Chapter 5 part 2

Sonic found himself in the middle of what was once his home in the deep forest. He watched as a little blue hedgehog sat with a vixen wearing an emerald green gown and feathered headdress and a brawny todd with long, wild tawny hair, eating a plate of venison and fresh vegetables from the garden. He missed them so much.

"And what did you and Sonic get up to today?" Valerie giggled as she served Arthur another helping of the roast. "Eat your broccoli, my love." She said to Sonic as she kissed his head.

Arthur went through the events of the day. "Moving day is at hand." He informed her. "Your brother has offered us a place away from the growing conflict. Sir Charles has offered to help us move."

Little Sonic bounced. "Uncle Chuck said I'm really fast. I showed him how fast I could run and he said I was as fast as the speed of light."

Valerie leaned over. "You know I don't trust him. He just happens to be the former king's brother. And the resistance just happens to start harassing after we meet him."

Sonic frowned. That was right. His mother didn't like Uncle Chuck. "We need to trust someone Val. We can't do this alone and we cannot bother his royal majesty. He assures me that he can help us and keep us safe. He says after we've moved, he'll use his influence to make them leave us alone. He understands that Sonic is our primary concern." He looked towards the door as Sonic heard sounds in the distance. He stood and looked with alarm at Valerie.

Sonic only blinked once but when he did the house was suddenly engulfed in flame and he was standing over his family. His little self was sitting beside a fallen Arthur and Valerie, shaking them. "Ma, Pa… please wake up…" His little self trembled and wept, hiccupping with tears and coughing

"Come with me, Sonny-boy…" He turned his head to see his uncle standing beside him, gazing down at his little self. The man held a weapon of some kind. "It's time to find your destiny."

The green eyes opened and Sonic sat up, sitting on the edge of his bed. "What a nightmare…" His hand trembled and he put his gloves back on. He looked at the gloves. When did he start wearing them? You must always wear gloves, or you will leave fingerprints and then Robotnik might find us. Oh, that's right… His uncle had given him his first pair of gloves after his rescue from Robotnik. "A nightmare… just a nightmare… Uncle Chuck would never… He would never…"

A knock came at the door and it opened. "Cousin Sonic, Aunt Ginny asked me to come to see if you were awake. Dinner is ready. She said to say she had them make chili dogs as part of the meal."

Sonic looked at her. She would be able to confirm it but he was afraid to ask. If his dreams were memories, she would know it but he couldn't bear what it would mean. "Chili dogs? I love chili dogs?" He said, shoving the nightmare away.

"So, Sonic, I didn't get to hear about your first day. Tell me, did you find anything particular that interests you?" Lady Wyndermere asked.

He nodded and told her about the shop class and the projects they were working on. He was primarily watching and helping out in bits as possible as he learned the basics. "It's going to be a small flying contraption. And the instructions are all… Sally called them diagrams or pictures. So, it's fairly easy to pick up. And I watched some of the chemistry and biology classes in the afternoon."

Sonia smiled. "He basically followed Bartleby. I'm so glad you two are getting along." She looked at her brother.

"He's cool and he didn't make fun of me when…" He picked up a chili dog and looked at it. Suddenly, he was questioning whether he really wanted it. He ate it and found the familiar flavor bitter and spicy. He put it down.

Lady Wyndermere looked at him. "Are you alright my love?" She asked him. His eyes snapped up at her words. Tears could be seen shining in them.

He blinked and nodded. "Yeah… I… I… I just had a nightmare…" He forced himself to eat the chili dog. He couldn't say it. But then her hand covered his and he looked into her eyes; her warm, comforting eyes promising something he'd so long been without; swallowing the last bite roughly. Without warning, he leaned over and began sobbing as the truth hit him like a truck.

Lady Wyndermere hugged him close, letting him cry as she looked to Sonia. "Go call his lordship…" she said softly.

Shortly after Sonic cried all the tears he'd been storing for the last several years, Lady Wyndermere coaxed him to eat just a bit more until Robotnik arrived with Bartleby. Now they sat in the parlor with coffee and tea while the old man listened to his woeful tale.

"He killed them. They wouldn't join the resistance and he made them think… Pa trusted him… and he killed them." Sonic explained as he clutched the matronly canine-woman by her dress. He needed this now, he needed a mother's love.

Robotnik nodded sadly. "We know. His fingerprints were all over the burned down cottage. Your uncle told me that they were in danger and I tried to reach them But it was too late and you were gone. I've been searching for you this whole time."

"He said that if I did what he said then my real mother could come home and… he told me you attacked them and roboticized them. I was so little and didn't understand what was happening…" Sonic's blue fur could be seen vibrating while his body trembled violently while Sonia and Manic sat on either side of him and Lady Wyndermere, who kept her arm around him for support. "He told me Uncle Phineas and my cousin were also roboticized for trying to help them."

Phineas sighed, sipping his coffee while wishing it was scotch. "Sir Charles manipulates and uses people. He always has. Your mother and father came to me and told me that the resistance was giving them trouble. They were talking about how fast you were and how you were the only remaining heir which would entitle them to be regents once the war was won. They were promised the earth itself but they only wanted to raise their son in peace. They were unable to conceive and Sonic's arrival was such a blessing from Mother Inari. They would never squander such a gift."

Robotnik nodded and looked at Sonic. "I know this is difficult for you but you understand now why your uncle is my enemy and you understand now, that he is no hero." He looked to Lady Wyndermere and Bartleby. "Robotization would be appropriate now, wouldn't you say?" He asked.

Lady Wyndermere looked down at Sonic who looked uncertain. "But… no matter what he did… he still… he still… raised me. He fed me and gave me shoes and taught me how to use my speed. He was all I had." Even if it was in the loosest way possible...

Bartleby considered the matter. "What if we let Sir Charles try and explain himself? Give him a chance to defend his actions, either to explain why he did it or prove it wasn't him. Because though they were his prints, there's still no evidence that it was him. It sounds like he was a regular visitor… Consider there is one other who would surely prefer Sonic was in the resistance." He saw Sonic look at him with shining eyes and he vowed to protect Sonic as a big brother should. He prayed for his theory to be true.

Robotnik nodded. "Ask Sleet to bring him down." He told Dingo. However, before the jackal could do as ordered, a small explosion was heard upstairs. "No!"

Sonic snapped into action, the familiar sound awakening the soldier within and he dashed out of Lady Wyndermere's arms. He found Sleet unconscious but not grievously injured but the bedroom was destroyed and Sir Charles was gone. He went into the destroyed room and found he could still see Uncle Chuck running down the road in the distance.

A hand grabbed him before he could take off after the man. "You're not going anywhere!" Sonia said firmly as she pulled her brother into a protective embrace. Manic joined the hug.

"Uncle Chuck's gone…" He looked at the bed, the photograph that Ginny had left there was smoldering. He fell to his knees. "He couldn't even try to explain himself. Alright, you're right, I can't defend him anymore. And I'm sorry…" He looked up at Robotnik. His eyes became like steel. "I'm sorry for blaming you for his crimes. I don't know why the nobles chose you but I'm sure I'll figure it out if you'll give me the chance." He held out his hand, his head held high. The saying was true, the truth had set him free.

AN: I promised an edit and it's a special long one.