Sonic Series Fan Fiction ❯ 5 Unknown ❯ 5 Unknown ( One-Shot )

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~~~~~~~~~ 5 UNKNOWN ~~~~~~~~~

A strange thought turned into a story. That happens when one listens to the same song a
little too much.

~~~~~~~~~ BY SkullMonkey ~~~~~~~~~


She swallowed hard. The sound of roaring cheers and whistles made her uneasy. They
hadn't played in front of a crowd this big before and they were scared. She was
fidgiting; trying to wring the words she'd forgotten from her sweaty hands. She hicupped
and turned as her ears caught a soft chuckle.

He stood confidannt; arms crossed, leather-clad shoulder against a wall, leaning. He
smiled as if reassuring her of her inevitable doom. Easy for him to do, he's been doing
this for years. Singing his guts out to a roaring crowd was like a second nature to
Sonic, the lead singer of No Reply. But for a rookie band of five, this was a test, one
to determine bravery or stupidity.

Her boyfriend's words somehow swam back to her at the thought of bravery. He had long
ago definded the word as knowing you're licked before you begin, but going thorough with
it anyway. She smiled and turned to him. He was nervous too. She could tell by the way
he absently struck his guitar string. He must have sensed her watching, for he focussed
his ruby eyes on her and smiled.

She smiled back and took a deep breath as if the luke-warm air could somehow calm her
stomache. Sonic must have sensed their nervousness as he sighed and moved away from the
wall. He glanced at the rookies, smiled, and sighed again.

"Alright, kids, listen up. I realize that this is your first performance in front of a
crowd over twelve hundred thousand, and I understand that you're nervous, but I know you
can do this. We wouldn't have even asked you to be our opening act if we thought you
couldn't," Sonic replied, winking at her. "Rouge, you have a marvelous voice. You'll put
those guys out there in dreamland the moment the first note leaves your lips."

"If I can remember the words," she retaliated quietly. She pulled on her fingers, still
hoping the words would come back to her. Sonic smiled and shook his head.

"Once Visler hits the first key on her synthesizer, and Ian and Shadow follow on their
guitars, you'll remember. Trust me," Sonic replied moving towards Rouge. He rested his hand
on her bare shoulder and smiled reassuringly. She looked up at the older teenager.

"What if I don't?"

"You haven't forgotten yet."

"But we never played in a crowd this large before. All those people will be staring at me
and-"

"Pretend they aren't even there," Sonic whispered shaking his head.

"5 Unknown on in two!" Rouge looked at the well dressed stage manager and scowled. She
didn't feel ready for those words. Sonic noted this and decided he had to say something.

"Just relax. Have fun. You'll do great," Sonic smiled, moving away. She swallowed again
and looked at her band. Visler. Xylex. Epsilion. Shadow. All four of them were ready to
give it their all. She sighed as if trying to exhale all the fears. She had to be strong
for them.

"You guys ready to do this?" Rouge asked studying each face. Fear reigned, but it wasn't
enough to frighten them away. They were ready.

"I feel like I'm going into battle," Zylex joked, twirling her drumsticks between her
nimble fingers. A few chuckles excaped the tense group. She smiled.

"Just remember what Sonic said; pretend the audience isn't even there," Rouge replied
looking at the older singer's back. He was too buisy readying his band to notice her
words.

"Let's get tonight over with before I go insane," her boyfriend, the ruby-eyed Shadow,
replied, shouldering his obsidian guitar. His twin, Epsilion, stood, copying him. Rouge
smiled as Visler and Zylex followed suit.

"Good luck, 5 Unknown!" Sonic's band cheered, appluading the rookie group. They smiled
at the older group as the stage lights switched on. She closed her eyes and breathed
deeply.

"Hello, Station Square!" The stage manager shouted into the microphone. The crowd went wild, erupting with cheers. She breathed. "Please give a warm welcome to a band fresh out of the
space colony, ARK... 5-- Unknown!"

"Go!" She whispered, ordering herself out onto the stage. The cheers grew louder, and she
was thankful for the earplugs Sonic had supplied. She couldn't belive the rush she felt.
All those people screaming for her band. It was wonderful!

She smiled and turned to see if ther band was ready. They awaited her order. She nodded
and watched as Visler struck the first key. Sonic was right. The words she thought she'd
forgotten flooded back into her memory as if a dam had broke.

She tapped her foot starting Zylex on her beat. The base and lead guitars followed.
Everything was in synch. She awaited her cue.

"I know all about... About your reputation... And now it's bound to be a heartbreak
situation... But I can't help it if I'm helpless everytime I'm with... You... Oh..." She
was perfect. The lyrics flowed from her lips like mist dancing off water. She smiled,
falling into the beat; loving the music. "...Loving you... Is it really somethig I should
do... Should I want to spend my time with you... I should try to be strong... But baby,
you're the right kind of wrong... Yeah baby, you're the right kind of wrong..."

* * * * *

He watched them, smiling. He had known all along that they would deliver, and boy did they
ever! He was quite impressed by the rookie band, and surprised by the crowd. They loved
5 Unknown.

He caught himself nodding his head and tapping his foot to the music, and smiled. "We've
got ourselves some competition out there."

"You can say that again. The crowd's lovin' it!" Sonic's twin brother, Manic, exclaimed,
jumpimg up and down. Sonic shook his head almost in shame.

"We have to introduce them to a recording company," the third and final member of No Reply,
and Sonic and Manic's twin sister, Sonia replied, walking up to them. Sonic turned to her and
blinked.

"Sonia, are you nuts?" Manic exclaimed leaning around Sonic.

"You both said they were good. Why not introduce them to a major label?" Sonia scowled
before crossing her arms. Sonic opened his mouth to speak, but Manic cut him off.

"They are rookies! They don't have enough experience to sign with a label yet!"

"Chill out, Manic," Sonic replied, covering his brother's mouth with his hand. The green-
haired boy looked at him angrilly. "By the end of our tour, they'll have enough
experience to go off on their own. I say, durring the last three or four concerts, we'll
invite a few labels to join us and have a listen to 5 Unknown. Sound good?"

"Don't tell them though. Let's leave it a surprise. Kinda as a 'thank you' card, only
better," Sonia agreed, smiling. Sonic smiled and looked at Manic.

"Oh, alright! Let's give 'em a shot," Manic sighed and turned back to watch the rookies
perform. The tripplets smiled.


~~~~~~~~~ AUTHOR'S NOTE ~~~~~~~~~

Blah... Oh! Hehe! Whatcha think? Please R/R/F!

BTW the song is "Right Kind of Wrong" by LeAnn Rimes (from the Cyote Ugly soundtrack)