A Guilty Conscience: Pt 1
As the storm clouds rolled over the skies of Soleanna, he could only look out the window of the royal palace in uncertainty. He had done the right thing, had he made the right choice. It had been almost several decades now and it was a parliament hall thousands of miles from here. He had been so young and had only wanted to please his father the king. For such a young hedgehog to make a bold political statement in front of the entire council had broken all tradition.
"Nobles of South Island, it is a matter of great importance that we debate on the senate floor today. This law could revolutionize the lives of thousands of mobians and you my good nobles will go down in history as the Parliament session that made those changes." He stated as he watched the eyes of his audience carefully.
Many of senators on the left and peers on the right whispered among themselves, clearly talking favor of the bill's passage. If things went his way, the bill would get through the senate without any trouble and the house of peers would probably vote it on through catching some silly caps amendment on to prove they still had power.
The hedgehog prince smiled returning to his feet and smugly taking a bite of his chili dog. He was confident that Parliament would send this bill on for the king to sign into law and he would finally make his father proud...
"Sir Charles?" Somebody behind him spoke up.
As he snapped back into the present, Sir Charles Hedgehog turned to face the young princess behind him.
"Yes, Sally, what is it?"
"The jet is ready to take you and Sonic back to South Island. Your sister-in-law is eager to see you again."
"Thank you, princess." Charles bowed. "I promise Sonic and I will be back in about a week." And as the princess left him alone again. Uncle Chuck hoped he would get the chance to right an old wrong.
"So let me get this straight, Unc." Sonic said in disbelief. "We're going back home for a visit, so you can get a tax law repealed?"
"It's a little more important than that, Sonny." Sir Charles replied looking out the window of the royal private jet liner Sally had let them borrow. "This law was one of the biggest mistakes I made when I was a young whippersnapper. I was trying to make things better for my subjects but I ended up dropping the scepter."
"Don't you mean dropping the ball, unc?" Sonic asked.
"That's right, Sonny. It was one of the worst mistakes of my life." The old hedgehog stroked his mustache. "You see Sonny, when I was on the senate, I kept hearing the merchants of South Island complaining that taxes were too high, that they kept telling me if they didn't have to pay so much in taxes, they could afford to hire more workers." Uncle Chuck looked out the window. "This made a lot of sense to me at the time. If I could lower taxes for the business owners, then business could grow and create more jobs."
"Makes sense to me." Sonic replied, taking a bite out of his chili dog and leering at the shapely possum girl stewardess. "So, what went wrong?"
"Well, there were two problems." Chuck replied. "First, the business owners didn't keep their end of the bargain. When the taxes were removed, they simply hired cheaper labor by moving their factories to Down Under." Charles buried his face in his hands. "The second problem was the lost tax revenue had to come from somewhere else. So, the parliament passed a new tax law for the middle/lower classes that passed even over my veto. After that, I dissolved parliament in a rage, but it was too late; the law had already passed and none of South Island's rich would support its repeal."
"Wow." Sonic stated. "So, that's why you gave up the throne to my dad and left to be a knight in the Acorn Court at West Side Island." Sonic nodded finally understanding. "Do you really think you'll be able to convince them to change the laws now after all these years?"
"I'm hoping I can appeal to their compassion considering everything that's happened in the last few decades." Uncle Chuck looked back up at Sonic. "The common people have suffered enough during the wars and Robotnik's rule. Maybe there is some kindness in their greedy hearts."
As the plane touched down at Starlight City airport, hundreds of reporters and photographers from all over South Island gathered to greet the returning hometown hero.
"Prince Sonic, have you come home to take the throne from your mother?" a reporter asked. "And if so, will there be a succession crisis?"
"Sonic, Prince Sonic, is there any truth to the rumor that you are having a love affair with a fortune teller from the Little Planet?" Another reporter asked. "Could we be expecting little blue and pink royal babies soon?"
"Sir Charles, is it true that you were secretly married to Princess Diamond of Chun-nin?" A third asked in succession.
"Whoa, unc. I think the paperaeizzi is putting the squeeze on us." Sonic grabbed Chuck's arm. "Juice and Jam time." The blue blur zoomed down the ram knocking over several reporters as he raced towards the royal limo he saw near the parking garage. "Looks like mom had a ride ready for us. I can't wait to get to the palace and see her and sis again."
The two hopped into the opened door of the limo and quickly pulled it shut as reporters foaming at the mouth swarmed over the car.
"Sonny, they're going to tip it over." Uncle Chuck said in a worried tone.
"Don't worry, Uncle Charles. Mom and I are used to dealing with this." A feminine voice coming from the seat across from them. A violet hedgehog smiled at the two as she pushed a button on the car door and talked into a speaker to the front of the car.
"Argus, would you be a dear and activate the car's helicopter mode?" She asked.
"Yes, Miss Sonia." A deep voice replied from the front. Suddenly, a helicopter blade popped out of the sunroof and the car lifted off the ground. Several of the reporters tried to hang on as the limo went airbourne. But the last of them, finally slide off as they passed over Starlight Lake.
"My my, I hope those boys enjoyed their swim." Sonia replied with a giggle. "You should have seen the trouble I had getting rid of them at my sweet sixteen party."
"Sonia, so good to see you again." Sonic hugged his sister. "How are you and mom doing?"
"Oh, you know how it is. Give a speech here, kiss the baby there, break a bottle of champagne over a new ocean liner somewhere else. Same old, same old." She waved a hand dismissively. "So, how's that old saving the world thing going for you? Seems like a really boring hooby if you ask me."
"You have no idea. Everyday I'm out there risking my life against mad scientists, fanatical bird armies, and evil sorcerers hellbent on destroying the world." Sonic grumbled. "I know it's not as thrilling as powdering your nose and going to cocktail parties; but somebody has to fight the bad guys, right?"
"But of course, Sonic, of course." She replied soothingly. "Sorry to have ruffled your quills, darling. Uncle Charles, I've heard through the gossip line that you've come back to get the employers tax break act repealed."
"That's right, missy. It's time to undo the biggest mistake I ever made when I was king." Charles answered. "I'm gonna get those rich fat cats to throw that law in the garbage can."
"Oh uncle, when you talk like that, you almost sound like common street trash." Sonia told him jokingly. "Mother will be so amused with your weak, quaint, rustic charm."
"So sis, where is that little creep of a brother of ours?" Sonic asked her rolling his eyes. "I can't believe he didn't come with you to greet us."
"Oh, you know Manic. Probably at some tattoo parlor or gambling den blowing all of the royal allowance mother gives him." She shook her head. "Either that or getting drunk off his hind end before heading off for a good time in the red light district."
"It's a shame your brother is such a juvenile delinquent." Uncle Chuck sighed. "Especially since you and Sonny here turned out so well."
"Oh don't worry about it, Uncle Charles. Manic will probably show up at his own good time to say hello." At that moment, the car landed in the castle courtyard. "Oh look, Argus has gotten us home and there's mother now."
Suddenly, Sonic and his uncle's breath were taken away. Standing taller than all three of them, regal and elegantly beautiful, Queen Aleema Hedgehog was one of the most graceful mobians who ever walked the face of the Earth.
The air seemed to stand still as she walked towards them, the only sound was the clicking of her high heels on the pavement and the rustling of her long white gown against the ground. Sunlight seemed to reflect off her hair and crown as if she was some kind of saint or angel that had stepped out of one of the holy paintings of the ancient world. Every mobian not of the royal family bowed as this magnificent creature approached and held out her glowed hand to Uncle Chuck.
"Sir Charles, so good to see you again." She smiled at the dumbstruck gold hedgehog. "You really should visit the family more often."
"Aleema, dear sister-in-law, it is so good to see you again." He kneeled, kissing her hand. "My brother was a fool to run off and disappear with such a perfect queen waiting for him back home."
"And hello, young Sonic, it is so good to see my eldest son once again."
"Hehe, hey mom." Sonic replied scratching the back of his neck. "How's things been going?"
"Not as well as I'd like, I fear." The queen replied, sahking her head sadly. "But that is talk for after dinner. Why don't we all go inside and get warm by the hearth?" The other three nodded their heads in agreement as they all flocked inside the palace.
"Higher, a little higher on my arm, dammit!" The angry green hedgehog told the tattoo artist in between puffs on his cigarette. "I don't want that naked tattoo of Princess Sally so low on my arm that my bro can see it. He'd freaking kill me."
The tattoo parlor was a smoke-filled room in the basement of an old bar on the poor side of town; a place that in the words of a famous knight and philosopher, 'a wretched hive of scum and villainy'. All around Prince Manic were the lowest members of South Island society: the poor, the downtrodden, the ones who couldn't afford to keep a roof over their heads. They were here to make all of their pain go away through the lighting of a joint or the sting of a needle.
"What are you doing down here, kid?" the tattoo artist asked him, handling the needle in one of his mandibles. "A good little prince like you has no business being down here with a dirt eating roach like me."
"Shut up, Feral. You're better than half the stuck-up clods my mom and sister spend time with." Manic answered. "Besides, I have no desire to go home and have ma chew me out over my bad lifestyle."
"Well, you might wanna head home, kid." Feral offered. "Cause, word on the street is your big bro is in town and he might be lookin' to take back the crown. Why else would the crown prince come home after years of being away?"
"You really think Sonic would leave West Side to come back to this dump?" Manic sat up with his tattoo drying. "Why in the ancient walker's name would he leave behind a paradise where he's a hero and he has a beautiful princess to sc%$#?"
"Well, I still think you should head home and check it out." Feral added; he took Manic's money and pointed towards the door. "Family always comes first, no matter how much we can't stand 'em. Believe me, I know. I've got four hundred seventy six mouths to feed."
"Just what I wanted to go home and listen to my sister whine about a broken nail." Standing up, the green hedgehog stormed out of the tattoo parlor in disgust. "Later, Feral. See ya around sometime next month. Oh, and I want the skull and crossbones next time."
Meanwhile back at the palace, the royal family had just finished supper when Sonic brought up the reason they had come in the first place.
"So, mom, unc… How exactly are you gonna convince the Parliament to pass a law that basically punches them in the teeth?" Sonic asked.
"Well, Sonny. I plan to appeal to their better natures." Charles replied. "There were quite a few honorable nobles who cared more about virtue than profit in my day."
"Charles, you give these spoiled rich infants far too much credit. Remember these are the same nobles who supported Robotnik's regime to protect their own fortunes." The queen said.
"Besides, some of the minor nobility has money tied up in the big corporations." Sonia commented. "Even if the wealthier nobles support your cause, those greedy bloodsuckers won't let you change any laws that could hurt them."
"Well then sis, we're just going to have to show those jerks the error of their ways." Sonic replied, pounding his fist into his palm.
"Oh Sonic, so much like your father." Queen Aleema laughed. "If you were on the throne, South Island wouldn't go five minutes without having war declared."
"Lord Bartleby, your five thirty's here to see you." A voice on the intercom stated to him.
"Very good." He answered. "Send him in."
The door to Bartley's office swung open revealing an expensive looking carpet and furniture. Books lined every shelf that were too intelligent for the snooty noble who owned them to read. The rich lord was seated behind a polished walnut desk. The figure in the doorway walked towards the well-groomed terrier.
"I say, you do have a habit of showing up rather late." The lord continued, filing his nails. "Is it because you're a brute ruffian or does it run in your family?"
"I don't know. You tell me." The green hedgehog replied. "You are the one who spent two years sleeping with my sister."
"Never mind that, you dolt." Bart snapped back. "I have a job for you and I'm sure I can pay far better than that tiny little allowance mommy dearest gives you to live on."
"Sounds cool. What do you want me to do?" Manic pulled out a small knife handle, pressing a button that flipped it open into a switchblade. "Some pesky ex-lover among the rich who needs her throat slit?"
"No, nothing that barbaric… at least for now." Bart began to pace the room. "Your little family is trying to have the rich man's tax relief law repealed. I want you to put a stop to their efforts and make sure Sir Charles never speaks before the House of Peers."
"Oh, this involves family." Manic grinned. "Well, that's going to cost you extra. Don't worry, Bartlebrains. I'll stop my crazy old uncle from ruining your tax law but there is just one thing."
"Oh…" Bartley asked, leaning against the tall window in the back of his office. "And what would that be?"
Suddenly, Manic threw the knife straight at Bartleby's head, burying it into the wood just inches from the top of his skull.
"I do this my way; no extra goons to hurt them; no revenge plots on Sonia for dumping you. And above all, YOU. DON'T. DARE. TOUCH. MY. MOTHER!" Manic walked up to the still shaking Bartleby leaning in close to his face as he pulled his knife out of the wall and held it up to the nobleman's throat. "Don't lay a finger on any of them, if you wanna keep your fingers."
The rich aristocrat only stared in silence as the angry hedgehog stormed out of his office…