Disclaimer: Sonic the Hedgehog is © Sonic Team / Jules & Bernadette Hedgehog are © Archie / Ashura the Hedgehog, Akuma & Sakana Uni are © me
6: Revelations
"One thousand years ago lived one of your ancestors, Ashura. His destiny was the same as yours, but he didn't know it, either. Until Akuma, the great evil, was freed from where he had been imprisoned for"
"A thousand years," Sonic guessed. Sakana nodded. "Every thousand years, he has been released in one way or another from the Pit; in this case, through Miles's body."
"How'd you know his name?" Sonic demanded. "She knows everything," Ashura said mystically. Sonic rolled his eyes as Sakana continued.
"Your ancestor's only weapon was this; the Enjeru Rod." Sakana spread her hands apart, and Ashura's rod appeared, floating between her palms. Both hedgehogs gasped; Ashura hadn't even realized that it was gone from his side until now. "It may not look like it, but within this crystal orb is the power necessary to defeat Akuma's final form," said Sakana, taking the Rod in one hand.
"So basically, all ya gotta do is wait for him to power up, then whack him on the head with that?" Sonic asked. Sakana scowled at him. "It is nowhere near that easy. Akuma has three or four stages of development, depending on how fast he gains strength. Each stage is more powerful and dangerous than the last. Even if you manage to survive until his last stage, there is no guarantee that he will be defeated. It all depends on the Chosen One: you, Ashura."
"M-me?" Ashura gasped. He suddenly felt sick again. "N-no. I can't."
"You must," Sakana said. "To give up without trying is cowardice. You'll be letting the whole world down." The sentence hit Ashura like a rock between the eyes, but he still protested. "I am not a coward! How could a coward have lived as long as me! And why should I risk my life for people that don't care about me!"
"It is your destiny," Sakana said. "Now that Akuma has taken a body, there is no reversing this."
"Can't we just call an old priest and a young priest?" Sonic asked. Sakana gave him a dangerous glare, silencing him.
"I've always been tricked because I was taught to respect everyone," Ashura said. "I don't want to be a stupid wimp anymore. I want to be strong. And no one will tell me what to do . . . Not even fate."
"You're gonna defy fate?" Sonic asked with a chuckle. "That takes guts." Ashura nodded, either overlooking or not noticing Sonic's sarcasm.
Sakana looked at the dark green hedgehog with sympathy. "You may try to ignore this. You may try to resist. But it is in you, Ashura. No matter what, you will fight. And if your heart is strong enough, you will win. All the others in the past have, or the world wouldn't be the way it is today."
"Did they live?" Ashura asked. Sakana averted her eyes. "Out of all the successors, only two have lived past the battle."
Then she began to speak to Sonic. "You and I are the ones who must aid and protect Ashura at all costs, even if it means our lives. We are bodyguards, in a sense."
Sonic gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. His life had been going just fine for once, until his goddamn retard of a brother and this evil body-snatching monster suddenly showed up out of nowhere. Now he would have to put his life on the line, but for Ashura. Some freaked-out simpleton he hardly knew. "And what if I refuse?" he asked coldly. "As I have said, those who do not accept the tasks given to them are cowards," Sakana said plainly.
Sonic looked hatefully at his nervous brother. "It's all your fault!" he shouted. "No it's not!" Ashura cried. "I can't help any of this!"
"Don't take your anger out on him," Sakana said sternly. "It is none of our faults. Not Ashura's, not Miles's, not mine or yours. This is the way the world is. It's routine, if you will."
Routine? Sonic just couldn't take it. He leapt towards Ashura and punched him in the jaw. The big hedgehog promptly collapsed on his side. "That's for ever existing!" Sonic screamed at him. Ashura curled up tightly, feeling as if he could shield himself from all the pain that way. Sonic is right. I don't need to be here. The world can find another savior.
Sonic's fingers dug painfully into the palms of his hands. He wanted more. He got to his feet and loomed over his brother. Sakana watched with narrowed eyes, doing nothing to stop the confrontation.
Standing over Ashura, Sonic raised his fist again. He needed a punching bag, and this guy was as good as any. Better than any, for that matter.
Sonic.
He heard a voice. In his head.
This is not what heroes do. They do not harm the innocent, or take their anger out on them. Do they?
He realized that the voice was Sakana's.
Don't you remember? All his life, your brother was beaten senselessly. You were the only person who loved him. And now you're hurting him as well. He needs you, Sonic; for support and love. Now more than ever.
Ashura peered out from under his arm, wondering why Sonic was taking so long to hit him. As Sonic looked down into that single blue eye, so filled with fear and pain, he knew it would be one of those unforgettable images.
Suddenly, Sakana's hand clamped tightly on his shoulder. "Leave him alone," she said softly. Well, she didn't have to worry; Sonic, stunned by her telepathic ability, had become a statute. And after looking into his poor brother's eye, he felt like he should go to the electric chair for his cruelty. Sakana moved past him and knelt down by Ashura. Sonic looked away from them.
Sakana put a hand on Ashura's trembling shoulder. "You're all right," she said gently. "Get up." Slowly, the hedgehog uncurled from his protective position and sat up, a wounded, puppy-dog look in his eyes. Sonic couldn't look at him; he felt such a mix of disgust and sympathy. Sakana faced Sonic. "Now, if you are ready to act civilized and listen to me, perhaps I will be able to aid the two of you.
"Even with me on your side, there is not much we can do to protect ourselves, or others. There will be deaths. Hate, cruelty and suffering is what Akuma enjoys the most. All we can do is battle each of his forms and try to stay alive. That's all there is to it."
"Sounds easy enough," Sonic grumbled under his breath. Sakana handed the Enjeru Rod to Ashura. "Keep this with you at all times," she said. "And you must never let it fall into Akuma's hands, or all is lost. If he is able to wield this power . . ." Sakana trailed off, but her silence spoke for itself: We're screwed.
"I've told you basically all you need to know for now. It's time for you to leave. Be on guard."
"Hey, wai" Sonic started, but Sakana interrupted him: "Whenever you need me, I will be there." She began to glow, and her hair billowed. Sonic and Ashura quickly shielded their eyes as the light from her intensified. Both experienced a sensation as if their bodies were diffusing. And then all feeling faded.
When Sonic opened his eyes again, he wasn't lying in a cave under the ocean, but on his couch in his apartment. Ashura lay curled in the recliner, clutching the Enjeru Rod, still asleep. Sonic sat bolt upright. At first he was surprised to see a big, black and green hedgehog sleeping in his apartment, but then he remembered the events of the day, and Sakana Uni. "Oh, shit," he muttered.
He stared at Ashura for a moment, and finally allowed room for sympathy in his heart. We're in deep now. We might as well be in it together. He slowly got up, crossed the room and shook Ashura's shoulder. "Ashura?" he said softly. "Wake up. You all right?" Ashura roused slowly and looked up at Sonic. "I'm okay," he answered softly. "Great," Sonic said. He looked over his shoulder at the window, which he had been flung through not too long ago. It was repairedsolid, and without a crack. "Oh, she's good," Sonic whispered.
"So what do we do now?" Ashura asked. "Akuma could be anywhere."
"I don't know, and I know," Sonic muttered. Ashura gave him a confused look. Sonic sighed heavily, and snatched the remote off the coffee table. He turned the TV on, and once again, Ashura was enthralled by the small moving pictures. Sonic looked at his telephone for a moment, then unhooked it, picked it up and carried it out into the kitchen. Ashura watched him depart, then turned his attention back to the television. On it, an old man was trying to settle a dispute between an apathetic young man and a young woman who proclaimed, "He's the daddy!"
Ashura frowned. Why does everyone fight?
The man on TV suddenly reminded Ashura of his own daddy. He was just like that man: a cold, indifferent look on his face. At least, when Ashura was around. He always smiled at Sonic or Bernadette. He hugged them, too, and talked to them.
But he only glared at Ashura, and hit him and hollered at him.
Shivering, Ashura turned his attention to the angry woman.
The room was suddenly plunged into darkness, punctuated by occasional flashes of light. The people on TV weren't so tiny anymore. They weren't even humans anymore. They were hedgehogs now. The woman was Bernadette Hedgehog, and the man, Jules Hedgehog. Ashura's mother was screaming her head off at him.
"Don't you touch me! You can't hurt me like you hurt him! You BASTARD"
"Stop it, Mommy," Ashura whimpered. "Oh, please, stop. He's going to hurt you . . ."
"Hurt who?"
The room lit up again. Ashura's parents turned back into humans, and shrank back into the TV. Ashura realized that he was hunched over, clutching at his head and shaking violently.
"You hurt? Hey . . . Ash . . ."
Ashura gasped and flicked his head to the left. There was Sonic, bent over next to him. "What's up, man?" He cautiously reached out one hand and laid it on Ashura's head. The older hedgehog flinched under his touch, but didn't freak out as Sonic had expected him to.
"I . . . I'm not hurt . . . Um . . ." Ashura dared to look back at the TV screen, then shut his eyes. That memory . . . It was the Bad Night. The night when he had to go away from home. "Ccould you . . . please . . . turn that off?"
Sonic blinked in puzzlement, but said "Sure" and did so. "You, uh . . . You like pizza?" Ashura didn't answer him. He couldn't recall what pizza was. Had he heard of it before? Wasn't it . . . a kind of food? "Well, I'm gonna go out and pick one up," Sonic continued. "No point in usin' that damn phone; it's probably busted." He didn't know if that was true or not, but he didn't care to find out. "I don't think I'm gonna leave ya here. But I don't know what'll happen if I take you out in public . . . Ah, hell with it. If the police give us any trouble, I'll explain everything. You ain't gonna cause any trouble, are ya?"
Ashura shook his head. "I'll be good." Sonic was tempted to smile by his brother's childishness. He had to admit: the guy was cute in his own way. "All right, then; let's go." Sonic sprinted back out to the kitchen again, and returned a second later with a shining set of keys clutched in one hand and a small leather wallet in the other.
"Okay, listen up," he said as he and Ashura exited the penthouse. "Just stay close ta me, don't mess around, don't do anything unless I tell ya. Let me do all the talking, okay?"
"All right," Ashura whispered, keeping his eyes on the floor. "But hey, man, don't act scared," Sonic said. "Look up. Look interested. People'll think you're weird if you act all scared and nervous like that."
Well, this was easy enough. Ashura did it all the time when he was little. He raised his head and put on the Happy Face: his personal mask. It only failed to fool those who knew him well.
In the lobby, Sonic and Ashura only had to deal with a young couple and their child, coming in from the deluge. Ashura remained stiff and silent while Sonic reassured the humans that he posed no threat, and that the police were wasting their time looking for him. The conversation was short, and the parents quickly followed their young son into the elevator as the hedgehogs moved on.
Outside, Ashura allowed his muscles to relax a bit. "Ya did good, Ashura," Sonic said. "See; all humans ain't so scary. Try sayin' 'hi' next time though, okay?"
"You told me not to talk," Ashura murmured, trying to keep his eyes off the ground. "Well, I toldja you can now," Sonic replied, and couldn't help thinking about how much beating it had taken to get Ashura this obedient.
The hedgehogs rounded the corner of the building to the parking lot, and headed for a miniature blue Corvette convertible. Sonic pointed a tiny black box on his keychain at it, and the car beeped twice. Without thinking, Sonic quickly slid into it, leaving Ashura alone on the outside to figure this contraption out.
Ashura wandered over to the passenger's side of the car, bent over slightly and peered into it. He'd seen little toy cars before, but never the real thing. He'd never imagined he would get to ride in a real car.
He didn't imagine he'd be able to get into it, either.
"The handle!" Sonic directed him, pointing at the door. "Pull that handle!" Ashura's eyes drifted down to the handle, recessed into the door. He slipped his fingers behind it and pulled. Instantly the door swung open, revealing the tiny interior of the vehicle. Ashura's stomach immediately clenched at the sight of the small space, and he took a step back. "Get in, doofus," Sonic urged impatiently. Ashura did as he was told, having to hunch forward so that his head wouldn't bump the roof, and pull his legs in close to the seat so that they'd fit. Sonic chuckled. "It's specially built for us little furries, but I guess you're an exception. Put the seat back."
"How?"
"Ah, God, never mind. I'll do it for ya when we get to Papa John's. Can ya buckle your seatbelt, or do I have to do that too?" Ashura stared blankly at his brother, feeling incredibly stupid. Sonic growled softly, reached over him, and fastened his seatbelt. "There. Don't bust it, okay?"
Ashura tensed in his seat. The belt was a restraint; it held him firmly in place. Sonic could see his nervousness. "Yeah, it's kinda tight, but it's not meant for a big guy like you. And trust me, it's only for your protection. Ya might get hurt without it."
A few seconds later, the car was actually moving by itself. Well, not quite: Sonic was driving it. Ashura glanced up once to make sure that there was no giant child's hand propelling the car. A flash of lightning quickly fixed his eyes on his lap.
As he drove, Sonic kept shooting glances at Ashura from the corner of his eye. His sympathy was deepening; there was a bit of frustration left, directed towards Ashura's slowness, but no disgust or anger. Hell, Ashura couldn't help the way he was. He wasn't even born retarded. If people had only accepted him and loved him, he would be a normal young man.
But no. His own family had abused and abandoned him, leaving a fragile, frightened eight-year-old inside an oversized nineteen-year-old shell. Sonic pressed his foot harder on the accelerator, his frustration boiling over, and the little car gave a sudden jump forward. Ashura was pressed back against his seat, and he looked curiously at Sonic. "Be careful."
"Huh?"
"D-don't go too fast."
"Sorry." Sonic eased his foot off the gas pedal. "Hey Ash . . ."
"Yes?"
Sonic took a deep breath. "I . . . I'm really sorry for the way I treated you. You really didn't deserve it, and . . . I was being an asshole. Just wanted you to know I'm sorry. I won't treat'cha like that anymore."
Ashura broke into a warm smile. "Thank you, Sonic. I knew you were nice." Though he had been forgiven, Sonic was still frowning and upset. How anyone could be so sweet after enduring so much abuse was beyond him.
Akuma loved his new host body. He walked freely through Station Square, seeking an opportunity to wreak havoc. Most people were in a hurry to get out of the sudden storm, and said a brisk "hello" as they passed, not noticing his different fur colors. Others thought he was just some kid in a funky Tails suit.
Akuma strode down to an intersection near the center of the city. People dashed back and forth across the street, holding newspapers or briefcases over their heads to protect their perfectly styled hair from the rain, and vehicles swished past with their windshield wipers going at full speed. Some motorists had pulled over to wait out the bad weather, either in their vehicles or indoors, in one of the many shops, cafés and restaurants.
From Akuma's right, there came a blue Corvette convertible, anthro-sized. It paused at the red light, then crossed the intersection and turned right into the parking lot of a Papa John's pizza shop.
Akuma tracked it with his eyes, and a cruel smirk curled his lips. He knew to whom that car belonged, and he knew who was in it. He watched silently as the hedgehog called Sonic got out and entered the pizza shop. The other passenger did not follow him.
Akuma waited for the crossing signal to change, and moved steadily across the intersection. He was now on the sidewalk bordering the small parking lot. From here, he could easily see into the blue sports car. Sitting in the passenger's seat was a hedgehog that looked too big for the car.
Let's get started. Akuma raised his face to the thunderheads above, flung out his arms, and bellowed, "Come on down!"
For a split second, the entire sky seemed to light up. Then, a fat, purple bolt of lightning came shooting down from the heavens and slammed into the center of the intersection. The impact was equivalent to a small bomb going off. The automobiles nearest the strike were immediately reduced to black, smoking hunks of twisted, half-melted metal, some of which were on fire. Car parts and chunks of asphalt were blasted into windows, windshields, and pedestrians. Automobiles headed for the intersection stopped in a hurry and either skidded into each other or ran up on the sidewalk.
Akuma half-turned and extended his arm swiftly. The resulting concussive blast threw a few cars across the street at a stunning speed. Other vehicles and a corner shop were demolished as a result, and pedestrians were crushed. Screams broke out here and there. A geyser from a broken fire hydrant spewed into the air. Akuma now turned to the Papa John's shop, and grinned. Time to hit the Chosen One where it hurt the most.
Akuma merely focused on the small building, and it burst into flames.
Ashura couldn't quite register what was going on outside the safe little interior of Sonic's car. There was a mangled mess in the middle of the street, water gushing in the air, and general chaos. Humans ran about, screaming. A few were crawling on the ground. Some people were on fire. Others were lying on the sidewalk or in the street, not moving at all.
Then Ashura heard a muted explosion, even closer to him. He snapped his head around and saw that the pizza shop was on fire.
Sonic was in there.
"Sonic," Ashura tried to yell, but his voice emerged as a hoarse whisper. He immediately found the door handle and popped it open, but when he tried to leap out of the car, the seatbelt drew tight around his chest and snapped him back. He struggled frantically to remember how Sonic has fastened it. Maybe it came off the same way it went on.
Ashura found the silver buckle by his left thigh and began to fumble with it, trying to yank the belt loose from it. It was only by dumb luck that he pressed the release button, and the belt zipped off of him so fast that he actually tumbled out of the car.
But he didn't have time to feel stupid. He needed to help Sonic.
The heat emanating from the burning pizza shop was almost overwhelming. It blasted Ashura in waves, making his eyes water, his lungs burn and his body break out in sweat. He raised both arms to cover his face and surged forward to the front doors, whose metal frames had already begun to twist and melt out of shape from the heat. The glass in them had blown out, and Ashura tried to avoid the shards lying on the ground as he ventured closer to the doorway to what looked like Hell.
Almost immediately, a small black figure burst out through the burning doors. Like Ashura, its arms were up over its face. It ran right into him, and they both fell to the ground.
"Aaaaaaah! AaaaAsh!" the scorched creature shrieked, and Ashura was relieved to hear his brother's voice. Quickly he beat out the few tiny licks of flame clinging to Sonic's blackened fur. "You're all right!" he gasped, feeling a desperate need to hug him.
Sonic was on his feet in an instant. Despite being sooty and missing small patches of fur in a few places, he was just fine. "What can I say; I'm engaged to Lady Luck," Sonic replied, shaking his head like a wet dog.
The commotion across the street caught his eye. It took a second for him to absorb the scene, and then he clenched his fist and murmured, "Only that monster Akuma could do this."
Ashura suddenly bolted to the mangled vehicles, his benevolence surging. He could hear people screaming and sobbing. They were hurt. They needed help. And it was his job now to protect everyone.
"No, Ashura!" Sonic cried, chasing him and grabbing his wrist. "We can't go in there. I mean, look at it! Anyone who's caught in that mess won't live. It would be useless, and we would risk our own lives. I dunno about you, but I think we need to stay alive a little longer." Ashura tried to jerk away from him, but Sonic wouldn't let him go. "Didn't you hear a word I just said!" Ashura gave him a pained look. "But"
A deafening explosion, followed by a fresh blast of heat, threw the two hedgehogs backwards. They watched in disbelief as a swelling ball of fire rose high into the air, mingling with the geyser from the fire hydrant and creating plumes of vapor. It was like a miniature atomic explosion. "II told you," Sonic said, his voice trembling. Even more people began running about, screaming and covered in fire. "Oh shit!" Sonic cried, running to help in whatever way he could. Ashura lagged behind now. This is crazy, he thought, feeling his fur singe from the combined heat of the burning pizza shop and the gas explosion. Sweat, smoke and humidity from the vapor smothered him, until he finally had to run away from the destructive scene. As he went, he heard another smaller explosion, and in his peripheral vision saw Sonic's Corvette turn into another miniature fireball. He couldn't stifle a scream this time.
Here I go; running away again. I'm no Chosen One. I'm just a chicken.
He made it half a block and collapsed on his hands and knees, feeling sick. Sonic joined him a few seconds later. "Where you goin'!" he cried. "Don't you wanna help them too? I need you! We've gotta find Tails and"
"He's not Tails anymore," Ashura said. "I know," Sonic grumbled. "Where's that rod of yours?" Ashura's hand automatically went to his side. "Itit's not there. I must have left it at your house."
"So let's get it!" Sonic said, and took off as if he had been stuck with a pin. Ashura rose shakily and struggled to keep up.
