Greetings and salutations, friends and readers and fans! I am Thomas Holmes II, your friendly Mobian correspondent!
So, now that the 'origin story' for the Hedgehog triplets is done and dusted, it's time for me to tell you about their various adventures, both in the field against Robotnik and in their daily lives in Knothole. This first story is a case of the latter. I mean, after a big event like what you saw last time, it's only fitting we have something more relaxed and down-to-earth, am I right?
So, let us begin 'Heroes of Mobius' with...
First Day in Knothole
(BTW, the name 'Heroes of Mobius' was originally used by Mixedfan8643 for his stories of Sonic, but it's long since been deleted, and he's allowed to use the title myself. Thanks, pal.)
Knothole, Great Forest, South Island, 24th Solung
Morning is nearly always a beautiful time of day. But in the Great Forest, the beauty is like no other. With the light of the sun slowly appearing over the treetops, the soft blend of warmth and coolness in the air, and the gentle sounds of Flickies, Rickies and other Mobini in the distance, you can just sit and reflect on the day ahead of you and the possibilities it brings.
This is, if you're awake to see an early morning.
As the sun rays crept through the window of one of the many huts scattered through Knothole, they illuminated a treadmill that had been broken and repaired several times, a collection of comics books arranged on a bookshelf and a bed shaped like a race car.
Under the covers, Sonic the Hedgehog shifted. His emerald eyes blinked open and he squinted against the sunlight. The cobalt Hedgehog yawned and stretched his arms and legs as far as he could. At last, he felt a satisfying click of his limbs releasing all tension.
"Good morning, Knothole," Sonic greeted. Once, he would have greeted the morning loudly, boldly and excitedly. But given he was now sharing his hut with three others, that would be rude, especially given how much Sonic valued sleep.
Sonia was lying on the couch beneath a spare blanket. Manic and I, Thomas Holmes, were in sleeping bags on the floor. Sonia's hair was in bunches to prevent it from getting messy, like how Manic's hair and my hair had become messy. Manic was snoring loudly. I was mewing softly as I breathed out.
Sonia had refused to sleep on the floor. "A lady like me deserves some comfort," she'd argued.
Sonic had offered her his bed, but Sonia wasn't keen on the racing car aesthetic. Ultimately, she'd adjusted on the sofa, taken a blanket Sonic had taken from his closet, changed into a spare nightgown of Sally's, made a glass of hot milk and settled down to sleep.
Sonic rolled his eyes in amusement. Clearly, he and Sonia shared a value for sleep. Guess the Flicky doesn't fly too far away from the flock, as they say.
Still, it was Manic and Sonia's first morning in Knothole without a mission to thwart Buttnik. And hopefully, they had recovered the energy they've used while confronting Buttnik in South City Metropolis. A few slices of birthday cake would have likely helped.
The rest and sustenance had certainly helped Sonic, in any case.
"Yo, sibs!" he called as he did his morning stretches. "Time to up and at 'em! Wakey, wakey!"
Manic jerked awake. Sonia groaned and mumbled.
"Morning, bro," Manic greeted eagerly.
"When did we get a new alarm clock, Lady Windermere?" Sonia mumbled.
"C'mon, guys," Sonic urged. "As I promised yesterday, I'm gonna take you two on a live tour of our hidey-hole Knothole.
"Can't this wait until a little later?" Sonia grumbled. "I need my beauty sleep."
"You've had about eight hours of sleep, sis," Sonic noted, as Manic got up to dress. "I think that will suffice for 'beauty sleep'. Besides, in the life of a Freedom Fighter, you gotta be prepared for disturbances if a thwarting is called for."
Sonia sighed as she swung her legs off the sofa. As she stood by, she almost tripped over me. I was still asleep.
"How is he still in the land of Nod?" Sonia wondered.
"Eh, Tommy's a heavy sleeper," Sonic shrugged. "Guess it comes with being a Cat. Sometimes, I swear an explosion couldn't wake him up." He paused. "Though I guess it depends on how he's feeling when he goes to sleep."
Some of Sonia's weariness receded at this, to be replaced by concern as she looked down at me. She wanted to ask what that was, but given everything she'd learned over the last few days, the fuchsia Hedgehog decided she didn't fancy learning any more unpleasantness at the moment.
Once they were all fully dressed and shared some slices of toast with plenty of butter and jam, Sonic led the trio outside into the beautiful morning. As they stretched and yawned, Manic and Sonia gazed fondly around at the quaint, rustic buildings.
For Manic, the cosy environment was a huge step-up from the dark, dreary and gloomy streets of Robotropolis, especially since it had cleaner air.
For Sonia, it wasn't as sophisticated as the aristocratic villa, but in some ways, Sonia felt it was better that way.
And for both of them, it meant they weren't living under the tyranny of Robotnik. They were in a safe haven; truly among their own kind.
"Hold on," Sonia remembered. "Didn't Longclaw ground you, Sonic?"
Sonic rolled his eyes. "Yes, but she did say I could show you guys around Knothole. Just can't go beyond the boundaries of the village. Guess you'll have to wait to see other parts of the Island…"
"So, bro, like, what's the story behind this place?" Manic wondered.
"Why, I'm glad you asked, bro," Sonic grinned. "Okay, so firstly; do either of you know that South Island is able to cruise across the Central Mobian Ocean on its own?"
"Erm, nope," answered Manic, shrugging.
"I heard about that in my geography lessons," Sonia noted. "Is that why it was chosen as a safe haven?"
"Correct-a-mondo, sis!" Sonic confirmed.
"How is it able to move?" Manic wondered. "And, like, why can't we feel it?"
"Your guess for query one is as good as mine or anyone else's, bro," Sonic said. "Maybe it's some kinda ancient power, like the one we found a few days ago, that moves it. I dunno! Just as long as it continues doing it, I'm cool. As to why we can't feel it, Longclaw says it never moves faster than cruising speed. Honestly, the only bummers that come with it moving are whether days and nights will be shorter or longer. And you get used to it; eventually…" he muttered, frowning.
"So what about Knothole itself?" Sonia asked, gesturing around them. "Why have it set up in the Great Forest?"
"Well, the trees provide superb protection from snooping eyes," Sonic grinned. "Even if you tried looking for us from the air, you'd have no luck. The Royal Family would often hide out here if anyone had them in their crosshairs. It was also where we stayed during the Great War."
He then knelt to pat the ground.
"All this soil is rich in limestone. That's why all the plants are so vibrant, nourished and durable. Limestone's good for plants, y'know."
Manic and Sonia stared in amazement.
"You know your gardening," Sonia noted.
"Hey, if it's related to nature, I know it," Sonic mused, rubbing his nose confidently. "Anyway, that should suffice for history. Let's get to the actual places. This here…" He gestured to the hut they had just left. "…is my Shack. Come; let's see Tails' Bunk, just over there."
Sonia's eyes lit up. "I wanna see that little Cub's abode!" And she dashed toward the 'Bunk' Sonic had indicated. It was not too far away from Sonic's Shack.
"Eager to know the little guy, isn't she?" Manic mused as he and Sonic followed.
Sonia was able to compose herself enough to knock on the door. But there was no answer. Sonia knocked again, but the result was the same.
"Is he still asleep?" she wondered.
"Nah, Tails is nearly always up at the same time as me," Sonic argued. "Sometimes, he might be up earlier than me. That little mechanic is always waking with the urge to tinker."
Just to check, the blue Hedgehog quietly opened the door to peek inside.
Tails' Bunk would have looked fairly standard, were the floor not scattered with all kinds of mechanical parts and tools, along with sketches of gadgets taped or pinned to the walls, and models dangling from the ceiling. There was a large bookcase with each shelf groaning with books. Most of them were guides on building and engineering. And they weren't for kids. However, there were also a few fairy-tale books, some of which Sonia recognised. But there was no sign of Tails anywhere; the bed was empty.
"As I thought," Sonic said. "I swear, my lil buddy is gonna wreck himself if he keeps this up. I've told him that he must spend at least 8 hours catching his Z's, but will he listen?"
"He certainly didn't listen when told how to keep your place tidy," Sonia noted, wincing as she stepped carefully around grimy tools. "How can he live in this mess?"
"He calls it 'organised chaos'," Sonic mused.
"Well, I call it a mess," Sonia asserted. "I am so teaching him how to keep his place tidy."
Manic, who wasn't bothered by the mess at all, was examining the books on the shelf. His eyes were drawn mainly to the fairy-tale books.
"Little guy likes his stories," he noted.
"Yeah, Sal and Bunnie read to him," Sonic explained. "His favourite is 'The Princess in the Tower'. You should hear Sal's impression of the Witch." He headed back towards the door. "Anyways, I think Sal's Sanctum should be our next stop. You at least should see it, Manic."
Sally's Sanctum
If you will remember from 'Single Burst of Speed', Sonia stayed in Sally's Sanctum on her first night in Knothole. You might also remember that Sonia suggested a few new touches to make it more regal. That's because, despite belonging to the Princess of one of the Royal Mobian families, Sally's Sanctum was no fancier than anyone else's hut. And honestly, Sally had often been a little conflicted on that. Not that it was bothering her right now, of course…
"NICOLE, bring up the latest propaganda by Robotnik," Sally instructed her handheld computer as she settled herself at her desk.
"Processing, Sally," NICOLE replied.
Robotnik often put out stories about the Freedom Fighters' actions that were clearly aimed at painting them as anarchic terrorists threatening Robotnik's 'ordered and just' empire. Just thinking of such words made Sally sick to her stomach.
And yet, some actually believed them, especially those cowardly aristocrats! Yeah, Sally didn't think too fondly of them either. Still, she was willing to help them if they needed it, even when they didn't want it.
As Sally waited for NICOLE to hack into Robotnik's systems, she heard a knock on the door. "Come in."
The door opened. Sonic, Manic and Sonia entered.
"Hey, Sal," Sonic greeted. "Just showing my sibs around Knothole, and thought we'd stop by, if that's cool with you."
"Sure, that's fine," Sally confirmed. "Just don't make it too long, okay? I have some work to do."
Sonic rolled his eyes in playful exasperation. "Come on, Sal. Surely, you can save your work for later; especially on a fine day like this. I doubt Buttnik's gonna cook another scheme for us to thwart that quickly!"
"Maybe not a scheme," Sally countered, "but there's always his propaganda out to smear our reputation."
Sonic scoffed. "Please, who takes that rubbish seriously anymore?"
A look of concern passed over Sonia's face. "You'd be surprised just how many among the aristocracy take it seriously, Sonic," she noted. "Bartelby certainly believes it; unfortunately…"
"See?" Sally gestured at Sonia. "It helps to know what the enemy is saying, as Julayla said, so we can work to counter it. I mean, how are we going to garner support if we can't defend against smear campaigns?"
Sonic threw up his hands. "Fine, then. Have it your way, Sal, if it makes you comfortable…"
The blue Hedgehog actually understood Sally's concern, of course. If he was honest with himself, he didn't want to lose public support either, even if it was just from a few people.
Manic, meanwhile, was looking around the Sanctum. "Hmm, not what one expects for the digs of a Princess," he noted. "Like, shouldn't it be a bit fancier?"
Sonia looked around too. "Yeah, you haven't made any of the changes I suggested."
Sally frowned. "I have kinda had other priorities, you know… prissy," she muttered under her breath.
Sonia bristled. "Well, sorry for trying to help a fellow Princess with her creature comforts!"
"For your info, it's not like we have many creature comforts to spare out here," Sally retorted sardonically, "unlike you and your silver-spooned friends."
"Well, it's not like we had much better options at the time," Sonia countered. "They may not have been the best, but I won't have you talk smack about them!"
"Girls, girls!" Sonic intervened. "Not that neither of you necessarily wins here… actually, I reckon Sal wins this one, but please, let's not sully this nice day or anything."
There was a moment's awkward silence, during which Sally and Sonia glared at each other.
"What do you say we go and find Tails and Rote?" Sonic proposed finally. "They're probably at the landing strip, repairing or modding the Tornado."
"Yeah, let's do that," Manic agreed. "C'mon sis. Let's leave the Princess to her work."
Sonia sniffed. "Very well." And she walked out without another word, her nose in the air.
Sally sighed. "As if one Hedgehog with an attitude was enough…"
Sonic shrugged. "Well, they say the Flickie doesn't fly too far from the flock, don't they? See ya, Sal."
And he strode out too.
Manic glanced back at Sally. "Don't pay Sonia any mind," he advised. "You gotta spin your web out of the best silk you have to hand, as Ferrell says. And I think this particular web, while not fancy, looks pretty comfy."
Sally stared at Manic for a moment. Then, she smiled. "Hmm, thanks, Manic."
Manic grinned and waved as he followed his siblings out of the door.
"Manic seems very cordial," NICOLE observed, "for someone who existed mainly as a thief."
"Regardless of his upbringing," Sally sighed, "I hope he can teach his siblings a thing or two about respect. Anyway, you got that propaganda yet, NICOLE?"
"Affirmative, Sally," NICOLE confirmed.
"Right. Now, let's see what Robotnik has to say about us now…"
The airstrip where the Freedom Fighters kept the Tornado and other vehicles was situated on the edge of the village. It was a short area of turf - only 750 metres in length - that was nonetheless constantly kept flat, to ensure take-offs and landings were as smooth as possible. There was a small hangar where Tails and Rotor stored the Tornado when it wasn't in use. It also doubled as Knothole's primary workshop for building gadgets, equipment, survival gear and whatever else the Freedom Fighters might need in their guerrilla campaign against Robotnik.
At the moment, Tails and Rotor were looking on the Tornado.
"Okay, Tails," Rotor said, "hand over the hydraulic valves, and I'll reinstall them."
"Excellent! Soon the Tornado will have better manoeuvring than ever!" Tails rhapsodised, more to himself than his partner, as he passed Rotor said valves.
Rotor chuckled. "Tails, how much more manoeuvrability does the Tornado need? Especially with you as its main pilot…"
"True," Tails conceded, "but if I need to put it onto autopilot, such manoeuvrability will ensure our getaway craft is less likely to be shot down."
Rotor frowned. "Why would you need to set it on autopilot?"
"Well, I might want to help you guys out," Tails replied, as if stating the obvious. "Come on, I can't just keep serving as your getaway pilot. I could do so much more if you let me."
Rotor's face creased in concern. He understood Tails' desire to help, and there was no denying that the young Cub had a lot of potential, but… wasn't he, Rotor, enough intellectual support for the Freedom Fighters? True, the more the merrier, as they say. And yet…
Before he could ponder this any further, or say anything, another voice spoke up.
"Well, one thing you can definitely much more of is keeping yourself clean, Tails. I mean, how can you handle such mess?"
Sonic, Manic and Sonia had arrived, and the fuchsia Hedgehog was staring appalled at the specks of oil and soot coating Tails' fur.
"Good gracious, how have they never taught you proper hygiene?" Sonia complained.
"Hey!" Sonic challenged. "Sal and I have personally helped Tails bathe many times. It's just that the big guy insists in getting his hands dirty; and I don't just mean figuratively."
"I do remember to wash myself off afterwards," Tails protested.
"And when you work in mechanics like we do," Rotor added, "you have to accept that dirtiness is an occupational hazard."
"That is especially the case when living life on the run, sis," Manic agreed. "You're, like, gonna have to get used to it."
Sonia paled at the thought of her clothes getting dirty; of cobwebs in her hair; sewage staining her fur; and…
"Hey, hey, I doubt it'll get that bad as you're likely thinking," Sonic interjected.
"How did you guess-?"
"I sensed it."
Manic was now looking over the Tornado. His blue eyes fell on the valves that had just been installed.
"Ah, those are hydraulic valves," he said. "Trying to improve your plane's flying, I reckon?"
Tails' eyebrows raised in amazement. "Yeah, that's right. How'd you know what they are?"
Manic shrugged. "When you work in Ferrell's business, you gotta know your machinery so you know where and who to sell it to."
"Hey, kindly don't encourage Tails to go into the thieving business," Sonic cut in. "We don't do that around here, bro."
Manic raised his eyebrows. "Like, you guys constantly sabotage stuff in Robotropolis, bust up SWAT-bots and other things belonging to Buttnik, no doubt steal stuff from Robotropolis yourselves; and your tusked friend here even tried to strangle that Wolf a few days ago. Yet, you draw the line with me stealing?"
Sonic scowled. "Firstly, we do NOT condone what Rote did to Sleet."
"Hey, it was either that or let him capture all of us!" Rotor objected.
"Zip it, Rote! And secondly… okay, that's a good point, bro. But, well, we don't steal for money or any of that 'business' nonsense."
"It wasn't just for business," said Manic. "We had to scrape a living; for us and others who were also less fortunate than you guys. In any case, I wasn't encouraging Tails." He glanced around the workshop, taking the various devices - some complete, others half-finished - lying about. "Looks like he's got a fine business here already. Do you work in here often, little guy?" he inquired Tails.
"Ever since I was a baby, in fact," Tails beamed. "This is where I brought my teddy bear to life, in fact."
"I tried to baby-proof this place to stop him getting in," Rotor remembered, still scowling. "He managed to crack by the age of three. Thank goodness, by then, Longclaw had taught him about how to be more careful."
"Hey, I'm most comfortable in a workshop," Tails shrugged. "And I'm a fast learner."
Sonia smiled. "I can believe that. But maybe you could use a coat, goggles and gloves, so you can keep yourself clean."
Tails frowned. "We do have those, for particularly difficult projects. I'm not a toddler, you know."
Sonia ruffled Tails' bangs. "Come on, can't a Hedgehog look out for her little brother?"
Sonic rolled his eyes. He grabbed Sonia's arm and pulled her away from Tails. "Come on, sis. The Knothole Tour is about to move on and you don't wanna be left behind now."
"Yeah, I wanna see more of this place," Manic agreed eagerly. He waved to Tails and Rotor. "See ya guys later! Keep up the good work!"
"And stay clean!" Sonia added hastily before Sonic pulled her away.
Rotor shook his head. "That Sonia is sweet and all, but something tells me working with her is going to be a real chore."
"Just so long as she doesn't braid my hair," Tails added. He liked having two more foster siblings so far, but he wasn't up for being pampered and doted on.
Bunnie's Grotto
Bunnie Rabbot was drying herself off after a nice shower. A shower always made her feel ready to face the day. Given her current condition, feeling ready was essential.
As the Doe shifted her towel, her robotic left arm was exposed. For a moment, Bunnie gazed at her reflection in her metallic forearm - a grim reminder of that dreadful day, when she lost nearly half her body to the Roboticizer and her family history was exposed…
Unconsciously, her eyes then roved to the scars on her left shoulder and hips. Her right arm reached behind her back to her spine, where her fingers brushed over metallic inserts…
Bunnie almost jumped out of her pelt when she heard a knock at her front door.
"Yo, Bunnie," called Sonic from the other side. "Hope you don't mind if me and my sibs drop in for a little, do you?"
"Eh, just one minute, y'all," Bunnie replied. "Ah'm gettin' dressed."
"Well, don't keep us waiting," Sonic advised, emphasising the last word.
Bunnie giggled as she continued drying herself off. She shook her head to completely dispel the unpleasant thoughts that Sonic's knock had thankfully disrupted.
Just under a minute later, Sonic, Manic and Sonia were greeted by the Southern Belle Doe. She had pulled on her usual purple leotard.
"Hey there, Sugah-Hogs," she welcomed. "Nice to see y'all this fine mornin'."
"Nice to see you too," Manic grinned, waggling his eyebrows and leaning towards her. "My, you're looking purdy."
Bunnie, though touched by the compliment, was unnerved by Manic's advances.
"Hey, hey, dial it back there, bro," Sonic advised, restraining Manic with one hand on his shoulder. "No need to get up close and personal."
"No, indeed," Sonia conceded critically. "You should never be so invasive of a lady's personal space!" She smiled apologetically at Bunnie. "I'm terribly sorry about that, Miss Rabbot-"
"It's fine. And I told ya yesterday; y'all can just call me Bunnie," Bunnie insisted. "Anyways, how are ya doin'? Ya feelin' less like cotton dipped in honey?"
"What?" Sonia wondered.
"Ya not feelin' so tired now?"
"Oh, right; yes, we're feeling much better now," Sonia confirmed. "So, I get it you're from the Southern Baronies, right?"
"Born and raised," Bunnie answered, though her face fell a little at the question. Sonia noticed.
"Anything wrong?"
"Do y'all know the history the Southern Baronies has with the Royal families?" Bunnie asked quietly.
"Some of it," Sonia recalled. "Notably, I learned that during the Great War-" She stopped as her lilac eyes widened in realisation. "Oh… I'm sorry, Bunnie."
"These Southern Baronies have a beef with royalty?" Manic wondered. "And what's Bunnie-?"
Sonia pressed a finger to his lips. "Not here, Manic." She looked back at Bunnie. "Can I at least ask whether you guys have as good at farming as they say you are?"
Bunnie thought for a moment. "Ah suppose ya can," she acknowledged. "It's actually not too difficult once ya got the basics. Ya simply consider the land and soil available, what ya wish to grow and ensure you have the means to provide the handy sustenance. Ah can show you in due course if ya like. Just bear in mind; it can be a dirty job. But it's as rewardin' as a field of grass for a grown Bull."
At the word 'dirty', Sonia winced. "I… think I'll pass on learning how to farm."
"Yeah, because her Ladyship is terrified of dirt," Manic muttered snidely.
"I am not!" Sonia protested. "I just don't like getting dirt on me."
"Ah'm not too keen on gettin' dirty neither," Bunnie admitted. "But Ah don't mind. Anyway, farmin' is more of a hobby of mine. Honestly, Ah hope to be a hairdresser someday. Well…" She glanced at her robotic arm. "That is, if this darn thing don't give me trouble…"
"Oh, now that's a promising career!" Sonia rhapsodised. "Rough-and-tumble bunches like this lot need some proper styling around here."
"Hey!" Sonic and Manic quipped. Did Sonia have a problem with Mohawks and punk hair?
"I'm happy to give you tips on how to do it," Sonia continued, ignoring her brothers. "Maybe you can practice on me."
"Oh, Ah'd like that," Bunnie agreed. "So, what have ya got?"
"Well, for starters, perhaps you can try doing some easy hairstyles one can do in under 5 minutes," Sonia began. "One is slicking hair back. Wet the hair on the front and sides with gel, and, using first your finger and then a wet comb…"
"We could be here a while," Sonic muttered, passing a hand over his face in exasperation. Manic, however, didn't seem to mind. If it meant he was in the presence of a pretty gal like Bunnie, he was cool with it.
Training facility
A large area of ground was set up as the Freedom Fighters' training ground. It was like a mix of an army boot camp and a Soumercan favela. The equipment was a mix of professionally-made and crude facsimiles built from robot parts. Various obstacle courses were dotted about, along with patches for martial arts training. At that moment, Antoine and I were practising our swordplay skills.
"Okay, Monsieur Holmes," said Antoine, raising his sword. "And again."
I charged forward, my wooden sword, or 'waster' as it was also known, lifted over my right shoulder for a downward slash. Antoine blocked the attack by lifting his own waster in a drop parry. I followed this with an ankle sweep, hoping to trip the Coyote up. But Antoine leapt over it easily. He lashed with a jab from his free hand. I side-stepped to the left and managed to strike Antoine on the right shoulder.
"Got you!" I cried triumphantly.
Antoine smiled encouragingly. "Très bien," he complimented. "But, bear in mind; an opponent might be wearing ze pauldron or be roboteek. So…"
Next thing I knew, I was being turned head-over-heels and slammed to the ground.
"Never let your guard down," Antoine finished, smirking as he peeled off his protective goggles
"Oh, fiddle!" I fumed, removing my own goggles. "I should've remembered that from my training in Mercia."
"Zat ees why it ees important to train, Monsieur," Antoine noted. He then extended a hand to help me up.
"Duly noted," I replied as I got up.
"Perhaps you and I should practice on a pell for a while," Antoine proposed. "I shall grab some from our supplies."
I nodded. I remembered what my instructors had told me at the Snottingham Knights' Camp.
"The pell is a crucial means of practising how you execute your moves. You must strike precisely and with enough power to cut into the wood. You must also have control over your blade to ensure your chance of landing a hit. Execute your moves with your entire body."
As Antoine went off to retrieve a couple of pells for us, I took a few breaths to calm myself as unpleasant thoughts and doubts buzzed around in my mind. I decided some narrating might help.
"And so, my sword training continues, here in the small village of Knothole," I began to myself in a deep, dramatic tone. "If I'm to have a chance to avenge my family and… my friends… I have to keep up my skills with the blade. I am honour-bound by my duty to Mercia and to Mobius."
I paused.
"Never had I envisioned the prospect that I might actually become a Freedom Fighter so soon, before I even reached my adolescence. Alas, it seems fate has had other plans for me. Tis most daunting, but ultimately behoveful. I shall endeavour to aid the Freedom Fighters in their noble hurly-burly against the vile Robotnik and-"
"Who are you talking to, Tommy?"
"ARGH!" I almost jumped out of my fur and my glasses almost fell off. Pushing them straight, I looked round to see Sonic, Manic and Sonia standing there.
From what they said, it had taken a while for Sonia and Bunnie to conclude their conversation about hairdressing. Bunnie could also be seen tending to a patch of burned grass outside her Grotto, where Sonic had been pacing before he had literally dragged Sonia away. By that time, I'd woken up, had breakfast and met up with Antoine to train.
"Don't sneak on me like that!" I gasped, clutching at my chest. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"Sorry," Sonic apologised, though he was grinning. "It's not my fault you were too busy telling your own play."
"You should know me by now, Sonic," I noted, running a hand along one of my whiskers to calm myself. "Anyway, good morning, Manic. Good morning, Sonia."
"Good morning," Sonia replied.
'Surprised its still morning at all, considering how long Sonia and Bunnie spent talking' Sonic and Manic thought.
If Sonia caught that thought, she was too interested in asking me questions to comment.
"Were you practising swordplay?" she asked, indicating the waster in my hand.
"Why, yes," I confirmed, holding it up. "Antoine and I were sparring a moment ago. He's just gone to get a couple of pells to practice on. They're like a punching bag for swords; you practice your technique-"
"I know what a pell is," Sonia interjected. "I was taught fencing when I lived with…" A lump rose in her throat, cutting her off for a moment. But the fuchsia Hedgehog rallied quickly. "Part of those lessons involved how longsword combat worked. So, you learned swordplay too?"
"That's right." I raised my waster high and spoke once again in a deep dramatic tone. "I, Thomas Christopher Holmes the Second, endeavour to become a brave and noble Knight, worthy of the great nation of Mercia. Tis only fitting that my just blade be put to service aiding the Freedom Fighters and-"
At this, Sonic and Manic burst out laughing. I broke off. "What?" I demanded.
"You!" Sonic chortled. "You're so dramatic, Tommy!"
"You should be on the stage!" Manic guffawed.
I growled at this. It was bad enough I'd witnessed my schoolmates be made of. Now my hero was ribbing me?
Sonia also scowled at her brothers. While she admittedly had found me a bit melodramatic herself, she still knew better than to make fun of me for it.
"You two are seriously making me regret my choice to accept you as my brothers," Sonia stated coldly. With a roll of her lilac eyes as Sonic and Manic continued to snigger, the fuchsia Hedgehog turned back to me.
"Why were you speaking like that, anyway, if you don't mind me asking?" she inquired. "You reminded me of a narrator in a play."
"That was the idea," I replied. "Plays are a popular means of entertainment in Mercia. And one of my favourite aspects of them is the use of dramatic narration. It adds a level of gravitas to the scene. Well, and that it can help me focus if I'm not feeling too bright." I grinned. "My friends used to love them. They'd have me narrate campaigns whenever we played… 'Creatures and Caverns'…" I sighed deeply as my voice trailed away and my grin faded, my gaze dipping.
"You okay?" Sonia wondered. Even Sonic and Manic had stopped laughing at the sight of my forlorn expression.
Before I could answer, however, we heard someone approaching. Sure enough, it was Antoine, pushing a makeshift hand truck with two pells sitting in it.
"Oh, eet ees you," the Coyote said when he spotted the three Hedgehogs. "What can we be doing for you?"
Before either Sonic or Manic could answer, Sonia spoke up. "Bonjour, Monsieur D'Cooletté. I would actually like to have a sparring session with you, if it's alright. I learned fencing during my…" Her voice caught again. "Well, you know when…"
"Oui," Antoine acknowledged with a slight frown on his face. "You wish to spar with me?"
"Yes," Sonia confirmed. "If I'm going to be a Freedom Fighter, I'm going to have to learn the ropes of how you guys do it around here. And why not start with something I'm familiar with? What do you say?"
Antoine regarded Sonia for a moment. "Très bien," he accepted as he set the two pells down. I took one to practice on.
Antoine collected a third waster from the storage room and a set of goggles. Sonia took them and the two got into position. They stood with their feet in an 'L' position, the dominant foot forward, and their legs slightly bent. Antoine held his hilt in front of his stomach with the blade angled upward, his body half-twisted. Sonia held her waster horizontally in her right hand, pointed straight at Antoine.
The two opponents stood still for a moment, gauging each other. Sonia took a slow, deep breath, remembering what her fencing instructor had told her.
"A good stance ensures balance, young Sonia. You're less likely to overextend or overbalance if you've got a proper stance."
"En garde!" Antoine cried and lunged. Sonia instinctively caught the blade and angled it away. She quickly responded with a swift thrust. Antoine twisted his body to his left to avoid it. He swung his blade over his head into an overhand. Sonia raised her waster in a cross-parry. The two proceeded to clash blades back and forth. Sonic and Manic watched as the wooden blades knocked together again and again.
If Sonic was honest with himself, he actually quite liked swordplay. He'd even tried his hand at it some time ago. But he'd never been keen on the metal swords that Antoine employed.
"They just… they don't feel natural in my hand," Sonic had said after trying his hand at swordplay a few times. "Too heavy and… erm, solid for my liking, to be honest. I'll say this, though; they're better than firearms."
At that moment, Antoine suddenly employed an ankle sweep. Sonia, caught unawares, was tripped up. She fell flat on her back.
"Ze whole body should be used as a weapon, Mademoiselle Sonia," Antoine advised, allowing Sonia to get up again. "Ze blade must be-"
"You got my clothes dirty!" Sonia cried. "Oooooh, now you've made it personal, Monsieur!"
She charged, attacking with surprisingly speed in a flurry of slashes and jabs. Her waster was a blur of wood. Antoine was hard-pressed to keep up with her. Sonic and Manic were astounded at Sonia's frenzy. Even I paused in my practices on the pell to stare.
A second later, Antoine's waster was sent spinning out of his hand. Another half-second later, the Coyote was seized by the arm and swung over Sonia's head. He was slammed to the ground and lay, dazed and surprised.
"Sacré bleu," Antoine gasped. "Zat… was both impressive and alarming."
"Excusez-moi, monsieur," Sonia panted, brushing off the dirt on her back. "But I will not tolerate literal dirty fighting."
Antoine scowled as he got up. "'Ow was zat dirty fighting?" he inquired. "In swordplay, one can use zeir entire body, not just zeir blade."
"That's not what I learned in fencing," Sonia recalled.
"Well, like, this ain't fencing, sis," Manic pointed out.
"Yeah, tis a noble sport, but not the same as fighting for your life," I agreed, as I took another swing at my pell.
"You gotta be prepared to fight for your life," Sonic advised. "You can still use your fencing skills, but you will have to drop some of the rules. Or, perhaps, most of them."
"I couldn't do that!" Sonia protested.
"You pretty much did it when you 'ad a go at me," Antoine pointed out. "I know fencing myself, and zat was not it."
Sonia went red and didn't reply. She just dropped her waster and walked off.
"Next place for tour," she stated firmly.
Sonic was taken aback by Sonia's abrupt decision to leave.
"What ees 'er problem?" Antoine wondered.
"Guess she still needs time to adjust," Sonic guessed. He thought for a moment. Then the blue Hedgehog remembered something.
"Aren't the LaTours and that Bartelby snob being moved to Metropolis today?" he double-checked with Antoine.
"Oui," Antoine confirmed. "And good riddance in ze case of zat Bartelby. I swear 'e is impossible to please. We tried all we could to 'elp 'im feel comfortable, and 'e just complained. 'Ow Preencess Sonia made friends with 'im, I'll never know."
"You can say that again, Antoine," I agreed, taking another swipe at my pell.
"Well, regardless of how right you two are," Sonic said, "and it's certainly one thing Ant and I agree on - Sonia should still see them off. C'mon, Manic. See ya, guys."
"Cheerio, Sonic."
"Au revoir."
Mindy LaTour, her father Malcolm, and Sir Bartelby Monclair were indeed getting ready to leave Knothole via a shuttle piloted by the Blackthorns. You see, it had been decided that Metropolis would be a better place to accommodate the former aristocrats, as the town had better access to certain luxuries. This would help them better adjust to their new lives. Bartelby, as you have no doubt gathered, was especially eager to leave.
"This village is so rustic and quaint," he sniffed. "How can Sonia wish to associate herself with such peasants?"
"Excuse me, these 'peasants' saved us from being Roboticized," Mindy reminded for the umpteenth time. "And they were kind enough to give us new homes, you ungrateful old snoot!"
"Hey!" cried Bartelby, stung. "I will not be spoken to like that! Besides, a girl like you should know better!"
"Indeed she should," Malcolm agreed, scowling at his daughter. "Still, she is right on the whole. You're being very ungrateful, Bart."
Bartelby winced slightly. "Malcolm, not in front of these commoners," he whispered.
"Commoners, eh?" Morain Blackthorn demanded, coming around the side of the shuttle with a scowl on her face. "Could a commoner do this?"
In a flash, she whipped out her saber and made some blindingly-fast slashing movements through the air. A few leaves floating to the ground from a nearby tree suddenly shredded to pieces.
Bartelby gulped. Mindy's eyes were wide in awe.
"Just remember what tricks us 'commoners' are capable of," Morain advised, smirking as she sheathed her saber.
"Morain, please don't give our passengers nightmares before we've even taken off," sighed Errol, Morain's brother, as he too came round the shuttle.
"Just making a point," Morain shrugged blithely.
"Was the point being that Barty here might some need a fresh pair of pants?" wondered Hurit Softshell, Errol's student, stretching her long neck around the shuttle's side, a teasing smile curling her face.
"Hurit, be nice," Errol admonished. "Just continue making final adjustments."
"Okay, Master," Hurit giggled as she withdrew.
At that moment, Sonic, Manic and Sonia arrived back at the airstrip, where the shuttle was parked.
"Hey guys," Sonia called. "Hope you weren't planning on leaving without saying goodbye, were you?"
"I was afraid you'd let us leave without giving us a chance," Mindy chuckled, before she and Sonia shared a hug.
"You sure you won't come with us, Sonia?" Bartelby asked. "Surely, a place like that Metropolis is more worthy a residence for a Princess like you than this quaint village."
"Need I remind you that Princess Sally has lived here for a decade and absolutely loves it?" inquired Sonic, cocking an eyebrow. "I don't think she'd appreciate you calling her home 'quaint'."
Bartelby scowled at Sonic. "How an impudent, disrespectful kid like you is Sonia's brother, I'll never know."
Sonic sniffed. "Well, at least I'm capable of showing gratitude to someone who saved his neck from becoming one of Buttnik's slaves."
"I'm pretty sure we'd all still be fine if you lot hadn't been constantly provoking him," Bartelby retorted.
"Bartelby Monclair!" Sonia reprimanded. "Stop with these ridiculous accusations at once! You know perfectly well that we were all going to be Roboticized eventually! Lady Windermere always said it would happen! Now, kindly lay off my brother and get on the shuttle, unless you fancy sleeping out in the cold!"
Bartelby was slightly taken aback by Sonia's words. He opened his mouth a few times to speak, but nothing came out. Finally, he stepped aboard the shuttle without another word.
"Whoa…" Manic gasped. "Like, remind me not to get on your bad side, sis."
"How did you make friends with that bozo?" wondered Sonic.
"Hey, he might be rude, but Bartelby is still my friend," Sonia warned. "Anyway, he can be quite nice and polite, albeit only to his peers. He's certainly been nice to me over the years."
Sonic and Manic smiled slyly.
"Oooooo, do you fancy him?" Manic teased.
"Y-no!" Sonia cried, blushing. "He's too old for me, anyway."
Sonic and Manic continued to snigger, just as Errol called, "All systems are ready. If the remaining passengers would like to board now…"
Mindy and her father stepped up to Sonia.
"Take care now, Sonia," said Mindy, as she and Sonia hugged one more time. "Be sure to visit us first chance you get."
"Oh, I imagine that chance will be very soon, if being a Freedom Fighter is as challenging as it seems thus far," Sonia promised. "Especially with these two," she added, with a jerk of the head towards her brothers.
"On that note…" Mindy turned to Sonic and Manic. "Look after Sonia, will you? She can be a prissy little fusspot with a lot of energy."
"Hey!" Sonia cried, just as she was shaking hands with Malcolm. Sonic, Manic and Mindy guffawed teasingly.
"Mindy," Malcolm admonished, though he was clearly trying not to laugh himself. "Just… come on and let's go."
Still giggling, Mindy followed her father on board.
"Oh, one more thing…" Sonia hurried aboard herself, to where Bartelby was buckled in. "See you, Barty."
"Oh, erm, see you, Sonia," Bartelby replied awkwardly. Smiling at him, Sonia stepped off, allowing Errol and Morain to get on.
"We'll be back shortly," the swordsman informed before he closed the shuttle door. The triplets stepped back from the shuttle as its VTOL boosters whirred into life.
The downdraft from the engines made Sonia's skirt blow about. The fuchsia Hedgehog cried in shock and embarrassment, trying to keep her, ahem, sensitive area covered. Sonic and Manic looked away, trying not to laugh again.
Soon, the shuttle was above the level of the trees. Sonic, Manic and Sonia waved to it just as it disappeared over the canopy of leaves.
"Let's hope Barty doesn't give the people of Metropolis migraines with his complaints," Manic quipped.
"Me too," Sonia agreed. She hoped that with time, once the shock of losing their home had worn off, Bartelby would lighten up a little. She decided she would check up on her friend whenever she could. Sonia owned him that much.
"So, shall we continue our tour then?" Sonic offered. "Let's see… where haven't we been yet?"
At that moment, however, they heard a soft, hooting cry echoing throughout the village. The siblings looked up to see Longclaw swooping overhead. Manic and Sonia had to admit that the sight of Sonic's foster mother soaring through the sky was… beautiful.
"Ho, boy," Sonic sighed. "It's time."
"Time for what?" asked Sonia.
"Every so often, Longclaw calls us to do a meditation session," Sonic explained. "She says it's to 'minimise mental strain brought on by our dangerous missions.'" He snorted. "Like I need it; what I've been through is no quills off my head."
"And yet, something tells me you're going to go anyway," Manic teased.
Sonic's eyes darted about for a few moments. "Erm, well… yes… yes, I am. But only because it's the polite thing to do."
"And because you wouldn't want to upset Longclaw, now, would you?" Sonia inquired teasingly; as they followed the Owl in the direction she was now flying. "Besides, you don't seem like the kind of Hedgehog who'd sit cross-legged on the ground, eyes closed and chanting to himself."
Sonic flushed. "Oh, shut up, you two!"
Longclaw was leading the Freedom Fighters to some kind of garden on the edge of Knothole by the river that ran through the village. It was a pleasant, welcoming place with a pergola stretching across it and a couple of desert willow trees planted on either side. The gentle hush of the flowing river rippled through the air, and Manic and Sonia felt a soothing sensation come over them.
Only one thing seemed out of place in the garden: a treadmill standing in the open air, similar to the one Sonic had in his Shack, except it had solar panels attached.
The other Freedom Fighters were already there, along with a few other Knothole civilians who had simply wanted to attend, such as a Platypus named Penelope and a Porcupine named Dylan. They were seated on cushions or lying down on the ground upon comfortable mats. I was doing the latter.
Longclaw was standing at the head of the group, accompanied by Doctor Quack.
"Ah, Sonic, Manic, Sonia; you're here," Quack greeted. The Hedgehogs noticed that the Doctor was passing Longclaw what looked like a set of cards. "Now, Manic, Sonia, I trust you know what meditation is and how it works."
The two siblings nodded
"I've had sessions with my friends before."
"I haven't, but Ferrell did teach me to calm my mind and pay attention to my senses. Like, I guess that's applicable here."
"Very well, then. Choose a cushion or a mat and take your place. Sonic, you know what to do."
Sonic inclined his head and walked over to the treadmill.
"Like, I'm guessing that Longclaw usually teaches this, right?" Manic noted.
"Yes," Sally replied, "but she's having problems remembering the exact procedure at the moment. So Quack is filling in for her."
Sonic winced slightly, but, much to his relief, no one apart from his siblings noticed. And Manic and Sonia respectfully chose not to bring it up. Still, Sonic decided maybe he could use the meditation after all.
"What's that for, anyway?" Sonia asked, indicating the treadmill as she picked up a mat to lie on.
"It's what I run on when I meditate," Sonic answered as he stepped onto the treadmill.
"I thought meditation required being still and calm," Manic pondered.
"One can meditate while doing just about anything, really, Manic," Sally pointed out. "I mean, how could Sonic, the Hedgehog unable to be still for more than two seconds, possibly be 'still and calm'?"
Sonia laughed. Sonic just rolled his eyes as he pressed the start button, a big green button. Normally, treadmills start at a slow pace to allow the runner to start walking - about 10 mph. But as you might have guessed, Sonic doesn't start slow with anything. As such, his treadmill immediately began to run at 60 mph, before Sonic cranked it up to 90.
This was essentially Sonic's cruising speed; the speed at which he ran when at ease. He often went faster than this, but that was generally because he was having fun, or was on a mission, or needed to burn off nervous energy. This was his relaxing speed.
Manic and Sonia settled down with the other Freedom Fighters. Manic was sitting eagerly. Sonia lay down elegantly. Longclaw had also sat down with them.
"Okay, everyone," Quack announced. "Are we all comfortable? Yes? Good. Now, close your eyes and let's start with some nice, deep breathes. First, breathe in for 4 seconds."
Everyone did as instructed. Sonic, despite running fast, wasn't even panting.
"Now, hold for 7 seconds," Quack continued. "And then, release the breath very slowly, for about 8 seconds."
As Manic and Sonia released their breath slowly, they felt a developing sense of calm settle over them.
Quack had the Freedom Fighters repeat this breathing pattern a few times. "Now, just breathe normally," the doctor continued, "and take notice of the sounds around you. Don't force yourselves to listen to them. Simply let them be, without judgement. And should your minds wander off, as it will, inevitably, just bring yourselves back to the present moment without criticising yourself."
For everyone barring Manic, Sonia and myself, this was no real problem. The Freedom Fighters had carried out these sessions many times over the last few years, and so, doing as Quack instructed came almost as natural as putting on their clothes.
Sonic, in particular, relished the sounds around him, despite his earlier objections to needing meditation at all. The tweeting of Flickies in the trees; the occasional chirp of Insects in the undergrowth; the soft rustle of the trees and the grass in a gentle breeze; and the soft rush of water in the river soothed his nerves. As he continued to jog rapidly on the treadmill, a familiar sensation came over him.
For long as he could remember, Sonic had always felt a deep connection with nature. It wasn't just his affection with his friends and the various Mobinis that lived on South Island with him. At times, it was as if he was literally part of nature itself.
When a critter died or a tree fell, Sonic could tell where and when it had happened.
When Flickies migrated, Sonic knew where they were flying.
And if Robotnik did damage to the environment, as he had done a few days ago, Sonic could feel it almost as if Robotnik had hurt him directly.
So, to once again feel the beauty of the world coursing through him right now was a wonderful sensation... even if it was blighted by the lingering presence of Robotnik's facilities and machines.
Unfortunately, this blight was worsened by unpleasant feelings coming from Manic and Sonia.
Manic was shifting constantly on his cushion. Though the sounds around him was pleasant to listen to, with his eyes closed, his instincts kept telling him he might be set upon at any moment. The green Hedgehog tried to ignore this feeling, but it didn't help.
Sonia was turning from side to side on her mat. This was supposed to be easy for her - she'd had constant practise - so why was it so hard for her to feel calm now? Why was frustration and unease bubbling through her mind right now?
But the meditation wasn't completely interrupted until Doctor Quack said, "Thomas, can you please stop fidgeting so much? That's not the way to relax."
The Freedom Fighters were shaken out of their meditative states by the Duck's words. Longclaw, Sally, Antoine and Dylan were slightly dazed by the sudden interruption.
"Well, you try relaxing when you've suffered what I have!" I retorted as I leapt to my feet. Everyone looked round, as I kicked the mat away and stalked off irritably.
Sonic gazed after me in concern. He pressed the stop button and the treadmill slowed to a halt almost at once.
"Sorry about that, guys," he said. "Guess Tom needs more to recover..."
"He's not the only one," Sonia noted, running a hand through her hair.
Manic's gaze dipped. "Sorry for failing this part of the training, guys. I just couldn't get calm."
Longclaw shook her head. "You're not necessarily supposed to feel calm while meditating, Manic. The inward focus brings your emotions more into the light. But you'll get the hang of it with time, I'm sure." She tapped her beak with one hand. "I understand that Sonic has been showing you two around Knothole. How about I fly you two over the Island?"
"I can juice 'em around the Isle, Longclaw," offered Sonic eagerly. "I can do it before you know I'm even-"
"Grounded," Manic and Sonia reminded, rather tauntingly.
Sally, Antoine, Rotor and Bunnie all sniggered. Sonic scowled.
"Fine," he huffed as he started the treadmill up again. "But you better make it past cool for them, Longclaw. Please..." he added.
"For the one who raised you, I don't think that'll be a problem," Longclaw smiled. A moment later, the Owl spread her wings, and Manic and Sonia were lifted up into the air, a clawed foot grasping a shoulder each.
"Whoa!" Manic whooped. "This is amazing!"
"P-please be careful!" cried Sonia. "I don't want a tear in my shirt, thank you!"
Longclaw just laughed. "No promises," she teased.
Even as he slipped back into his meditative state, Sonic couldn't help but laugh too. If all the following days with Manic and Sonia were just as fun as this was, then his future was set to be past cool; WAY past cool!