Merendinoemilano: Oh, I'm glad you are still here. I was worried you'd gotten bored.
/*-*/
An orphanage was not the first place Sonic would have thought to stay at. Sonic honestly didn't know what to think when the old Mobian greeted them, and happily let them stay.
Of course, there were three beds available, which meant two people had to sleep on the floor. As Sonic began to close the doors, he saw a bunch of small eyes at the end of the hallway. Sonic smiled, and gave a small wave. The eyes suddenly scattered.
Sonic turned back to see the room with three beds, two on one side, one on the other, and an empty frame. Sonic looked at Tails and the two nodded with a smirk.
"Tails and I will take the floor, you ladies need your beauty sleep." Sonic smiled.
Antoine tensed up a bit, "But there are three beds."
"And three ladies." Tails chuckled. Antoine's ears slumped in an unamused fashion. Still Sonic fist bumped Tails. The Fox chuckled, as Antoine walked over to the bed and huffed, before climbing in.
The Joke was totally worth the hard wood floor sticking into Sonic's back. He gasped in discomfort, but Tails came over and used his tails as a blank for both of them. It felt…bearable.
Sonic slumped and slowly dozed off. His body felt light, and he suddenly felt comfortable. A shushing was heard, but Sonic was barely conscious. He felt himself fall on something comfy.
He had a strange dream… with Eggman unleashing a brown badnik with ring blades. He felt really…sad in the dream… horrified… regretful…
Sonic opened his eyes, and realized he was elevated off the ground. He was also on a bed. The bed closest to the door. Sally's bed.
Sonic looked over his shoulder to look and see Tails was sleeping right next to. Sally and Amy slept back to back in the next bed over. They had moved him.
It was a nice gesture. Sonic was starting to feel a little bit better.
He got out of bed, and ran outside. He'd do some quick work, and make some money to donate to the orphanage, maybe even get the kids something. Sonic walked out to the post office.
They had a couple orders that needed to be filled, so Sonic ran quickly and delivered the packages. A good hundred mobiums for long distance travel. He got back to find the kids at the orphanage playing outside.
They were playing with old worn down equipment. He had a few hundred mobiums from the trip, and he had just earned a few hundred mobiums from working. He could at least get them some nice swings.
Sonic would leave a donation. He was sure the mistress would know what the kids needed. He walked inside, and saw there was a table set up, a white cloth draped over it. There were roughly twenty chairs along the table, and Sonic saw Sally and Antoine sitting down, while Amy was in the kitchen laughing, and Tails was… fiddling with something over in a corner.
He swore, "Mother-… GRRR." Tails growled, waving a finger.
Sonic looked over the little fox's shoulder, to find him fiddling with an old record player.
"Dear, don't be surprised if that doesn't work. It hasn't for ages." The old muskrat called out, next to Amy, with a gentle voice.
Tails' voice was kind, but frustrated, "I think I can fix it. I know I can."
Tails pulled out gears and began to clean them. Sonic patted Tails' shoulder, causing the fox to perk up in surprise. Once Tails Recognized Sonic, he relaxed, "Oh, it's you."
"What?" Sonic asked, curious as to why Tails was so on edge.
Tails muttered, "Kids haven't seen a two tailed fox before."
Sonic looked closer and saw where hair had been matted from small fingers.
Amy walked in, "Breakfast is ready." She proclaimed with a hesitant smile. Sonic didn't like it.
Turned out, Breakfast was pea pottage( Which was like a meatless, spiceless chili), with small fish-bits.
Sonic took a bite to find the food was… interesting. It wasn't great or packed with flavor… but it was light, and soothing. Something a mother would serve a sick child. SO it wasn't bad to Sonic.
Antoine however, who sat next to Sonic, churned it around, looking disgusted. Sally made a face at Antoine, trying to tell him to eat. Antoine shook his head.
Sonic leaned over, before the muskrat returned, "Listen… Frederick gave me a cool sword."
Antoine perked up, "What?"
"Yeah, and if you don't eat this, you'll be it's first victim." Sonic growled. How could someone raised in the civilized world be so rude? Antoine, perked up after getting the message, and began to eat rapidly.
The muskrat smiled, "I'm so glad you like. I know for a princess it isn't much, but I did all I could to make it better."
Sally smiled, setting down her spoonful of goodies, "It's amazing. Thank you."
"You flatter me. Young Sticks should be here today, and she'll bring more peas for pottage." The muskrat smiled.
Sonic nodded, "More pottage, that's good." Sonic smiled. The food was alright, but more than once or twice was a little much for Sonic.
Still, he helped clean up, gathering up dished, and setting them in the kitchen while Sally and the Muskrat were talking in the kitchen. Antoine continued to be a fungus by not helping.
Still, as Sonic passed them dishes, he'd heard little talks between them.
The muskrat would say, "Boy don't like to feel like they're being used. You have to be careful."
Sally would reply, "How do I fix it?"
"Time will help." The muskrat would answer, then they'd talk some more, and find their way back to conversation.
Wasn't sure if he should be mad at her for being so pushy, or happy that's she was trying to repair things.
Finally, the muskrat sighed, "I'm old, I've told you already. You need to give him time, and maybe space. Boys wound very easily. They try to put on a brave face, but the best ones get hurt the most from lies and manipulation. There isn't an easy fix… I know I'd love for there to be one."
Sally went quiet.
Suddenly a loud jazzy trumpet echoed through the orphanage, followed by a cheer from Tails, "IT WORKS! IT'S ALIVE!"
Piano and trumpet sounds filled the orphanage, and the Muskrat came in from the kitchen, cleaning out her ears to make sure she wasn't mishearing. The kids came in, awestruck by the fact that the old record player was working.
Sonic walked over to Tails, who's face was so pumped and excited. Sonic patted his back, "Nice work buddy."
Tails scratched the back of his head, "It was just a jammed gear. Need to be cleaned, and bam it works."
"Still, you're pretty good with that tech stuff." Sonic tried.
Tails sighed, "Sonic, this is so old it's not even technology anymore."
Sonic sighed, before seeing Antoine plugging his ears. Sonic swore if Antoine complained he was going to pulverize the coyote. Antoine seemed to catch the message, and stayed quiet.
The muskrat began to rock her hips back and forth, "Oh… this song. I had my first dance with my husband to this song." She closed her eyes , and continue to sway.
Sally walked over to Sonic, "Hey."
"Hey." He replied, letting himself release his anger for the time being.
She smiled, and they locked hands. A simple Dance that they had done a number of times, but it allowed them to relax.
Sally smiled, leaning in to Sonic. He kept her at a distance, doing his best to not make a scene, while conveying his intentions. She got the message, and respected his distance, which was nice.
Sonic and Sally swayed, Until the heard the door open.
A brown and black badger walked in, "Here, My Da sends his regards." She set down a basket of green peas and herbs. She seemed very upset about having to open the door.
The muskrat smiled, "Oh please, come in. This is Tails, he fixed my record player."
Tails scratched his head nervously from all of the attention.
Antoine saw the badger, and jumped, "It is her."
The badger turned and made eye contact with him.
Sonic asked, "What? Her?"
"I give you, the Fearsome Wolverine." Antoine proclaimed, gesturing to the badger, who was surprised, before growling.
The Badger shouted, "I'm not a wolverine!"
Sonic growled at Antoine, "You idiot, that's a badger."
Antoine shrunk down.
Sally walked up and held out a hand, "I am terribly sorry. My friend was adamant that you were a wolverine after some terrible things had happen in the north."
The badger, eyed the hand suspiciously, and didn't take it.
Sally tried to keep up the smile, "I'm Sally Acorn."
"Sticks." The Badger muttered, still not taking the hand,.
Sonic smiled, "I'm Sonic, this is Antoine, and this Amy Rose."
Sticks nodded, "Alright, lets talk." She seemed suspicious of them, almost vengefully. She didn't like them.
They stepped outside, and walked over to a shaded area away from children.
Sticks growled, "Alright, what did you see? What makes you think wolverines aren't extinct anymore?"
Sally recoiled, the way Sticks was speaking sounded like an accusation, But Sally remained firm, "We went north, and found A wolverine had been killing mobians indiscriminately."
Sticks frowned, "Funny." She was not amused.
Sonic showed her his chest, "He left me these."
"That couldn't have been a wolverine." Sticks argued, "The la- They've been extinct."
Tails shook his head, "It was a wolverine."
Sticks shouted, "HE WOULDN'T DO THAT!"
Everyone recoiled from the outburst. The children looked over at them.
Amy raised her hands, "Hey… Calm down… Who wouldn't do that?"
Sticks' eyes widened, "No one… Stay out of my head you civilized… Garbage."
Sticks ran down the Alley way into the street.
Sonic looked at Sally, who nodded, "That was suspicious."
Sonic frowned, "Do you want me to follow her."
"I think we do need to look into her." Sally muttered.
Amy shook her head, "She's on edge. We don-"
"We are looking into her Amy." Sonic clarified, "We aren't locking her up."
Amy nodded, reluctantly.
Sonic Followed Sticks as stealthily as he could, being a bright blue hedgehog and all. He saw her talking with Oswald, and picking up an enormous basket of fish, And walking back to the east gate of the city.
Sonic took the alley ways, and met up with Sally and the Team. "She is heading for the east gate" Sonic clarified.
Sally stepped up, "Antoine, you stay here, if we aren't back in three days, go back to freedom HQ."
Antoine nodded, "Be Safe princess."
Sonic grabbed Antoine's shoulder, "Hey, give this to the orphanage." He pulled out a cloth, inside was about eight hundred mobiums.
Antoine blinked, not fully sure what was in the cloth, but he nodded.
They set out from the gate, Sonic taking the fields while Tails soared overhead. Sticks was walking, but she kept looking around. Very inconspicuous.
She kept walking on the road, and Sonic tried his hardest to stay out of sight.
Tails could land in a field of grain, and be perfectly fine and hidden, it was the advantage of being a golden fox. Sonic on the otherhand… He had to get low…or…
Sonic saw a river under the bridge Sticks was passing over. He took a deep breath to calm himself. It was a quick dip, and then he'd walk out … perfectly fine.
Sonic Could feel his hands shaking, but Sticks was getting away. She wouldn't see him in the water…. He still couldn't swim…
Sonic held his breath. His legs worked differently underwater… but he still found himself hesitating. Sonic just shook himself and walked in, feeling his heart race faster with each step.
He got to neck level in the river, and his body froze, feeling the push of the current against him wasn't good. Sonic's teeth were chattering out of fear. He didn't want to do this, he didn't want to at all.
Sonic grit his teeth, before pushing into the water. His head dipped below the surface, and he kept moving.
He kept moving forward into the dark…. He needed air. Sonic looked around frantically, hoping for an air bubble. Nothing? He revved up his legs, ready to burst out- He was underwater. He felt his momentum die, and he chocked. Why did it have to be water.
Suddenly, a hand pulled him upward, until Sonic's head poked out of the water, allowing him to gasp for air. Sonic turned to See Amy smiling at him, "I thought this would happen."
Sonic gasped at the shoreline, "Thanks for the save."
"oh.. you're welcome." She smiled at him, giddy from his compliment.
Sonic looked up to see Sally at the edge of the forest, waving for them to follow. The forest stood at the end of the bridge, and followed a beaten path.
Sonic boosted to Sally, and saw Sticks, trudging along. It was at that moment when Sonic realized just how armed Sticks was. She had a quiver full of large wooden rods, too big to be launched from a bow. She had a make shift knife at her waist, and a large spear in her hand. She seemed to stop, and sniff the air every thirty minutes or so, while walking along the path.
Sonic made sure to give her a nice berth, to keep her from getting suspicious of them. Still he followed her up to the fork in the road. He stayed back to watcher her take a left, towards the mountain. But when He gave chase, she was gone.
Sally came up behind him, "What happened?"
"She was here a second ago, She couldn't have gotten far." Sonic growled, walking up the path.
"Amy, Tails, close formation. I don't like this." Sally muttered, and Tails landed next to her, and Amy came up. The Four of them followed the pathway, sticking close together. After all, where could Sticks have gone?
The path seemed to elevate as they followed it, Sonic keeping watch. He looked at Sally, and She nodded. They both felt like this was an ambush waiting to happen. Still they kept forward.
What was really disturbing was how there were no tracks. Sonic didn't even see foot print's anymore.
They kept moving forward. Sonic looked around, again, seeing only trees and small shrubs…. Wait trees.
He stepped forward, and felt the ground beneath him move. Sonic quickly leapt as Sally, Amy and Tails went up in a rope net.
Sonic panted out of shock, that had happened so quickly his heart was still recoveri-
A Wooden rod stuck in the ground in front of him, and Sonic looked in the trees, to see Sticks, standing on a large branch, a javelin in her hand, "You aren't welcome here!"
She threw the javelin, and Sonic dove out of the way allowing the javelin to imbed itself in the tree.
"We aren't here to fight." Sonic called out.
Sticks responded by chucking a javelin at him. As Sonic dove however, he realized she had been practicing, and actually dove into the javelin, causing it to cut his chest. Sonic yelped in pain.
Sticks jumped down from the tree, and drew her spear. Sonic got up, and curled into a ball to charge at her. Instead he felt himself hit a tree.
A thump confirmed that Sally had cut Sonic's help out, which, judging by the pain in his arm meant he was going to need it.
Stick crawled back up the tree, and drew her last javelin. Tails flew up to pursue, but Sonic saw Sticks' foot hit his face, causing to fall back down with and "oof".
Sticks ready her javelin, when a voice growled, "STOIX!" The voice growled something angry. Sonic turned to see a blueish-gray skunk, who was shorter than a tan skunk behind him. They had strange helmets and axes… which didn't seem to be built for battle.
Sonic and Sally froze, and Sticks called out from the tree something in an angry language. They seemed to argue, until the big one stepped in, his voice and gentle nature clearly indicating that he not enjoying the argument.
Finally, the blue skunk snapped his finger at Sticks, and her ears slumped down. She crawled down the tree, and trudged in a defeated manor to the Skunks.
The blue one grabbed her, and turned her around to face them. He spoke with such anger mixed with regret, "I am sorry for my baby sister's actions. Even if you are civilized, this was not the way to introduced ourselves. I am Roht but you can me Rough. This is my little brother Touborn but you can call him Tumble."
Tumble smiled at them, "I'm very sorry. My sister means well."
"I'm not a baby." Sticks muttered.
"YES YOU ARE. THIS IS PROOF." Rough shouted, gesturing to the confused party that stood before them.
Tumble stepped up, "Now, Roht, please, you know she was just trying to keep us safe."
"We have Da to keep us safe. We are supposed to keep everyone safe tonight. She's not on guard duty." Rough growled, before sighing in disappointment, "Why did you do this?"
"I laid out a trap, to try to scare them off?" Sticks slumped more submissively.
Rough opened his mouth and blinked a couple times, "So if they left and our stone delivery came in…. What would have happened?"
Sticks slumped down, "Please don't tell Da."
"I won't." Tumble smiled, patting her shoulder. Sonic was still a little thrown off, and still in battle-mode.
"I will. You'll be on dishes for a weak." Rough growled, before turning back to Sonic and Sally, "Please, come up and we'll get those wounds treated."
Sonic turned to Sally, who nodded. Tails looked a little upset, but followed.
"Sorry, My little sister can't seem to understand the importance of Da's stories from his time at war." Rough explained, "She wants to go fight so badly, but she doesn't trust many people."
Sonic nodded, "Yeah, but you still love your baby siblings, right?" Sonic threw an arm around Tails, who smiled, a strained grin.
"Yeah, we love her. She can't stay out of her own way, but we love her." Rough exclaimed, annoyed.
Tumble, on the other hand, was happy, "She could have gotten hurt. I'm glad she didn't. I like that she is taking responsibility."
"In the wrong places Touborn." Rough growled, "She was supposed to go down and sell the crop. Not get into fights with strangers."
Sticks growled, "They were trespassing."
"They were taking the road." Rough corrected angrily, "Only an idiot would attack from the road… here we are."
They had gone high in the mountain, where wooden walls created a fortress around what looked like a mountain village in front of an under construction castle. Right as they arrived, Sonic could hear cheering, and the smacking of metal.
Someone Sonic noticed… most of the people seemed to be kids to young adults, or somewhat old.
They were pushed through a crowd of these mobians, and when they broke through, Sonic froze.
There, at a forge in front of them, was brown fur with whiten tips to show age, fluffy beyond belief. A large body, and a flat tails. A wolverine.
It perked up, as though sensing them, and turned around. His gaze passed from each of them, clearly displease by their presence, before landing on an ashamed Sticks.
"Hey…Da…" Sticks muttered, nervously. The Wolverine snorted through his nostril in a disdained fashion, before walking off towards a hut.
Sonic wasn't sure what to make of the situation.
Rough cleared it up, "Follow us, Dad want's to talk to you."