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 apart from some background alterations) 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:
Zany the Nerd (100th reviewer): Thanks for the numerous reviews that pushed me over the 100 mark. I'm glad you see my story as worth reviewing, your right I don't have that many reviewers but I don't believe fishing for reviews is right or fair and I'm happy with the tiny circle of loyal followers I have. I know this is a tough section to crack, especially as I'm doing a parent-fic and they generally don't do well without kids involved.. It's nice to see someone appreciating this world I'm creating for Sonic to appear into. I'm trying to not only show what it was like before but how it became the wreck that he eventually calls home. It's a hard task trying to piece everything together and a challenge that those writing Sonic fics don't face very often.. x
Slayer 666: Your right, you'll see by the end of the chapter how right but there is very little time left until they reunite. It's the reason I have been stalling the next Overlander attack as it also comes with a brand new dilemma that's central to what becomes of the royal family at the end of this story. I know you're wondering why I have so many friends to Jules mentioned, most of them are really just tools to help show how popular Jules is, only a few select characters will have properly developed personalities as many of them really are just there are plot movers, I am trying my hardest to work on them and I know some are under developed but it is hard to keep track of everyone at times. I can't write everything I want to so I am trying to keep the important ones more developed while lesser will fall into the background.. Ginger might seem like a pointless lose right now but she is crucial in Tiger's development into what he is to become, it's all relevant I swear, the same with Cocoa and Jasper too as she is coming back again.. And yes, quite a few of the mobians in Jules' inner circle will suffer something horrible many of which won't be revealed until the sequel featuring his children.. x
FerrumFaustus: Thanks, Sleet was always a favourite of mine but I wanted to give him a tough background to try and explain how he had ended up where he was in SU, I never liked the idea that he had always been a mercenary I wanted to try and give him something more to his grim outlook. I did try to do the same with Dingo but I think he's just odd, I have yet to figure out how he became able to morph as at this point he can't do that.. X
astroshadow: I'm glad you liked Robotnik's introduction. Nope, I never made the name up Sega did! It's been around ever since Sonic crossed the ocean and arrived at America, definitely no creative license there. X
Dedicated to Everybody who has written a review and got me to the 100 mark… thanks guys! You're all stars… xx
Chapter Twenty-Six: A 'Knight' To Remember..
The night was falling in fast now as the dark-green motorbike and sidecar shot through the trees swiftly. Charles Hedgehog was not leaving his little brother to the mercy of that outcast Overlander for long. Although it was hard to pinpoint where exactly his mistrust in this human was coming from he just had this shifty air about him and Charles remembered how their father Maurice had always said to never trust a anyone your gut didn't agree with.. Within moments his motorbike crashed through the undergrowth of the thick-wooded Great Forest and into the small clearing. Both his cobalt younger brother and the Overlander whipped around in surprise.
'What's this? Where are we going?' Ivo suddenly blinked in shock as this other mild-blue hedgehog killed his engine and dismounted his motorbike.
'That's a good question..' Charles sounded in a low voice as his pale-blue eyes narrowed towards his brother and a scowl of annoyance flashed his face. 'Why don't we discuss that over here Jules..' He put particular stress on his brother's name and beckoned Jules over to where he was stood out of whispering earshot of this Overlander in the unflattering grey jumpsuit. The cobalt-blue hedgehog instantly recognised the stern look on his older brother's face and gave a soft sigh.
'Just a sec Ivo..' Jules held out one digit before immediately turning away and wandering over to where his brother stood. The moment his back-quills were turned to the Overlander he glared at his older sibling in a manner only a stubborn younger sibling could. 'What?' Jules hissed out the moment he drew level with Charles, his hazel eyes blazing with irritation.
'Just what do you plan to do with this Overlander? We can't take him to Knothole, especially not with the Baron there. What do you think he would say?' The elder Hedgehog-brother replied in a hushed voice so that the human in his eyesight couldn't hear them. His pale-blue eyes watched as this hulking six-foot creature got up off his knees and was now standing, gazing around the forest cautiously.
'We're not going to Knothole, we have to take him straight to the king..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog said plainly.
'The king? Jules, you seriously want to take this human to King Ogilvie?' The older Hedgehog sibling gasped out in surprise at this ludicrous suggestion that his brother had spewed forth.
'Charles, we have no choice. The King of Mobius is the only one who can grant Ivo Kintobor asylum from the other Overlanders and he may be just what we need to win this war..' Jules replied with a smirk. 'After all, he's bound to know something since he was one of them, right?' Charles groaned heavily and placed a hand to his head with a sigh.
'Alright Jules, you're the Community Leader we'll do it your way but just so you know, my gut doesn't like this on bit..' The mild-blue hedgehog folded his arms tightly across his chest as his pale-blue eyes narrowed.
'Understood Charlie, but like I said; we have no choice..' Jules replied in a softer voice with a serious glint in his hazel eyes.
'Excuse me?' The sound of the tall Overlander's voice sounded and both Hedgehog-brothers turned to see the human with the large ginger moustache now facing them looking anxious. 'I don't mean to interrupt your sibling quandary my new-found companions but unless you wish us to be caught by my former brethren we should really be making a move..'
'He's right. We've been sat here too long. If we're going to the city, we have to go before the rest of those Overlanders come back. There's a good chance the sound of my bike caught the attention of the scouts looking for Mr Kintobor, here.' Charles sounded in agreement.
'Doctor..' Ivo immediately corrected the mild-blue hedgehog with a twiddle of his moustache.
'Doctor? You're a doctor of what field: medicine or science?' The mild-blue hedgehog suddenly sounded with interest as they headed over to his motorbike and Ivo Kintobor squeezed himself into the sidecar, his knees sticking to the sides of his enormous round gut.
'Science; I specialize in weaponized robotic engineering.. I admit all of the weapons that my kind have been using against you in this war originated from my designs..' He sounded adjusting his dark-lensed specticals with an uncomfortable grimace of apology.
'Great..' Jules muttered to himself as his hazel eyes rolled. 'Of all the luck, I had to rescue a nark.' It was at this point that Ivo's last words hit his ears and instantly his eyes widened. 'Wait a second, you mean to say that that huge robot I destroyed this afternoon was designed by you?' His swift feet took him straight to the sidecar and he scowled straight into the dark specticals that were hiding this Overlander's eyes.
'My ESeven: Big Guns badnik was destroyed by you, a simple mutant-evolution descendant of the Erinaceinae species? How is this even possible?' The human scratched his bald cranium in confusion at this four foot two hedgehog with slim build and cobalt-blue fur and quills.
'The mutant-what?' Jules blinked as he didn't understand what these scientific terms meant, all he understood was the word 'mutant' and that was what Overlanders knew mobians as mutants and the word was just as offensive to mobians as Overlanders was to the humans.
'He's basically trying to say we come from a smaller breed of 'Erinaceinae' which is the scientific term used for hedgehogs, Jules..' Charles sighed as he moved forward in his seat so that his injured little brother could get on the bike behind him.
'Oh. Well why didn't he just say hedgehogs then?' Jules asked and immediately winced in pain as he climbed up behind his brother, his bruising smarting as it stretched with his body. Even the cobalt-blue hedgehog knew he would never be able to run to Mobotroplis with his extensive internal bruising and cracked ribs..
'He did..' Charles actually laughed in amusement at his own brother's lack of understanding before gunning the engine before Jules could even think of a response..
'My name is Doctor Ivo Kintobor, your majesty. I am a scientist who specializes in advanced robotic weaponry and…' The six foot human broke off with a nervous grimace as his long ginger moustache flickered uneasily before he continued. 'I'm afraid that I'm the one responsible for all of the high-tech gadgets that my brethren have used to slaughter your kind on their brutal conquest..' As he addressed the King of Mobius the green-quilled hedgehog gazed at this Overlander unsure what to make of him. The human-scientist before him was an extraordinary sight indeed, even to King Ogilvie who had seen Overlanders before. This man was tall and gangly apart from his midriff which seemed to be rotund and without his legs he'd look almost pin-shaped. He was as bald as a peanut but had a spectacular ginger moustache that stuck out like an incredible long brush; it was almost as if he could give himself a comb-over using the hair growing out of his upper-lip.
'Hah! See how he confesses his crimes..' Kodos Lion suddenly blasted out in an almost deafening roar from near to where King Ogilvie the Third was sat down in his throne, causing the king and most others in the throne room to jump with a start. 'He should be arrested on the spot and cast in irons!' The seven foot lion-mobian with beige fur and a long light-blonde mane jabbed a thick finger towards the human being who was standing in between Lieutenant Jules Hedgehog, his brother the Minister of Science Charles Hedgehog and Royal Guard General Amadeus Prower who had escorted the group here. The four of them were stood in front of King Ogilvie the Third who had been in a meeting with Warlord Kodos Lion, Commander Ian St John and General D'Coolette which this had now interrupted.
The entire court seemed to look surprised by Kodos Lion's words while Doctor Ivo Kintobor actually looked panicked.
'B-but I never killed anyone… I only designed the things and tested them out, I'm not a solider!' Doctor Ivo Kintobor sounded in a high agitated tone of fear and waved his hands back and forth in shock at such a suggestion.
'Tested it out on what-' Warlord Kodos Lion began but King Ogilvie the Third cut him off.
'Kodos, that is quite enough!' The green-quilled king was scowling now, his maroon eyes burning with annoyance at his Minister of Mobian Defence. His voice was strong and commanded the attention with the kind of stern tone that could only come from being a true ruler of his kind. 'For one thing we no longer allow 'locking one away in irons' to be common practise. We are not living in the dark ages anymore.' King Ogilvie frowned slightly at his Minister of Mobian Defence who folded his arms stubbornly grumbling to himself.
'Hmm, maybe in this case we should make the exception..'
King Ogilvie the Third turned his attention back towards the Overlander who was still looking slightly nervous.
'I do apologise for my Warlord, Doctor Kintobor. These may be stressful times but that is no excuse for rudeness..' The emerald-green hedgehog cast a maroon glance at Warlord Kodos Lion who had now resumed a narrowed stare at the Overlander as if silently trying to psyche him out. 'How is it that your kin came to turn on you, if you don't mind me asking of course?'
'Well your majesty, I was formerly in charge of designing the advanced weaponry that the Overlanders now employ against your people..' Ivo Kintobor was interrupted at this point by Jules reaching up and just managing to tap his shoulder.
'Mobians, we're mobians not 'people'..' He spoke softly as the other mobians in the room had kinked a brow in confusion at the term 'people' as they had never heard of such a word before.
'Oh, yes. Thank you, my apologies.' The tall Overlander sounded and King Ogilvie nodded his head in recognition before silently making a polite hand gesture for Ivo Kintobor to continue on with what he was saying. 'The last thing I created was the battledriod your me- I mean mobians faced on the field of battle today. My ESeven 'Big Guns' badnik was supposed to be designed to destroy your forest and make a direct path towards the city but when it was subsequently destroyed on its first day out my superiors were enraged and of course blamed me claiming that I had sabotaged it deliberately before it went out on the field. They then decided that this was enough to sentence me to death, my people have a horrendously short temperament and are quick to judge and lay blame upon a scapegoat rather than address the real issues. When I learned that they were planning to kill me I escaped using my vast intelligence to out manoeuvre them. I was fortunate enough to elude them and run into your two fine young gentle-er-mobians here..' Ivo Kintobor finished his tale up by gesturing to Charles Hedgehog and his younger brother Jules who were stood beside him. 'Needless to say the rest you already know.'
'I see..' King Ogilvie the Third sounded in a musing tone. 'Well Mobius has never ignored a cry for help before and you certainly wouldn't be the first Overlander that we have taken in. We did take in one by the name of Nate Morgan just over twenty years ago.'
'Nate Morgan? As in Professor Nate Morgan?' Ivo Kintobor suddenly blinked as his mouth formed a circle of surprise. This in turn surprised the mobians around him.
'Oh. So you knew him, did you?' King Ogilvie the Third asked curiously.
'Yes. He was my mentor and my friend but my people did not like his ideas for a greener, cleaner fuel and it didn't help that he also had ideas on trying to make peace with your kind and move forward together.' The bald human with the enormous ginger moustache sighed heavily at this point. 'They exiled him for heresy but I must admit that I presumed him to be dead. Is he still here, it would be nice to talk once more with my old friend..'
'I must apologise Ivo it gives me great regret to inform you that our mutual friend no longer felt it safe to remain here in Mobotroplis with your brethren so close. Professor Nate Morgan has left without so much as a word, I guess he feared for his life if it were to be discovered by your kind that he was still alive after all this time..' King Ogilvie the Third sounded in a soft voice filled with sorrow that pooled in his maroon eyes, his green pointed-ears bending back as he spoke. It was clear that the King of Mobius had held the old Overlander in great esteem almost as much as Charles Hedgehog did.
'Yes, I can sympathize greatly with him.' Ivo Kinobotor replied grimly before his mouth twisted into a grimace and his fleshy fists curled tightly and shook with the tension of his repressed fury towards his former-brethren. 'But I do not want to hide from them sire, if you grant me asylum I offer you my services. I wish to aid you in stopping them once and for all..'
The entire court of mobians gasped at his words as the many pairs of eyes gazed at Doctor Ivo Kintobor in amazement.
'You would willingly turn against your own kind?' Charles Hedgehog asked in slight disgust at the very idea. Just what kind of human had his little brother brought into their lives?
'They will kill me the first chance they get; I will not give them that chance.' The six-foot bald human with the enormous ginger moustache sounded coolly, a slight twinkle appearing on the edge of his dark glasses. He immediately turned back to the King of Mobius. 'I hold a great deal of knowledge on both how my kind operates in their military and their weaknesses as a race. I can theorise how best they plan to attack your city.' Ivo Kintobor began to pace in front of the three mobians stood behind him. Amadeus, Jules and Charles' eyes followed him as he continued to address the King of Mobius. 'My people may be tall in stature and they use this height to intimidated their opponents but they are actually quite vulnerable to a direct attack, especially when they are outnumbered..' A horribly sly grin twisted across Ivo Kintobor's face at this moment and immediately Warlord Kodos Lion and Commander St John, who were stood on either side of the throne, turned to their ruler.
'You aren't seriously considering this your majesty?' Kodos hissed angrily. 'Who's to say he won't turn on us once his kind are gone? I say we rid ourselves of him at once..'
'And rid ourselves of this one chance to save our mobians from almost certain defeat?' Ian St John responded as his mauve eyes narrowed. 'I am with Lieutenant Hedgehog on this; this human may be our one stroke of luck in winning this war. We must allow him asylum..' Both the light-blonde-maned lion-mobian and the black and white skunk-mobian glared at each other as they both represented to opposing sides to this argument.
'Both valid points but I'm sorry Kodos, I am inclined to go with Commander Ian St John on this one. Right now we need help and this human may be our saving grace..' The green-quilled royal hedgehog replied and stood up from his throne and approached the tall Overlander before him as Kodos Lion scowled darkly and Ian St John threw him a slightly smug smirk.
'Well Doctor Ivo, since you know your "people's" weaknesses best and the weapons they are using it would seem that you are the logical choice in leading our troops as they prepare to defend the city of Mobotroplis..' King Ogilvie spoke in a strong and sincere regal tone that was met with surprise from the other mobians in the room as they stared in disbelief at what they were witnessing. The green-quilled King of Mobius then stuck out a white-gloved and offered it to the six-foot Overlander before him with a regal smile. 'Welcome to Mobius, Warlord Kintobor..'
'Thank you, sire. I shall serve you as I served those before you..' Ivo Kintobor replied in a warm humble tone as he shook hands with King Ogilvie the Third. The rest of the mobians around them seemed to just stare with slack jaws, dumbstruck by this new appointment, they had clearly just expected him to be taken on in an advisory capacity but it seemed that their king had other ideas..
The meeting in the throne room adjourned shortly after that and everyone with the exception of General Armand D'Coolette and Doctor Ivo Kintobor filed out into the Great Hall. Jules was walking with his older brother as General Amadeus Prower was now talking with Commander Ian St John on what this could possibly mean for the future of Mobius. Warlord Kodos Lion had clearly not been impressed with the outcome of this meeting as the seven-foot lion-mobian had stalked out and pushed his way passed all of the other mobians without a word and left before anyone could speak to him.
'Has our king lost his mind? Jules, this is utter madness, allowing him to lead us into battle..' The mild-blue hedgehog said to his younger cobalt-quilled sibling as the two of them now headed towards the main doors leading out of Hedgington Hall.
'Charlie, we just have to have faith in King Ogilvie and trust that he knows what he's doing..' Jules replied closing his hazel eyes briefly before realising that he had just sounded like Princess Aleena in that moment. Before the elder Hedgehog-brother could verbalize a response to this the pair's attention was suddenly drawn back towards the throne room as a voice called to them.
''Edgehog..' The nasally voice of Armand D'Coolette had called out to them and as the light-tanned coyote-mobian approached them it became instantly clear that General D'Coolette had been addressing Jules. 'Notre majeste is requesting zat tu are to be coming for a wording. Jules, eef you are not minding with moi, s'il vous plait..' The sound of General D'Coolette's voice had also caught the attention of Amadeus Prower and the Royal Guard General, who had just seen Commander Ian St John out of the palace, turned back a little way away from Charles Hedgehog.
'Uh… Sure, ok..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog threw his older brother a slightly unsure look, clearly not seeing why King Ogilvie the Third would want a word with him.
'Go ahead Jules, I'll meet you-' Charles had started before Amadeus Prower cut across him and placed and arm around his shoulder, steering the mild-blue-quilled hedgehog away.
'In my office, I'm sure you remember where that is, don't you?' The golden-furred fox-mobian smiled kindly at his former-captain and Jules immediately flashed him a grateful smile back.
'Yeh, I'm pretty sure I haven't forgotten..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog replied before he turned and began walking back to the throne room with General D'Coolette. A feeling of nerves mounted with a slight twist in his stomach as he tried to consider why the King of Mobius would want to talk with him but nothing was coming to mind. As the pair walked through the solid oak-wood doors of the throne room the green-quilled King of Mobius was finishing talking to Doctor Ivo Kintobor. The moment his maroon eyes caught sight of Armand D'Coolette and Jules Hedgehog he grinned and turned to them.
'Ah, Armand you found the lad, good. Now if you would be so kind as to escort our new warlord to a room for tonight and I shall have Mayor Acorn find him something more permanent tomorrow, that would be splendid old friend.'
'But of course your majeste..' The light-tanned coyote-mobian gave a small bow to his friend and ruler before beckoning Doctor Ivo Kintobor to come with him.
'I shall see you both in the morning.' King Ogilvie the Third casually dismissed them both with a flick of his wrist and this only made the knowing pit in Jules' stomach worse as he realised the King of Mobius wanted to speak to him alone.. Both General D'Coolette and newly appointed warlord gave low bows before leaving the throne room.
This left Jules completely alone with his ruling monarch and the green-quilled hedgehog turned seemed to study him musingly for a moment before addressing the cobalt youth.
'Julius, it is good to see you again. But before we discuss what it is I have summoned you here for I wish you to know that I never harboured no ill feelings towards you for what transpired between you and my daughter during your time here, she has since shared with me the true nature of your time together..' King Ogilvie's words immediately caused a slight flush of embarrassment to heat Jules' cheeks. The middle-aged hedgehog carried on as if he had not seen it. 'I trust that the Army has been treating you well since your departure..' King Ogilvie the Third flashed Jules a curious look and the cobalt twenty year old hedgehog immediately controlled his flushes and straightened his expression.
'Uh, yeh the Army has been treating me as well as can be expected of them..' Jules responded with a small smile, his voice still hinting at his true nerves. He had never really been good at addressing King Ogilvie during his time as Captain of the Royal Guard, mostly because of the fact that he had been concealing his secret courtship of the Princess of Mobius. Now that the King of Mobius was fully aware of what had gone on between Jules and his daughter the cobalt-blue hedgehog was uncomfortable just being in his presence..
'That's good, very good..' King Ogilvie the Third said amiable and decided to steer the conversation back to the reason he had asked Jules here in the first place sensing the youth's awkwardness and not wishing to draw it out for him. 'And from what I understand you've certainly been quite an addition to our boys in green. In the nine months you've been enlisted you've been involved in two separate battles with the Overlanders and you've single-handedly managed to hinder their progress with your actions today. As I understand it you were aided by a… power ring? Is that correct?' The green-quilled royal hedgehog said as his brow quirked in intrigue as he stood in front of Jules.
'Well, yes while that is true sire I must confess that I've no clue where it came from. It just sort of appeared to me over the waters of Knothole Lake.' The cobalt-quilled twenty year old soldier replied with a slight shrug.
'Curious. Power rings can't appear by themselves they have to have a source.. There must be one in the lake itself.' King Ogilvie the Third scratched his clean-shaven muzzle musingly. 'But anyway, that is a matter for our Minister of Science to contend with. As for you my dear boy, you do realise that the only those true of heart can tap into the powers of a ring and wield them. It's a real testament to your character and strength..' The King of Mobius smiled warmly at the young hedgehog in front of him.
'Sire, that is flattering.' Jules could feel an uncomfortable burn hit his cheeks. 'But I'm sure there are many others fighting in this war that would have done the same in a similar circumstance..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog ran his fingers through the fringe of blue quills that fell across his forehead and King Ogilvie the Third smiled warmly in response..
'Your modesty becomes you Julius but what you performed out on the fields was a remarkable feat and for your selfless act of bravery I can think of only one reward..'
'So they have brought back a human…' Ixis Naugus mused thoughtfully as he stared into a tall, gold-gilded mirror on an ornate stand. His eyes seemed to be looking through his reflection. Warlord Kodos who was stood behind him bristled.
'Yes. And what's worse is the king has made him a warlord..' The seven-foot blonde lion-mobian scowled furiously. 'He intends to replace me, I know it!'
'Nonsense, you have played your part well Kodos. King Ogilvie has nothing to suspect you of. If anything he is merely planning to allow this mortal to exact revenge upon his own kind..' The hybrid bat-rhino replied with a grin. 'If I were you I would let him, allow this new warlord the reins of the Mobian Army and it will free you to assist me more fully. If what you say is true about the king's new knight our time is running out.'
'Assist you? You haven't even bothered to share with me why you even want to risk exile again.. What do you stand to gain from the downfall of the king?' Kodos sounded sternly as his fists shook with his repressed annoyance. Ixis Naugus sighed heavily before pulling away from the mirror and turning to Kodos Lion with a look of slight annoyance.
'The royal Hedgehog line are protected by ancient magic, it is magic that was brought to them from Mobigypt by Princess Aviva-Rapi when she married the First King of Mobius. Their descendants all have traces of this ancient magic in their blood and it serves to protect them. It will not simply be enough for me to just do away with the royals. I wish to use their ancient magic for my own. While in my exile I discovered I could harness the crystalized power of the Forbidden Zone which is also known as the No Zone, the Zone of Silence and the Special Zone. And with this mirror I plan to create a portal which will act as doorway into this void zone..' Ixis Naugus explained carefully..
'If they are protected by this 'ancient magic' how do you plan to take it from them?' Kodos queried the hybrid wizard's words, not fully understanding them.
'Fortunately the royal family has long forgotten most of the magic that they truly possess. The Sceptre of Power might still be in use by the king today but Excalibur has become nothing more than a relic from olden days as its true master was lost when the family originally divided. You said that this scarab-blue hedgehog was proven to be a descendant of Prince Theodore, yes?' Ixis Naugus scratched his white-bearded chin with his metal-clawed hand musingly. 'King Ogilvie obviously hopes to mend his family line and with it restore the ancient magic to its fullest.' The hybrid wizard pulled out the orange book with the large royal 'H' in red on the cover with gilded-gold edges. 'The magic of the royal family has always been connected by the bond of their blood. If the family line is united then my magic alone may not be enough to overpower them. I will need to contain them inside the crystal of the Forbidden Zone so I can extract their power and use it for myself..' At this point Kodos Lion grinned widely at the wizard as he fully understood what it was now that Naugus wanted..
'I get the power of their throne and you get the power of their magic..' The light-blond lion-mobian sounded in a low pleased voice as he lifted his fist with a grin.
'Yes..' Ixis Naugus only narrowed his eyes in response before turning back to the mirror as his blood-red eyes now glared into the fogging reflection of the mirror. 'Something along those lines anyway..'
Over the next few days the city of Mobotroplis was buzzing as the news of a soon-to-be brand new knight spread like wildfire. The kingdom of Mobius had not seen a knighting in a good few years and while the media focused all their energy on detailing the actions that had gained this 'hero' his knighthood, blowing things slightly out of proportion in a way only the media could, the news also brought out a mixed response from the citizens.. This was because of the 'hero's' working class background. In these modern times Knights of the Mobius Table were upper-class mobians that had made great contributions to both the King of Mobius and his citizens, not like in the dark medieval days of Mobius when knights were selected purely for their bravery and skill with a sword.. While many of the upper-class citizens were voicing their disapprovals at the 'new knight's' lack of standing and refinement the lower-class mobians were exuberant. They were praising their king for recognising the talents of one of their fellows and that Knights of the Mobian Table were more than snobby stuffed shirts who thought too much of themselves. In their opinion it was time that regular mobians were recognised for what they did in the kingdom and their king was offering them someone to look to and a voice inside their royal court.
However the soon-be-knighted mobian had mixed feelings about his impending new title. Ever since the news had first broke out on the Mobius News Network Jules Hedgehog had been keeping a low profile in Knothole. Although he did not completely escape from the stares and other mobians suddenly coming up to him wanting to know how he felt about becoming a Knight of Mobius or what his title was going to be. It was much easier to deal with when it was coming from the small community he lived with rather than the large population of Mobotroplis. Jules actually had no idea what his title was going to be, he'd been so stunned to discover that King Ogilvie wanted to knight him for his bravery and selflessness that it had completely escaped him to even ask this obvious question. However this was not as important as figuring out how he felt about becoming a knight in the first place..
It wasn't that the twenty year old cobalt hedgehog was ungrateful for receiving such an honour, in truth he was flattered but also confused by King Ogilvie's decision to knight him especially after learning that Princess Aleena had confessed everything about them to her father. He couldn't help but feel that the King of Mobius had a hidden agenda for wanting to knight him that he couldn't quite figure out..
So the cobalt-blue hedgehog remained hidden in Knothole while he tried to work out his feelings about his knighthood and deal with the sorrow of losing more mobians he knew. The only time Jules left Knothole was when he attended the funerals of Jasper Jacks, Woody Chips and Ginger Tigris. These days brought a tear to Jules' eye and left him feeling pretty low but while Chips' military send-off was not just for him but the other soldiers lost in the Forest Siege Ginger's and Jasper's were more intimate and personal with just their closest friends and family present.
Most of his time in Knothole was dedicated to honouring Buchanan's last wishes by helping the Rabbot-family with little Scarlet, who he'd taken to affectionately calling 'Scar'. Missy's kiton had an oddly calming effect on Jules and it made him think a lot about what it was he really wanted out of his life. If he died tomorrow then the Hedgehog name would most likely die too, Charles was never going to marry and have kitons and he really didn't want to see fifteen generations of Hedgehogs die because he didn't produce any kitons to carry on taking care of Knothole. At the same time however Jules knew he was never going to care for another the way he cared for Princess Aleena… someway, somehow he was going to have to summon the courage to seek King Ogilvie's blessing to marry his daughter. But even with an impending knighthood that seemed like an impossible task.. And when the cobalt-blue hedgehog wasn't playing 'Uncle Juice' with little Scarlet he was helping his older brother try to answer how he had managed to infuse the energy of a power ring with his body.. A few tests Charles had done on his brother showed that there was still trace amounts of the same energy, it seemed that even after exhausting the power ring the energy hadn't fully left him. Curious to know how the ring had come into existence in the first place the two of them had gone to Knothole lake to investigate..
'Jules, you know that I agree with you. There is definitely more to this than King Ogilvie was willing to tell you but like I said before, you'll just have to wait and see how things pan out. Besides you certainly won't get your answer hanging around Knothole, will you?' His older brother Charles said in a slightly weary voice as the mild-blue-quilled hedgehog was clearly sick of discussing the matter now. The two Hedgehog-brothers were walking around the waters of Knothole Lake to the point where Jules had found the power ring that helped him defeat Warlord Kintobor's E-Seven Big Guns badnik almost a week ago. There had been no whisper of what the Overlanders were planning for their next move and the scary thing was that none of St John's mobians could get a fix on their location. Since it had been dark when Warlord Kintobor had fled from his kin the human scientist was unable to fully give a detailed account of where he had been running. The only thing they knew for sure was that they were hiding out in the Great Forest. The vast woodland was too large to be able to sweep and flush the humans out so they were forced to just bide their time and wait from them to strike…This was like the eerie calm before a violent storm.
Warlord Ivo Kintobor had immediately taken command of the Mobian Army and was making preparations for battle when his brethren decided to strike. The human had already laid out the fundamentals on his theories as to where his brethren were most likely to attack first. Although Warlord Kodos had initially been unhappy with the arrival of Ivo Kintobor he had since changed his tune after seeing the brilliant tactical mind of the human in action and had decided to take a more advisory capacity and let Ivo Kintobor concentrate on dealing his swift revenge on his own brethren.
'So is this the spot where you found the power ring?' Charles finally asked as they arrived at the fallen branch which was lying over the water just as Jules had described.
'Yeh, this is it..' The cobalt younger Hedgehog replied. 'It appeared just at the end of the branch there..' He pointed to the water just out from the fallen branch. 'So, now what?' Jules threw his brother a curious look.
'Well, now I need you to pull your boots and vest off and dive in and see if there's anything under the surface that shouldn't be there..' Charles replied lightly and smiled as his little brother suddenly looked confused.
'Wait? What?' Jules kinked a brow at what his older brother had just said to him. 'You seriously expect me to go diving with three cracked ribs and internal bruising Charlie?' The mild-blue hedgehog sighed at his younger more athletically-built sibling before replying.
'Look, I know that this is asking a lot of you right now but we both know that you can swim better than me and hold your breath under water much longer than I can, even with all your injuries your still more physically fit than I could ever be. Please Jules, as your brother do this for me..' Charles Hedgehog looked up into the hazel eyes of his taller little sibling with the hugest pleading eyes he could muster. Jules immediately groaned in the back of his throat at the pleading look his older sibling was throwing him and placed a hand momentarily over his face.
'Fine.' The cobalt-hedgehog snapped huffily as he took his hand away, scowling slightly as he then ripped off his red vest, revealing several large black and blue bruises along his fur-free chest and abdomen. 'But you owe me big time for this..' Jules added tersely as he unlaced his boots and kicked them off along with his white sport-socks then finally ripped off his gloves. Gingerly, as his chest injuries were still tender and stung when he stretched out his arms, the younger Hedgehog-brother carefully walked across the fallen branch before plunging into the lake feet first to try and spare his aching ribs.
The water of Knothole Lake was cold but not unpleasant due to the very last of the summer sun heating it. The pure mountain spring water that poured in through a small tributary was crystal clear with the exception of sand particles and small bits of fresh water plant-life that were churned up by Jules' splash into the lake. After a moment of adjusting to the cool waters around him the cobalt-blue hedgehog opened his eyes and let them adapt to the dimmer light under the water. The moment Jules turned his head downwards to the sandy floor of the lake; his fringe of blue-quills moved fluidly in the water with his long head-quills, he immediately spotted something in the waters that wasn't supposed to be there. It was an odd metal and glass box which contained a luminous green stone that glittered in the watery light of the sun. Jules recognised what it was immediately but it brought many questions with its answers. He swam down to the bottom of the lake and picked up the box before kicking up and returning to the surface…
'Holy Sauna Jules…' Charles sounded as he examined the metal and glass box with the green power-stone in it. 'This is a power ring creator.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog had been sitting on the beach drying himself in the sun as his older brother had been looking over the box. At Charles' words the cobalt hedgehog kinked a brow in disbelief.
'Well, duh… even I knew that Charlie. The question is what was it doing down there?' Jules sounded in a slightly weary voice; clearly he was waiting for an answer to a question that he hadn't figured out.
'I think Nate must have put it there..' Charles murmured in response. 'This is identical to the one that Professor Morgan had in his office, his first ever ring creator..' The mild-blue hedgehog gazed at it in wonder for a long moment.
'But… In order for him to do that Charlie..' Jules slowly turned back to look at his brother and cause Charles to look back at him. '-he must have passed through here when he fled the city.'
'I know.. I just wish I knew that he was safe..' Charles sighed as he got to his feet, carrying Nate Morgan's invention and picking up Jules' red vest too.
'He's a brilliant man, I'm sure he's just fine..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog picked up his boots gloves and socks; not bothering to put them back on and intending to walk home completely nude. Charles smiled at his younger brother as the two of them headed back into the sleepy hamlet of Knothole..
'Huzzah!'
'Huzzah!'
'Huzzah to the new Knight of Mobius!'
The joyful cries of the mobians packed into the Rings bar on Main Street yelled the moment Jules Hedgehog entered with Sherman Walrus and Arthur Mongoose who both suddenly hoisted his arms in the air. It had taken some convincing but after days of seclusion they had finally managed to drag the cobalt-blue hedgehog out of hiding from Knothole and down to the city to celebrate with his friends and comrades. It was just in time too as the hedgehog was due to be knighted within the next couple of days as King Ogilvie the Third wanted him to receive his title quickly in case the Overlanders chose to attack.. The funerals to their fallen friends and loved ones had passed and although everyone in this room had lost someone they knew on some level they had still shown up to celebrate Jules' impending knighthood. There were school friends, Mobian Army soldiers, Royal Guards, even a few of his deceased father's friends had turned up to congratulate the cobalt-youth. Every one of them had a smile on their face and a tankard in their hand which they toasted as they yelled their jubilation as the cobalt-blue hedgehog looked both bewildered and touched by this surprise reception. He had no idea that there were going to be this many mobians present as Jules had been under the impression that it was only going to be a small group of friends he was meeting.
'Oh… thanks guys..' The twenty year old hedgehog muttered in a slightly overwhelmed tone as a flush of discomfiture touched his cheeks. Before Jules could truly take in everyone who had shown up to celebrate his new position the cobalt-blue hedgehog found a tankard of booze being shoved in his left hand while his right was soon busy shaking hands and his back was being hit with congratulatory thumps.
'I'm sure your father would have been proud of you Jules..' Old 'man' Gallagher said with a smile as he shook his hand.
'What do you mean you're 'sure' of course he would be? I am and he's not even my son!' Commander Stripes sounded as his arm side around the cobalt hedgehog's shoulder. 'Congratulations boy, it's about time they had some honest working blood back in the royal court. King Ogilvie is obviously not as out of touch as we all thought he was..'
The afternoon rolled on and Jules soon found himself seated by Tiger Stripes. Unlike the rest of the bar the white tiger-mobian with silver stripes was more subdued. While the others cheered, drank and were now singing some drunken made-up song about Jules being a brave knight with a heart so true, Tiger merely sat nursing his tankard and mused into the murky liquid of his cheap ale.
'Tig..' Jules sounded softly as he slid across the padded bench towards his best friend. His white-gloved hand then rested on the tiger-mobian's shoulder. 'I know you miss her, we all do but I don't think Ginger would want you to be pining away at a party man.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog spoke in a soft and gentle voice knowing exactly why his best mate was down.
'I know..' Tiger sighed and suddenly flumped backwards against the bench's backrest and gazed through his grey eyes at his best friend. 'I just feel guilty because I let her come up to Knothole to help, even though I tried to warn her it was dangerous. She was always so stubborn.. She knew what the place meant to me and Missy was her friend, she wanted to help protect it for her baby..'
'That's what I mean though, Ginger knew the risks and she came anyway because she believed it was the right thing to do. She gave her life to protect Mobius, just like Woody, Jasper, Buck and thousands of others did.' Jules' own face faltered a moment under a twinge of his own bereavement before he strengthened his resolve and added softly while placing a hand consolingly on his best friend's shoulder.' We just have to take one day at a time..'
'-and make sure the Overlanders don't win so they didn't die in vain.' Tiger added in a grim voice lifting his tankard to Jules, his white muzzle set in a solemn clench as he seemed to suddenly have more fight in him now, as if discovering a new lease on life..
'Amen bud..' Jules replied with a soft smile and they clanked tankards. At this point Maximillion Acorn appeared along with his wife Alicia. The married Acorn-couple smiled warmly before sitting with them at their table.
'Jules congratulations on the impending knighthood.' The Mayor of Mobotroplis sounded brightly, shaking the cobalt-blue hedgehog's white-gloved hand warmly with his own. 'I knew you'd find a way to impress the king..' The light-brown-furred fox-mobian winked and slid in beside the twenty year old, nudging him playfully. 'You really have managed to redeem yourself from that little scandal nine months back, it's caused quite a stir in the royal court let me tell you..'
'Max..' Alicia rolled her pretty sapphire eyes in a slightly weary fashion but wasn't able to say much more as Tiger suddenly seemed to perk up at the mention of unhappy upper-class mobians.
'It has?' The silver-striped tiger-mobian kinked a brow with a sly smirk. At the tiger-mobian's interest Alicia shook her head with disbelief. 'Alright Juice, not even in the Royal Court yet and you're riling up the stuffed shirts already..' He smirked widely, the first real smile Tiger had had in days slapping Jules brightly on the back.
'Not all of the Royal Court..' Maximillion replied with a smile and Alicia too smiled keenly and nodded. 'Both Lady Windermere and the Duke of Velcomia were both delighted by the news of your knighthood. Even Declan LaTour has made a surprising turn around, although that may have something to do with his new wife.' The light-brown-furred fox-mobian replied and this caused Jules to kink a brow.
'New wife? LaTour got married?' Jules asked curiously. It had been nine months since he had heard anything about the
'Yes. They met and pretty much married straight away not long after you were dismissed. She's very nice..' Alicia replied. 'We've had them over for afternoon tea and tennis a couple of times.' Both Jules and Tiger kinked a brow.
'They're already married?' The cobalt-blue hedgehog asked in surprise. It seemed almost impossible to imagine two mobians deciding to get married on a whim without even bothering on a long courtship. Perhaps it was possible to just know it was right.
'Yes. It's the effects of this war Jules.' Maximillion replied. 'Many mobians on both sides of the social class are eloping or marrying for fear that they may never get the chance in the future.' The light-brown-furred fox-mobian replied lightly and Jules nodded. He understood that it was the reason that Arthur and Isabelle were marrying right away while Sherman and Gladys, had set a date after learning that they now were expecting a kiton. The small group then looked around as at this moment Amadeus and Rose Prower arrived at the table both looking smart.
'Sorry we're late Jules.' The golden-furred fox-mobian with the light-brown lick of head-fur said seriously. 'Armand sends his apologies, he was going to come too but I'm afraid his wife is not feeling well and he feels his place is with her and their son.'
'Oh. Sorry to hear that..' The cobalt twenty year old hedgehog replied looking concerned. 'I hope it isn't serious.' He had always like Marie D'Coolette as she was so warm and open and had always been friendly with him during his time in the palace.
'As do we..' Amadeus sounded as Rose looked at her husband with the same worrisome expression he had. 'She has not eaten in a good few days and has been having trouble keeping things down. She is very weak. Doctor Quack is running tests at the moment to try and find out what it is.'
'Have they tested her for NIDS?' The sound of Charles' voice spoke as the mild-blue twenty-three year old hedgehog appeared beside Rose Prower.
'That is one of the things that Doctor Quack is testing for..' Amadeus replied with a gentle nod of his head.
'Good.' Charles said gently. 'Because that is how our mother was before she was diagnosed..' The vague memories of his sick mother still haunted him from deep within his memory and even though he couldn't remember a lot about her illness a few glinting memories still stuck with him. Charles ignored the look of surprise and sorrow that crossed Jules' face at this revelation and added softly. 'Let's pray it is not that..'
'Indeed.' Armand replied before suddenly remembering something and pulling a scroll out of his pocket and offering it to the twenty year old cobalt-quilled hedgehog. 'I almost forgot, here, you will need to memorise this and be able to speak it off by heart on your Knighting Ceremony.'
'What is it?' Jules asked curiously, unfurling the scroll and gazing at it as both Tiger Stripes and Alicia Acorn, who were sat either side of him, peeked over his shoulders curiously at it.
'It's your Knight's Oath. You will be required to recite it flawlessly before King Ogilvie dubs you with the Excalibur: Sword of Mobius and gives you your new title and sword..'
'Whoa… that's long.' Jules sounded in a slightly daunted tone before looking over the top furl of scroll to Amadeus Prower. 'You know I only have a few days left, right?'
'I have every confidence that you will manage to memorise it in time..' The golden-furred fox-mobian replied.
'I hope so, I'll be covering the event live for MNN and you don't want the entire of free-Mobius to see you cock-up the oath and have to restart it again.' Rosemary Prower sounded in a teasing tone only to be nudged sharply by her husband. 'Ow. 'Deus..' The light-brown-furred fox-mobian whinged, rubbing the spot where she'd been nudged with her dainty tapered fingers.
'He doesn't need you applying pressure Rose..' Amadeus responded in a light disapproving tone to his wife.
'I wasn't trying to..' Rosemary replied innocently as her husband frowned sceptically.
'May I see that Jules?' Charles asked his little brother, wanting to take a look at the Knight's Oath his little sibling was required to recite.
'Sure Charlie.' Jules handed over the scroll with the oath written on it and the mild-blue hedgehog scanned over the lines on the parchment.
'I'll help you memorise these in time Jules, if I can get you through your school exams this should be a piece of cake.' Charles replied with a grin to his little sibling and rolled up the scroll and pocketed it into his inner jacket pocket..
At Hedgington Hall Princess Aleena was stood in the D'Coolette nursery rocking little Antoine in her arms. The almost one year old coyote-pup was drifting off slowly in her arms and as the still eighteen year old lilac-furred hedgehog paced, worry racking her mind as she thought about Marie. Armand D'Coolette was with her father in the study, most likely drinking some strong alcohol while King Ogilvie tried to reassure his oldest friend that everything would be alright.
Marie D'Coolette had been moved to one of the medical rooms of the royal palace so that Doctor Quack could keep a closer eye on her. The very fact that he was not completely sure what was wrong with the french-coyote womobian was very scary to the young princess. The blonde-quilled hedgehog felt an uncomfortable sinking pit in her stomach as she gazed blankly out at the rain that was now beginning to trickle the window panes of the nursery. Marie was the closest thing to a mother-figure that she had ever had. She had never known her own mother and she certainly did not wish for little Antoine to share her fate. As her anxiety spread to her heart she closed her green eyes and allowed a tear to trickle down her pale-skinned muzzle. She had been so pleased earlier to find out that Jules was to be knighted as this could only mean that her father had finally made good on his promise to find a way for them to be together. The Princess of Mobius had been excited by the very prospect of his knighting ceremony which was happening on only a few days' time. But now those few days seemed like an eternity to her, she longed to just talk to her estranged cobalt-furred lover and confide everything to him, knowing that he would be able to make her feel better about all of this.. There was no-one in the palace she could really talk to as her father was busy trying to console his friend and keep his spirits up but even Princess Aleena could see the worry shining deep within his maroon eyes.. The staff of the palace only spoke to her when she spoke first but they never dared to ask her of her feelings… The only one who listened to her right now was Antoine but he was just a baby and could do little to comfort her fears..
The day of Jules Hedgehog's Knighting Ceremony arrived and thanks to Warlord Ivo Kintobor's newly created army of sentry robots and probes that now swept the city of Mobotroplis. When he'd presented his new highly-advanced designs to the Minister of Science and the rest of the Mobian Council they had been both surprised and impressed by his advancements in science but shocked by his radical suggestion of dismantling both the Royal Guard and the Metropolitan Guard and replacing them with these SWATbots and hololink camera-probes, all be controlled by a huge computer which would only answer to both Warlord Kodos and himself. Ivo Kintobor's reasons for this was that if his sentry units were filling in the protection of those in the city the mobians from both these units, who already had combat training and were used to taking orders could be utilized in the Mobian Army without the added hassle of training them up for battle. His suggestion was the subject of much heated discussion before it was put to a vote. The result was a five-to-four in Kintobor's favour, a close result but it was agreed and both the Metropolitan Guard and Royal Guard were dismantled and replaced while their mobians were instantly transferred to the Mobian Army and given ranks that reflected their previous position and skill.. Despite many mobians holding reservations at their safety being solely in the hands of the Minister of Mobian Defence and his second-in-command human Warlord the city was secure and safe for the time being.
'This is Rose Prower for the Mobian Network News reporting live from Hedgington Hall on this gloriously sunny day..' The light-brown fox-mobian spoke crisply and clearly as her camera crew filmed both the massive crowd outside the palace gates, Monument Square and the main throne room which was filling with guests.
'As you can see everyone has come out in force just to catch a glimpse of our new Knight of the Mobius Table, this is quite an exciting time for Mobius. King Ogilvie the Third has not given out a knighthood since Sir Percival Peckers a few years back for his bravery in keeping the kingdom informed of our troops abroad at great personal risk. Today's recipient is yet another unsung hero of the Great War who is responsible for twice managing to delay the Overlanders from invading our fair city. The crowd certainly is much bigger than Sir Pecker's knighting but I think that is a reflection of our new knight's humble working class background. Many of the mobians here believe that he is now their knight, a champion for the working mobian and proof that anyone can achieve greatness..' Rose Prower's voice continued as the holocamera panned the crowds of delighted mobians in Monument Square, some waving flags while others held banners with messages for their new knight, some hollering keenly while others stood expectantly.
The scene soon switched back to Rose Prower as the pretty red-headed fox-mobian winked an eye shut and had to speak louder into her microphone to be heard over the crowd.
'This truly is shaping up to be a memorable day for the history of Mobius.. And I do believe that the celebrations even extend out to our new knight's home hamlet of Knothole..' The holocamera switched scene to the tiny hamlet nestled in the Great forest of the Green Hill mountain range. The camera was pointing at Missy Rabbot who was dressed up in her best frock and looking every inch the southern belle she was while holding her kiton in one hand, little Scarlet was also dressed up in a pretty white dress with lilac bows.
'We'ah all mighty proud of our Community Leadah and he has all ouah support, righ' fellahs?' The female rabbit turned away from the camera and raised the tankard in her free hand causing the crowd of mobians behind her to raise all theirs and holler out their support before the camera switched back to Rose Prower.
'Well isn't that just lovely, lots of support from his community back home. It seems that our new knight has already won the hearts of all the mobians out here in Green Hill..' The pretty fox-mobian paused to listen to her earpiece as her producer spoke unheard words before her expression brightened and her blue eyes twinkled. 'Yes, I believe the Knighting Ceremony is just about to start..'
A reverent silence fell over the throne room as the crowd gathered in two sections of rowed seats which left a small aisle of red carpet between them. On the raised steps just in front of his throne stood King Ogilvie the Third wearing his smart white uniform and red-cape, the Crown of Mobius gleaming, newly polished. Slightly behind him to the left side stood his daughter the Princess of Mobius stood, her blonde-quills were tied up in an elegant bun and she was wearing a pretty dress with a modest cut as her crown glistened between her lilac-pointed ears. Standing in front of both the royals Jules Hedgehog was wearing a smart black suit with a crisp white shirt and a bright-red cravat. The look was completed by a black cape with a bright-red inner-lining, a black top-hat with a matching bright-red band around the base and on his large feet was a set of bright-red shoes with clean-white spats. The cobalt-blue-quilled hedgehog swept the top-hat off of his head instantly as General Armand D'Coolette arrived with Excalibur highly polished and resting comfortably on a large blue cushion with golden tassels and trim. King Ogilvie the Third smiled warmly at him as General Amadeus Prower also approached the group standing beside Jules with the golden-gilded book with the large royal 'H' that contained the complete details of the royal family and their traditions and history inside.
The emerald-green-quilled King of Mobius began to address the gathered crowd of distinguished mobians and honoured guests as to why they were knighting the cobalt-blue hedgehog before them. King Ogilvie the Third then smiled warmly at Jules as the cobalt-blue hedgehog deliberately kept his eyes to his king and did not wander to the left to look at Princess Aleena which took a lot of will power as from his peripheral vision she looked stunning.
'If you could please make the oath with your right hand on the royal book Julius.' King Ogilvie the Third sounded and Jules took a calming breath before placing his white-gloved hand over the orange royal 'H' of the book. He knew his mild-blue-quilled older brother was seated behind him in the front row with the other members of the Mobius Council and it soothed him a little to know Charles was here to support him.
'I Julius Theodore Hedgehog, pledge my loyalty and service to the Crown of Mobius and its reigning monarch. I promise to be without fear in the face of my enemies, to be brave and upright so the gods may see I am worthy of this role. I promise to speak only the truth even if it leads to my downfall and to stay just and true to my kingdom, protect the needy and helpless til the day I die..' Jules spoke his oath in a cool and collected voice, silently grateful that his smarter, older brother had helped him memorise this in only a few short days. The cobalt-blue hedgehog tried his hardest to conceal his relief that it was over but he was sure everyone around him could see it as plain as day on his expression anyway as he had never been good at hiding his emotions.
'Kneel before me Julius..' King Ogilvie the Third said in a calm and steady voice and the cobalt-blue hedgehog bent down on one knee and bowed his head before the middle-aged green hedgehog, holding his top-hat in one arm as his eyes closed. King Ogilvie picked up the Sword of Mobius and raised its blade above Jules' right shoulder and tapped the blade gently off it before lifting it, turning the blade around in the air and tapping it off the other shoulder. 'And arise as Sir Jules The. Hedgehog: Guardian of the Realm of Mobius..'
Little Notes:
Hey everybody, my sincerest apologies on the horrendously long wait for this update. I admit it when I returned from my holiday away I was just too lazy to start writing again but with a bit of force and shove I was able to motivate myself into it again as I have reached this exciting point in the story.
I admit that things are a little rough in my personal life at the moment (those who have visited my deviantArt page of the same tag will know the details) and I am using whatever I can get hold of to escape reality a bit which will probably work in you guy's favour as my writing is something that is helping me keep my mind together while I try to deal with this… I am not even planning to take my usual few days break before planning and writing, I plan to just jump right into chapter 27 which I have already got the basic plan of.
Alright, since a few reviews have been mentioning the surname of Robotnik I will simply state that 'Eggman' is the original name for 'Robotnik'… that's right. When Sonic was due to come to the western countries it was believed that no-one would take the name 'Eggman' seriously (twenty years later and who actually does?) hence the change to Robotnik.. During the nineties Sega then decided they actually liked this name change and created a background in which Robotnik had once been a kind inventor by the name of Ovi Kintobor but a disaster with an experiment involving a Chaos Emerald had turned him bad and he switched to Ivo Robotnik.. Anyway, the name was in existence long before SatAm came into being where they changed his first name and kept his surname. Personally I felt it was too much to change both his first and surname, hence why he has retained Ivo as his first name in my story.
Ok, those who saw the title of this chapter must have realised instantly what it meant, I'd say clever you but it really was predictable… I pretty much made up most of the knighting ceremony myself. Have you ever seen a real one? They are boring as hell! The so-called knights don't even get dubbed by a sword anymore as it's considered inappropriate (Really? Who decided that!) it's just the Queen handing out a medal of sorts… Anyone who's made some great contribution: a scientist, actor, singer, teacher, doctor can get one these days. It doesn't even come with the demand to serve the Queen or country it used to, it's all changed. Anyway, I wanted to incorporate both the old-fashioned with the more modern knights hence the struggle between classes again..
Until next time…
~Ditzy x