First Day on Land
*Sonic, Tails, & Knuckles slowly made their way towards shore*
Knuckles: Not so easy without your tail, is it? Keep going. You just have to get your sea legs. We're almost there.
*Suddenly, Sonic & Knuckles were caught in a net & hauled on to a fishing boat. Tails managed to avoid it before he got caught. A seagull flew down to grab a bite, but was shooed away by a white male tiger with gray stripes, blue eyes, & peach skin*
Tig Stripes: Get away from there! *just then, he saw Sonic in the pile of fish* Lord have mercy! *Sonic slowly sat up* Are you alright, son? Poor thing. Must be a shock. Stay right there. I'll go get you a blanket. *he went below deck* Another shipwreck. Aurora have mercy.
*Sonic looked down & quickly removed the seaweed covering him. His eyes went wide when he saw a pair of legs instead of a tail. He smiled. He tried to stand up & quickly fell back down. Just then, a familiar voice was heard overhead*
Chip: Well, look at what the catfish dragged in! *he laughed & landed on Sonic's leg* Look at ya! Look at ya! There's something different. Don't tell me it's your hair do, right? You've been using the dinglehopper, right? *he shook his head* No. No. Let me see. Been working out? *Sonic gave him a look. he bounced his leg up & down* You haven't been working out. I gotta admit, I can't put my foot on it right now. But if I just stand here long enough, I know that I'll -
Knuckles: He's got legs, you idiot! *Chip jumped off Sonic's leg in fright & landed on the deck next to him* He traded his voice to the Sea Wizard and got legs! Geeze, man!
Chip: I knew that.
Tails: Sonic's been turned into a Mobian. She's gotta make the Princess fall in love with him. And she's gotta ki - She's gotta kiss him.
Knuckles: And he's only got three days! Just look at him! On legs! On Mobian legs! *he gasped* My nerves are shot! This is a catastrophe! What would his Mother say!? *he pointed at Tails* I'll tell what his Mother would say. *he got close to Tails' face* He'd say he's going to kill himself a crab, that's what he'd say! *he started to towards the edge of the deck* I'm gonna march myself straight home right now and tell him just like I should have done the minute - *he was about to jump into the water, but Sonic quickly crawled over to him, scooped him up, & shook his head, standing ob his knees* And don't you shake your head at me, young man! Maybe there's still time. *Sonic rolled his eyes* If we could get the wizard *Sonic shook his head again* to give you back your voice, you could go home with all the normal fish and just be *Sonic looked sadder & sadder as he continued* . . . Just be . . . Just be miserable for the rest of your life. *he sighed* All right. All right. I'll try to help you find that Princess. *Sonic smiled & the set him down* Boy, what a soft-shell I'm turning out to be.
*Just then, the tiger appeared back on deck. Chip quickly flew away, Tails ducked, & Knuckles hid in a pocket in Sonic's shirt. The tiger wrapped a blanket around Sonic's shoulders*
Tig Stripes: Here you are. Now, once we get back to shore, I'll take you to the castle. *Sonic's eyes went wide at the word "castle"* They'll know what to do with you.
Knuckles:*whispering* This is perfect. Stay with this guy until you get to the castle. Hopefully, they'll take you to the Princess.
Tails:*whispering* What about me?
Knuckles:*whispering* You just head home. And don't tell anyone about the Sea Wizard.
*Tails nodded & dove under the water*
*Once they arrived on shore, the tiger loaded barrels of fish into a wagon & had Sonic sit in the back with them. He watched everything he passed with wide, curious eyes*
*Sonic singing*
*in his mind*
Look at the sun and the sky and the sand and
The sea behind me
Look at me, suddenly I am on land and I'm free
Don't mind me as I
Climb for the first time
*He touched the spinning wheel & quickly pulled his hand back at the weird feeling of it moving*
Jump for the first time
Trying to stand but this gravity's pulling me down
*He tried to stand up again, but soon fell down again. The cart arrived at the back entrance of the castle. A male Mobian opened the gates, letting them enter*
Tig Stripes: Someone get Rosie, quick!
*The tiger brought Sonic into the castle kitchen & set him on a stool in front of the fireplace. Soon, a brown female woodchuck with white hair & blue eyes, wearing a long blue dress with a white collar and a yellow trim at the bottom of the puffy sleeves and the skirt, a yellow necktie, white gloves with a gold cufflink on each blue cuff, white gloves, & blue low-heeled shoes with a gray detail & soles came down the stairs*
Rosie: What is all the - *her eyes went wide when she saw Sonic* What on Mobius?
Tig Stripes: The boy got tangled in my net.
*Rosie motioned him over to her*
Rosie: Is he alright?
Tig Stripes: He'll survive. But he's been through something terrible. He won't say a word.
Rosie: Oh dear. I wonder what happened him
*Sonic looked at the fire in amazement*
*Sonic singing*
*in his mind*
Look, it's a fire!
It's warm and it glows and
It lights this chamber
Let me admire it -
*He tried to touch it, but quickly pulled back from the heat*
Ow!
Get too close and it bites!
I came too close for the first time
Burned for the first time
Everything's clearer and brighter and hotter
But now that I'm here like a fish out of water
I'm trying to stand but this gravity's pulling me down
*He tried to stand up for a third time, but fell down again*
Rosie: Oh dear. *she & the tiger, known as Stripes, helped him stand up* Come. Let's get you upstairs, cleaned up, and into some new clothes.
*Rosie guided him up the stairs, down a few hallways, & into a fancy bedroom. A tub of water was already there. Two male servants, an orange porcupine with amber eyes & peach skin & a purple mole with green eyes & greyish peach skin, were washing him behind a screen. A teal female fennec fox with persian pink eyes & white skin came in with new clothes for him. His old ones were taken away to be washed, along with Knuckles*
Spike: He can't speak at all?
Rosie: Can you blame him? After all he's been through. It's a blessing he's not worse off.
Trevor: Such a far away look in his eyes
Rosie: A little soak, some scrubbing, and he'll be good as new.
*Sonic noticed a pattern on the wall that looked like fish being hung by hooks*
*Sonic singing*
*in his mind*
Are we only food for slaughter
Is this life on land?
*He sank down into the water until he was completely under it*
Well, you were lonely underwater
Come on, Sonic, time to stand!
*He quickly came up to get air. It felt strange to him, not being able to breathe under water. Rosie gave him a bar of soap*
Rosie: Here you go. Smells nice, doesn't it. *he looked at the soap curiously & licked it. Rosie took it away* Dear me. You must be starving. *she turned to a maid, who had just finished making the bed* Get the boy some food. And quick, before he tries to eat the scrub brush.
Sonar: Yes, Ma'am.
*Then she turned to the male servants*
Rosie: You two. Scrub him until you get the seaweed stink off of him.
Spike & Trevor: Yes, Ma'am.
*She left the room while the porcupine & mole started to clean Sonic. Once he was clean & dry, they started to dress him in a black vest over a white long sleeved shirt, a brown belt, light blue pants, white socks, & black buckle shoes. He winched as he felt pain in some parts*
*Sonic singing*
*in his mind*
Squeeze in the shoes and the belt, it's tight
And the seams are bursting
Some men choose this, I guess it's alright
Are my dreams adjusting
*They helped him stand stand with his new shoes & take a few steps. Soon, he was standing on his own*
Rosie: Hard to believe. Two shipwrecks in one week.
Spike: Princess Sally's still looking for that boy who saved her. Said she won't rest until she finds him.
*Sonic looked at him in awe*
Rosie: Stay right there. I'll get the Princess.
*She left the room*
*Sonic singing*
*in his mind*
As I wait for the first time
Here for the first time
Now for the first time
She's coming through those doors
*He could hear multiple footsteps coming towards him. He felt his heart race*
Up the stairs
From the shore
From that moment
And she'll smile
Like she knows
When I say—
*He turned & smiled as he saw Sally come into the room. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He felt his heart stop. In his excitement, he had forgotten that he had traded his voice to be here*
Sally: I'm so sorry to hear what happened. What's your name?
Rosie: He doesn't speak, Sally.
*Sally turned to her*
Sally: He . . . Oh. *she turned back to him* Well, we're glad you made it to us. Do you have a place to stay? Family? *Sonic looked away from her* Well then, you're welcome to stay here for as long as you like. *she turned back to Rosie* Make sure he has anything he needs.
Rosie: Yes, Sally. *Sally looked at him one more time & then left* We should let you get some rest.
*They all left & she closed the doors. Sonic just stood in the middle of his room, completely frozen*
*Sonic singing*
*in his mind*
Realize the price that you paid with your voice
As she turns from you
Those sacrifices you made were a choice
That you can't undo
Lost for the first time
Scared for the first time
Gravity feels like an undertow pulling me down
*Sonic sat on his bed & tried to fight back the tears forming in his eyes*
*Later, Knuckles was thrown into soapy water along with some other clothes. A light gray female lemur with orchid purple eyes grabbed the shirt & started talking to a light gray & gray striped tail & a biscotti wolf with cadet blue eyes & brown skin*
Tangle: Well, you must've at least heard about this guy.
Whisper: No.
Tangle: Amy says he's a Prince, *she ran the shirt up & down the washboard* but since when has Amy gotten anything right?
*She threw the shirt on a conveyor belt that led to a mangle*
Knuckles: Madame!
*A primarily light blue female jewel beetle with pink eyes & a white muzzle turned the crank on the mangle, wringing the water out of the clothes. Knuckles came out flattened & then popped out*
Tangle: I mean really, this guy shows up in rags and doesn't speak. Not my idea of a Prince. *she hung the dress on the clothes line* If Sally's looking for a boy. I know a couple of highly available cousins of mine.
*Knuckles jumped into an open window & landed on a counter. When he saw where he was, he gasped in horror. A fish had been chopped in half, an octopus was being boiled in a pot, & three crabs were stuffed & on a plate. He fainted*
*In the dining room, Elias was sitting at the table & Sally was looking out the window. Harvey sat to the King's right*
King Elias: Oh, Sally. Be responsible. Nice young gentlemen just don't swim around rescuing people in the middle of the ocean and then flitter off into oblivion like some -
*Sally turned to him with a frustrated look*
Sally: I'm telling you, Elias. He was real. I'm gonna find that boy. *she looked back out the window* And I'm gonna marry him.
*She turned to the door when she heard voices*
Rosie: Oh, come on now, dear. Don't be shy.
*When Sonic stepped into the room, wearing a red formal suit (look up "Prince Sonic-Cosium Outfits (Formal Suit)" by "LiyuConberma" on "DeviantArt"). Sally's eyes went wide & her jaw dropped*
Harvey Who: Oh, Sally. Isn't he a vision?
*Sonic stepped up to her, making her cheeks turn red*
Sally: Uh . . . You look wonderful.
*Sonic blushed & looked a little shy.
King Elias: Ah, so you are the boy my sister told me about. *Sonic nodded & quickly bowed to him, just like he had seen the servants do for Sally earlier* I am so very sorry for what happened to you. The Sea can be very unforgiving. *he put a hand on Sonic's shoulder* But I thank Aurora that you were able to come here.
*Sonic looked at the King in surprise. He noticed Sally rolling her eyes. Harvey then led him to the table*
Harvey Who: Come, come, come, you must be famished. Let me help you, my boy. *Sally couldn't seem to take her eyes off him as she took out a chair for him & pushed it back as he sat down in the chair next to her on the King's left* There we go. That's better. Now, quite comfy, hmm? It's, uh . . . Not often we have such a handsome dinner guest, eh Sally? Your Highness?
King Elias: Indeed.
*Sonic then saw the fork next to his plate. he picked it up with a smile & started to brush his quills with it. she then saw Sally, Elias, & Harvey giving him weird looks & quickly put it down, embarrassed. Then he saw Harvey lighting his pipe & smiled again. Harvey noticed his interest & handed it to him*
Harvey Who: Do you like it? It is rather -
*Sonic blew into the pipe, covering Harvey's face with soot, turning it black. Sally, Elias, & Rosie burst out laughing at that*
Rosie: Oh my!
*Sally cleared her throat*
Sally: Sorry, Harvey.
Rosie: Why Sally, dear, that's the first time I've seen you smile in weeks.
*Sonic had a frown on his face, but smiled when when he heard that. Harvey wiped his face with a handkerchief*
Harvey Who: Very amusing. Rosie, my dear, what's for dinner?
Rosie: Oh, you're gonna love it! Chef's been fixing his specialty. Stuffed crab!
*Knuckles peered out front behind a pot & saw a pink male pig with blue eyes wearing a white chef's hat, a white chef's jacket, a red bow tie, & a white apron was searching for something in a cabinet*
*Hamlin singing*
Nouvelle cuisine
Les Champs-Élysées
Maurice Chevalier
*He took out a bowl of fish & put it on the counter*
Les poissons
Les poissons
How I love les poissons
Love to chop
And to serve little fish
*He chopped a fish in half. Knuckles flinched with each chop*
First I cut off their heads
Then I pull out their bones
Ah mais oui, ça c'est toujours délice
*Knuckles looked ready to vomit*
Les poissons, les poissons
Hee-hee-hee, hon-hon-hon
With a cleaver I hack them in two
*A fish head landed in front of Knuckles*
I pull out what's inside
And I serve it up fried
God, I love little fishes, don't you
*Knuckles grabbed a piece of lettuce & hid under it as he crawled across the counter*
Here's something for tempting the palate
Prepared in the classic technique
First you pound the fish flat with a mallet
*Knuckles went up into the air a bit, but landed back under the lettuce*
Then you slash through the skin
Give the belly a slice
Then you rub some salt in
'Cause that makes it taste nice
*He then saw the lettuce & picked it up, revealing Knuckles*
Hamlin: Zut alors! I have missed one!
*He picked Knuckles up*
*Hamlin singing*
Sacrebleu
What is this
How on earth could I miss
Such a sweet little succulent crab
Quel dommage, what a loss
Here we go in the sauce
*He threw Knuckles into a bowl of brown sauce*
Now some flour-I think just a dab
*Knuckles sneezed*
Now I stuff you with bread
It don't hurt, 'cause you're dead
And you're certainly lucky you are
*Knuckles spat the stuffing out*
Cause it's gonna be hot
In my big silver pot
Tootle-loo, mon poisson, au revoir
*Knuckles was able to escape the boiling pot & landed on the counter. Hamlin noticed, picked him up with a two pronged fork, & brought him up to his face*
Hamlin: What is this? *just then, Knuckles pinched him on the snout* OW!
*Knuckles got away. Hamlin tried to reach for him, but burnt his hand on the stovetop. A pan then landed on his foot, making him hop up & down in pain. Hamlin then grabbed some knives & threw them at Knuckles, but missed. Knuckles then pushed the bowl of sauce off the counter & it landed on Hamlin's head. Hamlin then sliced the counter in half with his cleaver, but he didn't get Knuckles. Knuckles ran across the room & barley dodged the cleaver. He went under Hamlin's legs & hid in the china cabinet. Hamlin ran towards it with his cleaver raised high & then jumped at it*
*Back in the dining room, everyone could hear the crashes*
Rosie: I think I'd better go see what Hamlin is up to.
*She left the room*
*Back in the kitchen, the whole kitchen was a wreck as Hamlin searched for Knuckles*
Hamlin: Come out you little pipsqueak and fight like a man!
*He stuck his head under a counter*
Rosie: Hamlin! *he banged his head on the counter & nearly missed a knife before it hit the floor* What are you doing!?
Hamlin: Oh, I - I was just, uh . . . I'm sorry, madame.
*He gave her a nervous smile. Rosie just picked up the covered trays & left the room with a scoff*
*In the dining room, Sally couldn't take her eyes off Sonic. Rosie then came in & served them dinner*
King Elias: You know, Sally. Perhaps our young guest might enjoy seeing some of the sights of the Kingdom. Something in the way of a tour?
Harvey Who: I quite agree.
*At first, Sally didn't hear him. But the she turned to them*
Sally: I'm sorry. What was that?
King Elias: You can't spend all your time moping about, you need to get out. *Sonic's eyes went wide & when Harvey took the lid off his plate, revealing Knuckles underneath. he hushed him* Do something. Have a life. Get your mind off -
*While they were distracted, Sonic opened his dish & motioned for Knuckles to come to it. Knuckles quickly made his way across the table*
Sally: Easy, brother, easy. That's not a bad idea. If he's interested. *when Knuckles was safe, Sonic put the lid back over his plate & tried to look innocent as she turned to him* Well, what do you say? Would you like to join me on a tour of my Kingdom tomorrow?
*Sonic smiled & nodded*
Harvey Who: Wonderful! Now, let's eat before this crab wanders off my plate.
*He put his fork on his plate, but only found lettuce & a trail of sesame seeds*
*After dinner & Sonic changed back into his first outfit, he decided to explore the castle. He hid behind a corner when he heard someone coming. He stepped back to hide further, heard a creaking sound. He turned around & saw a pair of doors. He opened them & saw that it was a library. He looked around in amazement. He played a note on a lute & it made him jump. Then he went to observe a telescope. He was amazed at how far he could see with it. Then he looked at a world globe, spinning it. He smiled at how fast he could make it spin. Then he looked around at all the shelves, amazed at what he saw, especially a little statue of a jade mermaid*
Knuckles:*whispering**off-screen* What are you doing!? *Sonic turned around & saw Knuckles crawling in**on-screen* You can't just go wandering around wherever you please!
*Just then, the door opened. It was Sally*
Sally: Who's in here? *Sonic & Knuckles both hid as she walked in & looked around. she opened the curtains, turned around & saw Sonic hiding behind a shelf* Oh. It's you. *Sonic came out of hiding* Nobody usually comes in here. *he picked up the little statue* My little mermaid. *he looked surprised at the word "mermaid"* It's alright. You can look at it. My Father found her on the coast of Cartegena. Isn't she beautiful? *he just nodded with a small smile* Oh, that's right. You . . . Well, it really doesn't matter. Most people around here use too many words and have nothing to say. You know, some people say that mermaids lure sailors to their deaths, but I've never really believed that stuff. *his smile grew wider when he heard that* You're probably thinking that I have too much stuff in here, and maybe you're right. Most of these things are from my Father's voyages. In his youth, he'd travel the oceans. Having adventures and reaching out to other cultures. And I've just started adding my own stuff to it. I know it must seem silly, collecting all this stuff, but *she went over to a rock on one of the shelves* just look at this fossilized sea stone. Can you believe that such amazing things exist down there? *she handed him the stone. suddenly, he threw it down to the floor, hard* No, wait! *the rock broke & Sonic picked up a piece, revealing an orange geode, & handed it to her* How did you know that was in there? *Sonic smiled & winked. Sally blushed* A - All this time . . . Incredible. *Sonic then picked up a giant conch shell* Oh, that.
*Sonic turned it over, revealing Knuckles hiding inside*
Knuckles:*whispering* Hey.
Sally: That I just picked up from the beach here on the island. *Sonic quickly took Knuckles out & put him on the desk. he went to hide somewhere else* There's loads of them at this time of year - *suddenly, Sonic blew into the shell & it started to play like a horn* I had no idea you could do that. *he handed her the shell* Oh, me? No. *he insisted* Really? *she took the shell & blew into it, but it didn't come out as good as earlier**laugh* Sorry. Yeah, well. I'll work on that.
*Sonic gave a silent laugh himself*
*That night, Sonic was wearing a white nightshirt, standing on his bedroom balcony, & watching Sally play with Muttski. She then saw him & waved at him. He shyly waved back & went inside. Sally smiled up at the window. In her room, Sonic brushed his quills with the fork as she went towards the bed. Knuckles was on the dresser*
Knuckles: This has got to be, without a doubt, the single most humiliating day of my life. *Sonic patted him on the head* I hope that you appreciate what I got through for you, young man. *Sonic sat down on the bed & sank into it a little. he then flopped on the bed & snuggled into his pillow* Now, we gotta make a plan to get that girl to kiss you. Tomorrow, when she takes you for that ride, you gotta look your best. You gotta bat your eyes, like this. You gotta pucker up your lips, like this. *he then saw that Sonic had fallen asleep. he just smiled, blew out a candle, crawled on to his pillow, & stroked his quills* You are hopeless, kid. You know that. *he snuggled into Sonic's pillow* Complete hopeless.
*He yawned & fell asleep*
*Meanwhile, back in Atlantica, the Queen was having a meeting with her oldest sons*
Queen Aleena: So where is he?
Shadow: We don't know, Mother.
Silver: He's gone.
Queen Aleena: What do you mean he's gone?
Shard: We've been looking. There's no sign of him anywhere. He's not in these waters.
Queen Aleena: Then look again! Search all of the seven seas if you have to!
*She turned away from them*
Antoine: Sonic wouldn't dare to above -
Ash: Don't even think such a thing!
Mighty: It doesn't make sense.
Shard: Why would he leave?
Antoine: I - I have no idea.
Queen Aleena: Nevermind that! Just find him! *he boys left. once they were gone, she turned to a portrait of a blue male hedgehog with brown hair, brown eyes, peach skin, a dark blue tail, & wearing a gold crown, & a red sash around his chest. The hedgehog in the portrait was Sonic's late Father, Jules, who been killed by Mobian pirates when the Royal Family & a few other mermaids had gone to the surface. after that, the Queen had forbidden other mermaids to go to the surface & have contact with Mobians. she dropped her trident & collapsed in front of the portrait, in tears* Oh, what have I done? What have I done?