapproval at the way this conversation was turning. The cobalt-blue immediately returned to holding the bed-frame steady while the older hedgehog wound the adjustable wrench around, tightening the bolts on the metal folding frame.

'Here, let me give you guys a hand.' Sherman sounded, taking over from Jules and immediately beginning to work with Charles on the spring mechanism.

'I resent that.' Tiger frowned slightly as he folded his arms. 'I have you know that in the month and a half I've been dating Ginger I have never once tried to get inside her underwear.' He then pulled a cigar out of the breast pocket of his army jacket along with a lighter. 'Mind if I smoke?' He added to Charles.

'Yeh, go ahead but open a window before you light that thing.' The mild-blue hedgehog waved him off distractedly before returning his attention back to the bed-frame that he and Sherman were fixing to the wall-frame. Tiger moved to the window and opened it before lighting up the cigar and taking a few puffs, blowing the smoke out of the window.

'Out of fairness Tig, you've been knee-deep in Overlander-territory so you've not been able to spend enough time with Ginger to get her into bed..' Jules smirked before coughing as Tiger blew a ring of cigar smoke towards him in response. 'Quit it!' The cobalt-blue hedgehog wrinkled his nose and swished the smoke away with one hand. 'How is Ginger anyway? Have you spoken to her recently?' He asked curiously.

'Yeh, she's good, spoke to her this morning and I'm meeting up with her later on..' The white and silver-striped Mobian-tiger flashed his best friend a grin before sucking on his cigar once more. 'What about you Juice? You ever run into that high-class honey Bernadette again?' Tiger's silver eyes narrowed as his brows contracted suggestively. This made Jules' hazel eyes widened in shock. He had not expected to be asked about her, especially since he had recently discovered her true identity as the king's daughter.

'Who's Bernadette?' Charles' voice sounded intrigued from over by the soon-to-be wall-bed where the mild-blue hedgehog was fixing the bed-frame to the fold-away trapdoor. Lionel and Sherman were holding the metal frame steady as the hedgehog screwed them in with the power-stone-charged tool.

'Bernadette's this pretty upper-class girl that Jules was fawning over Gus' last night here.' Sherman answered with a playful smirk playing his muzzle.

'I wasn't 'fawning'.' The nearly seventeen year old hedgehog pulled a face at his best friend's teasing. 'I was being nice.'

'Ah, is that how you describe chivalry these days..' Lionel sounded with a slight smile, grateful that the focus was off of his dating problems and onto someone else's.

'Since when do you do chivalry?' Charles blinked as his turned off the charged-screwdriver and setting it aside, gazing at his little brother in further surprise.

'Since the hedgehog with silver-quills here saved the high-class damsel from a drunken lout..' Sherman replied before Jules could do anything but scowl in irritation at his three best friends.

'He wasn't a lout he was a lynx.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog sniffed with a petulant edge to his tone, his irritation obvious now. 'Besides, any decent Mobian would've done the same.' He shrugged off his 'heroic' deed in an offhanded manner.

'Hey, nobody's judging you Juice; we just wanna know if you've heard from her since.' Tig sounded soothingly as he took in the last drag of his cigar and stubbed the butt out. The other three looked questioningly towards the four foot cobalt-blue hedgehog. Jules' hazel eyes opened as he looked towards them before sighing heavily and caving to their curiosity.

'I saw her in passing at the palace a couple of weeks ago..' Deciding not to lie but embellish the truth lightly as Princess Aleena had asked him not to reveal her secret to his friends. '-we had a brief chat but that was it.'

'Did you ask her out?' Tig asked immediately and Jules threw him a confused look.

'What? No! We just exchanged pleasantries, that's all.' The nearly seventeen year old hedgehog responded instantly as a slight frown returning to his cobalt-furred brow. Tiger sighed heavily in response to this; his friend was neigh-on impossible sometimes. 'Bernadette' liked him; she'd clung to him all night and hung onto his every word. He was beginning to wonder if there was something more than their social differences holding Jules back from asking her out, he certainly had not been this reserved when he'd gone after Alicia Chipmunk. If Tiger remembered correctly Jules had just walked up to the red-headed Mobian-chipmunk and boldly told her where to meet him and to dress nice, Alice had only accepted out of curiosity and from then only they'd been a couple..

'So Tig..' Lionel decided to change the subject quickly before Tiger put his foot in it as Jules seemed rather tense about the subject of 'Bernadette'. '-you never did tell us why you were sent out on reconnaissance into Overlander-territory.'

'Well, there's been a rise in Overlander activity around the borderlines of the Kingdom of Mobius so reconnaissance teams were sent out to try and gather information on what these furless-beings are up to.' The Mobian-tiger said grimly.

'These activities wouldn't have anything to do with the recent border-skirmishes in East Mobius that have been the top story on the Mobius Network News, would they?' Charles asked curiously as he stood back from the newly put-together wall-bed as Sherman tested the spring-mechanism of the pull-down bed.

'That information was supposed to be classified but I guess it was only a matter of time before the press got hold of it.' The white-furred Mobian-tiger with silver stripes sighed heavily before continuing. 'And your right Chuck, that's the same conclusion the Minister of Mobian Defence; Warlord Kodos has come to.' Tiger replied seriously, folding his arms across his chest. 'We're trying to figure out why they're attacking us now and see if there's anything we can do to prevent another war from starting..'

'You really think it will come to war?' Lionel asked nervously. He had never been good with conflict and the idea of a war starting up was very unsettling, especially since there hadn't been a Mobian/Overlander conflict since the Crusades of King Arthur of Medieval Mobius.

'We hope not.' Sherman responded solemnly, moving away from the finished wall-bed. 'That's why the reconnaissance teams that Tig is involved with are so important. The more information we have the better chance we have of preventing these borderline attacks from turning into something more hostile.'

'This is the last thing we need.' Jules added with a slight frown. 'General D'Coolette has already tightened security in and around the palace. He has us checking in with Captain Prower on a regular basis and performing mandatory 'sweeps' of the grounds and palace-floors.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog sighed lightly before shoving his white-gloved hands in the pockets of his bright red vest. 'If a war broke out he'd be forced to step up the personal security of both King Ogilvie the Third and his daughter Princess Aleena, something he is very lenient with at the moment due to his respect for their privacy.'

'Yeh, I figured these skirmishes would affect you guys too.' Tiger responded with a nod of understanding. 'Things are becoming tense and these minor attacks are a high priority with both the king and his Council of Mobian Ministers. King Ogilvie's going to really be relying on Warlord Kodos to try and find a peaceful end to this dispute.'

'Is Kodos really the right mobian for the job though?' Charles asked with slight concern, his bushy blue eyebrows rising with incredulity at this idea. 'I mean it's no secret that he isn't the most eloquent minister on the council cabinet and he does have a nasty temper when provoked.' The twenty year-old mild-blue hedgehog couldn't hide the look of worry in his eyes.

'Time will only tell Chuck.' Sherman responded in a quiet but serious voice, he too seemed to share the older mobian's fear that Warlord Kodos might not be up to the task.


It had only been nine days since Charles Hedgehog had moved into his new studio-lab in downtown Mobotroplis but he had settled in quickly and was enjoying life in the city. Although he did miss the peace and serenity that the quiet hamlet of Knothole offered he could not deny that having easy access to resources meant that his research could move forward more swiftly. The mild-blue hedgehog scratched his forehead in-between his bushy brows and blue-pointed ears as he gazed down at the sheet of paper. After a moment of frowning he picking up his rubber-tipped pencil and used the eraser to rub out the sentence in his design brief that was irritating him. Around him lay several books, checked out from Mobotroplis Public Library, which had bookmarks sticking out of them at pages relevant to his research. These books were ones which were on both medical science and robotic engineering. To the untrained eye these books had very little to do with each other but Charles hoped that if his research was successful they could be used to bring in the next logical step in medical care.

The mild-blue hedgehog tapped his pencil off the work-bench in an irritable drum as he tried to think of a way to reword his sentence to better convey his hypothesis. Unfortunately nothing was coming to mind. His pale-blue eyes scanned the books he'd borrowed until he found one entitled; Prosthetic and Bionic Enhancements. He then picked it up and opened the page to where he had previously marked it and began reading the words on it again. As his eyes concentrated on the book Charles extended out a free hand towards the little red radio beside him and turned the dial so the room filled with noise.

'..The border-skirmishes on Efrika of East Mobius continue as the Overlanders carry on their relentless raids of Mobigypt and Tashistan from the Esrial Taza point. The Mobian Army, which was swiftly dispatched to the scene, has successfully relocated most of the refugee-survivors. It has been speculated that the Overlanders are using highly advanced weaponry created for mass destruction. The devastation left behind the attacks is shocking; such destruction has not been seen in Mobius since our last war with the Overlanders at the turn of the last century. In a press conference earlier today Warlord Kodos was asked whether or not a peaceful resolution can be found and if it's true that the Overlanders are really in possession of weaponry capable of mass destruction?..'

As the voice on the radio switched to the gruff voice of the Minister of Mobian Defence the mild-blue hedgehog, who was no longer paying attention to his brief, turned his eyes towards the little red radio.

'..I can't say for sure whether or not the Overlanders really have weapons of mass destruction but from what the soldiers and I have witnessed out on the fields we are not ruling anything out. We are still trying to negotiate something out with the Overlander Overlords but so far our attempts to find a peaceful resolution to these skirmishes have been unsuccessful. And as for whether or not we could fight against the Overlanders' weapons, they aren't the only race who has advanced over the decades. We have too! And like those brave Mobians before us we will not back down in the face of adversity, we will stand tall and proud…'

'Was that an answer or a 'preparation for battle' speech?' The very familiar sound of his little brother's voice made Charles whip around to see Jules wander in with a carrier bag which he promptly dumped on the breakfast nook by the kitchen alcove. The nearly seventeen year old hedgehog then wandered over to his older brother with a relaxed smile.

'It's a little of both, I think.' Charles sounded before his expression turned curious. 'So what's in the bag?' He glanced at the carrier bag his brother had dumped.

'Huh?' Jules casually glanced back towards the bag before his hazel eyes returned to his brother. 'Oh. It's just a few food supplies I figured you might need. Y'know, so you don't starve..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog smirked.

'Heh, heh, I'm not going to starve but thanks for your concern Jules.' Charles chuckled lightly.

'..In mayoral-election news; with voting day fast approaching both our candidates are battling fiercely for the support of constituents. The campaign has been incredible this year as young Acorn proves himself a worthy contender against 'Slick Whiny'. With the voting trends almost neck and neck this is still anyone's game-' The little red radio was still issuing the news bulletins in the background of the Hedgehog brothers.

'So, have you made plans for your birthday?' Charles asked his little sibling, the bulletin reminding the eldest brother that the date Jules turned seventeen was just around the corner.

'Well, since you no longer live at home, this year I thought I'd invite the whole crew up to Knothole to stay over. I figured we could skinny-dip in the lake, pitch a few tents, get drunk by a campfire, play some music, make a real night of it…' The cobalt teenage hedgehog's eyes narrowed as his pupils seemed to wander off into a daydream about how great this idea of his was. In response to his little brother's words Charles smiled lightly.

'Sounds like one Chaos of a way to celebrate a birthday.' The mild-blue hedgehog said cheerfully as he extended his hand and turned off the radio as it returned to its usual programme.

'Well why don't you come too, Charlie?' Jules offered immediately with a wide smile that revealed the chip on his first right-side premolar.

'Nah… you have fun with your friends Jules. I need to stay here and work on the hypothesis of my latest idea, if I'm right about this it could change the path of medical science forever.' The mild-blue hedgehog exclaimed brightly, sounding as if he were almost finished with the design spec even though he was struggling to put it on paper.

'Are you sure Charlie?' The cobalt-blue teenager's hazel eyes narrowed as his low timbre tried to tempt his brother. 'It'll be fun..' Suddenly Jules' eyes widened in amazement as he clicked onto the one part of his brother's words that didn't make sense. 'Whoa… back up a sec, did you say medical science?' He threw his older brother a confused look.

'That's right little brother.' Charles replied with a light smile.

'But Charlie, your field of expertise is Robotic Engineering.' Jules responded with a hint of disbelief as he placed his white-gloved hands on his hips.

'I know that!' The mild-blue hedgehog sounded with a faint huff as he folded his arms. 'But if I can get this idea to work then I will make a huge leap in medical science using robotic engineering.'

'Err…' The cobalt-blue hedgehog rolled his eyes upwards as a gloved-hand emigrated from its position on his hip to scratch his clean, pubescent, quill-shaven muzzle thoughtfully. 'Alright, you got me Charlie, just how in the name of Terra are you gonna pull that off?' Jules' expression conveyed nothing but pure bemusement now, he was completely lost. Charles smirked widely at the lost look on his slightly dimmer little brother's face; this was nothing unusual for him to see when he was trying to explain something complex and scientific to Jules.

'Well, it's an idea I've been toying with for a few years now but it just won't die. What if there was a way to prolong the life expectancy of a Mobian by giving them new robotic parts?' The mild-blue hedgehog asked his brother seriously, his pale-blue eyes burning with wonder from behind the small round lenses of his reading spectacles.

'Uh, Charlie...' Jules responded in a monotonous voice as his picked up the book his elder sibling had been reading and carefully closed it keeping the bookmark in place. 'I hate to break it to you bro, but someone already beat ya to it.' He then turned the book's cover so the title was clear; Prosthetic and Bionic Enhancements.

'I'm not talking about a single body part like an arm or a leg Jules.' Charles scoffed as he snatched back the book from his little sibling. 'I meant a full-on body transformation. Turning flesh and bone into metal and circuits.' At these words the younger cobalt hedgehog's eyes widened in a mixture of shock and incredulity.

'What? You want to turn Mobians into robots?' Jules finally managed to choke out, struggling to fully wrap his mind around this concept without feeling appalled by it.

'Only physically…' Charles replied with a hint of concern, not wanting his brother to get the wrong idea about the project. 'They would still have their free-will.'

'Charlie, that's like playing one of the gods!' The cobalt-blue hedgehog scowled deeply as he folded his arms.

'It's not, I promise! It's to help the elderly and mortally infirm extend their life expectancy.' The older mild-blue hedgehog tried to reason with his little brother but Jules sighed heavily and rolled his hazel eyes wearily.

'Mobians have to die Charles!' The cobalt hedgehog said in a cross tone of voice. 'It's nature! There's nothing you can do to stop it!'

'I know that Jules but what if people suffering a horrific disease had another option..' Charles sounded desperate for his little brother to understand and judging by the sudden look in his hazel eyes the cobalt hedgehog understood all too well.

'This is about dad, isn't it?' Jules suddenly declared loudly. 'You still blame yourself for his death, don't you?' The steely flash of irritation in the younger cobalt-blue hedgehog's face was evident now. He thought Charles had got passed this.

'Alright, maybe I do still feel a little responsible…' Charles put the book he was still holding in his lap and raised his hands momentary in defeat. '-but if this project actually works, it will stop another family from having to go through the same pain we did.' The mild-blue hedgehog added in a soft voice, the sorrowful expression on his face proving he was still hurting over their loss.

'Look...' The cobalt-blue hedgehog eventually spoke with slight sigh; he couldn't deny that their father's death still affected him too. '-if this is really what you wanna do bro, go ahead but just know something. I don't agree with this morally.' The younger Hedgehog brother's face was set in a solemn grimace.

'I understand Jules but this is something I have to do.' Charles responded gently with a faint nod towards his brother. There was nothing but silence as both Hedgehog brothers did not know what to say next. After struggling to think of something to say or do Jules pulled out his gold pocket-watch then checked the time.

'I gotta go get ready for my evening shift.' He finally muttered, breaking the awkward moment of silence that had spiralled between them. The cobalt hedgehog then clapped his older brother on the shoulder with an exhausted sigh. 'Take care of yourself Charlie-Boy...' And without another word he disappeared out of the door in a blur of blue.


The cobalt-blue hedgehog was only a few hours into his first evening shift on the Royal Guard as a fully-trained rookie cadet and he had been placed on Grounds Patrol which meant he'd be spending the majority of his shift outside. Even though this was his preferred choice Jules Hedgehog just couldn't keep his concentration focused on his job tonight. The way the cobalt teen had left things with his older brother before starting his late-shift at the palace had been weighing heavily on his mind causing it to drift with a mixture of guilt and worry. Jules felt bad about not being able to find some enthusiasm for his brother's latest 'project' but the whole idea of turning flesh into metal did not sit right with him. It just seemed so unnatural to him. He was stationed in the royal courtyard at the front of Hedgington Hall which looked out onto the long driveway down towards the golden gates and high stone walls separating the palace grounds from Mobotroplis. His hazel eyes turned upwards towards the stars that were just starting to poke out of the slightly darkened evening sky, hoping to find some clarity in the twinkling lights. The sun had just finished setting now and he would soon have to check in with Captain Prower and perform a palace perimeter sweep.

'Care to escort a lady inside my good sir?' A gentle voice sounded causing Jules to blink his warm hazel eyes in surprise at being addressed so formally and snap back to reality. His pupils immediately focused on the petit lilac-furred female hedgehog before him with blonde quills and smiling sweetly.

'Oh! Princess.' The cobalt hedgehog suddenly flushed with slight embarrassment as a sheepish grin twisted its way onto his muzzle. He rubbed the cobalt-fur of his forehead just below his left pointed-ear as he tried to compose himself. After a moment he eventually managed to cough into his white-gloved hand and speak politely. 'My apologies your majesty.' Jules gave the royal hedgehog a bow in polite recognition of her presence. Princess Aleena only lifted a dainty, furless, pale-skinned hand and giggled behind it in a light girlish manner at him. Her wide green eyes closed momentarily in her amusement at his clumsy attempt at politeness. It was both delightful and adorable to see him trying to make such an effort for her.

'So… Are you going to escort me inside or not?' The lilac-furred princess asked the male hedgehog in Royal Guard attire before her. Both of her slender arms twisted around her back as her fingers clasped together, her long eyelashes fluttered with innocent charm as her emerald green eyes gazed up into his warm hazel eyes.

'What? Oh yes, of course my lady.' Jules responded with a smile, he kinked an arm out towards the royal hedgehog as his other swung around to the small of his back respectfully.

'Ooh, why thank you.' Princess Aleena sounded brightly and slipped her arm into his, holding onto his forearm gently and keeping him at a polite distance. 'Shall we?'

'One moment Princess, I must radio one of the fellas first and let them know I'm going off point.' Jules replied as his hand reappeared from behind his back and pulled the palm-sized oval radio out of his bright red utility-belt. 'Lone-Wolf this is Blue-Blur, do you read me?'

'Off point?' The lilac-skinned female hedgehog asked curiously.

'It means I'm leaving my post.' The cobalt-blue male hedgehog responded lightly.

'Oh…' Princess Aleena sounded with understanding.

'This is Lone-Wolf, what's up Jules?' The sound of Argus' voice came through the tiny radio in Jules' large white-gloved hand. The yellow-furred Mobian-wolf was on sentry duty in the battlements and was Jules' contact for grounds surveillance so the pair needed to keep in touch with their whereabouts at all times.

'Her ladyship has just returned from her evening stroll and has asked to be escorted back inside. I'm going off point.' Jules sounded in a bright and breezy voice down the radio, flashing the princess a wink as he referred to her as 'her ladyship'. Princess Aleena smiled sweetly as her fingers stroked his forearm absent-mindedly, her touch made the skin under his navy shirt-jacket tingle which Jules tried with difficulty to ignore.

'Kay. Let me know when you're back on.' Argus replied lightly, the tone in his voice suggested that he suspected nothing.

'Will do buddy.' Jules responded warmly then pocketed the radio then turned his eyes to the female hedgehog beside him and flashed a wide grin. 'Don't tell General D'Coolette that we talk so informally.' The cobalt hedgehog leaned in and added with a slightly quieter voice. 'We're kinda not supposed to.' He then tapped his long black nose lightly. Jules then began to guide the fifteen year-old princess up the steps and through the main doors of the palace.

'Don't worry; I won't say anything to him.' Princess Aleena responded with a light smile as they walked through the great hall towards the polished marble staircase leading towards the first floor. 'Your secret's safe with me.' Jules glanced around as they reached the top of the stairs and noticed that they were completely alone.

'Thanks Ali.' He uttered in a low voice and turning his head to her lilac pointed-ear in case somebody appeared in the hallway. Princess Aleena felt her heart flutter lightly as he used the affectionate shortening of her name, just like it always did when they were alone together. Since Jules had appeared back into her life nine days ago the blonde-quilled female hedgehog had made sure to speak to him every time she saw him. As a princess it was considered 'inappropriate' for her to forge any kind of relationship with a guard so it meant that the two of them had to keep their meetings brief and proper in the presence of others. But on those rare moments that they found themselves alone together all civility dropped and they went back to treating each other like mere friends instead. She smiled up towards him as her fingers slipped out of the link to his forearm, which was the proper way to escort a lady. Her dainty fingers travelled down Jules' arm as it relaxed from its hooked position by his chest. The moment her small hand crossed the threshold of his red-cuffed sleeve his larger fingers sprung to life and locked together with hers. Princess Aleena felt her insides give a pleasurable leap as he held her hand and for a moment she relished it.

'Come with me.' The princess suddenly gripped her cobalt guard's hand tightly and pulled him hard so Jules was forced to follow her down the hallway in the opposite direction of their intended destination.

'Ali, your rooms are that way!' The male hedgehog sounded in both confusion and slight panic, he couldn't afford to miss checking in with Captain Prower.

'I know but I want to show you something.' Princess Aleena said with an upward inflection of excitement in her polite but sweet voice. She gave no hint of a clue in her voice but continued to drag him along the corridor as she hurried along the hallway.

'Well… Ok, if you insist but can we make it quick?' Jules finally relented and allowed the royal hedgehog to pull him along without resistance, hoping whatever she wanted to show him wouldn't take too long so he could return to his duties.

'Don't worry Jules, you'll like this detour.' The royal hedgehog turned her blonde-quilled head to him fleetingly and in those seconds her emerald eyes lit up as they locked onto his hazel ones before her lilac-furred head turned back to watch where they were going. Someone without his gift of swift-vision would have missed that glint of pleasure in those pretty green eyes but not this cobalt-blue hedgehog. Jules' pupils dilated in that split-second her head turned back to the corridor in front and an absent-minded gormless smile tweaked his lips. The next second it vanished into a scowl as the cobalt-blue hedgehog mentally slapped himself and tried to bury his twittering, adolescent infatuation for the girl tugging him along. She's a princess; you're a guard. Idiot! You can never be with her! She's destined to marry a lord or a duke. Someone of high society who can give her everything her heart desires and more! And that's…

Not…

Jules exhaled softly at the home truths his mind was screaming out to him.

Me.

'Ok, we're here!' Princess Aleena's cheery voice brought Jules out of his funk and immediately the cobalt hedgehog's hazel eyes blinked. He found himself looking at an end in the hallway; she'd brought him to the end of the first floor. This had never made sense to the seventeen year old hedgehog. If Hedgington Hall was a conical-pyramid why didn't the first and second floors run in a circuit like the ground floor did.

'A dead end?' Jules sounded with scepticism as he kinked a brow at the royal hedgehog beside him who was smiling sweetly.

'Only to the untrained eye it is.' The lilac-furred female hedgehog tittered lightly, covering her mouth demurely as she did so. She composed herself quickly so he would not think she was laughing at him and reached up towards the right power-stone wall-light and pulled on it hard. Unlike the rest of the hallway lights this one was not fixed solidly to the wall; it moved down like a well-disguised lever. Once the princess had pulled it she stood back beside her cobalt partner and immediately the square wall-end swivelled around in a semi-circle, which had been cleverly hidden by the circular floor tiles of the palace flooring. As the wall swooped around so did Jules and Princess Aleena, who were standing in the middle of the semi-circular end-tile. Jules' hazel eyes widened in shock as he and the lilac-furred princess were swiftly spun around in a one-hundred and eighty degree spin only to find themselves looking at the stone-wall and wall-lights on the opposite side of the hall.

'Whoa…' The cobalt-blue hedgehog gasped as he turned away from the wall to see where exactly they were. He found himself standing in a wide spacious passageway. There were much fewer wall-lights in it, they were standing in one of only three spots of light he could see. The rest of the passageway was dark and gloomy. '-a secret passageway.' Jules couldn't help but stare around as the female hedgehog beside him smiled sweetly. He immediately turned to her and couldn't help but notice how the change in light made her look more beautiful. The contrast in light and shadow in their new surrounding meant her bright green eyes stood out more than ever. Immediately he quashed his stirrings, determined not to let it ruin the fragile friendship they had managed to forge in nine days.

'How did you find this place?' The cobalt hedgehog asked her in amazement.

'My father told me about it when I was a little hedgehoglet.' Princess Aleena replied lightly. 'It's only supposed to be used as a means of safe passage if the palace is ever attacked; but since there's been no real threat to Hedgington Hall in the last century it's just been abandoned.'

'This might change if we can't resolve things with the Overlanders.' Jules stated grimly in response to her words. The next moment the cobalt hedgehog felt Princess Aleena's gentle hand take hold of his and his head and quills turned to see her face looking suddenly serious.

'My father said that we must have faith and believe that there is a solution to be found. I trust him to find that answer, and since he is your king you should too.' There was a steely flash in her eye as she said this. As his daughter she was only defending her father, clearly believing that he would find some way to save Mobius.

'I do. I do. I'm just a little worried about the whole thing, y'know...' Jules held up his hands not wanting her to get the wrong idea. Immediately Princess Aleena's face softened, understanding how he felt. 'So will this passageway allow me to escort you back to your rooms?' He decided to change the subject away from both the skirmishes and her father before he really put his foot in it.

'Yes.' The lilac-furred hedgehog suddenly beamed widely. 'In fact one concealed opening appears out through the fireplace of my dressing room.'

'Really?' Jules drawled with a smirk. 'Well in that case milady, allow me to escort you back there.' He sounded and curled her arm around his. Princess Aleena giggled girlishly at his politeness and allowed him to guide her up the secret passageway…

… As the back of the fireplace to Princess Aleena's dressing room rolled back the lilac-furred princess was looking with concern at her cobalt-quilled guard.

'I'm sorry to hear that you and your brother had a disagreement, will everything be alright?' Her soft well-mannered voice said and Jules smiled gently back.

'Ah, it'll be fine Ali. I'll swing by his tomorrow and make sure everything's cool.' He responded casually, not wanting her to dwell on his problems. He then glanced around her fancy dressing room with its pale ornate furniture and huge walk in wardrobe with expensive dresses and accessories filling the shelves and hangers. 'Well, here we are princess.' He added, letting go of her arm once she was over the threshold of her room.

'Thank you for escorting me back Jules.' She said politely as a warm smile of affection curled her pink-painted lips.

'Anytime.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog replied then ran his white-gloved fingers through his quiff of loose blue quills. The small silence between them was suddenly broken by his tiny oval radio as the device sparked into life; stunning both hedgehog teenagers.

'Blue Blur, this is Golden Foxtrot. Perform a perimeter sweep and report back immediately, do you copy me?' Jules sighed heavily at this before pulling out his radio, lifting it to his mouth and pressing the side button.

'Copy that sir.' The cobalt hedgehog replied seriously before pocketing the radio and smiling at the blonde-quilled princess. 'I gotta go Ali. Rest easy.'

'Do you need me to tell you where to go?' Princess Aleena asked in a concerned voice, not wanting him to get lost in of secret passageway.

'Nah!' Jules waved a hand dismissively. 'I'm a big hedgehog, I'll figure it out.' He smirked confidently towards her and the lilac-furred female smiled once more. 'Night princess..' He then turned away from her and Princess Aleena gripped the wall-light that would close the concealed entrance to the passageway.

'Good night Jules.' She sounded sweetly and as he vanished in a blur down the hallway she closed the hole in her fireplace with a gentle sigh.


Little Notes:

Hey peeps! Ok, this chapter title is both a hint to Charles moving out of Knothole (Jules' real reaction to this will be at the start of the next chap) and my slight frustration at how slow this is going. There really is nothing I can do, it needs to be this slow for this section to work out but there will be a little time jumping coming up soon so that I can move forwards, don't worry.

Ok, a lot going on here with the introduction to the Overlander-skirmishes taking place. Like all wars this one will start slowly and I hope it's realistic, I've never written any kind of war in a fic before so this is completely new territory for me and I'm a little nervous. All Jules' friends are back and introducing another Minister of Mobian Defence; Warlord Kodos (taken from Archie of course), like the other characters I'm only using his bio as a guide and he will be slightly different. Most notable difference is that he is Minister of Mobian Defence instead of Minister of Military (which was a title used in SatAM and one that made no sense to me). Anyway, more on him later..

Ok, as you've probably guessed already, the idea Charles is just beginning to research now is indeed the Robotisizer. Jules' opinion on his brother's invention is never specifically stated, something I find very curious considering that (in Archie) he is the first Mobian to be its victim. It was also curious to me that he only went in while close to death and how Charles was so apologetic about putting him in it in the first place. Did this mean that a conscious Jules would have stopped him from doing it? Perhaps he never liked the invention in the first place. Considering how he's supposedly a more mature version of Sonic and his son can't stand the machine this seemed likely to me…

A real glimpse into Jules and Aleena now and you can sort of see what I mean already hen I said these two will be facing some tough obstacles. Already the separation in class is giving Jules doubts on his self-worth… poor guy.

I am working on a picture to use as a cover for this fic as the one I have at the moment id related to my other works and has nothing to do with this at all! I will post it when it's ready!

Anyway, next chapter is all about mayoral-election day and Jules' birthday..

Until then guys!

~Ditzy Xx

P.S. I recently traded in my grubby old Windows XP notebook which had keys were falling off for a brand new one with Windows 7. It has a Microsoft Word 9 starter kit which I'm using and has waay better grammar and spell-check software so hopefully my grammar will have improved! X