Sonic the Hedgehog Fanfiction
by Sonic Dust (dustinman77@hotmail.com)
Sonic, Tails, Sally, Rotor, Bunnie, etc. are © Sega, Archie Comics, and Dic. Used by me! without permission, since... oh, geez, it's a fanfic!
Damien, Enosh, and Simone are my characters; please do not use them without permission. Thanx.
More copywright info at the bottom.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: SonicWorlds will make little sense if you haven't read "The Mech of Mystery."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SonicWorlds
Chapter 2
"Dark Ally"
¤¤§¤¤
Tails shook his head vigorously. His ears had to be wrong. He had not had a very normal life, but this was one of the most baffling things that he had ever encountered.
The strange hedgehog stepped toward them. "Well?"
Sally finally found her voice. "Wh-what?"
The stranger cleared his throat. "HOW DO YOU KNOW MY BROTHER?"
No one moved. They were all thinking the same thing. Damien spoke for them all.
"He... has a brother?"
The dark visitor turned to him and narrowed his eyes. "You're his friends, eh?" He tightened his grip on his katana.
"Yes, but..." Sally began. "Well, he never told us..."
"I find that... hard to believe," he replied. He moved across the platform toward them. "How do I know you aren't spies, trying to capture the royal family?"
"Royal?!" Tails exclaimed.
The stranger's head whipped around to face the young fox. "Tails? You know this group?" He sighed and sheathed his blade. "Well, then I guess I can trust you all." He stepped off the platform and walked toward him.
Tails looked toward Sally and the others, then back toward him. "What? Who are you?"
He stopped. "Who... Tails, are you okay? Did you use some kind of weird spell on yourself?"
Tails about passed out at this. "Whaaat?! I don't know magic! How do you know my name?"
He stroked his chin, his eyebrows knitted. "This... doesn't make sense..." He turned to him. "If you don't know me... am I in the past?" He looked to Rotor, whose hands were still at the controls. "You, the Walrus... what does this thing do?" He gestured toward the now inactive portal.
"Uh, it's a dimensional transporter," he replied.
The dark hedgehog's eyes grew wide. "Then... I'm not in the past... I'm on a different Mobius!" His attention snapped back to Tails. "This is Mobius, and you are Tails, right?"
"Y-yeah," he said.
"Okay..." He sat down on the edge of the platform, his head in his hands. "I've been jerked from home into an alternate dimension... some 'mistake', huh?"
"We're so sorry about this," Sally said. "We were just-"
"Trying to find Sonic, I heard you." He looked up at her. "You mean your own Sonic, right?"
"Yes, of course," she said.
He nodded. "Is he still a speed demon, and rash as ever?"
"Yeah," Tails said.
"But you can't do magic here, eh, Miles?"
"No, I can't," he said, even more unsettled that this stranger knew his real name.
He nodded again. "And evidently, Manic and I don't exist here... wait," he said looking at Tails again. "You did say he had no brothers... what about a sister?"
Tails's curiosity was growing with every hint about this other universe. "No, why?"
"Then Sonia's not here, either..."
"Please, who are you?"
He looked up suddenly. "Wait a minute. I won't be screwing up a timeline or something if I tell you, will I?"
"Well, you're from a different dimension," Rotor said, "so, no."
"Well, then," he said, standing. He extended a gloved hand to the young fox, and they shook. "My name is Bane Hedgehog."
¤¤§¤¤
"A keyboard?"
They were gathered in Sonic's hut, sipping hot tea and exchanging information about each other's dimensions. Everybody was wide awake, even though it was well past midnight. Nobody could even fathom sleep at a time like this.
"Why couldn't I have drums?" Tails was saying. "I like the drums - and the guitar, too. I have one in my hut. Keyboards just seem so... lame, I dunno."
"Well, that's just what you got with your medallion, kid," Bane replied. He didn't really care for tea, but it was warm, and it was a cold night. "YOU don't have to play it anyway, so don't worry about it."
"Yeah, I know. It's so weird knowing there's a copy of me out there." He looked at Bane's medallion. It was white, and shaped like a microphone. "You sing, right?"
"Yeah."
"Can I hear something?"
He considered. "Well, I don't have any music to sing to."
"Could you sing to a guitar piece? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?"
He smiled. It didn't look like he did that often. "Sure. I mess around with the guitar, too, but I'm not as good as Sonic. I know a song I can play for you."
"GREAT!" He jumped up and ran out the door.
Sally laughed. "I'd say he thinks you're all right."
"Yeah," he replied. "He's a bit different here... more grown up, but... I don't know, not in some ways."
"So, what of the Acorn family?" she said, barely daring to ask. "Are we...?"
"Well, I've never heard of you," he said, "but that doesn't mean you don't exist. You just aren't royalty."
"But Sonic is," Damien said. He had begun to think of his own dimension. "And Hom- i mean, Mobitropolis is still populated by Mobians?"
"Yes, but the numbers are dwindling. Robotnik loves to enforce his laws, and that always means roboticization or..."
"He sounds more like a greedy politician than an evil tyrant," Rotor commented. "I still don't like him."
Just then Tails rushed back in, lugging an old electric guitar and an amplifier. "It was... Sonic's," he said, setting them down heavily. "He used to play, but when he gave it up, he gave it to me."
"Hmm..." Bane said, looking it over. "I wonder why he did..." He plugged the amp into the wall and tuned the guitar a bit. "This song wasn't written by the Sonic Underground, but I like it a lot." Then he touched his medallion, and it transformed into a microphone on a stand before their eyes in a brilliant flash.
"WOW!" Tails shouted.
He lowered the stand to his height (he was sitting), and found a good setting on the guitar pedal. "Okay."
======================================================================
"Breña"
by A Perfect Circle
(a slow, fairly soft song in a minor key; Bane is performing it without the drums or keyboards)
My reflection
Wraps and pulls me under
Healing waters to be
Bathed in Breña
Guide me safely in
Worlds I've never been to
Heal me, heal me
My dear Breña
Vulnerable...
It's alright
Heal me, heal me
My dear Breña
Show me lonely and
Show me openings to
Bring me closer to you
My dear Breña
Vulnerable...
It's alright
Openings to... heal...
Openings to... heal...
Heal...
======================================================================
"That was great," Tails said as Bane replaced his microphone. "Can you do another one?"
"I would," he said, "but I'm beat. Is there someplace I can crash?"
"Well, let's see," Sally said. "I think there's an empty room in the motel. If I escort you, they won't charge."
"Thanks. Finally, a place where royalty is respected instead of shot on sight." He handed the guitar to Tails. "Here ya go."
"Could you... sign it?"
Bane smiled again. "Not like it'll be worth anything in this dimension... except maybe to you guys." He pulled out a marker and autographed it: "To Tails: I think you're _both_ pretty cool. Bane".
¤¤§¤¤
Bane couldn't sleep, despite himself. Robonik was alive here, and his family wasn't here to help defeat him again. Even though he probably wouldn't run into any trouble before he went back home, it still made him cautious. He rolled out of bed and put on his trenchcoat. He wasn't going to get a wink tonight.
The dark-furred hedgehog climbed out the window, grabbed the edge of the thatched roof and hauled himself up. Careful to step on the beams underneath only, he made his way to the center of the roof and crouched. If he wasn't going to sleep, he may as well get some fresh air.
The sky was pretty clear tonight, only a few wispy clouds off to the east. The stars shone high above his head, aranged around the silvery half moon in an eye-pleasing manner. The little village was very peaceful at night. There were no street lamps, and no one was awake. Mobitropolis never slept.
He wished Manic was here. He had been hanging out with him a lot lately, and they were not only brothers, but best friends. As nice as these people were, he didn't know any of them. If all went well tomorrow, he wouldn't have a chance to make friends with any of them; he would be back in Sanctuary.
Suddenly he heard a thud right next to him. He jumped to his feet and whirled around to come face to face with a rabbit.
"Mind tellin' me who you are, shuga?"
He backflipped and landed a few feet away. He started to grab for his sword, but stopped himself; it was under his feet, in his room. "You make a good entrance, don't you?" he said, beginning to call forth the familiar dark energies. His sword wasn't his only defense.
He studied her: a lithe female bunny with yellow-tan fur. She was a cyborg, posessing a robotic left arm and legs. That arm was held straigt, pointed directly at him, and he realized she had a wrist-mounted laser.
"Ah try," she drawled in a strong Southern accent. "Now, what're you doin' perched on top o' Knothole Inn?" She moved toward him. "We don't need any gargoyles, hon'."
Bane sighed and released his powers. She was on guard duty. Obviously no one besides Tails, the princess, and Damien knew he was here. "I'm just... staying the night."
"Oh, you are? May Ah suggest gettin' a room?"
"I have one. I can't sleep."
"That's all fine and good, then. We still haven't answered mah question."
Bane wished Princess Acorn had announced his presence to the Village, or at least to security. It would have... prevented this. "I don't intend to. I won't be staying long, so please go back to your post."
Her eyebrows raised. "Yes, sir, Mr. Mystery." She turned around leaped off the roof.
Bane was startled. "Hey-"
To his surprise, the bottoms of her feet lit up, and she rocketed up to a small platform high in a tree. She landed deftly, then turned and sat down, glaring at him.
He had a feeling she wasn't going to stop watching him for a second, so he walked to the edge of the roof and swung back into his room. He hung his coat on the back of the door and moved his sword from the floor to the nightstand. Then he lied down on the bed.
He stared at the ceiling for what seemed like hours. He checked the digital clock on the bedside table: 3:05 AM. He wished he could fall asleep. He wanted to get up early tomorrow and explore the village better before it was gone forever.
He caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He casually rolled over, his hand "accidentally" resting on the hilt of his katana. Then he sprang from his bed and held the intruder at the business end of his blade in one fluid motion.
It was the rabbit again.
She was looking in his window, no doubt making sure it was truly his room. Now she had a look of terror on her face, for she was deathly afraid he would actually drive it into her throat.
"Please, I would like to get some sleep."
"Ah- right..." she said, swallowing hard.
"Try not to sneak up on me. My sword is like my third arm, and you don't want it to... caress you."
They stood there for a moment, one afraid to make the slightest movement, the other simply making his point, as it were. Then Bane flung the sword into the dresser, sticking it in the exact center of the top drawer's knob.
The rabbit gasped. "Oh mah stars..."
"Good night."
¤¤§¤¤
"Your majesty."
"Likewise, son." King Acorn shook hands with the black-furred hedgehog. "It's not every day I get to meet a member of the royal family... especially from another reality!"
"I know, sir." Bane had left his sword and trenchcoat in his room, as he didn't deem it appropriate to meet a king wearing such things. "Though I'm just a prince."
"Well, you've met our prince, haven't you?" He gestured to his son Elias, who was standing nearby.
"Yes, Sally introduced us."
"Of course. Well, I have to go in for therapy," the king said, releasing the lock on his wheelchair. "I'd like to walk again. It was nice meeting you, Prince Bane."
"You too, your higness."
Sally took the handles and guided him out of the courtyard, followed closely by Queen Alicia and Elias.
Bane wasn't sure what to do now. He was alone in a room full of complete strangers. There was a skunk wearing a beret, a cat in a vest, a walking... bomb, a roboticized hedgehog-
Uncle Chuck!
He walked over to him, curious. If he was roboticized, what was he doing here? Had they found a way to free the minds of Robians?
"Sir Charles?"
He turned from his conversation with a wombat wearing a cap. "That's me. Can I help you, son?"
"No, well... It's just that... well, do you know who I am?"
His red pupils scanned him. "No, I don't think so. Should I?"
Bane took a deep breath. "Simply put, I'm one of your nephews in another dimension."
"What?" Even though his metallic features didn't change much, he looked shocked. "You... how did you get here?"
Bane sat down on a bench. "Care to hear the tale?"
¤¤§¤¤
There he was. Talking to Unckle Chuck. Like nothing happened.
Bunnie didn't like him. He was so evil! She knew he was supposed to be on their side, but he gave her that sort of dark vibe, and she couldn't shake it. She'd gone to the Princess and found out about him, and still didn't buy it. Her self-appointed mission was to make sure he was who he said he was.
Bane now stood, and embraced his other world uncle. She cocked her rather large ears and tried to hear what he was saying, but couldn't make it out.
Bunnie tensed. He was now heading straight towards her. She cast a quick glance around, but there was nothing she could do to avoid him.
"Hello," he said as he reached her. "I don't believe we've met."
Ah, so last night didn't exist, she thought. "No, we shoah haven't. Ah'm Bunnie Rabbot." She extended her left hand. Trust test; most people with something to hide would never shake a roboticized hand without checking it first.
To her surprise, he took it without hesitation. "My name is Prince Bane Hedgehog, but Bane will do."
"Nice ta meet ya, Bane." Then he pulled her in close and whispered.
"No hard feelings... I was very tired."
Then he was leaving through the doors back into the castle.
¤¤§¤¤
"Well, it's been a pleasure, all."
Sally put on a pair of goggles. "Yes, it was nice meeting you, Prince Bane."
"Wish we could've talked with you more," Rotor said from his place at the control panel.
"Yeah," Tails agreed. He was holding the guitar the dark hedgehog had put his mark on. "Maybe we'll see ya!"
Bunnie stood in the back of the room, watching him closely. She knew it was probably nonsense, but she still didn't like him. She had followed him around all day and he hadn't done anything to earn her suspicion, but...
"Portal open."
Bane took a deep breath. "Do I just... step through?"
"I suppose," Damien said. "We've never sent anyone through."
"Never?" He looked back at them. "Exactly how long have you had this portal?"
"A couple weeks," Tails said meekly.
Bane gritted his teeth. "I guess I'll just have to hope it'll work." He hesitated, then waved goodbye as he moved toward the portal.
Then there came the explosion.
Not from the portal, but from somewhere close, outside. The walls shook, and several things on the shelves fell to the floor. The friends fell to the floor, grabbing for each other or something solid.
The portal flashed brilliantly and winked out.
As the shaking subsided, they stood slowly, checking themselves and each other.
"Oh, dear lord," Bunnie said, standing. "What in heaven's name was that all about?"
"I don't- the portal," Sally said. "Bane?"
"Here," he said, leaning against the wall. "What's going on? Any ideas?"
Damien moved to the window and opened the blinds. "Fellow Freedom Fighters," he said slowly, "you may want to see this."
They all crowded around the window.
Several huts were gone, nothing but smoking craters. There were also several random places on the ground in the same condition. They could hear the scream of fighter jets overhead as they flew past, dropping their payload.
"They've found us!" Tails shouted.
"Who?" Bane asked. "Robotnik?"
"No doubt," Damien said. "I knew this place was too out in the open."
"In the middle of the forest?" Rotor said. "I didn't think so."
"What do we do, y'all?" Bunnie said, panicky. "We can't stay here 'till we're all knocked on our little ol' behinds!"
"We have to take it to the air," Bane said. "Do we have any planes?"
"Of course," Tails said. "The Tornado!"
"Great. One plane."
"Well, I can fly," Damien, Tails and Bunnie said simultaneously.
"[sigh] Go get your gear, Tails," Sally said. "You'll need firepower."
"I just hope my hut's still intact," he said, dashing out the door. Bunnie and Damien exited after them, taking off into the sky. They could see Bane ask Tails for the location of his plane, then take off toward the airstrip.
Sally and Rotor stood there a minute, nervous.
"Boy, do I feel useless," Sally said, slumping.
"Yeah," Rotor said. "Oh, wait, my gun!" He whipped out his Bad Mamma Jamma and whirled it until it was to full size. "I bet I could pick off a few from the ground with this baby!" He ran outside and stood where a house had been, firing high-power laser shots into the sky.
"Yep," Sally said, crossing her arms. "Useless." She had been thinking about that a lot lately. She did plan the sabotage missions and all that, but... she never got to actually fight. She felt like a burden.
There came a sound behind her, a sound of shifting debris. She whirled around in time to see a piece of twisted metal shift slightly.
She set herself in a fighting stance. She may have no weapons or special powers, but she was no pushover. "Who's there? Show yourself!"
The junk moved aside, and a familiar figure rose unsteadily to his feet. She couldn't believe it. Was it-
"S-Sonic?"
The blue hedgehog's head jerked up. "Huh?"
"Sonic!" she cried, running into his arms. "Oh, how did you- where... oh, I don't care, you're here!" She pulled back to gaze at him, and frowned. "What's the matter?"
He was looking at her with a bewildered look on his face. "Who the heck are you?"
¤¤§¤¤
the end
(chapter 3 is
on its way)
Bane Hedgehog is © Bane Keldare.
by Sonic Dust (dustinman77@hotmail.com)
Sonic, Tails, Sally, Rotor, Bunnie, etc. are © Sega, Archie Comics, and Dic. Used by me! without permission, since... oh, geez, it's a fanfic!
Damien, Enosh, and Simone are my characters; please do not use them without permission. Thanx.
More copywright info at the bottom.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: SonicWorlds will make little sense if you haven't read "The Mech of Mystery."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SonicWorlds
Chapter 2
"Dark Ally"
¤¤§¤¤
Tails shook his head vigorously. His ears had to be wrong. He had not had a very normal life, but this was one of the most baffling things that he had ever encountered.
The strange hedgehog stepped toward them. "Well?"
Sally finally found her voice. "Wh-what?"
The stranger cleared his throat. "HOW DO YOU KNOW MY BROTHER?"
No one moved. They were all thinking the same thing. Damien spoke for them all.
"He... has a brother?"
The dark visitor turned to him and narrowed his eyes. "You're his friends, eh?" He tightened his grip on his katana.
"Yes, but..." Sally began. "Well, he never told us..."
"I find that... hard to believe," he replied. He moved across the platform toward them. "How do I know you aren't spies, trying to capture the royal family?"
"Royal?!" Tails exclaimed.
The stranger's head whipped around to face the young fox. "Tails? You know this group?" He sighed and sheathed his blade. "Well, then I guess I can trust you all." He stepped off the platform and walked toward him.
Tails looked toward Sally and the others, then back toward him. "What? Who are you?"
He stopped. "Who... Tails, are you okay? Did you use some kind of weird spell on yourself?"
Tails about passed out at this. "Whaaat?! I don't know magic! How do you know my name?"
He stroked his chin, his eyebrows knitted. "This... doesn't make sense..." He turned to him. "If you don't know me... am I in the past?" He looked to Rotor, whose hands were still at the controls. "You, the Walrus... what does this thing do?" He gestured toward the now inactive portal.
"Uh, it's a dimensional transporter," he replied.
The dark hedgehog's eyes grew wide. "Then... I'm not in the past... I'm on a different Mobius!" His attention snapped back to Tails. "This is Mobius, and you are Tails, right?"
"Y-yeah," he said.
"Okay..." He sat down on the edge of the platform, his head in his hands. "I've been jerked from home into an alternate dimension... some 'mistake', huh?"
"We're so sorry about this," Sally said. "We were just-"
"Trying to find Sonic, I heard you." He looked up at her. "You mean your own Sonic, right?"
"Yes, of course," she said.
He nodded. "Is he still a speed demon, and rash as ever?"
"Yeah," Tails said.
"But you can't do magic here, eh, Miles?"
"No, I can't," he said, even more unsettled that this stranger knew his real name.
He nodded again. "And evidently, Manic and I don't exist here... wait," he said looking at Tails again. "You did say he had no brothers... what about a sister?"
Tails's curiosity was growing with every hint about this other universe. "No, why?"
"Then Sonia's not here, either..."
"Please, who are you?"
He looked up suddenly. "Wait a minute. I won't be screwing up a timeline or something if I tell you, will I?"
"Well, you're from a different dimension," Rotor said, "so, no."
"Well, then," he said, standing. He extended a gloved hand to the young fox, and they shook. "My name is Bane Hedgehog."
¤¤§¤¤
"A keyboard?"
They were gathered in Sonic's hut, sipping hot tea and exchanging information about each other's dimensions. Everybody was wide awake, even though it was well past midnight. Nobody could even fathom sleep at a time like this.
"Why couldn't I have drums?" Tails was saying. "I like the drums - and the guitar, too. I have one in my hut. Keyboards just seem so... lame, I dunno."
"Well, that's just what you got with your medallion, kid," Bane replied. He didn't really care for tea, but it was warm, and it was a cold night. "YOU don't have to play it anyway, so don't worry about it."
"Yeah, I know. It's so weird knowing there's a copy of me out there." He looked at Bane's medallion. It was white, and shaped like a microphone. "You sing, right?"
"Yeah."
"Can I hear something?"
He considered. "Well, I don't have any music to sing to."
"Could you sing to a guitar piece? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?"
He smiled. It didn't look like he did that often. "Sure. I mess around with the guitar, too, but I'm not as good as Sonic. I know a song I can play for you."
"GREAT!" He jumped up and ran out the door.
Sally laughed. "I'd say he thinks you're all right."
"Yeah," he replied. "He's a bit different here... more grown up, but... I don't know, not in some ways."
"So, what of the Acorn family?" she said, barely daring to ask. "Are we...?"
"Well, I've never heard of you," he said, "but that doesn't mean you don't exist. You just aren't royalty."
"But Sonic is," Damien said. He had begun to think of his own dimension. "And Hom- i mean, Mobitropolis is still populated by Mobians?"
"Yes, but the numbers are dwindling. Robotnik loves to enforce his laws, and that always means roboticization or..."
"He sounds more like a greedy politician than an evil tyrant," Rotor commented. "I still don't like him."
Just then Tails rushed back in, lugging an old electric guitar and an amplifier. "It was... Sonic's," he said, setting them down heavily. "He used to play, but when he gave it up, he gave it to me."
"Hmm..." Bane said, looking it over. "I wonder why he did..." He plugged the amp into the wall and tuned the guitar a bit. "This song wasn't written by the Sonic Underground, but I like it a lot." Then he touched his medallion, and it transformed into a microphone on a stand before their eyes in a brilliant flash.
"WOW!" Tails shouted.
He lowered the stand to his height (he was sitting), and found a good setting on the guitar pedal. "Okay."
======================================================================
"Breña"
by A Perfect Circle
(a slow, fairly soft song in a minor key; Bane is performing it without the drums or keyboards)
My reflection
Wraps and pulls me under
Healing waters to be
Bathed in Breña
Guide me safely in
Worlds I've never been to
Heal me, heal me
My dear Breña
Vulnerable...
It's alright
Heal me, heal me
My dear Breña
Show me lonely and
Show me openings to
Bring me closer to you
My dear Breña
Vulnerable...
It's alright
Openings to... heal...
Openings to... heal...
Heal...
======================================================================
"That was great," Tails said as Bane replaced his microphone. "Can you do another one?"
"I would," he said, "but I'm beat. Is there someplace I can crash?"
"Well, let's see," Sally said. "I think there's an empty room in the motel. If I escort you, they won't charge."
"Thanks. Finally, a place where royalty is respected instead of shot on sight." He handed the guitar to Tails. "Here ya go."
"Could you... sign it?"
Bane smiled again. "Not like it'll be worth anything in this dimension... except maybe to you guys." He pulled out a marker and autographed it: "To Tails: I think you're _both_ pretty cool. Bane".
¤¤§¤¤
Bane couldn't sleep, despite himself. Robonik was alive here, and his family wasn't here to help defeat him again. Even though he probably wouldn't run into any trouble before he went back home, it still made him cautious. He rolled out of bed and put on his trenchcoat. He wasn't going to get a wink tonight.
The dark-furred hedgehog climbed out the window, grabbed the edge of the thatched roof and hauled himself up. Careful to step on the beams underneath only, he made his way to the center of the roof and crouched. If he wasn't going to sleep, he may as well get some fresh air.
The sky was pretty clear tonight, only a few wispy clouds off to the east. The stars shone high above his head, aranged around the silvery half moon in an eye-pleasing manner. The little village was very peaceful at night. There were no street lamps, and no one was awake. Mobitropolis never slept.
He wished Manic was here. He had been hanging out with him a lot lately, and they were not only brothers, but best friends. As nice as these people were, he didn't know any of them. If all went well tomorrow, he wouldn't have a chance to make friends with any of them; he would be back in Sanctuary.
Suddenly he heard a thud right next to him. He jumped to his feet and whirled around to come face to face with a rabbit.
"Mind tellin' me who you are, shuga?"
He backflipped and landed a few feet away. He started to grab for his sword, but stopped himself; it was under his feet, in his room. "You make a good entrance, don't you?" he said, beginning to call forth the familiar dark energies. His sword wasn't his only defense.
He studied her: a lithe female bunny with yellow-tan fur. She was a cyborg, posessing a robotic left arm and legs. That arm was held straigt, pointed directly at him, and he realized she had a wrist-mounted laser.
"Ah try," she drawled in a strong Southern accent. "Now, what're you doin' perched on top o' Knothole Inn?" She moved toward him. "We don't need any gargoyles, hon'."
Bane sighed and released his powers. She was on guard duty. Obviously no one besides Tails, the princess, and Damien knew he was here. "I'm just... staying the night."
"Oh, you are? May Ah suggest gettin' a room?"
"I have one. I can't sleep."
"That's all fine and good, then. We still haven't answered mah question."
Bane wished Princess Acorn had announced his presence to the Village, or at least to security. It would have... prevented this. "I don't intend to. I won't be staying long, so please go back to your post."
Her eyebrows raised. "Yes, sir, Mr. Mystery." She turned around leaped off the roof.
Bane was startled. "Hey-"
To his surprise, the bottoms of her feet lit up, and she rocketed up to a small platform high in a tree. She landed deftly, then turned and sat down, glaring at him.
He had a feeling she wasn't going to stop watching him for a second, so he walked to the edge of the roof and swung back into his room. He hung his coat on the back of the door and moved his sword from the floor to the nightstand. Then he lied down on the bed.
He stared at the ceiling for what seemed like hours. He checked the digital clock on the bedside table: 3:05 AM. He wished he could fall asleep. He wanted to get up early tomorrow and explore the village better before it was gone forever.
He caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He casually rolled over, his hand "accidentally" resting on the hilt of his katana. Then he sprang from his bed and held the intruder at the business end of his blade in one fluid motion.
It was the rabbit again.
She was looking in his window, no doubt making sure it was truly his room. Now she had a look of terror on her face, for she was deathly afraid he would actually drive it into her throat.
"Please, I would like to get some sleep."
"Ah- right..." she said, swallowing hard.
"Try not to sneak up on me. My sword is like my third arm, and you don't want it to... caress you."
They stood there for a moment, one afraid to make the slightest movement, the other simply making his point, as it were. Then Bane flung the sword into the dresser, sticking it in the exact center of the top drawer's knob.
The rabbit gasped. "Oh mah stars..."
"Good night."
¤¤§¤¤
"Your majesty."
"Likewise, son." King Acorn shook hands with the black-furred hedgehog. "It's not every day I get to meet a member of the royal family... especially from another reality!"
"I know, sir." Bane had left his sword and trenchcoat in his room, as he didn't deem it appropriate to meet a king wearing such things. "Though I'm just a prince."
"Well, you've met our prince, haven't you?" He gestured to his son Elias, who was standing nearby.
"Yes, Sally introduced us."
"Of course. Well, I have to go in for therapy," the king said, releasing the lock on his wheelchair. "I'd like to walk again. It was nice meeting you, Prince Bane."
"You too, your higness."
Sally took the handles and guided him out of the courtyard, followed closely by Queen Alicia and Elias.
Bane wasn't sure what to do now. He was alone in a room full of complete strangers. There was a skunk wearing a beret, a cat in a vest, a walking... bomb, a roboticized hedgehog-
Uncle Chuck!
He walked over to him, curious. If he was roboticized, what was he doing here? Had they found a way to free the minds of Robians?
"Sir Charles?"
He turned from his conversation with a wombat wearing a cap. "That's me. Can I help you, son?"
"No, well... It's just that... well, do you know who I am?"
His red pupils scanned him. "No, I don't think so. Should I?"
Bane took a deep breath. "Simply put, I'm one of your nephews in another dimension."
"What?" Even though his metallic features didn't change much, he looked shocked. "You... how did you get here?"
Bane sat down on a bench. "Care to hear the tale?"
¤¤§¤¤
There he was. Talking to Unckle Chuck. Like nothing happened.
Bunnie didn't like him. He was so evil! She knew he was supposed to be on their side, but he gave her that sort of dark vibe, and she couldn't shake it. She'd gone to the Princess and found out about him, and still didn't buy it. Her self-appointed mission was to make sure he was who he said he was.
Bane now stood, and embraced his other world uncle. She cocked her rather large ears and tried to hear what he was saying, but couldn't make it out.
Bunnie tensed. He was now heading straight towards her. She cast a quick glance around, but there was nothing she could do to avoid him.
"Hello," he said as he reached her. "I don't believe we've met."
Ah, so last night didn't exist, she thought. "No, we shoah haven't. Ah'm Bunnie Rabbot." She extended her left hand. Trust test; most people with something to hide would never shake a roboticized hand without checking it first.
To her surprise, he took it without hesitation. "My name is Prince Bane Hedgehog, but Bane will do."
"Nice ta meet ya, Bane." Then he pulled her in close and whispered.
"No hard feelings... I was very tired."
Then he was leaving through the doors back into the castle.
¤¤§¤¤
"Well, it's been a pleasure, all."
Sally put on a pair of goggles. "Yes, it was nice meeting you, Prince Bane."
"Wish we could've talked with you more," Rotor said from his place at the control panel.
"Yeah," Tails agreed. He was holding the guitar the dark hedgehog had put his mark on. "Maybe we'll see ya!"
Bunnie stood in the back of the room, watching him closely. She knew it was probably nonsense, but she still didn't like him. She had followed him around all day and he hadn't done anything to earn her suspicion, but...
"Portal open."
Bane took a deep breath. "Do I just... step through?"
"I suppose," Damien said. "We've never sent anyone through."
"Never?" He looked back at them. "Exactly how long have you had this portal?"
"A couple weeks," Tails said meekly.
Bane gritted his teeth. "I guess I'll just have to hope it'll work." He hesitated, then waved goodbye as he moved toward the portal.
Then there came the explosion.
Not from the portal, but from somewhere close, outside. The walls shook, and several things on the shelves fell to the floor. The friends fell to the floor, grabbing for each other or something solid.
The portal flashed brilliantly and winked out.
As the shaking subsided, they stood slowly, checking themselves and each other.
"Oh, dear lord," Bunnie said, standing. "What in heaven's name was that all about?"
"I don't- the portal," Sally said. "Bane?"
"Here," he said, leaning against the wall. "What's going on? Any ideas?"
Damien moved to the window and opened the blinds. "Fellow Freedom Fighters," he said slowly, "you may want to see this."
They all crowded around the window.
Several huts were gone, nothing but smoking craters. There were also several random places on the ground in the same condition. They could hear the scream of fighter jets overhead as they flew past, dropping their payload.
"They've found us!" Tails shouted.
"Who?" Bane asked. "Robotnik?"
"No doubt," Damien said. "I knew this place was too out in the open."
"In the middle of the forest?" Rotor said. "I didn't think so."
"What do we do, y'all?" Bunnie said, panicky. "We can't stay here 'till we're all knocked on our little ol' behinds!"
"We have to take it to the air," Bane said. "Do we have any planes?"
"Of course," Tails said. "The Tornado!"
"Great. One plane."
"Well, I can fly," Damien, Tails and Bunnie said simultaneously.
"[sigh] Go get your gear, Tails," Sally said. "You'll need firepower."
"I just hope my hut's still intact," he said, dashing out the door. Bunnie and Damien exited after them, taking off into the sky. They could see Bane ask Tails for the location of his plane, then take off toward the airstrip.
Sally and Rotor stood there a minute, nervous.
"Boy, do I feel useless," Sally said, slumping.
"Yeah," Rotor said. "Oh, wait, my gun!" He whipped out his Bad Mamma Jamma and whirled it until it was to full size. "I bet I could pick off a few from the ground with this baby!" He ran outside and stood where a house had been, firing high-power laser shots into the sky.
"Yep," Sally said, crossing her arms. "Useless." She had been thinking about that a lot lately. She did plan the sabotage missions and all that, but... she never got to actually fight. She felt like a burden.
There came a sound behind her, a sound of shifting debris. She whirled around in time to see a piece of twisted metal shift slightly.
She set herself in a fighting stance. She may have no weapons or special powers, but she was no pushover. "Who's there? Show yourself!"
The junk moved aside, and a familiar figure rose unsteadily to his feet. She couldn't believe it. Was it-
"S-Sonic?"
The blue hedgehog's head jerked up. "Huh?"
"Sonic!" she cried, running into his arms. "Oh, how did you- where... oh, I don't care, you're here!" She pulled back to gaze at him, and frowned. "What's the matter?"
He was looking at her with a bewildered look on his face. "Who the heck are you?"
¤¤§¤¤
the end
(chapter 3 is
on its way)
Bane Hedgehog is © Bane Keldare.