Chapter 6

Over the next couple of days, Fiona went through the growing pains of melding into a community. The entire town was alive with activity, and everyone was hard at work preparing for the blessed Founder's Day celebration. Already, numerous banners marking the occasion had been raised, and she could hear many different mobians tuning up their instruments or their voices in preparation for the big dance. Fiona too found herself busy doing what she could to help set up. Her ankle was still very swollen, not helped by that near death fall she had taken not long ago, but she was much more mobile than she had been and she didn't want to sit on the sidelines. What's more, it gave her a chance to get to know her new neighbors, whether she had wanted to or not.

The first pair of people she had the chance to properly meet were Arachne and Aqune, a pair of mobian spiders from Mercia. In a past life, Arachne had been a skilled seamstress, and the silk was highly prized amongst her fellow Mercian nobles. The elder woman was quite boastful of her skill, and she was taking great lengths to pass on her skills to her daughter. By contrast, Aqune was a very meek, timid creature whom found her peace knitting doilies and other small works of art. Their story was that Arachne had gotten herself mired in debt, not helped by that corrupt Sheriff Mordred Hood, so she had set up her daughter in an arranged marriage to a corrupt nobleman. With a rare spark of courage, Aqune fled and made her way here. Mask found her, took her in, and, when she came hunting for her daughter, threatened to throw Arachne into the river. With a stonewall to hide behind, Aqune quickly found a home in this hole in the ground, though that didn't stop her mother from being an overbearing shrew from time to time. Fortunately, with Mask acting as a wake-up call, the older arachnid had mellowed a lot according to her fellow Lower Mobians, and she had taken to subterranean life quite well, though not without the occasional complaint.

Then, of course, there was Boris. He and Judah never patched up their relationship after that horrible first impression, and it wasn't rare to see one leering at the other from afar. It was for this reason Fiona gave him a wide berth. However, there was a much gentler side to the enormous bear that Fiona had not expected. Whenever he walked about the town, a gaggle of children would follow him closely behind. He would then stop, look back, and they would scatter in all directions. This would continue on for several minutes until he finally vanished into his little shack where he kept his fish. All of the assembled children would then sit in front of his shack while giggling excitedly. Then, in a flash of movement, Boris would erupt onto the scene wearing a luchador mask and a cape, striking an exaggerated pose as the crowd of kids exploded into cheers. As Nicolette had said, Boris had been an underground luchador, and he had been the reigning heavy weight champion for at least ten years. What he did before that, however, nobody seemed to know. He would always get very jaded about it, and it wasn't uncommon for him to lash out in anger. But, when he was performing before the children, it was the happiest he could ever be. The roar of their cheers seemed to stir something within him, and he would earn even more cries by pulling off complicated wrestling moves with a training dummy. He was definitely a brawler, and no stranger to throwing a punch.

Next was the moles, the original occupants of Lower Mobius. Prior to the village's founding, this hard-working lot of diggers had taken to their motherlands to flee Robotnik's swatbots, and they would make routine raids into Robotropolis for supplies. That was how they constructed the great crystal up on the sealing. They had found the gem after a mining excursion, and they discovered that it could be used as a sustainable power source. Thanks to the parts they stole, they constructed a command center at the top of the cavern so that they could maintain and manipulate the crystal's power, creating artificial sunlight to support life down under the earth. This was all thanks to the direct and no-nonsense leadership of Diggums, the chief mole. Diggums was a stocky and grouchy son of a gun in a hard hat, and he didn't tolerate laziness from his employees. However, that wasn't to say he was a slave master of any sort. He gave his men plenty of breaks to compensate for the workload, and he offered rewards like picnics and other parties as incentives. He was also an avid fan of karaoke, though he had a horrible singing voice. Thankfully, Mask had the good sense to secretly hand out earplugs to everyone that was within earshot of his horrible tenor voice.

Finally, the last of the lower mobians Fiona had the most interaction with besides Nicolette and Gabby was Blade. Now the hybrid was a real mystery to her. Most often than not, he kept to himself, doing little repair work here and there and helping folks when they needed it. Apparently, he hadn't been in the cavern for too long before she and Judah arrived, and nobody seemed to know where he had even come from. From what Fiona could recall, the very notion of echidna wedding outside of their species was horrendously taboo. There had been a long tirade from Finnetivus, her former employer, on the subject, so how was it that Blade had come to be? Just where did he come from, and just what were his goals? What was more, how did he save her and Judah from their freefall? There was nothing special about his shoes, not that she could tell, and the swords on his back were just regular katana. Was he from the Iron Dominion, maybe? It would explain the sword, but, then again, he didn't act like those stodgy samurai she had met when she was looking for Lightning Lynx with the Fearsome Foursome. But, in spite of all the secrecy, Fiona couldn't help but feel some…attraction to him. Perhaps it was the whole bad boy image he had with that coat, dark hair color, and the swords, but there was certainly something about him that got her attention. Of course, something that really made her smile about him was the budding rivalry between him and Judah. Ever since the hybrid had gotten one over on the lion, managing to trick his fantastic senses, Judah had been doing everything possible to prove who was better. Today was no different, just as was the answer: Blade.

……………………………..

Fiona awoke to the sounds of shuffling feet. She slowly cracked her eyes open, and it was then she became aware of a rancid stench. When fully returned to her, she spied Judah standing next to the door holding a bucket over his head. He was giggling to himself, and he eyed the door with a predatory look. Fiona groaned, and she slowly rose to a sitting position.

"What are you doing?"

Judah looked back at her, and he quickly shushed her.

"I've finally got that smug jerk right where I want him. I left him a juicy little something something written in a letter addressed from you,"

"What!"

"Please keep it down. It was nothing explicit. Just enough to get him out of bed and to come down here where I could get the drop on him."

He turned back towards the door, and Fiona noticed that his tail twitched with excitement.

"This is going to be so good! It took me some time to gather up all this stuff, but boy is it gonna be worth it! This is the only door in or out, I've asked Nikki to take Gabby and just go for a walk, and it's only a five-minute jaunt from his hut to this joint. There's no way he's gonna get the drop on me this time, the little punk."

"Good job. But what do you do if I'm already in the room?"

Fiona jumped, and Judah whirled about. That had certainly been Blade's voice, but a quick search revealed that the two of them were alone in the small space occupied with a pair of bunkbeds. Then, the door opened, striking Judah's back and sending the bucket into the air. It did one quick flip, and then every ounce of the foul-smelling substance was immediately dunked upon him, soaking him and turning his white hair green. The smell became much more horrible, and Judah was struck stark still. Behind him, he could hear chuckling, but he dared not look back. Thus, Fiona would look for him. There was Blade, his arms akimbo and his face broken out in a large smirk.

"I am here on behalf of some sort of call, though this isn't the date I was expecting. Or rather, the date you were hoping I would be expecting. Your penmanship could use some work, big fella."

Judah finally regained his gumption, and he whirled back on him.

"You…jerk! How did you do that? You weren't even in the room!"

Blade shrugged.

"Maybe I was, but I just found a quick way out. Those ears and that nose of yours aren't all they're cracked up to be, are they?"

Judah snarled, but doing so forced him to breath in through his nose. His breath caught, and his eyes started to water. Without excusing himself, he darted out through the open door and towards the entrance of the underground river. Blade watched him go with an amused look, and then he turned back to Fiona.

"I really shouldn't encourage him, but this is the most fun I've had in ages. Kinda reminds me of when me and my brother were young. Boy, we drove our teacher crazy with all the stunts we pulled."

"Oh?" Fiona chimed in, suddenly interested. "You have a brother?"

The mood in the room suddenly became much more somber. Fiona noticed that the youthful gleam in the hybrid's eyes had dimmed, and he adopted a mile-long stare.

"Sort of." He said. "It's…a long story."

Before Fiona could inquire, Blade's demeanor did a full one-eighty as he spread out his arms and smiled.

"But enough about that. If I recall, you and I have a date."

Fiona made a sour face.

"Woah, slow down there, cowboy! Judah wrote that. I had no consent in the matter whatsoever."

"I still don't see the problem." Blade said with a shrug. "Come on. Founder's day is tomorrow, and I've got some last minute stuff to set up. There's even going to be a kid's choir, and I'll need help getting the little ankle-biters to assemble for final rehearsal. Surely the great treasure hunter Fiona Fox is capable of rounding up some children."

Fiona knew she was being baited, but, at the same time, it wasn't like she had anything better to do. She couldn't get about as easily with her foot as it was, and Boris had already done the majority of the work by now judging from the sounds of cheering she could hear outside. So, she gathered up her cane, and she got up onto her feet. The two of them made their way out of the little restaurant and out into the main street of the underground city. By now, everyone was out and about and busily doing their best to prepare for the momentous day that awaited them tomorrow. Diggums was standing in the middle of the main street looking like a traffic cop, complete with a whistle, and he was directing his moles to go this way and that as they gathered materials and tools and distributed them where they needed to go. Up above, Fiona could see that a banner that read Happy Founders Day. Diggums looked down at the silver-plated pocket watch chained to his overalls, and then he blew his whistle.

"THIRTY MINUTE BREAK!!!" he boomed.

Like magic, one by one the moles disappeared to go about their business and have a well-deserved break. Diggums then flagged the two down, and they trotted over to the portly mole.

"And a good morning to you two!" Diggums greeted with his usual explosive tone. "And how are you doing this fine morning?"

"Morning Digs." Blade greeted, though he was digging into one ear. "Think maybe you could dial it down a bit? You know how my ears are."

"A might sorry about that, young bucko, but I've only got the one volume! Gotta keep the tonsils vibrating nice and high if I'm going to get all the stragglers running back here in time to finish the job! There's still so much to do before we can start the festivities tomorrow!"

Fiona's ears were ringing madly. Not exactly a new experience when Diggums was involved.

"You're sure gung-ho about this, Diggums." she muttered. "Or, at least, more so than you usually are. Maybe you should switch to decaf."

"Coffee is for folks that can't keep up!" Diggums declared proudly. "I'm the king of the mountain! I can go for days and nights without sleep! I'm always at one hundred percent!"

"And just one heart murmur away from heaven's gates." Blade chuckled.

Diggums scowled at him, but his attention was redirected at the sound of skittering legs. He looked about, and here came Aqune carrying a bundle of spider silk in her arms. She skidded to a stop just in front of Diggums, and she presented her load.

"Good morning, Mister Diggums. Here's the silk you requested for the hanging lights. This should be strong enough to support them all."

"Excellent!" Diggums declared as he accepted the silk. "Thankee kindly, little sister! But, say, you didn't spin this all yourself, didja?!"

Aqune's smile wilted just a bit, and she breathed a sad sigh.

"Mother wasn't too pleased when I told her I was offering my silk for free. Now that she's getting older, the quality of her silk is diminishing, making it less valuable. She says that I'm throwing away a fortune."

Fiona huffed.

"I don't see what it matters." she said. "You guys don't use money down here, so what's the big deal?"

Aqune shrugged.

"Mother will be mother, I suppose. She's been trying numerous tactics to convince me to go with her to Mobotropolis, saying that I need to marry a wealthy fellow so that I can live a fulfilled life, but I like it here. Sure, there aren't many spiders here, but the people are very nice, and Marshal Mask has been most accommodating. Honestly, offering my silk for Founder's Day is the least I could do to repay everyone's kindness."

"And that's the kind of attitude to have." Blade said with a nod. "It's like my father used to tell me. Be nice to others, and they'll be nice to you. That's the golden rule."

Fiona stared at him. A brother and a father? She couldn't help but feel further intrigued about her current comrade, and she wished to learn more. However, before she could ask any questions, he cleared his throat.

"Well, I'll leave it to you, Diggums. Looks like you and Aqune have it all figured out. Fi and I have to go wrangle up some ankle biters so we can listen to them scream for a couple of hours."

Aqune giggled.

"Children's choir, huh? Can't say that I envy you two very much. But, if anyone can keep them in check, I'm sure it's you, Blade. You've got a way with kids."

Blade shrugged.

"It's nothing special. I just appeal to their better nature. It's amazing what youngsters will do for candy."

They all shared a good laugh, and then Fiona and Blade started their way into the heart of town. All of the little shops and kiosks were currently closed as their occupants scurried about to make ready for the big day. There was a sort of peaceful chaos to it all, with all neighbors moving about this way and that and working hand in hand to set everything up. A while back, Fiona probably would have scoffed at all of this, finding all the fuss to be utterly pointless and the people stupid. However, strangely enough, Fiona found that she was actually enjoyed it. Everyone that saw them would stop short, offer her and Blade a quick wave and a smile, and then go right back to work. It made her feel welcome. A sensation that had been foreign to her for so long.

Eventually, they came upon Boris' shack, and just in time for his mid-morning show. Already, a gaggle of giggling children, including Gabby, were seated with their legs crossed as they eagerly awaited the big bear's epic entrance. Blade made a motion to follow, and the two of them made their way over to where the children were sitting, taking a seat as well. After a moment, Boris finally appeared with a thunderous flair, parting the curtains of his shop and striking a daring pose as his luchador cape fluttered behind him.

"SI-BEAR-IA FOREVER!!" he proclaimed with flair, and this brought about a cheer from the children.

"Si-bear-ia?" Fiona whispered as the show started.

"His home country, I think." Blade replied in kind. "He never elaborates on it, but he clearly has a lot of pride in it."

They were hushed by a couple of the kids, and they watched the show continue. Boris struck several more exaggerated poses before he turned back to his shop. He took out a life sized puppet shaped like a bear, and he proceeded to use it as a sort of sparring partner. He would toss it into the air, only to catch it by the legs before spinning it around like a top and toss it through the air. He would then set it up on a stake, and he would practice a crippling clothesline tackle and a devastating drop kick. The big bear then shifted through many different holds from a standard headlock, to an armbar, a full and half nelson, and ending with his three signature holds: a mandible claw, shoulder claw, and stomach claw which he called "The Claws of the Wild". Fiona gave her eyes a tiny roll, but she found the children's cheers to be quite infectious and it actually made the display much more enjoyable to watch. At last, they came to the finale. With his puppet slung over his back, making it out like it was trying to strangle him from behind, Boris began to scale the side of his shop until he reached the very top. He then made a motion like he was prying the arms off with great stress, and he lifted the heavy thing high over his head.

"What time is it, deti?" he proclaimed.

"NUCLEAR WINNER!!!" replied the children in rehearsed unison.

Boris then propelled himself high into the air, spinning like a cyclone with the puppet still flat as a plank. He then turned in midair, aiming the puppet for the ground before landing with a crash. Upon impact, the puppet exploded in a shower of confetti, which spread over the laughing children as they cheered and clapped. After righting himself, Boris struck one last exaggerated pose, and once again he declared his creed.

"SI-BEAR-IA FOREVER!"

There was one final round of applause, and then, at last, the show was over. After shaking hands with a few of the children, Boris grabbed his fish basket, and he bid them all farewell as he made his way towards the tunnel leading to the underground river. Blade was the first to rise up, dusting off the back of his duster coat before whistling sharply.

"Alright, kiddos, show's over. It's time to rehearse for Founder's Day."

A chorus of boos and naysay came from the children, but they were quickly replaced with cheers when Blade dug into his coat and tossed out a small shower of candy their way. Then, like a pied piper, he began to lead them single file towards the small stage where the children were to rehearse. Fiona started to get up, but she winced at the sudden pain in her leg and she sat back down. That was really starting to get old for her. Was it even getting any better at this point? Given the spill she took the other day, probably not.

"You ok, Fiona?"

The voice made her jolt, putting further strain on her ankle, but she relaxed when she saw that it was Gabby. The tiny gazelle had her hands on her knees, and she was bent over so that she could look Fiona eye to eye.

"I'm fine, Gabby." Fiona assured her. "But, since you're here, think you could lend me a hand?"

Gabby nodded, and she took Fiona's hand to pull her up to a standing position. She watched as Fiona put most of her weight on her cane, grunting as she tried to take the pain off. Gabby studied the injury curiously, teetering back and forth on the balls of her feet.

"You break your leg?"

Fiona shook her head.

"Just twisted it. It's nothing to worry about. Just hurts when I walk on it."

Gabby knelt down, and she studied the injury.

"I could fix it."

Fiona made a face.

"Huh?"

"I can fix it, no problem. You'd be walking on it again in no time."

Fiona studied the small girl carefully. Kids had crazy imaginations, and they had a tendency to shoot their mouths just to get attention. It was one of the reasons she was glad she and Scourge had never gotten that far in their relationship.

"Is that so?" she said, deciding to humor the kid. "And just how would you do that? Kiss it to make it feel better?"

Gabby adopted a strange grin, and she offered her a sidelong glance.

"Uh-uh, that's a secret. Also, if I do something for you, you have to do a favor for me."

Fiona rolled her eyes. Yep, she was definitely Nicky's kid, even though she wasn't really.

"Hey, ladies!" Blade called from across the cave. "We're waiting on you! Come on!"

Fiona looked up his way, and then she looked back to Fiona.

"Guess we'll have to put a pin in that one. Sorry, kiddo."

Gabby just shrugged, and she skipped ahead, though she still wore that sly grin. She was a strange kid, Fiona figured, but, then again, this was a strange town. It took her a few minutes more, but she managed to catch up and join the kids in the small, crude looking amphitheater. The children were aligned in four rows with the shortest of the bunch standing up front. Fiona had just joined the second tallest row when Gabby finally reached them. She looked about, and then she frowned.

"This an acapella thing or something?" she asked Blade. "Where are the musicians and the instruments?"

Blade looked to her, and now it was him wearing the weird grin. Was there just something in the water?

"Do me a favor and don't tell Judah about this."

He looked back to the kids.

"Get comfortable, guys. Give me a minute to get the sound levels right."

An excited chatter quietly rumbled through the children, but they immediately fell silent as they watched Blade expectantly. Now Fiona was completely confused, and she turned her head towards Blade. He had removed his katana from his back, and he carefully set them on the ground. Then, he closed his eyes, raised his hands, and then he started to whistle. At first, it was just a long, one-note tune that was barely loud enough to hear even from where Fiona was standing. Then, it got louder, and louder, and louder, and louder, until the entire amphitheater seemed to be vibrating from the sound. Then, he raised his left hand, and there was a brilliant blaring of brass instruments. Then, he raised his right, there was the noticeable rat-a-tat-tat of drums. He swept his arms, and then a flurry of wood wind instruments joined the swelling chorus. Next, he raised his left hand, making the trumpets like thunder, and he twinkled his fingers, making the wood winds sound like rain.

Fiona was straining her neck in every conceivable direction, but she just couldn't see where the sound was coming from. There was no dugout for musicians. No speakers hidden in the upper parts of the cave. There was absolutely nothing around that could make such wonderful, tear jerking sounds.

Finally, and much to everyone's disappointment, Blade's little symphony came to a stop, complete with the sounds of a violin having its strings playfully plucked. When he was finished, the children cheered and whistled, prompting Blade to take a bow before looking to Fiona for her response. Her jaw was literally on the floor, and for the first time she seemed to be completely without words. Fortunately, it didn't last long.

"HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!"

Blade cracked a grin, and he tapped the side of his nose.

"Come on, now. You live in a universe where there's a blue hedgehog that can break the sound barrier at an easy jog, so the answer should be quite easy."

Fiona stared at him for a moment. Surely he didn't mean…

"Wait! So that was all you? How?"

Blade chuckled, and he tapped a finger at the side of his head.

"I'm not really sure how, but I can manipulate soundwaves with my mind. I can even recreate sounds I've heard from mere thought. Don't ask me how, because I would just butcher the explanation. My father understood it better than me."

He turned back to the children.

"Ok, enough stalling, you lot. Let's get down to it, alright? Once practice is finished, all that will be left is the concert tomorrow. Alright then, and a one, and a two…"

With that, the music started again, this time being the soothing jazz of a piano. The sound seemed to tickle a part on the inside of Fiona's ears, stirring up the cobwebs and triggering something in her head.

"Song sounds familiar." she mused to no one in particular.

"It's the founder's song." Blade explained as he continued the intro. "The kids sing it every year. Apparently, she used to sing it to her daughter back in the day."

"Huh?" Fiona asked, suddenly interested. "Wait a minute, the founder was a girl? The founder had a kid? Just who the heck was the…"

Then, the song began to play.

"The sun'll come out

Tomorrow

Bet your bottom dollar

That tomorrow

There'll be sun"

Fiona fell silent, her mouth agape and her heart pounding.

"No."

"Just thinkin' about

Tomorrow

Clears away the cobwebs

And the sorrow

'Til there's none!"

Fiona took a small step back, putting a hand over her mouth as small tears began to trickle out of her eyes.

"No. No. No."

"When I'm stuck with a day

That's grey

And lonely

I just stick out my chin

And grin

And say

Oh!

The sun'll come out

Tomorrow

So ya gotta hang on

'Til tomorrow

Come what may

Tomorrow, tomorrow!

I love ya tomorrow!

You're always

A day

Away!"

"NO! STOP IT!"

Blade jumped at the sudden noise, as did the children. Fiona then took off, stumbling and tripping on her bad leg as she tried to get as far away from the amphitheater as she could.

"What the…Fiona, come back!" Blade called, taking off after her with Gabby in tow.

Fiona wasn't watching where she was going, her eyes bleared with tears, and she crashed into Boris on his way back from the river. This sent his freshly caught fish into the air, making them rain down in all directions. One landed atop Aqune's head as she was strewing up some lights, making her shout with fright, lose her balance on her ladder, and toss her spider silk. At that moment, Diggums was ordering a pair of moles on what to do, but he was cut short when the silk fell upon them, tying them together and throwing the lesser moles into a panic as they tried to get loose. Before long, the entire town square had been flung into chaos, and Fiona sat alone in the epicenter with blank eyes and a saddened face.

"What in the sam hill!"

The chaos ceased, and all could see Mask, armed with an egg basket, now standing at the base of the stairwell. He stared at the sprawling scene with a look of utter shock, and eventually his eyes landed on Fiona in the center. He scowled.

"For crying in the bucket, Fiona, what is this all about? Did you do this?"

Fiona said nothing, her features frozen and her knees trembling. It was rather off putting, and it made Mask grow concerned.

"Hey, now, you alright? You ain't hurt, are you?"

He started to reach out a hand, but she immediately swatted it away as fresh tears started to fall.

"Don't touch me! Just leave me alone!"

With that, Fiona took off hobbling as quickly as she could for Nicolette's restaurant, disappearing into the bedroom and slamming the door behind her. Mask was left alone on the street, his hand still out stretched and a frown on his face. Eventually, the town began to pick itself up and put the pieces back together. Eventually, he was joined by Blade, Gabby, Nicolette, and a still foul-smelling Judah. The quartet looked towards the small restaurant with silent stares, and then Mask shifted his attention to Nicolette.

"Lemme guess. You didn't tell her, did you?"

Nicky returned his glare with one of her own.

"Me?" she replied defensively. "You're the one that led her down here! I thought you had told her when she was living in your cottage.

"I was a complete stranger to her." Mask retorted hotly. "You were supposedly her best friend. I figured she'd take the news better coming from you."

"Well how was I supposed to know you hadn't told her. It's not my job to induct new residents to the history of lower mobius. You should have had that done long ago."

"Well excuse me if I had better things to do! Don't forget that it's also my job to ensure the peace down here, and that's not easy when most folks down here can fly off the handle at the drop of a hat."

They went back and forth like this for several minutes, neither one making a particularly substantial argument in favor of their side. Judah, Gabby, and Blade looked back and forth between them as the conversation slowly became more and more heated and their voices started to rise into shouting. Eventually, Blade side, and he held up a fist. Suddenly, Mask and Blade became mute. Their lips were still moving, but no sound was coming out. Eventually, Mask caught on, and he whirled about on Blade.

"Hey, don't give me that look!" Blade said snippily. "Somebody had to do it."

He dropped his hand, and sound resumed around Mask and Nicolette. However, now Judah was glaring at Blade, his eyes blazing. So that was how he had pulled all those stunts. The little cheat!

"Anyhow!" Blade went on, doing his best to ignore the lion's angry looks. "Perhaps we could get to the heart of the matter? Fiona freaked out when she heard the Founder's favorite song. Do either or both of you maybe have a clue why that was?"

Mask and Nicolette exchanged glances, and then Mask sighed.

"That, my boy, is quite a simple answer to give. You see, that song was something the founder used to sing to her daughter before she made this town."

"I know that already." Blade said. "What does that have to do with Fiona?"

"I'd figure the answer would be obvious." Mask replied. "Fiona was the founder's child."