Fiona in Furville
(Inspired By "El Paso")
Out in the West Acorn town of Furville,
The ochre fox rides forth through the night; the cold winds from the Mobissippi River blow on the white fur of his face.
"Somethin' special about tonight, that's for sure."
He pulls down his Stetson as the gust has pushed it slightly out of place. Upon nearing a building, he pulls on the reins of his horse to bring it to a stop.
"Woah, steady Cocoa, steady."
He brushes the majestic mare; her silver mane flows in the wind and her similarly coloured tail swishes back and forth. His soothing touch and calming voice pacify her. He smiles at her tranquility.
"Good girl."
He dismounts the silver bay, her chocolate body is harshly outlined by her silver hair, illuminated by the similarly coloured light of the full Moon. He holds her reins and slowly walks her up to the stands to tie her to it so that she may be beside all the other horses. The fox smiles as he knows he's about to see her again.
You're so lovely
I fell in love with the most lovely vixen!
He pushes open the door of the cantina; his entrance causes only a few heads to turn his way. He chuckles.
Newcomers and outsiders, it seems
For if they weren't, they'd know that he always enters this cantina through the back door; because the owner is a good friend of his.
Nighttime would find me in Rosie's Cantina,
But even those few who took notice of his arrival quickly return their attention to the vixen, moving across the floor of the cantina with such beauty that it could make a stone cry. He turns to give Rosie a nod and she returns it and quickly begins producing a drink for him. He goes to sit and enjoy the wonderful motion and sounds originating from the vixen.
Your graceful dancing
He wonders what it's like to hold her as she holds you while you both waltz.
Your lovely voice
He wonders what it's like to be the only one to enjoy it.
Fiona would sing and dance, I was so smitten!
Your crimson fur
He wonders how soft it is.
Redder than blood was the fur of Fiona,
Your beautiful blue eyes
He wonders what it's like to have them gaze longingly on you.
Wicked and evil while casting her spell!
He lets out a peaceful sigh and smiles as he observes her, like he always does every night.
My love was deep for this Mobian maiden,
I wonder what it'd be like for you to love me...
He prepares himself for yet another night where he simply looks at her. He won't make any attempt to get her attention, just like he never does.
A vixen like you, loving a tod like me?
He chuckles, though it is in an attempt to bury the pain.
Wouldn't that be a sight?
I was in love, but in vain, I could tell!
His serenity from the relishing of her movement and voice abruptly ends when he notices the front door open to reveal a striking figure.
One night a wild young cowboy came in,
His Stetson and western boots make clear his profession while his white teeth sparkling through his grin exude an aura of confidence and pride. All of that is overshadowed by one simple fact.
His fur is-
Green as a Caribbouan Sea fern!
The newcomer's head swivels around to survey the whole establishment. After a brief second, he quietly walks over to the bar; Fiona never stops dancing and singing as he did not make a loud entrance. In fact, no one else seems to have registered this stranger's entrance.
Why am I the only to have looked?
Rosie comes over to the hedgehog and he signals for what drink he wants. As the woodchuck pours the verdant cowboy a glass, Fiona's song comes to an end, as does her dancing. She bows for the crowd and goes to get a drink, her throat clearly parched from her exhausting dancing and taxing singing. Rosie gets her a drink and she sips it gratefully. A fear enters into the fox's heart.
Don't, please
As if he, or she, or they, could hear his thoughts, the two begin talking. They seem to be having a nice conversation.
Dashing and daring, a drink he was sharing.
Fury now drives away in an instant the fear that had made its way into the fox's heart.
No! You can't have her!
With wicked Fiona, the vixen that I love!
Enraged, he quickly stands up; tossing his table over, shattering his glass and spilling its contents onto the floor. The whole room is staring at him as the hedgehog stands up and breaks his gaze away from Fiona as he directs it towards the ochre fox; his cerulean irises fiercely lock with the hedgehog's own viridian rings.
"Stay away from her, grassy-scoundrel!"
So in anger I challenged his right for the love of this vixen
The emerald hedgehog laughs heartily as his right arm makes a subtle movement.
Down went his hand for the gun that he wore!
The ochre fox's face lights up with a smile; not one of simple joy, but of bloodthirsty fervor.
My challenge was answered in less than a heartbeat,
Before the hedgehog's finger could even graze the leather of the holster, let alone the metal of the pistol, he gasps and falls down to the floor due to the hole in his chest.
The handsome young hedgehog lay dead on the floor!
The entire cantina is as silent as the now deceased hedgehog. Fiona and Rosie can do more than stare at the corpse. The ochre fox is also silent as the night wind; he is also staring at his victim. Dead by his own hand.
Just for a moment I stood there in silence,
The guilt rising up in him is enough to snap him out of his bloodlust.
I killed him for just talking to her...
Shocked by the foul evil deed I had done!
A million different ideas, fears, concerns, and possibilities assail his mind in an instant.
Many thoughts raced through my mind as I stood there,
It would all be too much to handle if not for that valuable biological tool known as "instinct". His self-preservation is kicking in.
I had but one chance and that was to run!
He gives Fiona one last look,
Goodbye, my love
And then quickly bolts out the cantina.
Out through the back door of Rosie's I ran,
He sees all the horses.
My only way out of here, alive!
Out where the horses were tied!
He quickly rushes to Cocoa and unties her.
I caught a good one, it looked like it could run!
He hastily mounts Cocoa and his trustworthy steeds takes him away from the scene of his murder; into the night.
Up on its back, and away I did ride!
His spurs encourage Cocoa to ascend into a full spring.
Just as fast as I could from
And the lovely town, that he made his home solely so he could see her all the time, fades away into the darkness of the horizon.
The West Acorn town of Furville,
He is heading out further, where the tycoon Robotnik's oil empire resides. He feels dread at leaving the vixen he loves.
Out to the badlands; up my spine runs a chill!
His eyes open, azure irises staring at the night sky. The New Moon's faint glint is drowned out by the millions, or maybe billions, of faint little, sparkling specks all above Mobius.
I hope you're looking at it too
He thinks about he can never be with her now.
Back in Furville, my life would be worthless!
Somberness overtakes him at this great lost. He feels hollow.
Without her, why do anything?
Everything's gone in life, nothing is left!
He thinks to how long he's been away from that town.
Too long...
It's been so long since I've seen the young vixen,
And at that moment, he is resolved; he will return. Nothing will keep him from Fiona.
I need to see her one more time; even if it's the last time!
My love is stronger than my fear of death!
He gets up and quickly mounts his truest friend.
"C'mon girl, to Furville, ho!"
I saddled up and away I did go,
The ochre and white fox and the chocolate and silvery horse riding through the Northamer night make a most magnificent image; picturesque even.
Riding alone in the dark!
He thinks of what he will face when he returns.
Bounty hunters, law enforcement, and friends, if that hedgehog had any
None of these deter him in the slightest.
Maybe tomorrow a laser may find me,
We'll meet once again, Fiona. I swear it, on my life! I can't bear to live without you, for-
Tonight nothing's worse than this pain in my heart!
After a long rise, he reaches his destination.
And at last here I am on the hill overlooking Furville,
The building can be seen more and more as the steady approach of twilight makes itself seen to all.
I can see Rosie's Cantina below!
"HE-YAH!"
The ochre fox whips the reins and yells with a fury to inspire Cocoa to move faster than she's ever moved before.
"C'mon girl!"
My love is strong and it pushes me onward,
He descends down the hill with great speed.
Down off the hill to Fiona I go!
His head turns to his right as he hears the sound of other horses, their hooves beating into the ground.
Off to my right I see five mounted cowboys,
His head quickly swivels to his left as the same sound but thundering in comparison emanates from the direction.
Off to my left ride a dozen or more!
The various Mobians are yelling at him to stop riding, to turn himself in. At his silence, his knowing ignorance of their demands, they begin firing; the lasers fly through the night sky with a most brilliant glare.
Keep moving!
Shouting and shooting, I can't let them catch me!
"I've gotten this far!-"
I have to make it to Rosie's back door!
He sees and hears a blast of energy come far closer than the others, but it seems to have missed him.
Something is dreadfully wrong for I feel
However, he is proven wrong by the great stinging sensation that begins harrowing him; it is beyond his ability to check.
A deep burning pain in my side!
It drains his strength and saps his concentration.
Though I am trying to stay in the saddle,
He has to constantly keep correcting his position on Cocoa's back.
I'm getting weary, unable to ride!
Just hold on. You're almost there
He manages to muster strength he didn't even know he had.
But my love for Fiona is strong, and I rise where I've fallen!
He feels a new haze of focus wash him. He turns to look behind him to ensure no one has a straight shot.
Though I am weary I can't stop to rest!
As his gaze returns back to in front of him, he sees a weasel awaits in his path. He is too weak, too tired, and too determined, to reach Fiona, to move in order to dodge.
I see the bright flash of energy from the rifle,
He feels a feeling he's never quite felt. It isn't painful yet it hurts more than anything he's ever experienced.
I feel the laser go right through my white chest!
He leans over and falls from Cocoa, crashing into the dirt with a heavy thud and a sickening crack. He sees his beloved horse ride off into the night.
Good, save yourself girl
But his happiness that his cherished friend is fleeing, so that she may live, quickly withers and dies as he feels a great sorrow in his soul. Tears flow from his eyes; not at his demise, but because-
I didn't get to see you again; one last time...
Almost as if by the order of the divine, he sees her blood-fur figure rush to him as he feels his consciousness ebb away from him as fast as his life surely is.
From out of nowhere Fiona has found me,
The weasel is nowhere to be seen as she closes the distance towards ochre fox. He smiles as she is-
Kissing my cheek as she kneels by my side...
A vixen like you, loving a tod like me...
He smiles through the ocean of tears that he is producing; the flow is almost enough to rival the pool of blood forming underneath him
Ain't that a sight?
It is a good thing that he is so near death that he does not, cannot, realise that Fiona isn't there, no one is. He is by himself, dying alone in the dirt.
Cradled by a loving warmth that I'll blissfully die for,
He does not, cannot, realise that the warmth is of his own tails. They are coiling around him in a sad mimicry of hugging arms. His maiden mirage brings her muzzle towards his own.
One little kiss, and Fiona:
Despite the hole in his chest, the vast amount of blood he has lost, his delirium, the lack of air in his lungs, and the fact that he is about to die, he manages to utter one final word to his imagined companion in death.
"Goodbye..."
AN: Wooh, that was intense to write. This is a simple one-shot in its own universe, it doesn't tie into my main story in anyway. I literally wrote this in one go and just out of nowhere cause I got the idea while listening to El Paso (such a lovely song). I hope you enjoyed this short story. I'm now going to crash out since it's 5 AM my time and I've been up since 6 AM