Sonic Series Fan Fiction ❯ Winter of Snowy Discord ❯ Winter Of Snowy Dischord- Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: TheVulpineHero1 
Non Anime: Sonic Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Comedy / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 03.26.2008 | Pages: 2 | Words: 5.0K | Visits: 268 | Status: Work In Progress
Non Anime: Sonic Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Comedy / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 03.26.2008 | Pages: 2 | Words: 5.0K | Visits: 268 | Status: Work In Progress
This here fan fiction contains the OCs of myself (namely Raze the fox and a couple others), TheRealScootTh (namely Scoot) and J320 (namely Silk). It may contain traces of Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Cream, Amy, Rouge and Vanilla. All of whom are owned by the SEGA corporation. It may also contain traces of nuts.
Chronologically, this lies after the end of Inked in Flame, and around the start of the sequel. This is about a couple days after Winter Snowy Romance by J320/TheRealScootTH.
As always, reviews are welcomed because reviews bring inspiration, and inspiration provides motivation to write more stories. Even constructive criticism is welcomed. Kind of. So, without further mucking about, onto the story!
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Chapter One: Meet Thine Enemy
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Scoot shivered. He didn’t do it just because he was cold, but to shake off some of the snow that had settled in his spines. Silk drew a little closer, hugging him gently as they walked. It’s good to have her so close, Scoot thought to himself happily. On the other hand, he thought, it’s bloody freezing.
“Scootykins? What are we going to do about sleeping tonight?” Silk asked, keeping her arms firmly around Scoot’s midriff. His burgundy spikes were tipped with white, and his tallness meant that his feet got colder.
“Dunno. Same as always. Dig a hole, and sleep in that.” Scoot answered, sadly. They were in a forest, with only the trees as shelter. They had found that sleeping under a tree wasn’t the best idea when they woke up and looked like Mr. and Mrs. Abominable Snowhog.
“What are we going to do for food?” Silk asked snuggling Scoot tighter. Her stomach rumbled a little as she did, and she heard an answering sound from somewhere around Scoot’s belly button.
“I don’t know. We can’t keep eating leftover chocolate bars forever. I’m glad I never empty out my pockets.” Scoot laughed.
“Uh…Where are your pockets?” Silk asked.
“You don’t wanna think about it too hard…” Scoot grimaced.
They walked on in silence for a minute, until Silk thought about it too hard and had to go and spit in a snowdrift. Shortly, she rejoined Scoot, walking a little behind him. Which was a good thing, because fifteen seconds later Scoot slipped, landing on his ass with a resounding clunk. His sword hit the ground first, ringing as it connected with something that wasn’t dirt. Silk looked down, and saw an orangey, frozen substance stuck to the ground. It shone through the snow, and was evidently what Scoot had just slipped on. After giggling for a second, Silk helped Scoot up, and took a closer look at the amber substance.
“Oww. What is that stuff?” Scoot asked angrily, kicking it.
“Hmm. I don’t know.” Silk replied, watching Scoot jump up and down holding his toe.
“OWW! My toe hurts and my ass hurts and...and…I’m having a bad day!!” Scoot cried.
“Aww. Your toe and your ass hurt. You want me to kiss them better?” Silk asked with a mischievous grin.
“Uh…Well…um…Can’t we…y’know…wait till it’s dark before doing stuff like that?” Scoot blushed.
They walked on again, being careful not to tread on what Scoot was saying was orange sorbet, when they saw a large, hollowed out tree. It was in the centre of a natural clearing, and seemed to have been alive fairly recently. They ran for the cover it afforded. They could worry about something to eat later. Scoot, controlling his speed so that Silk could keep up, reached the trunk first. There was a small hollow in the base, full of shadows, big enough for a normal person. Scoot was a bit taller than a normal person, so he needed to stoop down.
“And what, pray tell, do you think you are doing?” a voice growled from the darkness of the tree. A pair of blue eyes glinted at Scoot, and he backed off swiftly. Silk stopped, wondering why Scoot had just jumped away from the tree.
“Wh-who are you?” Scoot asked, taken aback by the aggression in the voice. In response, a figure began to emerge from shadows. It unfolded itself silently, too tall to go into or out of the tree without ducking. It happened, however, with unspeakable quickness. One second, there was nothing more than a pair of eyes in the gloom, and the next, a large, imposing figure was standing outside the hollow.
“Hmm. Hey, we were just hoping that the tree was unoccupied. No reason to get annoyed, pal.” Silk said.
Scoot looked at the figure incredulously. At first, he thought it might be an extra from a sci-fi series (No name, no lawsuit!- TheVulpineHero1) because it was wearing a long, hooded brown cloak, fastened at the neck, that stretched all the way to the floor, keeping the whole body and face from view. Scoot couldn’t even tell what species it was.
“Uh…Could you take the cloak off? I feel better if I know who I’m talking to.” Silk asked, raising an eyebrow.
A small growl came from the cloaked figure, but it still lifted one gloved hand up to its neck, and began to unfasten the cloak. Scoot watched in silence. The gloves were, in fact, gauntlets, and thick ones at that. But, the figure’s fingers were still nimble enough handle unfastening the clip at the top of the cloak. As soon as the clip was undone, the figure swept the cloak off with one fluid movement, revealing the well toned body of fox.
“Oh. Uh, hey, can I speak with my friend in private for a second?” Silk asked. She turned, and Scoot turned too.
“He’s a fox. That means we’re okay!” Silk whispered happily, her breath tickling Scoot’s ear.
“I don’t know. I mean, look at him!” Scoot replied.
Ducking back, Silk took a good, hard look at the fox. His coat was a dullish pale blue, whilst his stomach and muzzle were a dark, misty grey. He was wearing a pair of jeans which hung untidily from his waist. His tail was blue in colour, with a grey tip. His face, however, was far more threatening. Now contorted in a definite scowl, there was menace in every line. A pair of bangs hung from his forehead, and covered his right eye. However, around the eye, there were visible scars running down to his nose, right across where his eye was. His ears looked alert and wary. Hanging from one of them was a hoop of gold, an earring. Looking down towards his chest and arms, they were somewhat thin, but every fibre seemed to be made of muscle.
“Tch. He looks lithe and muscle-y, I’ll give you that, but he’s a fox for crying out loud!” Silk whispered.
“Look, I don’t think…” Scoot began.
“Look at the foxes we know! Tails collects butterflies and Vulcan’s afraid of the CD player because it says ‘Hello’ when you turn it on!” Silk hissed.
She turned around, prompting Scoot to follow, and put on her best I-know-you’re-nice-so-just-let-me-win face.
“Erm, me and my friend here are very cold. We don’t have any food, and we don’t have any shelter. Can we share your tree?” Silk asked pleasantly.
“No.” the fox answered in a deep, somewhat intimidating voice.
“Huh? Well, could you tell me why?” Silk asked as politely as she could manage.
“I find hedgehogs extremely annoying.” the fox answered bluntly.
“Well, that’s not very nice. That’s just a blanket argument based on a racist principle that-”
“You listen to me, young lady,” the fox barked, “I know for a fact that the only thing worse than a hedgehog is more than one hedgehog.”
“Oh? Is that a fact?” Scoot challenged, stepping forwards.
“Yeah. It is. I know, because I was once in a room with four hedgehogs, and it was a truly hellish experience.” the fox said in a slightly more aggressive tone than he had been talking in.
“Well, they must just have been bad examples.” Scoot answered, trying his best to maintain a brave face.
“Their names were Sonic, Eleanor, Amy, and Shadow, and they all loved the same person- Sonic.” the fox laughed.
“I don’t know Eleanor, but the rest are my friends.” Scoot growled.
“Oh. I feel so sorry for you.” the fox said, really growling.
In answer, Scoot drew his sword slowly and deliberately from its sheath.
“Hah! What a surprise! I wasn’t expecting to see the Accelados in the hands of a weakling like you!” the fox laughed.
“The what?” Scoot asked suspiciously.
“The Accelados. It’s a legendary sword, containing hidden powers that few men have ever glimpsed. Mind you, only the strong can use those powers, so you might never be able to use them.”
“My…sword? How do you know? You’re just a fox with a bad attitude!”
“Because,” the fox replied, “I am the holder of the counterpart to the Accelados. The Doridios.”
“Counterpart? What are you rambling about?” Silk asked.
“Every sword of legend has a counterpart- a sword destined to fight it. Mostly, as in the case of the Doridios versus the Accelados, the swords are polar opposites, as different as the sun and moon.” the fox said, shrugging his shoulders. Even though he said it casually, his voice seemed to ring out across the forest.
“Well then. Let’s see how your Doridios fares in a battle against me!” Scoot challenged with a good deal of bravado.
“Tch. In the hands of someone like you, the Accelados is no more than a rusty stick.” the fox mocked. He then dipped his hand into the pocket of his jeans, and brought out a bundle of cloth. He unwrapped the cloth gently at arm’s length. He did it slowly, minding his fingers, making sure to never tough what was wrapped inside the cloth. Then, without warning, he flicked his wrist, and sent something spiralling into the air. Scoot looked up, and saw that it was the hilt of a sword. He almost laughed, seeing the fox so careful over something so useless. Was this really what the fox intended to fight him with?
“You might laugh, hedgehog, but it merely proves your ignorance of the power the sword contains.” the fox said solemnly. He caught the hilt in his right hand, and held it out in front of him. For all the world, he looked like a madman, threatening a grown, armed hedgehog with nothing more than a chunk of varnished wood. The fox gave a low growl.
“What’s the matter? Are you trying to figure out where your sword went?” Scoot laughed. The fox merely growled even louder.
“Scoot. Something’s happening in his mind. I’m not even using my telepathy, and yet I can still sense it. Be carefu-”
A high pitched ringing sound issued from the sword as the fox’s look changed from one of anger to one of concentration. The hilt seemed to be changing- from a mere wooden cross hilt, it seemed to be morphing. With every second, it seemed a little more different- a little shinier, a little less brown, a little more fearsome. A small, silvery substance came from the hilt, and wrapped itself around the area of the fox’s hand in an intricate pattern. A small rushing sound, like that of a tidal wave rushing towards a beach, came from the silvery hilt. Then, in no less than an instance, a purple mist shot from the hilt, undulating in front of it. The fox’s expression of concentration grew even deeper as the mist whizzed around in the air in front of him. Then, it started to move a little less, and a little less, until it wasn’t whizzing around, and was just still in front of the hilt. Then, the fox’s row creased just a little more, and the mist changed, just like the hilt had. It was becoming stationary, shiny. Solid. The fox smiled as felt his task end, and looked at the sword he was now holding. It was an strange blade. It had the cutting edge of a katana, but a long, cruel scythe was affixed to the blade. A double helix pattern was inlaid in green on the katana blade. The blade’s surface shone purple, and gleamed sinisterly.
“Tch. So you have a sword that you can fit into your pocket. It doesn’t mean you’ll win.” Scoot said easily. If that was the fox’s only trick, then this was going to be an simple battle.
“Hah. You want to see the real power of this sword? Then why don’t you quit talking and start moving?” the fox mocked.
Scoot readied his blade, and dug his heels into the soft snow so he could accelerate faster. He charged, speeding through the snow like a bullet, moving ever closer to the fox. For a second he saw a smile flicker across the fox’s face and-
Crash. A rock? Scoot shook his head. How had that rock gotten there? What was going on? Axel? Why was his brother here? Silk…Where was Silk? The sky…it wasn’t there…why was everything dark?…Screaming…it sounded like him…Was it him? No, it couldn’t be…Could it? What was happening? A dark figure on the edge of his vision…flying through…Sounds…what sounds?…Silence but…creeping…getting closer…why couldn’t he…so slow…so scared…
Crack. Scoot felt the bones in his skull move as he hit the tree. He sank to the floor, unable to move, his face burning with confusion and cold. What had happened? He couldn’t remember…Hadn’t he just been about to attack? How had he gotten over here? He looked at his hands. They were shaking like a leaf. He tried to clench his fists, but his hands seemed to be ignoring him. A wave of panic ripped through him, as he realised that he couldn’t move a muscle. His sword lay beside him, glinting in the snow. He hadn’t lost yet. He felt hands lifting him up, and saw Silk beside him. She was having a lot of difficulty. That made sense. He was bigger than her. Eventually, she managed to get him to his feet, but had to grab him to stop him flopping over like a dead fish. What had the fox done to him? He looked across. The fox hadn’t moved, save to point the sword at them. He was laughing quietly.
“W-what’s so funny?” Scoot groaned. His hands sill weren’t listening to him, so he had to stall this guy.
“It’s very amusing. You’re so fragile.” the fox laughed.
“What happened, Silk?” Scoot asked.
“He just pointed the sword at you, and you stopped. You looked around and you looked scared, and you started screaming, and…Are you alright?” Silk asked worriedly.
“I..I think. How did I get over here?” Scoot asked, rubbing his head.
“You just flew into the air, all of your own accord, and smashed your head against the tree…I was…happened and…wor…” Silk said. He voice was ebbing in and out of focus…Or was that his ears? He couldn’t hear anything…He looked at the fox, and saw him glaring across with a cruel look on his face. The fox was doing this, but how?
“What are you doing to me?” Scoot asked. The words seemed to echo and expand in an eerie, artificial silence.
“What do you think I’m doing to you?” the fox laughed.
Scoot lunged forwards again, running in zigzags, careful of whatever the fox had hit him with before. He got to within five feet of the fox and then-
Axel-Silk-Vulcan-What-Pain-Sadness-Why-Screaming-Pain-Fox-Why-Dar kness-Vulcan-Scoot-Screaming-Sadness-Sadness-Pain-CRUNCH.
Scoot felt himself bouncing across the floor, his arms and legs sprawled like a spider’s. This time, he was able to get up, but was badly shaken. He couldn’t get close to the fox, but he couldn’t stay far away either. How could he win?
“Scoot! Are you okay?” Silk asked, panic in her voice.
“Yeah…I just need…to take him out…with a single blow.” Scoot panted. He had been winded in his fall.
“Scoot, be careful. That sword…it’s like an extension of his mind. He wasn’t joking when he said it was powerful.” Silk explained. She, of all people, knew that Scoot was much too stubborn to let it go.
Once more, Scoot hefted his sword. This time, he calculated. His sword was a buster sword, and the fox’s was a backsword. Scoot’s sword was bigger and heavier. More powerful. If he could just break the fox’s sword, he’d have an advantage over the fox. He started to wind a slash, preparing to strike at the fox with as much power as possible. The fox saw him do it, and raised his left eyebrow. Scoot smiled. The big lug would never see such a simple assault coming. Scoot jumped, soaring high above the fox’s head, and dove. He raised his sword high above his head, ready to send it crashing downwards. The fox looked up, and moved quickly, but not out of the way.
“You really think that thin little sword can stand up to this?” Scoot laughed triumphantly, swinging his blade in a downwards arc.
“You really think you can win against me with brute force?” the fox laughed. He raised one gloved hand, and caught the blade, holding both it and Scoot aloft like candles.
“Wh..what? How?” Scot shouted in disbelief.
“Hah. You really are an idiot. Look at us. What do you notice?”
“Uh, we’re both tall?”
“Yes. But, I’m a lot bigger. You’re made of bones. You need to get some vitamins, Tiny.” the fox mocked, before sending Scoot and the Accelados airborne again with a flick of his wrist.
Scoot let the sword go, controlling his fall, knowing that he had now lost any hope of a clear cut advantage. The Accelados spun away, much higher than Scoot had. It tumbled over and over in midair, then, with a resounding thunk, embedded itself in the highest reaches of a tree. A second later, and the Doridios had joined it, thrown by the fox.
“What? What on earth are you doing?” Scoot asked, landing perfectly on the balls of his feet.
“You don’t have a weapon, and I don’t need a weapon. We may as well fight hand to hand. Besides, I hold my own abilities in greater esteem than that of the sword’s.” the fox said confidently.
“Cocky, aren’t we? You might be bigger, but I’m faster!” Scoot yelled, charging forwards at a speed that rivalled Sonic himself.
The fox flared his nostrils, and stood still, in a gesture which contained the very essence of the words ‘Come on then!’ It infuriated Scoot, and he tensed all his muscles, ready to slam into the fox with maximum force. The snow sped out from under his feet in front of him, slowing him down, but creating a snow screen which concealed his location. He was just about to strike-
Scoot felt a sudden lurch as something grabbed his jaw. The fox had sidestepped and spun at the same time, a split-second before Scoot had reached him, and was standing back to back with the hedgehog, his left hand clamped like a vice on Scoot’s jaw. Then, no more than a quarter of a second later, Scoot felt an indescribable pain rush into his consciousness as the fox viciously smashed his right elbow into Scoot’s spine. Scoot began to let out a shout of pain but it was drowned out by a new shout of surprise as he felt his feet come out from under him. Then, with a almighty whoosh, the fox threw him by the jaw straight across the snowbound clearing. He bounced and rolled across the icy clearing, coming to rest face down. Silk ran over to him.
“You can’t fight anymore. Leave it. We’ll find our own shelter.” she beseeched him.
“No…Can’t lose…Not to him…” Scoot groaned. His spine felt as if he had been hit by a cannonball. Twenty times. At a speed of a hundred-billion-miles-per-hour. At the North Pole. Still, he clambered unsteadily to his feet, and a new obstacle hampered him- double-vision. He could see the fox, but there were about seven of him, and they were all different sizes. Scoot readied himself for another charge. This time, he’d be going so fast, the fox wouldn’t have time to blink. He tensed his legs, and then exploded forwards, at speeds he rarely reached. He was heading straight for the fox’s stomach, there was barely a metre foot between them, and the fox hadn’t moved and- CRACK. Once again, Scoot felt the characteristically sharp pain that came from smashing his noggin against a tree. He whipped around, staggering a little, to see where the fox had gone. The fox hadn’t moved.
Scoot’s jaw dropped open. He had known that there was something wrong when he felt no resistance, but he’d just assumed he’d missed. What he saw astounded him. The fox’s midriff seemed to be floating in a cloud somewhere around his head. It was like smoke, swirling a little in the cold winter air. Like the fox’s fur, it was blue-ish, with a few spots of grey mixed in. There was a hole where the fox’s stomach should have been, its edges a little ragged and smoky. The fox turned and smiled. As he did this, the smoke zoomed back into its rightful place, quickly reforming into a midriff. It was as if nothing had happened.
“Y…Wh….Uh…” Scoot stammered, words failing him.
“I told you. I hold my own abilities in greater regard than my sword’s.” the fox smiled.
Scoot tensed. Obviously, the fox had been waiting to use this ability. It was likely that now the surprise was gone, the fox was going to go all-out.
“Scoot! Watch out!” Silk cried from the sidelines.
“What do you think I’m trying to do?” Scoot yelled back. Immediately he felt sorry for taking it out on her.
“My, my. A lover’s tiff? In the heat of battle? That’s just arrogant. I don’t have any more time for you, Tiny.” the fox growled, his voice low.
“Wha-”
“En guard!”
The fox leapt into the air, springing far higher than Scoot could jump, the wind whipping through his fur as he leapt. At the top of his jump, he turned, and flipped. He started to dive towards Scoot headfirst. Scoot jumped back a step, knowing there was little way in which the fox could stop his fall. As the fox sped towards the ground, a playful smirk flickered across his face. He seemed to change in midair from solid to liquid, then crashed against the ground like a tidal wave against the shore. Scoot was swept up in the blue-grey waters, crashing against the tree with an agonising crunch. He dropped to the ground, and didn’t move. Then, with a swirling motion like a washing machine’s, the water rose up and re-formed into the muscular, toned form of the fox.
“SCOOT!”
Silk ran over, ignoring the fox. She patted Scoot’s face, listened deeply to his pulse. She felt a small flicker in his mind. He was okay- almost. His burgundy quills were broken in places, and he was bruised all over. Silk rose quietly, burning with rage, but determined not to fight. There was no point dignifying this aggressive bozo with a beating.
“And where, pray tell, do you think you’re going?” the fox asked, as Silk carried Scoot’s unconscious form away.
“The fight’s over. I’m against unnecessary bloodshed.”
“Hah! All bloodshed is unnecessary to people like you. Sheltered people, with no experience in real life. No better than children, you wander blithely through the world, condemning those who’ve tasted the truth. The truth is, you’ll never be able survive. You can’t even protect yourself, because it’s unnecessary. And the only reason you believe it’s unnecessary is because you’re so naive that you think your opponent is going to stop, merely because it’s wrong to kill. I’ve seen so many good people die like that. Your beliefs make me sick.” the fox sneered.
“Who the hell do you think you are? I‘ve led a tougher life than you ever have, and I know exactly what I‘m talking about. It‘s a mark of my strength that I can still think how I do.” Silk mouthed darkly, her anger burning deep within her.
“I think I’m Raze the fox. Who the hell are you?” the fox asked. A small smile was evident on his lips.
“My name’s Silk. And I won’t rise to your bait. After all, I know all people like you are cowards- scared of what they really feel.” Silk retorted.
“Hah…Is that so? I’d watch out if I were you. After all, we ‘cowards’ are never afraid to kill.” the fox laughed, moving off.
“Hmph. And where are you going?” Silk asked.
“Even by hedgehog standards, you really are unbearable. I’ll get my own hollow. I made that one, so I can make another.” Raze scoffed, his tail swishing.
“Yeah. Right.” Silk called after him as he walked away. He walked over to the edge of the clearing, where the trees began again. He looked around, as if judging the candidates. Finding one he liked, he stood in front of it, and exhaled sharply. With an ominous ‘shk’, a pair of long, evil claws burst forth from his hands. He paused for a second, then moved. Quicker than the wind, he raked his long claws against the tree again and again with utmost precision. He kept on for around five seconds, then stepped back. Silk saw a sizable hole where he had torn away the bark and some of the inside of the tree. He then placed a gloved hand on the soft, exposed inner wood of the tree. He breathed sharply, and Silk heard a rumbling sound from within the tree. Then, like a mighty tidal wave, the insides of the tree rushed from the hole. Raze stood his ground, not being moved by the wooden ocean that was trying to wash him aside. When it had all rushed out, it lay there on the ground, the colour of wood, but with all the consistency of water. With a vicious sideward swipe of his muscular arm, Raze tore the rest of the bottom of the tree away, creating another hollowed tree. He stood there for a moment. His earring shone in the snowbound forest. After collecting his cloak, he went inside, and went to sleep.
Even as the fox lay there in the gloom, Silk could hardly believe his complacency. He was leaving himself wide open to attack, and his sword was still impaled in the tree. But, then again, he obviously knew how to take care of himself, and that sword wasn’t coming down anytime soon. She tried to probe his mind, but the day’s events had been too tiring. She’d try again after she’d gotten some sleep. She collected Scoot, and dragged him inside their oddly-won hollow. She looked at him as he was sleeping, his peach coloured chest fur rising and falling gently as he breathed in and out. She gently stroked his face, feeling happy just to be with him. There was no place she’d rather be as she closed her eyelids and drifted into a joyful sleep.
In the smallest hours of the morning, Raze awoke. He felt the joyful tang of the winter air. It was such a simple pleasure. Perhaps Arid had been right- members of Raze’s species were better in the cold. Thinking of his enemy, Raze’s hand went to his pocket, checking on the all important cargo: A red gem, burning with the fire and pride of a fallen warrior, and containing something so powerful, it could change the world they lived in. Raze sighed, marking the minute changes in how the emerald felt in his hand. It was getting more powerful by the second. But what could he do? Raze rolled over and went to sleep, knowing that he would have another yet nightmare before he woke…
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Hmm…I suppose we could have expected as much from dear old Raze. Well, I know I haven’t written anything in years, but this is pretty ok…for a first chapter! Oh, and the swords…The Accelados is pronounced a-cell-A-dos, and the Doridios is pronounced Do-rid-e-us. Oh, and I find them difficult to pronounce as well. Bye!
Chronologically, this lies after the end of Inked in Flame, and around the start of the sequel. This is about a couple days after Winter Snowy Romance by J320/TheRealScootTH.
As always, reviews are welcomed because reviews bring inspiration, and inspiration provides motivation to write more stories. Even constructive criticism is welcomed. Kind of. So, without further mucking about, onto the story!
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Chapter One: Meet Thine Enemy
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Scoot shivered. He didn’t do it just because he was cold, but to shake off some of the snow that had settled in his spines. Silk drew a little closer, hugging him gently as they walked. It’s good to have her so close, Scoot thought to himself happily. On the other hand, he thought, it’s bloody freezing.
“Scootykins? What are we going to do about sleeping tonight?” Silk asked, keeping her arms firmly around Scoot’s midriff. His burgundy spikes were tipped with white, and his tallness meant that his feet got colder.
“Dunno. Same as always. Dig a hole, and sleep in that.” Scoot answered, sadly. They were in a forest, with only the trees as shelter. They had found that sleeping under a tree wasn’t the best idea when they woke up and looked like Mr. and Mrs. Abominable Snowhog.
“What are we going to do for food?” Silk asked snuggling Scoot tighter. Her stomach rumbled a little as she did, and she heard an answering sound from somewhere around Scoot’s belly button.
“I don’t know. We can’t keep eating leftover chocolate bars forever. I’m glad I never empty out my pockets.” Scoot laughed.
“Uh…Where are your pockets?” Silk asked.
“You don’t wanna think about it too hard…” Scoot grimaced.
They walked on in silence for a minute, until Silk thought about it too hard and had to go and spit in a snowdrift. Shortly, she rejoined Scoot, walking a little behind him. Which was a good thing, because fifteen seconds later Scoot slipped, landing on his ass with a resounding clunk. His sword hit the ground first, ringing as it connected with something that wasn’t dirt. Silk looked down, and saw an orangey, frozen substance stuck to the ground. It shone through the snow, and was evidently what Scoot had just slipped on. After giggling for a second, Silk helped Scoot up, and took a closer look at the amber substance.
“Oww. What is that stuff?” Scoot asked angrily, kicking it.
“Hmm. I don’t know.” Silk replied, watching Scoot jump up and down holding his toe.
“OWW! My toe hurts and my ass hurts and...and…I’m having a bad day!!” Scoot cried.
“Aww. Your toe and your ass hurt. You want me to kiss them better?” Silk asked with a mischievous grin.
“Uh…Well…um…Can’t we…y’know…wait till it’s dark before doing stuff like that?” Scoot blushed.
They walked on again, being careful not to tread on what Scoot was saying was orange sorbet, when they saw a large, hollowed out tree. It was in the centre of a natural clearing, and seemed to have been alive fairly recently. They ran for the cover it afforded. They could worry about something to eat later. Scoot, controlling his speed so that Silk could keep up, reached the trunk first. There was a small hollow in the base, full of shadows, big enough for a normal person. Scoot was a bit taller than a normal person, so he needed to stoop down.
“And what, pray tell, do you think you are doing?” a voice growled from the darkness of the tree. A pair of blue eyes glinted at Scoot, and he backed off swiftly. Silk stopped, wondering why Scoot had just jumped away from the tree.
“Wh-who are you?” Scoot asked, taken aback by the aggression in the voice. In response, a figure began to emerge from shadows. It unfolded itself silently, too tall to go into or out of the tree without ducking. It happened, however, with unspeakable quickness. One second, there was nothing more than a pair of eyes in the gloom, and the next, a large, imposing figure was standing outside the hollow.
“Hmm. Hey, we were just hoping that the tree was unoccupied. No reason to get annoyed, pal.” Silk said.
Scoot looked at the figure incredulously. At first, he thought it might be an extra from a sci-fi series (No name, no lawsuit!- TheVulpineHero1) because it was wearing a long, hooded brown cloak, fastened at the neck, that stretched all the way to the floor, keeping the whole body and face from view. Scoot couldn’t even tell what species it was.
“Uh…Could you take the cloak off? I feel better if I know who I’m talking to.” Silk asked, raising an eyebrow.
A small growl came from the cloaked figure, but it still lifted one gloved hand up to its neck, and began to unfasten the cloak. Scoot watched in silence. The gloves were, in fact, gauntlets, and thick ones at that. But, the figure’s fingers were still nimble enough handle unfastening the clip at the top of the cloak. As soon as the clip was undone, the figure swept the cloak off with one fluid movement, revealing the well toned body of fox.
“Oh. Uh, hey, can I speak with my friend in private for a second?” Silk asked. She turned, and Scoot turned too.
“He’s a fox. That means we’re okay!” Silk whispered happily, her breath tickling Scoot’s ear.
“I don’t know. I mean, look at him!” Scoot replied.
Ducking back, Silk took a good, hard look at the fox. His coat was a dullish pale blue, whilst his stomach and muzzle were a dark, misty grey. He was wearing a pair of jeans which hung untidily from his waist. His tail was blue in colour, with a grey tip. His face, however, was far more threatening. Now contorted in a definite scowl, there was menace in every line. A pair of bangs hung from his forehead, and covered his right eye. However, around the eye, there were visible scars running down to his nose, right across where his eye was. His ears looked alert and wary. Hanging from one of them was a hoop of gold, an earring. Looking down towards his chest and arms, they were somewhat thin, but every fibre seemed to be made of muscle.
“Tch. He looks lithe and muscle-y, I’ll give you that, but he’s a fox for crying out loud!” Silk whispered.
“Look, I don’t think…” Scoot began.
“Look at the foxes we know! Tails collects butterflies and Vulcan’s afraid of the CD player because it says ‘Hello’ when you turn it on!” Silk hissed.
She turned around, prompting Scoot to follow, and put on her best I-know-you’re-nice-so-just-let-me-win face.
“Erm, me and my friend here are very cold. We don’t have any food, and we don’t have any shelter. Can we share your tree?” Silk asked pleasantly.
“No.” the fox answered in a deep, somewhat intimidating voice.
“Huh? Well, could you tell me why?” Silk asked as politely as she could manage.
“I find hedgehogs extremely annoying.” the fox answered bluntly.
“Well, that’s not very nice. That’s just a blanket argument based on a racist principle that-”
“You listen to me, young lady,” the fox barked, “I know for a fact that the only thing worse than a hedgehog is more than one hedgehog.”
“Oh? Is that a fact?” Scoot challenged, stepping forwards.
“Yeah. It is. I know, because I was once in a room with four hedgehogs, and it was a truly hellish experience.” the fox said in a slightly more aggressive tone than he had been talking in.
“Well, they must just have been bad examples.” Scoot answered, trying his best to maintain a brave face.
“Their names were Sonic, Eleanor, Amy, and Shadow, and they all loved the same person- Sonic.” the fox laughed.
“I don’t know Eleanor, but the rest are my friends.” Scoot growled.
“Oh. I feel so sorry for you.” the fox said, really growling.
In answer, Scoot drew his sword slowly and deliberately from its sheath.
“Hah! What a surprise! I wasn’t expecting to see the Accelados in the hands of a weakling like you!” the fox laughed.
“The what?” Scoot asked suspiciously.
“The Accelados. It’s a legendary sword, containing hidden powers that few men have ever glimpsed. Mind you, only the strong can use those powers, so you might never be able to use them.”
“My…sword? How do you know? You’re just a fox with a bad attitude!”
“Because,” the fox replied, “I am the holder of the counterpart to the Accelados. The Doridios.”
“Counterpart? What are you rambling about?” Silk asked.
“Every sword of legend has a counterpart- a sword destined to fight it. Mostly, as in the case of the Doridios versus the Accelados, the swords are polar opposites, as different as the sun and moon.” the fox said, shrugging his shoulders. Even though he said it casually, his voice seemed to ring out across the forest.
“Well then. Let’s see how your Doridios fares in a battle against me!” Scoot challenged with a good deal of bravado.
“Tch. In the hands of someone like you, the Accelados is no more than a rusty stick.” the fox mocked. He then dipped his hand into the pocket of his jeans, and brought out a bundle of cloth. He unwrapped the cloth gently at arm’s length. He did it slowly, minding his fingers, making sure to never tough what was wrapped inside the cloth. Then, without warning, he flicked his wrist, and sent something spiralling into the air. Scoot looked up, and saw that it was the hilt of a sword. He almost laughed, seeing the fox so careful over something so useless. Was this really what the fox intended to fight him with?
“You might laugh, hedgehog, but it merely proves your ignorance of the power the sword contains.” the fox said solemnly. He caught the hilt in his right hand, and held it out in front of him. For all the world, he looked like a madman, threatening a grown, armed hedgehog with nothing more than a chunk of varnished wood. The fox gave a low growl.
“What’s the matter? Are you trying to figure out where your sword went?” Scoot laughed. The fox merely growled even louder.
“Scoot. Something’s happening in his mind. I’m not even using my telepathy, and yet I can still sense it. Be carefu-”
A high pitched ringing sound issued from the sword as the fox’s look changed from one of anger to one of concentration. The hilt seemed to be changing- from a mere wooden cross hilt, it seemed to be morphing. With every second, it seemed a little more different- a little shinier, a little less brown, a little more fearsome. A small, silvery substance came from the hilt, and wrapped itself around the area of the fox’s hand in an intricate pattern. A small rushing sound, like that of a tidal wave rushing towards a beach, came from the silvery hilt. Then, in no less than an instance, a purple mist shot from the hilt, undulating in front of it. The fox’s expression of concentration grew even deeper as the mist whizzed around in the air in front of him. Then, it started to move a little less, and a little less, until it wasn’t whizzing around, and was just still in front of the hilt. Then, the fox’s row creased just a little more, and the mist changed, just like the hilt had. It was becoming stationary, shiny. Solid. The fox smiled as felt his task end, and looked at the sword he was now holding. It was an strange blade. It had the cutting edge of a katana, but a long, cruel scythe was affixed to the blade. A double helix pattern was inlaid in green on the katana blade. The blade’s surface shone purple, and gleamed sinisterly.
“Tch. So you have a sword that you can fit into your pocket. It doesn’t mean you’ll win.” Scoot said easily. If that was the fox’s only trick, then this was going to be an simple battle.
“Hah. You want to see the real power of this sword? Then why don’t you quit talking and start moving?” the fox mocked.
Scoot readied his blade, and dug his heels into the soft snow so he could accelerate faster. He charged, speeding through the snow like a bullet, moving ever closer to the fox. For a second he saw a smile flicker across the fox’s face and-
Crash. A rock? Scoot shook his head. How had that rock gotten there? What was going on? Axel? Why was his brother here? Silk…Where was Silk? The sky…it wasn’t there…why was everything dark?…Screaming…it sounded like him…Was it him? No, it couldn’t be…Could it? What was happening? A dark figure on the edge of his vision…flying through…Sounds…what sounds?…Silence but…creeping…getting closer…why couldn’t he…so slow…so scared…
Crack. Scoot felt the bones in his skull move as he hit the tree. He sank to the floor, unable to move, his face burning with confusion and cold. What had happened? He couldn’t remember…Hadn’t he just been about to attack? How had he gotten over here? He looked at his hands. They were shaking like a leaf. He tried to clench his fists, but his hands seemed to be ignoring him. A wave of panic ripped through him, as he realised that he couldn’t move a muscle. His sword lay beside him, glinting in the snow. He hadn’t lost yet. He felt hands lifting him up, and saw Silk beside him. She was having a lot of difficulty. That made sense. He was bigger than her. Eventually, she managed to get him to his feet, but had to grab him to stop him flopping over like a dead fish. What had the fox done to him? He looked across. The fox hadn’t moved, save to point the sword at them. He was laughing quietly.
“W-what’s so funny?” Scoot groaned. His hands sill weren’t listening to him, so he had to stall this guy.
“It’s very amusing. You’re so fragile.” the fox laughed.
“What happened, Silk?” Scoot asked.
“He just pointed the sword at you, and you stopped. You looked around and you looked scared, and you started screaming, and…Are you alright?” Silk asked worriedly.
“I..I think. How did I get over here?” Scoot asked, rubbing his head.
“You just flew into the air, all of your own accord, and smashed your head against the tree…I was…happened and…wor…” Silk said. He voice was ebbing in and out of focus…Or was that his ears? He couldn’t hear anything…He looked at the fox, and saw him glaring across with a cruel look on his face. The fox was doing this, but how?
“What are you doing to me?” Scoot asked. The words seemed to echo and expand in an eerie, artificial silence.
“What do you think I’m doing to you?” the fox laughed.
Scoot lunged forwards again, running in zigzags, careful of whatever the fox had hit him with before. He got to within five feet of the fox and then-
Axel-Silk-Vulcan-What-Pain-Sadness-Why-Screaming-Pain-Fox-Why-Dar kness-Vulcan-Scoot-Screaming-Sadness-Sadness-Pain-CRUNCH.
Scoot felt himself bouncing across the floor, his arms and legs sprawled like a spider’s. This time, he was able to get up, but was badly shaken. He couldn’t get close to the fox, but he couldn’t stay far away either. How could he win?
“Scoot! Are you okay?” Silk asked, panic in her voice.
“Yeah…I just need…to take him out…with a single blow.” Scoot panted. He had been winded in his fall.
“Scoot, be careful. That sword…it’s like an extension of his mind. He wasn’t joking when he said it was powerful.” Silk explained. She, of all people, knew that Scoot was much too stubborn to let it go.
Once more, Scoot hefted his sword. This time, he calculated. His sword was a buster sword, and the fox’s was a backsword. Scoot’s sword was bigger and heavier. More powerful. If he could just break the fox’s sword, he’d have an advantage over the fox. He started to wind a slash, preparing to strike at the fox with as much power as possible. The fox saw him do it, and raised his left eyebrow. Scoot smiled. The big lug would never see such a simple assault coming. Scoot jumped, soaring high above the fox’s head, and dove. He raised his sword high above his head, ready to send it crashing downwards. The fox looked up, and moved quickly, but not out of the way.
“You really think that thin little sword can stand up to this?” Scoot laughed triumphantly, swinging his blade in a downwards arc.
“You really think you can win against me with brute force?” the fox laughed. He raised one gloved hand, and caught the blade, holding both it and Scoot aloft like candles.
“Wh..what? How?” Scot shouted in disbelief.
“Hah. You really are an idiot. Look at us. What do you notice?”
“Uh, we’re both tall?”
“Yes. But, I’m a lot bigger. You’re made of bones. You need to get some vitamins, Tiny.” the fox mocked, before sending Scoot and the Accelados airborne again with a flick of his wrist.
Scoot let the sword go, controlling his fall, knowing that he had now lost any hope of a clear cut advantage. The Accelados spun away, much higher than Scoot had. It tumbled over and over in midair, then, with a resounding thunk, embedded itself in the highest reaches of a tree. A second later, and the Doridios had joined it, thrown by the fox.
“What? What on earth are you doing?” Scoot asked, landing perfectly on the balls of his feet.
“You don’t have a weapon, and I don’t need a weapon. We may as well fight hand to hand. Besides, I hold my own abilities in greater esteem than that of the sword’s.” the fox said confidently.
“Cocky, aren’t we? You might be bigger, but I’m faster!” Scoot yelled, charging forwards at a speed that rivalled Sonic himself.
The fox flared his nostrils, and stood still, in a gesture which contained the very essence of the words ‘Come on then!’ It infuriated Scoot, and he tensed all his muscles, ready to slam into the fox with maximum force. The snow sped out from under his feet in front of him, slowing him down, but creating a snow screen which concealed his location. He was just about to strike-
Scoot felt a sudden lurch as something grabbed his jaw. The fox had sidestepped and spun at the same time, a split-second before Scoot had reached him, and was standing back to back with the hedgehog, his left hand clamped like a vice on Scoot’s jaw. Then, no more than a quarter of a second later, Scoot felt an indescribable pain rush into his consciousness as the fox viciously smashed his right elbow into Scoot’s spine. Scoot began to let out a shout of pain but it was drowned out by a new shout of surprise as he felt his feet come out from under him. Then, with a almighty whoosh, the fox threw him by the jaw straight across the snowbound clearing. He bounced and rolled across the icy clearing, coming to rest face down. Silk ran over to him.
“You can’t fight anymore. Leave it. We’ll find our own shelter.” she beseeched him.
“No…Can’t lose…Not to him…” Scoot groaned. His spine felt as if he had been hit by a cannonball. Twenty times. At a speed of a hundred-billion-miles-per-hour. At the North Pole. Still, he clambered unsteadily to his feet, and a new obstacle hampered him- double-vision. He could see the fox, but there were about seven of him, and they were all different sizes. Scoot readied himself for another charge. This time, he’d be going so fast, the fox wouldn’t have time to blink. He tensed his legs, and then exploded forwards, at speeds he rarely reached. He was heading straight for the fox’s stomach, there was barely a metre foot between them, and the fox hadn’t moved and- CRACK. Once again, Scoot felt the characteristically sharp pain that came from smashing his noggin against a tree. He whipped around, staggering a little, to see where the fox had gone. The fox hadn’t moved.
Scoot’s jaw dropped open. He had known that there was something wrong when he felt no resistance, but he’d just assumed he’d missed. What he saw astounded him. The fox’s midriff seemed to be floating in a cloud somewhere around his head. It was like smoke, swirling a little in the cold winter air. Like the fox’s fur, it was blue-ish, with a few spots of grey mixed in. There was a hole where the fox’s stomach should have been, its edges a little ragged and smoky. The fox turned and smiled. As he did this, the smoke zoomed back into its rightful place, quickly reforming into a midriff. It was as if nothing had happened.
“Y…Wh….Uh…” Scoot stammered, words failing him.
“I told you. I hold my own abilities in greater regard than my sword’s.” the fox smiled.
Scoot tensed. Obviously, the fox had been waiting to use this ability. It was likely that now the surprise was gone, the fox was going to go all-out.
“Scoot! Watch out!” Silk cried from the sidelines.
“What do you think I’m trying to do?” Scoot yelled back. Immediately he felt sorry for taking it out on her.
“My, my. A lover’s tiff? In the heat of battle? That’s just arrogant. I don’t have any more time for you, Tiny.” the fox growled, his voice low.
“Wha-”
“En guard!”
The fox leapt into the air, springing far higher than Scoot could jump, the wind whipping through his fur as he leapt. At the top of his jump, he turned, and flipped. He started to dive towards Scoot headfirst. Scoot jumped back a step, knowing there was little way in which the fox could stop his fall. As the fox sped towards the ground, a playful smirk flickered across his face. He seemed to change in midair from solid to liquid, then crashed against the ground like a tidal wave against the shore. Scoot was swept up in the blue-grey waters, crashing against the tree with an agonising crunch. He dropped to the ground, and didn’t move. Then, with a swirling motion like a washing machine’s, the water rose up and re-formed into the muscular, toned form of the fox.
“SCOOT!”
Silk ran over, ignoring the fox. She patted Scoot’s face, listened deeply to his pulse. She felt a small flicker in his mind. He was okay- almost. His burgundy quills were broken in places, and he was bruised all over. Silk rose quietly, burning with rage, but determined not to fight. There was no point dignifying this aggressive bozo with a beating.
“And where, pray tell, do you think you’re going?” the fox asked, as Silk carried Scoot’s unconscious form away.
“The fight’s over. I’m against unnecessary bloodshed.”
“Hah! All bloodshed is unnecessary to people like you. Sheltered people, with no experience in real life. No better than children, you wander blithely through the world, condemning those who’ve tasted the truth. The truth is, you’ll never be able survive. You can’t even protect yourself, because it’s unnecessary. And the only reason you believe it’s unnecessary is because you’re so naive that you think your opponent is going to stop, merely because it’s wrong to kill. I’ve seen so many good people die like that. Your beliefs make me sick.” the fox sneered.
“Who the hell do you think you are? I‘ve led a tougher life than you ever have, and I know exactly what I‘m talking about. It‘s a mark of my strength that I can still think how I do.” Silk mouthed darkly, her anger burning deep within her.
“I think I’m Raze the fox. Who the hell are you?” the fox asked. A small smile was evident on his lips.
“My name’s Silk. And I won’t rise to your bait. After all, I know all people like you are cowards- scared of what they really feel.” Silk retorted.
“Hah…Is that so? I’d watch out if I were you. After all, we ‘cowards’ are never afraid to kill.” the fox laughed, moving off.
“Hmph. And where are you going?” Silk asked.
“Even by hedgehog standards, you really are unbearable. I’ll get my own hollow. I made that one, so I can make another.” Raze scoffed, his tail swishing.
“Yeah. Right.” Silk called after him as he walked away. He walked over to the edge of the clearing, where the trees began again. He looked around, as if judging the candidates. Finding one he liked, he stood in front of it, and exhaled sharply. With an ominous ‘shk’, a pair of long, evil claws burst forth from his hands. He paused for a second, then moved. Quicker than the wind, he raked his long claws against the tree again and again with utmost precision. He kept on for around five seconds, then stepped back. Silk saw a sizable hole where he had torn away the bark and some of the inside of the tree. He then placed a gloved hand on the soft, exposed inner wood of the tree. He breathed sharply, and Silk heard a rumbling sound from within the tree. Then, like a mighty tidal wave, the insides of the tree rushed from the hole. Raze stood his ground, not being moved by the wooden ocean that was trying to wash him aside. When it had all rushed out, it lay there on the ground, the colour of wood, but with all the consistency of water. With a vicious sideward swipe of his muscular arm, Raze tore the rest of the bottom of the tree away, creating another hollowed tree. He stood there for a moment. His earring shone in the snowbound forest. After collecting his cloak, he went inside, and went to sleep.
Even as the fox lay there in the gloom, Silk could hardly believe his complacency. He was leaving himself wide open to attack, and his sword was still impaled in the tree. But, then again, he obviously knew how to take care of himself, and that sword wasn’t coming down anytime soon. She tried to probe his mind, but the day’s events had been too tiring. She’d try again after she’d gotten some sleep. She collected Scoot, and dragged him inside their oddly-won hollow. She looked at him as he was sleeping, his peach coloured chest fur rising and falling gently as he breathed in and out. She gently stroked his face, feeling happy just to be with him. There was no place she’d rather be as she closed her eyelids and drifted into a joyful sleep.
In the smallest hours of the morning, Raze awoke. He felt the joyful tang of the winter air. It was such a simple pleasure. Perhaps Arid had been right- members of Raze’s species were better in the cold. Thinking of his enemy, Raze’s hand went to his pocket, checking on the all important cargo: A red gem, burning with the fire and pride of a fallen warrior, and containing something so powerful, it could change the world they lived in. Raze sighed, marking the minute changes in how the emerald felt in his hand. It was getting more powerful by the second. But what could he do? Raze rolled over and went to sleep, knowing that he would have another yet nightmare before he woke…
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Hmm…I suppose we could have expected as much from dear old Raze. Well, I know I haven’t written anything in years, but this is pretty ok…for a first chapter! Oh, and the swords…The Accelados is pronounced a-cell-A-dos, and the Doridios is pronounced Do-rid-e-us. Oh, and I find them difficult to pronounce as well. Bye!