Disclaimer: Sonic the Hedgehog is © Sonic Team / Ashura the Hedgehog is © me

4: In the Big City

Once Ashura turned himself loose in the big city, his mind became a mess. He felt as if all the sights and sounds bombing him at once were poisoning him. Which way do I go? I could run down the street, too many people, maybe a good thing, I could hide easily, but they'd notice me, I don't want to be noticed, because they'll all hate the demon.

" 'Ey, you!" Sonic shouted behind him. Close behind. "Where do you think you're goin'?" Ashura didn't know what to say, so he bolted again. Sonic slid to a stop at the spot where Ashura had just stood. Not only is he big, but he's pretty fast. Nowhere near as fast as me, of course, but still . . . The strange new hedgehog was beginning to trouble Sonic. Better keep up with 'im to be on the safe side, he thought.

Far ahead, Ashura had stopped again, this time in front of a small shop. He was looking about like a cornered animal, and people were beginning to stop and stare. Looks like I'm not the only one who draws crowds anymore, Sonic thought, speeding down the sidewalk.

Ashura pressed himself against the glass window of the sewing shop, staring fearfully at the people on the sidewalk. He could have easily run away, but the humans seemed to be on all sides at once. They looked at him, some pointed, a few that were driving even pulled over to see what was going on. It was just as Ashura had thought. They were all noticing him, and probably thought he was ugly. Then he turned his head and saw Sonic coming towards him again. Why won't he leave me alone? Before Ashura could make his move, Sonic called out, "Hold it! Don't go anywhere!" He skidded to a stop next to Ashura. "What is it exactly that you're running from?"

You. Everyone. Ashura looked in the other direction, but was faced with more people. Grudgingly, he looked back at Sonic. "I'm waiiiting,"the blue hedgehog said impatiently, tapping his foot.

The gathering crowd was making Ashura nervous; he almost spoke to Sonic, but then saw a gap in the mass of people and started to make a break for it. "Oh, no, ya don't," Sonic said, grabbing his arm.

Ashura threw Sonic to the ground, and gasped in shock. He hadn't meant to knock Sonic down; just push him away. Sonic quickly bounced up on his feet. "I've had enough o' this, Tarzan," he growled. "I tried ta be nice ta you, but you screwed up. And like it or not, you can't get away from me. I'm the fastest thing alive."

"If you catch me," Ashura said practically, "where will you take me?" Sonic hesitated. He hadn't thought of that. His main focus had been to catch the weird green hedgehog. "To the police station, of course," he replied, trying to make up for the pause. Hesitation meant indecision, and indecision wasn't good for a fast-paced, daredevil guy like him.

Ashura lowered his head, but kept eye contact with Sonic. And there was a threatening look in those big blue eyes. He was getting angry now. "Leave me alone," he said quietly. Sonic almost laughed. "Leave you alone? Is that the best comeback you've got? Just how long have you been playing Castaway on that island? Do you know who I am?" A low murmur spread across the crowd.

The attack came so suddenly that Sonic wasn't ready for it. Ashura rushed at him and drove his elbow into Sonic's stomach, putting his whole weight behind the blow. Sonic crumpled to the ground immediately, gasping. The murmuring in the crowd increased sharply. "I'm sorry," Ashura saidand truly meant itbefore he made his escape. Nobody tried to stop him.

Sonic felt as if he'd been struck by a brick. Notwo bricks. Maybe more. He wanted to puke and pass out. Oh my God, did he rupture something? Guy must be stronger than he thinks. I'll be feeling this in the morning. Sonic tried to stand but only succeeded in rising to his knees. "Get . . . back here!" he said weakly, swaying from side to side. Get it together, Sonic. Don't blow chunks in front of a crowd. Far off, he could hear police sirens approaching. Hopefully they'll catch him on the run. Little rat.

"Nobody gets away from me," Sonic snarled, getting to his feet. "Screw the cops. I'll find 'im myself." He took three steps and hurled.


Ashura dashed into an alley and automatically slipped behind a dumpster. His heart thundered away in his chest, serving to increase the pain in his body. But he felt he deserved it. Yep. You're in trouble, Ashura. You're really a bad boy. You did it now. You broke that bed, you ran away, and now you hurt Sonic. He was right. He was trying to be nice. Maybe he wasn't trying to hurt you. You're still stupid, Ashura.

The alley was dark, damp and far quieter than out on the sidewalk. It stank to high heaven behind the dumpster, but Ashura felt slightly safer and more secure. He forced himself to stay awake, though. His body ached and begged him for rest, but his mind would not allow it. He could be found at any time, and would have to be on his feet in the blink of an eye.

They'll get you. Doesn't matter if you run. Can't get away from no one. Bad boys always get punished . . .

Eventually, his head nodded, his eyelids slid shut and he was out cold.

Near two minutes later, Sonic was shuffling past the alley with one hand on his stomach. I'll bet the rat is back there somewhere, he thought bitterly, squinting into the shadows. And just as he thought, the black orb of Ashura's rod was shining in the sunlight for all to see. Behind the dumpster. Right where he belongs.

He spat on the sidewalk and tiptoed towards the dumpster. Ashura was curled up behind it, hugging his knees. Even in sleep, he still looked terribly stressed. His breathing was not quite steady either. And Sonic couldn't really tell, since Ashura's fur was still damp from his fall into the ocean, but he thought he saw tear tracks on the hedgehog's cheeks. Guy's messed up.

As Sonic reached out to grab him, Ashura's left ear turned slowly in his direction. Sonic jumped back, and it suddenly hit him that the hedgehog only had one ear!

No. Wait. No he didn't. His right ear had been broken. It was bent in half and drooped over, making it hard to see on the other side of Ashura's head. It didn't even look like it could move.

Sonic caught himself wondering how the injury had occurred, but brushed the query aside. When nothing happened after a few seconds, he lunged.

Ashura awoke immediately and let out a startled yelp as something struck him and dragged him out from behind the dumpster. His fear only increased when he looked up and saw Sonic the Hedgehog. He forced himself to be strong. "I . . . I thought I got rid of you," he growled. He sounded pathetic.

Sonic leaned over, poked Ashura in the chest and said in a low voice, "Nobody gets rid of me. Especially . . ." he looked Ashura up and down, "something like you."

Ashura got to his feet, and the tables turned. Now Sonic was the one looking up at the giant hedgehog. But size alone didn't sway Sonic. He glared into Ashura's eyes and began, "Now, listen here, tall, dark and ugly . . ."

Ashura barely heard the rest of Sonic's threat. It was happening again. Someone had called him ugly. Just like they all had when he was a child. Ashura felt his throat tighten, but would not cry. He was an adult now, and adults didn't cry when provoked. They got even. Halfway through Sonic's threatening speech, Ashura socked him in the face and sent him flying to the entrance of the alley. As Sonic hit the ground with a groan of pain, Ashura stared at his own fist, stunned. Why had he done that? He wasn't a hostile creature by nature. He'd rather hide underneath something than throw a punch.

Don't feel bad, murmured a quiet voice in the back of his head. You're a big boy now. You can't be scared of little wimps.

Knocked down again by the freak hedgehog. Sonic was beginning to see red. He wiped his nose and stood up. "That's it," he snarled. "That's the last straw. Now it's your turn to go down."

"I didn't mean"

Sonic leapt into the air, curled into a spiny ball, and launched himself at Ashura. Ashura wasn't quick enough to dodge the attack, and took the hit on his chest. Had Sonic struck with any greater speed, he would have broken a few of Ashura's ribs. Ashura stumbled backwards and toppled over. Sonic, still spinning in the air, hit him twice more on the head, almost knocking him out. "What's wrong, Tarzan?" Sonic sneered once he returned to the ground. "Am I goin' too fast for ya? Don't wimp out now. Don't start what ya can't finish."

Ashura was getting up. Sonic gritted his teeth. I wish I could say I hated his persistenceHe ran at Ashurabut then I'd be a hypocrite. This time, Sonic used a somersault to flip Ashura over on his back. Ashura let out a rather pathetic scream of pain when he hit the ground. Sonic took a fighting stance, waiting to see if he would get up this time. When he didn't move, Sonic ventured closer.

Ashura immediately curled into a ball, with his hands over his head, shivering. "I-I'm s-sorry, Sonic," he squeaked. "I was bad. D-don't hurt me more. Okay? Please?"

Sonic froze, thoroughly surprised. He didn't know what to do now. This guy was acting like a little kid! Maybe he was crazy. Maybe it was a trick. "Get up," Sonic snapped. "Get up. Right now."

Whimpering, Ashura slowly uncurled himself and rose timidly. "I'm sorry," he whispered. Sonic gave him a hard shove backwards. "Shut up, ya nut! I wanna know what the hell's wrong with ya! You retarded or somethin'?"

"I'm not stupid," Ashura murmured, shaking his head. "Then you're crazy," Sonic concluded. "Effed-up in yer head."

"No . . ."

"I won't hurt ya no more, if you just chill out and come with me."

"No. You will. You'll all hurt me."

Sonic peered closely into Ashura's face. He'd never met anyone like this guy. Ashura's appearance contrasted sharply with his demeanora little kid trapped in a young man's body. Perhaps the big hedgehog was retarded.

Perhaps.

It was weird, but the way Ashura was acting was becoming more and more familiar to Sonic. He'd seen this kind of paranoia before. That constant shaking . . . Irrational fear of everyone around him . . .

Then something hit him. But not physically. He seemed to be ripped out of the current time and thrown back, many years . . . into a dark memory.

A little boy sat curled in a corner. His skinny body was covered in what looked like mere cut-outs from a burlap sack, rather than actual clothing. His hands, clad in the same brown, threadbare material, hid his face. He was shaking and whining.

"What's wrong?" Sonic asked this child, and was surprised at the sound of his voice. It . . . It was . . . so high-pitched. As if he were a little boy, too.

The child in the corner removed his hands from his face, and gazed up at Sonic. "I'm a bad boy," squeaked the child.

The flashback . . . vision . . . whatever it wasended abruptly. Sonic wasn't in a dark room anymore; he was in an outside alley. That tearful, miserable face was still in front of himonly it was looking down at him, now. "Ashura," he said experimentally. The word had come to him out of nowhere. Out of the memory.

The black face tilted to one side curiously. "What?"

"That's your name, ain't it? Ashura? Means demon?"

"Uh . . . Y-yes. H-how did you know?"

Sonic took a deep breath. He shouldn't say it. One little scene in his head wasn't enough to support anything. But that scene was sort of like a doorway into his mind. Little bits and pieces of memory that had been buried back there over the years were tumbling out, one at a time, like a cluttered closet.

It turned out he didn't have to say anything, because now Ashura had figured it out, too. Without warning, he threw his arms around Sonic and lifted him off the ground in a bearhug. "Shit!" Sonic cried in surprise. "What the hell are ya doing! Put me down!"

"I-I should have knew it . . ." Ashura whispered in his ear. "I'm sorry I forgot . . ."

"Get off!"

"Mommy's name is Bernadette, but everyone called her Bernie, right? And Daddy . . . He was Jules. Isn't that right? That's their names? I didn't forget . . ."

Sonic stopped struggling. That was all he needed to hear. The names of his parents were Jules and Bernadette Hedgehog. He hadn't seen them in years.

He hadn't seen his older brother for an even longer time.

Until now.

"And my . . . my little brother . . . He was Sonic. That's what people called him. 'Cuz he was so fast . . . He was cool . . ."

"You put me down now, or I'll nail ya in the nads," Sonic said. Ashura promptly did as he was told, almost dropping the smaller hedgehog in his haste.

The brothers stared at each other. My, how they both had changed. All Sonic could think was: He was on that damn island this whole time. Damn it, I coulda found him!

And Ashura was thinking: Sonic is still cool. People still like him better.

With a heavy, frustrated groan, Sonic turned briskly and walked toward the fence at the back of the alley. "Where are you going?" Ashura asked worriedly. Was Sonic going to leave him? Wasn't he happy to see his big brother after all these years?

Sonic glanced back for a brief moment. "I'm going home," he said, a bit hoarsely, "and you're coming with me."

"I . . . I am?" Ashura was stunned and relieved at the same time. "But . . ."

"Let's go," Sonic snapped. "We have to hurry. It won't be long before police and reporters and people are everywhere. You don't like people, do you?" There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice, and Ashura lowered his ears slightly. "How will we get past them all?"

"I know a way through the back lots that will take us right to the back of the apartment building I live in," Sonic said, "but we really need to get goin' if we're gonna get there unnoticed. Stay close to me." He curled himself into a ball and bounced up and down on the ground like a basketball, shooting himself high enough to clear the fence. Ashura took a running start and leapt towards the fence, managing to grab the top and pull himself over, causing murderous pain to his battered body. He didn't pay much attention to it, though. This terrible day was finally getting somewhere. Cautiously but with brightening spirits, he stole after Sonic.

Above them, the beautiful blue sky suddenly filled with heavy clouds.


Sonic and Ashura slipped quietly across the grassy back lot and in through the backdoor of the Oceanside Heights apartment building. Nobody was in the lobby, but the hedgehogs could hear a TV going somewhere nearby.

Sonic jogged over to a pair of double doors and pressed a button on the right. A few moments later, there was a ding and the doors opened to reveal a very small, empty room. Sonic stepped into it, but Ashura was hesitant. "Get in here," Sonic hissed. "Quick." Ashura stepped inside and leaned against the wall at the very back. Sonic pressed another button, this one inside the room, and the doors slid shut. There was a slight humming sound, and Ashura sensed motion. He quivered.

Sonic stood as far away from Ashura as he could. He needed time to think this over. He could put up with a lot of things, but having an estranged, retarded relative (the Rainhog, he thought) drop out of the sky (or rise up outta the ocean) after eleven years was a totally new situation. He glanced at Ashura out of the corner of his eye, and saw that his brother was looking back. "Sonic . . ." Ashura said softly. "I'm . . . I'm"

"Just be quiet," Sonic muttered. There was another ding, and the doors slid open to reveal the hallway leading to Sonic's penthouse apartment. The Rainhog comes home, Sonic thought as he motioned for Ashura to follow him. What would Tom Cruise do?