-Chapter 303-
Forty Fathoms Deep
Party Barge
Hibiki swung down her blades at Sonic, preparing to slice him in two. But instead of the sound of rending flesh, she heard the clang of metal.
"What the…!?"
Freedom Fighter and Meropian alike looked on in shock as Hibiki found her blades had been blocked.
"Back the hell off, Hibiki!" Razor the Shark shouted.
"Razor!" Pearly shouted happily.
"Bah-bah!" Crusher chimed in.
"Razor!" Puff shouted. "What the hell do you think you're doing!?"
"What's it look like I'm doing?" the shark looked up. "Now!"
Just then, a wall of colored fire suddenly erupted from the deck, forcing Hibiki and the other soldiers back.
"Whoa!" Raz exclaimed. "The hell...!?"
"What the devil is going on!?" Angelica demanded. "Why is the ship on fire!?"
"Because you fishy side-dishes are fugging with my friends!"
Everyone turned to see Kat leap out of the water, using her flames to give her a boost.
"It's Kat!" Pearly cried.
"The human!" Aegis exclaimed as Kat landed, looking beyond pissed.
"Sorry I'm late," Kat said. "A giant clam tried to eat me… after almost drowning me."
Aegis winced at Kat's withering glare.
"Eep!" she squeaked. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
"Aegis, knock it off!" Raz snapped. "She's one of the bad guys , remember?"
Aegis rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Oh, right."
"Oh trust me, if I was the bad guy, the lot of you would be roasting on the grill with tartar sauce." Kat turned to Sally and Sonic. "Cliffnotes as to why the fugg we're being attacked?"
"No clue!" Sonic replied. "We need to get out of here now!"
"Right!" Kat gathered some flames. "Hey fish-heads! You should be swimming!"
"Stop her!" Puff screamed.
The guards rushed at Kat, who screamed, it coming out as a phoenix cry. Her fire became blinding.
"My eyes!"
When the light died down, they looked, only to find that the Freedom Fighters, Razor, and Pearly were gone.
"What!? NO! They've escaped!" Puff growled furiously. "Those accursed..."
Everyone watched nervously as Puff's breathing grew sharper and heavier, his entire body trembling with rage.
"Puff, wait!" Angelica cried out. "Your body…!"
"Striker! Hibiki!" Puff ordered as he stepped forward. "We're going after those brats! Turn the entire ship upside-down if you have to! I want them found!"
"Understood," Striker replied with a nod.
"Yes, Your Highness!" Hibiki declared, saluting. "Fathoms, move out!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Fluke and the others replied.
As the soldiers dispersed, Puff turned to his wife.
"Angelica, wait here on the ship."
"Puff, what are you doing?" the queen asked, worriedly.
"Something I'm going to both regret immensely…and enjoy thoroughly," he replied.
Angelica watched as Puff began taking large, deep breaths. As he did, his body began to give off an airy, rubbery sound, like that of an inflating balloon. But rather than the comical inflation from before, this one made Angelica look on in awe and fear.
-X-
Meanwhile...
The Freedom Fighters and their aquatic allies had managed to get away from the soldiers and hid away in the ship's aquarium lounge.
"Awww man..." Sonic let out as he plopped down on the couch. "That was way too close."
"So much for a relaxing vacation," Sally sighed.
"Tell me about it," Kat added. "I feel like I'm about to drop dead."
She then proceeded to do just that, thankfully skipping the dead part.
"Miss Kat!" Cream shrieked.
"What's wrong, what happened!?" Knuckles demanded.
"She's alright," Razor replied. "She's just weak. She may be strong, but she's still human, and almost drowning will do a number on anyone."
"Almost drowned!?" Keith shouted.
Razor nodded. "She got trapped in one of Aegis' shells. Luckily, she was nice enough to give her an Air Charm, otherwise she'd have been dead before I got to her. Speaking of…"
The shark turned to Sally and bowed deeply. "Princess Sally, let me start by saying how sorry for all of this. If I'd known Puff and Angelica were willing to go this far, I'd have done more to help you all sooner."
"Hey, you got us out of that shitshow before King Crazyfish could nab us, that's something," Sonic said.
"Indeed," Sally added. "You have our gratitude, Razor. Thank you."
Razor grinned sheepishly, showing off his sharp teeth.
"Right, I guess we should introduce ourselves," he said, turning to everyone. "Hey guys, name's Razor, Razor the Shark. Guardian of Eusebes Shrine and Priestess Coral the Betta."
"And I'm Pearly the Manta Ray!" his little companion greeted. "Priestess-In-Training!"
"Bah!"
"And this is Crusher," Pearly said, pointing to the Dark Chao.
"I'm sure you guys have, like, about a thousand and one questions, right now," Razor said.
"Understatement of the century," Sonic piped up. "How about we start with why the entire Meropis army jumped our ship and tried to throw us in the brig."
"Also, who were those other ones?" Sally asked. "They seemed to know you, especially the dolphin ninja."
"Finja!" Tangle chimed in, earning her a glare from Sally.
Razor sighed. "The dolphin's name is Iruka Hibiki. She's… Captain of the Meropian Freedom Fighters."
As soon as Razor finished speaking, the entire room went silent, everyone staring and gaping in dumbstruck shock.
"What?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, time out!" Sonic cut in. "Those guys… the ones who ambushed everyone and tried to arrest us… they're Freedom Fighters!?"
Razor nodded. "The Forty Fathoms. The team I made to try and protect Meropis and the Oceans from Dr. Eggman." He winced. "At least, until they gave me the boot."
"Yeesh, sounds like you picked some real winners," Sonic snarked, earning him a chastising look from Sally.
"Tell us what happened," she requested. "Why are Deena's parents after us? They mentioned something about 'crimes against the royal family'."
Razor sighed. "Pearly, would you and Cream take Kat and the black Sonic into the other room and treat their injuries?"
Pearly and Cream nodded.
"Okay, Razor!"
"You can count on us!"
"Here, let us help you," Knuckles added as he, Hope, and Keith helped pick them up.
As they took their unconscious teammates into the next room, Razor turned to the others.
"Alright, here's the story," he began. "It all started about a week ago. The Fathoms and I were summoned to Poseidos Palace for an important audience with the king and queen. When we got there, we found Puff… well, like you saw him just now."
"What was with him?" Chris asked. "He looked halfway ready to explode the entire time. He even tried to choke out Sonic."
"Dammit, that little…" Razor winced in sympathy before continuing. "Anyway, when we got to the palace, we learned that we were there to take on a special mission: to capture Sonic the Hedgehog for conspiring to defame and sabotage the Royal Family, as well as…" He sighed in exasperation. "Seducing, manipulating, and stealing the innocence of Princess Undina."
The room went silent once again as Sonic and the others gaped at Razor in shock.
"Say wha?" Tangle let out.
"I'm sorry, Razor, I think I still have water in my ears." Amy picked at her ear with a finger.
"Yeah…" Sonic cut in. "Cuz it sounded like you just said that Puff thinks I'm in a relationship with his daughter."
The shark shook his head. "You didn't mishear. That's exactly what I said."
"Ah, good, good." Sonic nodded calmly before scowling. "What the hell!? That's...That's crazy! I've only ever been to Meropis once! Why would he even...!?"
He froze. "The kiss..."
"Oh Aurora..." Knuckles managed, him, Hope, and Keith having just walked back in.
"Kiss?" Hope repeated.
"Sonic, what do you mean?" Keith asked. "Did you really…?"
"It wasn't a real kiss!" Sally pointed out. "It was circular breathing! Akhlut knocked his Air Charm loose during our fight with him and Deena gave him CPR to keep him from drowning! Puff and Angelica must have found out about it."
"But how?" Sonic asked. "Nobody else was around when it happened and we never told anybody about it!"
"Couldn't tell you," Razor replied. "But regardless of how they found out about it, they did. Now, they're rip-roaring pissed and out for blood."
"Over one, little kiss!?"
"It's not just the kiss," Tanaka cut in. "It's about honor. Among wealthy nobles - especially royalty - status, image, and personal honor are paramount. A single blemish, no matter how small, can severely impact one's standing in the court, leading to rumors and suspicions of lack of integrity or weakness, providing rivals with a means of leverage to manipulate or even overthrow them outright." The butler adjusted his glasses. "A noble scion having an unsanctioned relationship with someone well below their social standing is a particularly egregious offense, especially if it's with the crown princess."
"But there is no relationship!" Sonic shouted. "It was just one kiss! Not even that! Plus, I'm already in a relationship with Sally!"
"Doesn't matter," Razor picked up. "No matter what really happened, the other nobles still found out about it, and now, 'Sondeena' has become the hottest, juiciest rumor among the Noble Houses. Hell, Puff even said he had 'irrefutable proof'!"
"And what about us!?" Amy demanded. "We had nothing to do with this! We've never even been to Meropis!"
"But you are Sonic's friends. From what Kat told me, you guys are pretty tight, tight enough to cover up Sonic's little 'underwater romance'. Plus, as the Hero of Mobius, he has his own reputation to think about, so…"
Razor gestured awkwardly. Nothing more needed to be said.
"But…But that's so stupid!" Sonic shouted. "It's bogus! Malarky! Bullcrap!"
"That's what I said!" Razor shouted back. "But Puff and Angelica wouldn't listen, no matter how much I tried to talk them out of doing this!" He sighed. "So, they kicked me off the team and handed the reigns to Captain Striker and Hibiki. They even threatened to throw me in the dungeon too if I got in the way. Then, they sent Shroud and the others to keep tabs on you until you entered Meropis waters so they could nab you."
"And we brought him on the water," Knuckles facepalmed. "Crap…"
Sonic chuckled humorlessly.
"'Celebrate our victory over the Einherjar and start summer with a bang,' you said. 'Help me with my fear of water,' you said." He scoffed. "I told you I didn't wanna go! Now we're trapped on the open sea being hunted by Undina's nightmare-creature-from-Hell of a dad!" He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Next time we go on vacation, I'm choosing the spot."
Sally sighed. "Alright, so how do we prove to them that all of this is a big misunderstanding? For that matter, how did they even find out about it? Everyone who saw the kiss swore never to speak about it."
"I know I sure as heck didn't," Sonic chimed in. "The only one who knows besides us is Deena."
Just then, Sally perked. "Deena! That's it! We'll call her up and get her to clear things up!"
"That might just work," Razor said. "Puff's a moron and Angelica's a bitch, but they love their daughter more than anything. If anyone can get through to them, it's her."
"Alright then, does anyone have a phone?" Sonic asked.
"Shadow has his," Hope said, getting up. "I'll go get it."
With that, Hope headed for the next room.
"Huh," Sonic said. "Looks like we may get through this after all."
-X-
Back in the other room, Pearly and Crusher watched as Cream played the Mystic Melody before Shadow, who had been laid out on a cot to rest. The hedgehog let out a deep breath as the "flute's" energy washed over him, the purple blotches on his body vanishing along with the pain and the poison.
"There," Cream said as she dismissed the flute. "That oughta do it."
"Wow Cream, that was amazing!" Pearly exclaimed. "It took years before I was that good with the Mystic Melody."
Cream smiled. "I had a good teacher."
Just then, the girls heard the door open and saw Hope enter the room.
"How is he?" she asked worriedly.
"He's just fine, Hope," Cream said. "Pearly said he'd be a little tired, but he's not poisoned anymore."
"Thank Aurora," Hope sighed. "Anyway, I need to get Shadow's phone so we can call Deena so she can stop her parents."
"I'll get it!" Cream called out. "Sorry, Mr. Shadow." She reached into Shadow's pockets, eventually fishing out his smartphone. "I found it! Now we can…"
Cream was suddenly cut off when she felt something clamp over her mouth. Something cold, rough, and wet.
"Cream!" Pearly cried out, causing the door to slam open, revealing Sonic and the others.
"Guys, are you okay!?" Sonic asked. "What's going…What the…!?"
Everyone froze as Cream was suddenly lifted up by some invisible force.
"What the…a ghost!?" Tails asked.
"No," Keith replied. "That's not a ghost, it's Shroud!"
Just then, Pearly ran forward. "Leave her alone, Shroud! Crusher!"
"Bah!"
Pearly and Crusher charged forward, kicking and biting their invisible foe. A grunt of pain sounded out, causing him to drop Cream, prompting Sonic to rush forward and clothesline where it came from, a loud slam against the wall signaling he'd hit his target.
"Cream, are you okay!?" Sonic asked.
Cream nodded. "I'm okay, Mr. Sonic. He didn't sting me."
"Grrrgh…Dagon dammit…"
All eyes turned to the wall as the air shimmered and rippled, revealing a familiar-looking stingray. He had a bloody snout, as well some bruises on one leg and teeth marks on the other.
"Shroud…" Hope let out.
" That's the guy who attacked you?" Knuckles asked in disbelief. "He looks like a belly dancer at the Arabian Nights club."
Sonic raised an eyebrow. "And you know that how?"
"Enough…"
Just then, a spiral of water emerged from the floor, which began to coalesce into a humanoid form.
"Hibiki…" Sonic let out.
"Are you alright, Shroud?" the "finja" asked as the stingray stood up.
"Physically," he grit out before turning to Pearly. "Acolyte Pearly, I am very disappointed in you. Bad enough you betray the Royal Family, but attacking a guardsman?" He turned to Razor, giving the shark a nasty look. "No doubt a result of your bad influence."
"Hey, you tried to strangle a little girl and poisoned another girl's father!" the shark snapped back.
Hibiki's eyes widened at that last statement. "You did what!? Shroud, what is wrong with you!? We were supposed to capture and subdue them!"
"And I did," the stingray countered. "We were given direct orders by King Puff to subdue and capture Sonic and his allies by any means necessary, and that's what I did."
"But you promised you wouldn't hurt them!" Pearly pleaded. "You promised!"
"Have you even considered the consequences of your actions?!" Sally demanded. "All of us, Sonic included, are under the protection of the Kingdom of Acorn, the United Federation, and the Echidnas of Angel Island! I'm the princess of the first, for Aurora's sake! Even if Sonic actually did what King Puff claims he did, what you're doing constitutes an act of war against all three!"
Shroud and Hibiki winced at their words. Hibiki in particular looked conflicted, the light in her green eyes seeming to flicker on and off like a dying bulb.
"Even still… orders are orders," the dolphin said, her resolve returning.
"We are the Forty Fathoms," Shroud began. "We have sworn to be the wave that washes away all who would harm the kingdom of Meropis and its rulers. We are simply doing our jobs."
Sonic scowled, his face darkening as he rose to his feet.
"Just following orders?" Hope spat. "Some of my closest friends and family have been at the mercy of men 'just doing their jobs' or 'just following orders'. Some of them were those people. And you know what happened? They nearly lost everything and everyone they ever cared about! Both them and the people they hurt! So, the next time you think you should just 'follow orders' like a 'good soldier' or an Aurora-damned Badnik... think again."
"Hope…" Sally said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Realizing what was going on, Hope took a deep breath, calming down.
"Sorry…"
"Look," Sonic piped up. "I don't know what Puff told you, but I swear, I would never lay a finger on Deena. If this is about the kiss, it was rescue breathing. Akhlut almost drowned me and she saved my life."
"A kiss!?" Hibiki shouted in disbelief.
"A kiss!?" Shroud chimed in.
"A KISS!?" shouted a new voice, one low, deep, and menacing.
Suddenly, the ceiling collapsed as something massive dropped down, knocking away everybody nearby and sending dust and debris everywhere. Sonic coughed as he waved the dust away.
"Oh geez…did they just have Fluke break down the ceiling!?"
"No…" Razor let out fearfully. "That wasn't Fluke. That was…"
Loud, crushing footsteps echoed through the room, causing Sonic and the others to freeze in terror as a large figure stepped forward; the owner of the deep, menacing, monstrous voice. He was big, easily the same height as Akhlut and Tundra, and every bit as muscular. At first, Sonic thought it was Akhlut, until the dust began to clear and he was finally able to get a better look at his body. An indigo-scaled, thistle-spotted, lilac-bellied and muzzled body covered in blue spines, a trident in his massive arms and rage in his light blue eyes.
"Sonic the Hedgehog…" he grit out. "I don't know what kind of game you think you're playing, but it ends now!"
"No way…" Sonic let out.
"Now, prepare to feel the unbridled wrath of King Puff Merrowyn de Meropis!"
Author's Note:
Deena's dad is effing mad...in more ways than one.
And yes, you read correctly, Shroud and his cronies are reimagined versions of the Forty Fathoms Freedom Fighters from the early Archie days, given a Post-SGW-style revamp to bring them up to the same level of polish as their Meropis successors...and less cringe-inducingly puntastic.
Next time, it's an all out battle: Land VS Sea! Fish VS Not-Fish! Fighters VS Fathoms!
Recasts for this chapter:
* Puff: Chris Guerrero (Gecko Moriah from One Piece, Ainz Ooal Gown from Overlord, Cooler and Doctor Gero from Dragon Ball Z Abridged, Enrico Maxwell from Hellsing Ultimate Abridged)
A WORD FROM WINDSTAR:
To give you an idea, Puff's normal voice is high-pitched and scratchy like Moriah's, while his voice in this new, big, scary giant form is Sorcerer King Ainz.
Don't forget to R&R!
