PHASE 02: First Meeting
Before him was Space.
Space… and Chaos.
No gravity held him down to any earth or land to fall on. He felt the appendages flex metal fingers. He felt he had become one with his metal suit he had been given. An instrument of war.
His eardrums pounded with the sounds of explosions erupting all around him. The sounds of missiles and warheads firing from both sides of the battlefield brought about a sickening sound more powerful than the claps of thunderbolts.
Producing his view were the emerald beams of fire. He looked to see his metal hand holding an assault rifle. A gun that shot a deadly green beam that traveled far and away till it pierced and blasted at the sight of the missiles shooting towards him.
He felt himself falling through the belly of the besieging fleet. He lifted both of his guns to shoot back emeralds beams back at the blazing turrets turning towards him. He could feel and sense the thousands of guns, turrets, and suits targeting him.
He had a different sense apart from his five senses.
He knew where they were, and he knew where to shoot. He could feel his wings spread apart, and from behind his eyes, rays of red, green, yellow, and white shot and sailed through the void of space… before they pierced and exploded hundreds of warheads coming in his direction.
The result bringing about a lake of pink explosions that illuminated the whole of the battlefield. Its glow reflected back at the great glass of the great hourglass figures behind him. The very things he sought protect.
There was no respite for such place. Everything was all ongoing. A shot was fired every millisecond. A beam flying through space before it burned and seared through a human life.
And he could hear them.
He could hear them all screaming. From all sides. He could their cries of agony as a battleship's side exploded, and those inside were caught by the exploding shrapnel and fires. He could hear the screams of pilots being blown from their cockpits and into the vacuum of space. He could hear the cutoff screams of men and women being vaporized from the radiation beams blowing their bodies and cells towards the white light of oblivion.
And he was part of it.
No matter how much he tried not to.
He moved his aim to shoot off the head of a Strike Dagger. His railguns sent a pair of shots that pushed back another squad of GINN's. He made a barrel roll that sent down a spiral to avoid that dozen machine guns from the battleship close to him. He turned and fired another round from his shoulder cannons to send a pair of burning rays that burned right across the set of turrets.
He dashed away from the burning battleship, and towards the end of the battlefield.
He yearned for rest. A moment of respite. He could still hear the voices calling out.
He felt a flicker in his mind, and he gasped before pushing himself out of the way to avoid a green beam. He turned… and saw him.
A dark gray reflection of himself, hovering over him. Looking down at him with cold, emotionless eyes that only jeered at him. Laughing at him.
That laugh.
From its sides the dark suit deployed a series of funnels that flew around the space surrounding him, and aimed towards him. Dozens of green beams shot towards him.
He moved. He moved left and right, and back again. He didn't stop as he heard the piercing screech of the funnel shooting at him, before he even saw the glow of the beam aiming towards him. His very being was being surrounded by a persistent web of green burning beams. A web that keeping him from approaching the dark figure ahead of him.
The figure he wanted to get to. The one he wanted to grab. To strike.
He felt a shot pierced his side. He pulled his arm to block another from piercing. He turned, and then he felt his right foot get shot off. His senses turn with pain from the burning metal and smoke from his stump.
It mattered not. He moved again, to avoid the hateful figure shoot a larger beam at him. He unsheathed his burning pink blade. Resolved to end the hateful figure.
End the hate and jeering that was emitting from him.
He didn't falter when he felt his arm come clean off. He didn't when he felt the beams ripped off one of his wings. He didn't even when he felt his head separate from his body.
Rather than choke for air, he commanded his bleeding body through the cold and bleeding void of space and plunged his saber into the black heart of the hateful monster in front of him.
It should have been done, and then the boy noticed the monster was barely shocked, but somehow... appeased. His glass visor cracked and broke apart, and he kept a smile upon his face as his figure had been stabbed, with little hope of rescue.
The boy pulled his blade from the hateful figure, leaving just when a great firing beam came from the fortress below them. And a great explosion was now imminent. Ready to take everyone in everywhere with it.
He could only feel himself drift far back. Drifting from it all. The chaos. The screaming. All of it now ready to come to slow and languishing silence, and there would be nothing left.
Nothing. Nothing left to be gain from this.
...
It was all but certain, and the boy had been ready to close his eyes... ready for the great light to overtake him and everything of him, before eventually darkness.
It would have been... if not for a small spark.
The spark was small, but his eye widened when he saw it...
Before it erupted miles in front of him.
It started out small like a newborn star, and soon the silence faded when a shocking thunder erupted from it. The blue star exploded into a tidal wave that started to stretch and make towards everything, including and the fleet around him. The electronic wave flushed through and caused the battleship to flip over and mobile suits were flung in all directions.
The young man awoke when he found himself lying upon the wooden floor of the porch. He had just felt a strong wave burst through him. It was not like that of a wind breezing against his skin or clothes, it felt stronger. It felt as though the sudden wave passed through his very flesh and bone. It was though every molecular cell in his very being felt a static shock… before it passed in less than a second.
His mind jumbled at what it was. He looked to the wooden rocking chair next to him, and remembered that he had been sitting in it only seconds ago. It was just after having dinner with everyone, he had come outside as he usually wood to take in cool air of the beach, and the quiet serenity of the night would bring.
It helped so much to keep his mind at ease.
He then took notice from the look of the windows that the lights were no longer on. Before he could wonder about that, he heard the front door opening.
"Kira!" He blinked, before he turned to see the front door opening for a pink-haired girl to rush out and turned towards him.
"Lacus," He rose from the floor to meet her. He took her hands with his own, and noticed the concern on her face. "What's wrong? Why are the lights off?"
"It's a blackout!" She explained. "The power suddenly went off."
"Aw, man! When are we going to finish Agent Bondman?!"
"It was almost over!"
"I hate this."
"I don't like being in the dark!"
"Now, now…" Reverend Malchio said as he patted some of the children who gathered around him. "We can only hope that this blackout doesn't last long. Let's try to be patient."
"Well, there's some good news…"
"Mother?" Kira said as he and Lacus approached the purple-haired woman with a pair of flashlights.
"At least we still have some service…" the woman held up her phone. "Though, I wonder for how long…"
"Have you tried making a call to Dad?" Kira asked.
"Not yet," His mother stated. "Though, if this blackout is not only happening here, then I'm sure he would call for concern."
"Maybe I should look over the generator outside, just in case," Kira said, before turning to Lacus. "Lacus, do you remember where I last put that toolbox."
"Oh," Lacus said, starting to ponder. "I think you put it back at the end of the closet."
Then there came the sound of a clatter.
"What?" Kira said, and everyone in the dark room paused in alarm.
"That came from outside." Reverend Malchio stated.
Kira pointed his flashlight, and his eyes narrowed when he looked upon the sight of trash cans knocked over. Now, it seemed the option of more raccoons intruding all the more plausible. Unless…
He approached closer to the cans, and noticed something on the ground. He kneeled, pulled the flashlight to see better, and came to see recognizable dent of a footprint.
It meant only one thing.
Someone was here.
…
A sense of dread starting to fill up in Kira's being, till he noticed something strange. The footprint looked… small. Not large enough to be an adult man. At least… a kid's…?
…
Kira then noticed another footprint. And another… and saw the trail leading up to…
The open door of the shed.
…
The teen slowly approached, raising his flashlight and the gun in both of his hands. A part of him was dreading whoever it was… whatever what maybe there… that if the blackout around the house had been intentional or if was nothing short of coincidence. He prayed it was the latter.
As he approached closer, he then heard something from the other side.
"Uh… man…"
Kira's eyes widened by the sound of a tired, male voice from inside the shed, and then…
He kicked the door open, and dashed in.
"WHO'S THERE?!" Kira cried out as he pulled up the flashlight across the room and aimed, before he caught sight of the intruder in the middle of the shed…
…and froze in place as his light illuminated the sight of the person. He stopped completely by what he was seeing…
Blue. That was the first thing he caught. Blue… as in blue fur. Blue fur around a small individual. Not a child.
Not even human.
The teen's wide eyes closed in on features that clearly belonged to that of an animal: ears, hair, mouth, large green eyes, white gloves, and red shoes. It's left hand holding tightly to a small leather backpack. Its face clearly frozen in place, as even its very large green eyes were staring… straight back at him.
…
Kira felt as if a full minute had passed between him… and being right in front of him. When some time had passed… the blue figure made the first to make an action.
"Uhh…" It opened its mouth… to speak. Speak. And then made… an awkward smile?
…
"Uh… meow?"
…
…
Kira screamed.
And so did the creature in front of him.
And upon instinct, Kira pulled the trigger. And out came a dart that landed on the left blue furry leg…
"Oh, c'mon…" That was the last thing the blue figure said, before collapsing to the ground.
"Kira! Kira, what's…"
…
"What… what are you carrying?!"
"My goodness, Kira, is that… is that an animal?!"
"I… I don't know!"
…
"Kira, what are you saying?"
"It… It talked…"
"What?"
"It talked! It was talking! It talked to me! I… don't know how…"
…
"What we should do about… whoever this is?"
"Who should we call?"
"What are we going to do with him till then?"
…
"Whoa… what is it?"
"He's blue!"
"Is that really his fur?"
"Are those his ears? Can we touch them?"
"You don't think they're real."
"Wow, his fur is so soft!"
"Hey, look at his shoes!"
"He looks so cute!"
"Can we keep him, Mister Kira?"
…
"Now, now…" His sight was still foggy, but he detected the pink-colored hair of the person hovering over him. For a moment, he almost thought it Amy hovering over him, but then realized it couldn't be…
Whoever it was, her voice sounded way different. It sounded… gentle… and soft…
…
"It's best to let him sleep."
"Uh… oh…"
Sonic slowly opened his eyes, and finally his vision was becoming clearer. The first he saw was a plain ceiling, before he noticed he was lying down. Lying down… on a soft mattress, and covered with a comfy blanket?
'Don't tell me… was the whole fiasco a dream?'
No. The hedgehog wiped his face, and started to move his head away from the pillow, and looked around the bedroom he was in.
"No way this is my room." He shook his head. "Not without my game posters…" He glanced at the plain walls holding only a few pictures of the sea. "…or my old Dreamcast system. Or my Olympic medals. Or…"
He gasped when he noticed something else. He turned his blanket over, and noticed his feet were missing his essential footwear. The most essential for the world's fastest hedgehog! He panicked for a brief second before it faded with relief when he noticed his red shoes set properly next to the bed.
Okay. Not his room, but his shoes were still there. Check.
Okay, what else was missing… besides being in a never-seen-this-room-in-my-life room? If the craziness he and the others had been going through in the past several days, then that would mean…?
No… it couldn't had been a dream. Because what about the…
The Chaos Emeralds.
He looked over himself, and back around the room for any sign. The panic started to return. After all the trouble he and everyone went through to get them, and if they weren't with them… then there was a big fat chance that…
"OOFFF!"
The hedgehog didn't count on falling face down on the wooden floor and knocking the lamp and shelf over as well, which caused a big noise.
"What was that?!"
"Oh, boy…" Sonic sighed, as he heard the voices from below, and then he heard the footsteps coming up the stairs, and before long, the door to the room opened.
"Oh, my goodness!" A woman's voice exclaimed, no doubt upon seeing him on the floor.
"Mom, wait!" Okay, so that must be her son talking. Sonic tried to move his head to look up at them, but by the time he did, his vision started getting blurry again…
Sonic felt himself waking up in the same bed… again.
But this time, as soon as he opened his eyes, he saw someone in the same room as him. When he made a voice from his throat, he could see the person, who had been sitting on a nearby chair straighten up, and glanced towards him.
"What…?" Sonic took note of what appeared to be a boy. Scratch that, a teen. The hedgehog slowly took in the boy's features. Having a dark brown hair and having a tan skin complexion. He then noted having a pair of amethyst-colored eyes… that looked at him… both nervous and wary.
Sonic couldn't tell why the boy looked somewhat familiar… and then it started to hit him… just as he recalled being hit with…
"You…"
"Uh… you can…" The teen stuttered, his gaze not blinking or leaving the blue hedgehog. "You can talk."
…
"You can talk."
…
What…? Sonic stared dumbfounded at the gaping teen. For real?
"Uh…" The hedgehog almost stopped himself, just as he saw how even uttering a word was making the boy in front of him look even more… weird.
"Uh… yeah. Well… duh!" His emphasis and tone on that last part made the boy almost startled a bit.
…
"What?" Sonic exclaimed. "You never seen a talking hedgehog before, pal?"
"Hedgehog?" The boy blinked, almost in disbelief. "You're… a hedgehog?"
"Yeah!" Sonic exclaimed again, as if it were obvious. "What do you think I look like? A fox? Squirrel? An Echidna? Please, don't tell me you thought of cat, I get that way too often."
"Uh…" The boy looked taken aback. "Well… sorry. But… we… I couldn't really tell…"
"Why not?" Sonic lifted his hands.
"Well…" The guy looked nervous with what he was about to say. "You… you're…"
"I'm what?" Sonic pointed to himself. "Blue?"
"Uh…" The boy paused. "Well, yeah."
"Is it the shoes?" He pointed to his shoes next to the bed. "Never seen a hedgehog with shoes before?"
"You're too big to be a hedgehog," The boy stated.
"I'm not just any hedgehog." He waved his hands to himself. "I'm Sonic."
"What?"
"Sonic." The blue hedgehog gestured to his very being. "I'm Sonic the Hedgehog."
…
"Sonic?" The boy repeated the name. "The Hedgehog?"
"Uh-huh," Sonic nodded, clearly seeing the boy was trying to take it in.
"That's supposed to be your name?" The kid barely sounded skeptic.
"Yep, don't wear it out." The hedgehog smiled with pride.
…
"Okay…" Sonic could there was an awkward silence setting in between them. "Well…" The teen rubbed his head. "I'm… Kira."
"Huh?"
"My name. My name is Kira." The boy gestured to himself. "Kira Yamato."
"Oh," Sonic said, taking in the name of the teen in front of him. "Kira? Yamato?"
"Yes," The teen nodded.
"Your first name's Kira?" Sonic asked.
"Yeah."
Sonic thought to say his thoughts out loud, but kept them to himself. 'Kira... as in...' Sonic almost chirped in his throat at that.
"What's wrong?" Kira noticed his expression.
"Oh, nothing! Nothing at all!" Sonic forced a smile. "I just think… it sounds like a cool sounding name!"
…
"Uh… thanks…" The teen looked a bit puzzled by that.
"Well," Sonic clapped his hands together. "Nice meeting ya' kiddo, but if you don't mind…"
"Wait, what are you doing?" Kira said as Sonic pulled up the bedsheets.
"Sorry, to cut so soon. But I have to jet and… WHOA!" And Sonic fell again to the floor.
"Hey, are you okay?!" Kira rushed to help and pull Sonic from the floor and back to bed.
"Uh… I don't know…" The hedgehog shook his head, before looking at his legs. "Why are my legs feeling a little like jelly?"
"Well…"
…
"Wait a minute!" Sonic exclaimed, which caused Kira to pause. "I remember now!" The hedgehog pointed his finger at the guy. "You… you shot me!"
"Wait, I didn't mean to shoot you…" Kira quickly stated. "I used a tranquilizer!"
"Yeah, how much dose was in that?!" Sonic exclaimed.
"Look… just take it easy," Kira tried to say. "Just lay down and rest…"
"REST?!" Sonic said. "This is NO time to lay down! I need to get moving! I need to make sure the…" Soon, dread started to build up again. "Oh… no…"
"What? What is it now?"
"Where are they?" Sonic looked around bed and desk.
"Where is what?"
"The…" Sonic paused himself from saying it out loud. "My bag! I had a bag with me…"
"Wait, you mean this bag?"
Sonic gasped when he saw Kira moving across the room, bending down towards a chair… to lift up a simple-looking brown-leather bag…
The bag that carried the…
"Oh, thank Fudge and Chili!" Sonic sighed with relief. "Oh, thanks man. Now can you give it here…?"
"First… one question." Kira stayed where he was, still holding the bag.
"Huh?"
"What were you doing in our shed?"
"Shed?" Sonic said. "Wait… you mean where we met?"
"Yes. Can you explain why you were in there to begin with?"
"Oh, right, well…" Sonic now had to explain it… "Well, you see… I was… I didn't know where I was. I was… in the forest… and it was dark… I couldn't see any lights…"
"You mean the blackout?"
"What?"
"There was a blackout," Kira explained. "The lights and power went off for a while."
"Oh…"
"We heard a noise outside. The trash cans were tipped over, and the door to the shed was opened…" Kira explained. "Either it was an intruder… or…"
"Or?"
"The kids thought it was the raccoons again." Kira admitted.
…
"RACOONS?!" The hedgehog exclaimed. "C'mon, don't tell that was the first thing you thought I was when you saw me?"
"And what about this?" Kira held up the bag.
"Hey, that's mine!" Sonic extended his hand towards it. "Give it back!"
"Take it easy."
"I will, once you give it back to me this instant."
"I didn't peak inside it, if that's what you're thinking."
"Thanks, now I would appreciate if you could…"
"Anything I should be concerned about?"
"What? No, it's private!"
"Slow down," Kira said. "There's no need to get erratic."
There came a sudden sound that interrupted them. A gurgling sound.
…
"Huh?" Sonic said. "What was that?"
…
"That's your stomach," Kira stated.
"What? No!" Sonic denied.
The gurgling came again, causing Sonic to look down at his stomach.
"You're hungry, aren't you?" Kira asked.
"What?" Sonic looked back at the teen with denial. "No, no… I just may have skipped dinner…" He looked down. "Like… I don't know how long…"
"I see…" Kira shook his head with a light smile, before turning away.
"Hey, hey, hey, where are you going?" Sonic exclaimed.
"Just stay right there. I'll get you some breakfast."
"Wait, wait, wait!" The bag was still in the Kira's hand. "What about the…" The teen closed the door.
"Way to break it, Sonic, my boy!" Sonic laid back on the bed with his arms crossed. The numbness started to wear off from his legs, but not quick enough. Otherwise…
"What happens when a guy finds out your bag has a motherload of Chaos Emeralds, what is he going to do?"
…
"Would he know what they really are?"
…
"More likely he doesn't. But if he does then what happens when he thinks… I'm a jewel thief?!" The hedgehog gasped. "Sure, the sight several pretty colored emeralds stuffed in a bag doesn't paint a not-so-suspicious picture. And if he thinks the worst… he might call the cops."
…
"Aw…"
How did he end up in this kind of place to begin with?
The hedgehog thought back to what that Kira guy said. Blackout, huh? Of course… the machine. Just like the last time something like that happened.
…
'But if I'm here...?' Sonic raised his eyebrows. "Then what about…"
"What's he doing?"
"Huh?" Sonic was snapped out of his thoughts.
"He's talking to himself!" The hedgehog glanced to door, and noticed that was opened a little bit, and notice small voices from behind it.
"You think he's an alien?"
"Mister Kira said he's a hedgehog!"
"No way!"
Sonic could make out the whispers coming from the door. Are those… kids?
Then somehow, he noticed the small voices ceased, and heard the sound of multiple footsteps from the other side of the room, as if they were scurrying away from something.
"Hello? May I come in?" Sonic paused, upon hearing another voice calling from behind the door, and it was neither Kira Yamato's or any of the young children from before. It was clearly an older girl's voice. And strangely… a nice voice.
"Uh… Uh, sure. You can come in." He answered, with a bit of hesitance.
As the door opened, the hedgehog's eyes widened as his nostrils inhaled the unmistakable aroma of food.
"Holly Molly! I know my nose is smelling food but… wow! That smells… really good!"
"Hello there."
Sonic paused, and glanced up to see the person holding his tray of food. It was indeed a girl. A teen, that had to be the same age as Kira, and yet her appearance was drastically different from his. A large flowing mane of pink hair that reached past her waist, with fair skin and a pair of blue cerulean eyes watching him. The girl was dressed in a light blue sleeveless dress.
…
"Uh…" The hedgehog realized he was in the middle of an awkward silence. "Hello."
…
"Oh, hello." The girl soon made a warm smile. "How are you feeling?"
"Uh…" Sonic stuttered. "I'm okay. Thanks."
…
"Your name is supposed to be… Sonic, right?" The girl asked.
"Oh… uh… yeah." Sonic said. "How'd you know?"
"Kira told me downstairs, and he said that you were famished," She held up the tray. "I made this just for you."
"Huh?" Sonic started wide-eyed as the angelic-looking girl approached with the tray of breakfast that had that so-loving aroma to it. He stared at the cooked eggs on the toast bread, next to sides of bacon strips and a glass of orange juice, and then back at the girl still smiling at him. "Wait… you made this for me?"
"That's right," She nodded. "We were worried that you wouldn't wake for some time, and I was quite sure that you would be hungry."
"Oh, sure… this… this is really nice." Sonic couldn't resist how the breakfast looked in front of him, and the building appreciation he was feeling for the nice girl going out of her way to cook it for him. "Really… thank you so much, Miss… uh…"
"Lacus," She answered with a smile. "My name's Lacus."
"Lacus! Lacus!"
"Huh?" Before Sonic could reply, he was once again interrupted when heard another voice repeating the girl's name in a gibberish kind of way. He got his answer when popping right next to him. "What the…?!"
He almost jumped when a pink ball hopped up and down before it came near the side of his bed. The hedgehog looked to see it was a machine, and it lines that formed a sort of mouth, and beeping dots that formed the eyes. It stopped and stared right back at him.
"You thankful! You better be! You better be!"
"Huh?" Sonic stared wide-eyed. "Who are you?"
"Oh, my! Couldn't wait to meet our waking guest now, could you?" The girl named Lacus giggled, before taking the pink-sphered robot in her hands. "Sonic, meet Mr. Pink."
Kira peeked from the door to see Sonic look at Mr. Pink in surprise, all the while Lacus giggled. He could see the hedgehog looking at the pink Haro with a look that may have been wonder and amusement. Before long, the talking hedgehog turned his attention on the breakfast Lacus made for him. And when the blue figure took a bite from the egg-covered buttered toast, he paused, before his cheeks started to turn the same color as Lacus' hair.
Yep, hook. Line. And sinker.
Sonic ate the rest of it in less than a second. That is what to expect when tries Lacus' home cooking for the first time.
The hedgehog looked back at Lacus with shock and even more awe than when he had been caught off guard by the Haro, and the girl naturally flashed her gentle smile with closed eyes.
To be fair, Kira could think of how people would expect fine dining in high places or spend bundles in high establishments for a quality food. Yet, he began to think that the chances of any of their standards would be able to appease him after having the daily pleasure of having the gastronomical magic that came from Lacus' natural cooking.
He would still remember the very first time he partook of her cooking, when she had been nursing him back to health at her house during his time at the PLANTS.
"I take it our guest is adjusting smoothly?"
Kira turned and noticed the man behind him. "Reverend Malchio."
Before long Kira opened the door to let him and the blind reverend in.
"Kira…" Lacus greeted, as she and Sonic turned from their small talk to address the two entering the room.
"Lacus," Kira smiled, before turning to the hedgehog still sitting on the bed. "Sonic, this is Reverend Malchio."
"Huh?" Sonic glanced at the man. "Oh… hello there, sir."
"Hello, to you as well…" The man said. "Sonic… the Hedgehog, is it? That is what Kira told us your name was, is it?"
"Without a doubt," Sonic rubbed his head. "Though… I guess… it must be weird… well, more than weird… if you never seen… a talking hedgehog before."
"No… but I doubt I'll ever have the chance to see it, even as of now."
"What?" Sonic looked confused.
"I hope you would forgive me, my child," The reverend said. "But as you can see… I no longer have the gift of sight."
…
"Huh?" Sonic's eyes widened. "Wait a minute? Are you saying… you're… you're blind, mister?"
"That is correct," The reverend answered. "But there are many things that I still have to be thankful for. Though, I cannot see you, I can tell…"
"Tell what?"
"While Kira and the others had done their best to describe your appearance to me, that is the least of my concerns," Malchio smiled. "Just from the sound of your voice, I can see that you sound no different than any other sentient being that I can talk and help with the best I can."
…
"Oh…" Kira could see how bewildered Sonic looked at Malchio's speech, clearly touch by the man's empathy. "Uh… thank you. I… very much appreciate that."
"Your very welcome, my child." The reverend made a nod to his head.
"Heh, well, Mister… Reverend…" Sonic made a wince, causing Kira to shake his head, even spotting Lacus giggling. "I think I'm too much older to be considered a child."
…
"For what it's worth… I'm really thankful… for despite the small… misunderstanding…" Sonic glance a bit at Kira, and the teen knew what he meant. "That you decided to take me into your place… very nice room, by the way." The hedgehog made a quip about the room. "And also, for… the most heavenly breakfast, with eggs and bread that tasted so tender and full of bliss!" He chirped, with Lacus' cheeks turning pink. "As much as I would like to sit back and chill…" His look turned anxious. "I really need to get going."
There he was at it again.
"You wish to leave? Now?" Lacus frowned. "There's no need to exert yourself."
"It's not that I want to," Sonic glanced at her. "But I better, because…"
"Why are you in a rush?" Kira asked. "Is there something you need to be?"
"I need to find my friends!" Sonic exclaimed, and he could see that caught their attention.
"Your friends?" Lacus asked. "What happened to them?"
"I… I don't know…" Sonic rubbed his head. "I… it's a long story." Long story was selling it short. "But… I got separated from them."
"So, you don't know where they are now?" Kira asked. "Do you know how to find them?"
"Uh, well… I don't know." Sonic reluctantly said. "I don't know if… they ended anywhere near where I found myself at. I don't even know where I am."
"This place is my orphanage," Reverend Malchio said.
"Huh? An orphanage?" Sonic looked back at the blind reverend.
"Yes." The man nodded. "This place is located in the Marshall Islands. Not very far from the Orb Union."
"Orb Union?" Sonic said. "What's that?"
"Orb," Kira glanced again at Sonic. "You don't know about Orb?"
"Well, which is that?" The hedgehog questioned. "Orb as in the ball? Or is that a place?"
"You never heard of the Orb Union?" Lacus kneeled near Sonic, looking curious.
"Uh… not until now…" Sonic looked at her.
Kira pinched the bridge of his nose. This was going to be even more complicated. Especially since Cagalli had already left, and may not be back until…
Another knock came at the door.
"Ugh, for real? Who is it now?" Sonic said with annoyance, which Kira ignored, and instead looked to see who opened the door.
"Mother?" Kira said, upon seeing the woman entering the room.
"Mother?" He noticed Sonic make a double-take by his mother's appearance, and noticed one of the children with her.
"Mother, what's wrong?" He noticed the look on her face.
"The children…" He noticed his mother briefly glancing at Sonic, a brief look crossed her eyes, no doubt she was still unnerved a bit by his appearance. He couldn't blame her. "The kids downstairs ran up to me, and wanted to see all of you."
"Mister Kira!" Kira looked one young boy tugging at his sleeve, and noticed the frown on his face. "We need to tell you something!"
"What is it?"
"There's a man snooping outside our house!"
…
That alone caught everyone's attention. Kira even felt himself a little pale.
"A man?"
"Yeah! A big man!"
"It's a man!" One of the girls cried out. "A big man!"
"A creepy-looking man!"
"What?" Kira said.
"A creepy-looking man?" Lacus crouched near the children in order to comfort them, Kira then noticed that Sonic had suddenly paused still.
"Children" Reverend Malchio addressed them. "How is this man creepy-looking? What does he look like?"
…
"It's a bald guy!" The first boy said. "And he's fat!"
…
"He wears a red coat and black pants!" The second boy said, a suspicious scowl crossing his features. "He looks like one of those guys from ZAFT!"
"From ZAFT?" That caused Kira to glance at Lacus, and he shared the concern in her eyes. "Are you sure?" He turned back to the young boy.
"He also has a funny-looking mustache…" One of the girls said.
…
Instantly, before any of them could reply, Kira heard a faint gasp, and he glanced to see Sonic, looking completely pale. His expression being one of complete dread.
"Sonic?" Kira said.
"Oh, no." The hedgehog leapt off the bed, not looking at any present in the room with him. "He's here. He's really here!"
"Who's here?!" Kira asked, not liking the anxiety that spilling from the hedgehog. Was it because of what the children were describing about one person?
"Guys!" Sonic glanced at Kira with the most serious expression he had seen from him. "We're in big trouble!" At that, Kira heard both his mother and the children gasped.
"Trouble? From who?" Lacus said, looking now very concerned.
"Hey," Kira looked to the kids. "Is that man still outside?"
"Yes, Mister Kira!" The boy pointed at the window.
…
Kira slowly approached the window, and carefully peaked through the blinds, and he noticed Sonic coming right next to him to peak as well.
Catching glimpse of the sandy shore right in front of the house, there was a strange figure kneeling as if inspecting something, and Kira noticed the red coat…
"DAH!" Sonic nearly shrieked as he backed away from the window, his brief panic causing nearly everyone in the room to gasp in fright.
"Sonic?" Kira looked to the trembling hedgehog. "Who is that?" He gestured to the window. "Is that…"
"Yeah… it's him…" Sonic said, with dread. "He's found me."
"What?" Kira asked. "You know who that man is?!"
"Listen, you don't know who this guy is!" Sonic interjected with a dead look in his green eyes. "You don't know him, but I do. And he is dangerous! Scrap that, calling him dangerous is an understatement!"
The way he was saying each word, barely gave reason for Kira to deny him, and that troubled him.
"I don't understand?" Lacus nearly peaked out the window. "Why would he be after you?"
"Because he hates me!" Sonic exclaimed. "I already know that he wants nothing more than to see me turned a rug and blown to pieces! This guy even hates my guts for crying out loud!"
Kira looked at how Sonic was shaking, and the look in his eyes.
"By now he may have found traces of me around here. But even if I make a run for it now… he'll know that you guys took me in and…"
…
…
The silence caused a wave of fright to pass over the children, who started clinging close towards Lacus, Malchio, and Kira's mother. Kira was feeling a wave of dread splashing over him, and even more as he saw the look in Sonic's eyes. Suddenly, he didn't look to be kidding around. And every word he conveyed made the strange shape of the man outside sound so much like…
…
Kira then acted.
"You need to hide."
"What?" Sonic said.
"Reverend Malchio," He turned to the reverend. "Let's show him to the cellar door."
"Good idea," Malchio agreed.
"Here, take this," Kira handed the bag to Sonic.
"Wait, you want me to hide? What are you gonna do?"
"Kira," Lacus approached him.
"Stay here with everyone," Kira looked at her, placing a hand on hers. "I know what to do."
Kira slowly opened the knob to open front door, before beginning to step out onto the porch. He turned to see Reverend Malchio not far behind him, but still remaining to stay inside for the time being. The teen walked out, and looked to see the strange man still inspecting the ground several meters from the house.
He had to remain calm and cool. He flexed his fingers, before…
"Hello there!" Kira called out, and instantly, the stranger turned his head in the direction of the house. "Can I help you?"
…
The figure slowly rose, and started to walking towards the porch. Kira started to clearly see the man's features.
Soon, the man's lips peeled back to produce a smile that all but unnerved Kira. "Good morning, my rural chum!"
To be continued for now!
For any still wondering how our blue-furred hero ended up where he is now... all will be revealed in due time. For now, Kira will meet another certain face...
HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!