HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
by Brian Sapinski, Sonic Whammy
Disclaimer: This story uses characters created and copyrighted by Sega of
America, Inc. and Archie Comics. (This is with the exception of my own
characters, which have created and copyrighted by me.) This story may also
contain quotes that are featured in the Street Fighter video games and are
therefore copyrighted by Capcom, Inc. Downloading and distribution of this
story is permitted and welcomed under the conditions that (1) you don't pass
this off as your own story, (2) no changes to the story are made without my
expressed written (not e-mailed) permission, and (3) no attempt is made to
profit from this story. If any of these rules are violated, it will be
considered a violation of copyright law.
Author's Note: Man, I’ll tell you. I had no idea I was gonna have this little
time to write my stories, especially now that I’m married and paying my dues as
a math teacher. I hope that changes in the future. Nevertheless, the ideas are
still generating, so we press on... finally.
Speaking of which, I wanted to share a few things with you:
First, I want to offer a special thanks to Robert Brown for his help in
writing one piece of this story. As great friends and fans of each other’s
work, it’s great when you can help each other out.
Next, the Street Fighter reference that I made in my first story will
be built on somewhat in this story as well. Part of that elaboration required
me to make a change in Ryu’s name. If you’ll recall, his full name as first
given in the American SF movie is Ryu Hoshi. It has been changed here only for
the purpose of literal translation, and is not meant to infringe on any
copyrights.
Lastly, you may have noticed those words that I call out when I'm
performing any Tae Kwon Do exercise. Those are actual commands, phonetically
spelled according to their Korean pronunciations. And yes, I know that Ryu’s
commands are in Japanese. So sue me.
That’s it from here. I've enjoyed doing this so far, and I hope it's
been worth the wait for you all. The floor is always open for comments at
brian@sonicwhammy.20fr.com.
Stay Way Past Cool!
"YA!" Brian yelled as he executed another roundhouse kick. The kick
squarely hit the pad that Bunnie was holding out in front of him. Brian
followed the roundhouse with two more, then left his feet and hit a 360 spin
kick as Bunnie raised the pad up.
"Excellent, Brian," Bunnie called as Brian relaxed himself. "It looks
like you’re back in top form."
"Thanks, Bunnie. It feels good," Brian replied. For the last three
weeks, he had been recovering from the back injuries he suffered from his
mission in Robotropolis to find his lost family. Now, thanks to lots of rest
and plenty of secret trips to the hot springs with Sonic, he was back on his
feet again.
"Now it’s time to show off that form of yours," Bunnie said.
"I’m ready. Think you can follow along?"
"You know it, sugah."
Taking their place at each other’s side, they both began the Koryo,
Brian’s black belt form. Bunnie was a little unfamiliar, being skilled in kung
fu as opposed to tae kwon do, but her lifelong training made her a quick study.
The two matched each other step for step, as they went through the complicated
series of blocks, kicks and strikes. They finally ended the form with a
resounding yell before returning to the special joonbi stance that started the
form.
"Keuman," Brian said, relaxing. "Perfect as always, Bunnie."
"Ah could say the same for you."
"Well, I think you both did great," Sally said from the dojo. Brian and
Bunnie turned to greet the princess.
"Thanks, Sally. You don’t know how much I enjoy doing this," Brian
said, letting out a sigh.
"Brian, is everything OK?"
"I guess. I’m just gonna miss this place. All of you have been so
gracious to help me try to find my family. Now, I have to return to Bluebrook
and figure out what I’m going to do next."
"What will you do, sugah?" Bunnie asked. "Are you going to stay with
Andrea back home?"
"I thought about that, but it wouldn’t feel right. Not now, anyway. I
have to keep searching for them. They’re too much a part of my life for me to
just give up on them."
"Well, we wish you the best of luck, Brian," Sally said.
"And if you need any help down the road, you know we’ll be right here
for you," Bunnie added.
"Thanks, ladies," Brian said, a smile returning to his face. "This
means a lot. Well, I had better get my stuff packed and get ready for the long
hike."
"You’re going to walk all the way back to Bluebrook?" Sally asked. "I
won’t hear of it, Brian. Dulcy can take you back."
"Oh, you don’t have to bother her. I’ll be fine, really."
"No, Brian, I insist, and that’s a royal order."
Brian smiled again at Sally’s offer. "Well, I’ll tell you what. If
you’re going to go to all that trouble just for me, then I want you all to come
and spend the day. We can have one last blast. What do you say?"
Sally and Bunnie exchanged glances, nodding their approval. "All right,
Brian, you have a deal," Sally said. "Bunnie, you find the others. We’ll leave
in an hour."
An hour later, the Freedom Fighters gathered at the outskirts of
Knothole. Everyone was anticipating the trip, as it meant a break from the
fight against Robotnik. Tails looked especially excited, since he wasn’t
allowed to leave Knothole except for when he was on lookout duty.
"OK, Sonic and Tails are going to travel on foot and flight, I know
that," Brian said. "So that leaves the rest of us with Dulcy. Sure you can
handle that?" he asked, turning to the dragon.
"I’ve had to carry a lot more before," Dulcy said, smiling. "This’ll be
a piece of cake."
"If you say so. This is my first flight, so take it easy on me."
Sonic nudged Sally at that comment. "Sal, you think we should tell
Brian about Dulcy’s ‘flights’?" he whispered.
"I think it’s a little late for that now, Sonic," Sally whispered back.
"Hopefully, Dulcy will have a better approach this time."
Sonic gave a small chuckle as Sally addressed the group. "All right,
everyone, let’s be on our way."
The others nodded as they mounted up. Brian and Antoine went into
Dulcy’s pouch, while Rotor, Bunnie and Sally tried to climb on Dulcy’s back.
"Um, guys, I think we have a problem here," Rotor said. "There’s only
room for two of us on the saddle, and there’s three of us."
"Rotor’s right, Sally-girl," Bunnie said. "Someone’s gotta find another
travelin’ arrangement."
Hearing this, Brian spoke up. "Wait, I know. Rotor and Bunnie will ride
with Dulcy, and Sonic can carry Sally on foot."
Sonic turned toward Brian when the idea was mentioned. He was about to
say something to him, but stopped when Brian cast a wink in his direction.
Sonic understood the intentions.
"That’s a great idea, Brian," Sonic said, almost yelling it out.
"Whaddya say, Sal?"
"Sure, I’ll go with you," Sally replied. She grabbed around Sonic’s
neck as he lifted her up. Sonic had already agreed to carry Brian’s backpack
also, which he had slung over his shoulder. As a result, although it looked
awkward, the bag actually made a makeshift headrest for Sally. Sally smiled at
this. For some reason, it made her feel a little closer to Sonic.
Within a few moments, everyone was set. Sonic and Tails sped off, and
Dulcy took off into the blue skies of Mobius.
Normally, the trip to Bluebrook on foot would have taken a few days.
Thanks to Sonic and Dulcy, however, it only took twenty minutes.
"Get set, everyone. Bluebrook, straight ahead!" Brian called. "Prepare
for landing, Dulcy."
"OK, going down!" Dulcy called in reply, beginning her descent. A small
scream escaped the Freedom Fighters’ lips, and Antoine grabbed on to Brian.
"Geez, Antoine, knock it off," Brian said, trying to push him off.
"What’s gotten into you?"
"I am afraid of ze landings," Antoine said nervously, covering his
eyes. "Miss Dulcee iz always making ze big crashes."
"Oh, stop exaggerating," Brian replied, turning to Dulcy. "There’s no
problem, right, Dulcy? You can handle this."
"Don’t worry, Brian," Dulcy said. "This landing’s gonna be perfect.
Watch."
Dulcy neared the ground, turning herself upright as she prepared to
touch down. Unfortunately, she turned too quickly. This caused a quick gust of
wind, sending Dulcy into a slide. As she tried to stop her slide with her
talons, her foot hit a small rock. This turned her sideways and over, dumping
Bunnie and Rotor off the saddle.
Sonic and the others saw the crash from behind, speeding up a moment
later. "What happened here?" Sally asked jumping out of Sonic’s arms. "Is
everyone all right?"
Groans came from Bunnie and Rotor as they got back to their feet. "I
think so, Sally," Rotor said.
"Dulcy, how about you?"
Dulcy groaned. "I’m fine, ma. I can do it."
The others shook their heads. "She’ll be fine," Sally said. "Wait,
where’s Antoine and Brian?"
A moment later, Antoine appeared from Dulcy’s pouch, still covering his
eyes. He slowly peeked around. "I am making it?" he said. "Oh, I am here and
all in one pieces. What a releef."
A muffled sound came out from underneath Antoine. "What iz happening?"
he asked, looking down.
The pouch began to shake as Brian struggled underneath Antoine’s feet.
"Get off me!" he yelled. With that, he forced himself up, sending Antoine
flying out of Dulcy’s pouch. Antoine landed on his behind as he fell. Brian
rose finally as he shook himself off.
"Are you OK, Brian?" Sally asked.
"Fine, no thanks to Antoine’s boots," Brian grunted, doing various
stretches. "After all, I just got my back healed and I’d like to keep it that
way." He jumped out of the pouch and helped Antoine up. "Sorry I had to do
that. No offense."
"None taken, meester Brian," Antoine replied as he stood up.
"But man, you weren’t kidding about Dulcy’s landings. I’m guessing she
does this often?" The others nodded, and Brian said no more about it.
About 10 minutes later, after saying goodbye to Dulcy, they arrived at
Brian’s house. It was a hut similar to the ones in Knothole, although somewhat
larger and with a wood frame. To Brian’s surprise, he noticed that the walls
did not show the scars from the SWATbot invasion three weeks before. Rather,
the walls were repaired, and the windows and door had been replaced. Brian
stopped at the sight, shaking his head in awe.
"What is it, Brian?" Tails asked. "Isn’t this your house?"
"Yeah, it is..." Brian said. "And I can tell Andrea has been here." He
began to reach into his vest, but then he stopped. "Say, guys, I just want to
check some things inside on my own. There’s a small restaurant up 5 minutes
from here on the east side. Would it be OK if I caught up to you there and then
I’ll treat you all for lunch?"
"Sounds great to me, as long as they’ve got chili dogs on the menu,"
Sonic said, licking his lips at the thought of eating. Sally rolled her eyes
with a smile as she watched Sonic’s reaction.
"Don’t worry about it, Sonic. It’s cool. I’ll meet you there in about
10 minutes."
The others nodded, and headed in the direction that Brian pointed out.
Seeing them leave, Brian went into his pocket, pulling out a key and opening
the front door.
Brian stepped inside the house, and looked around for a moment in the
living room. He could see that most of the furniture was still there, with some
damage showing here and there from the invasion. The floors had been swept up
of all the shattered glass and wood that was produced by the SWATbots’ forceful
entry. Brian took the whole scene in, mentally thanking Andrea and her parents
for doing this for him while he was away.
Passing through the living room, Brian reached his bedroom. Entering,
he saw that the room was cleaned up, just like the rest of the house. "I’ll bet
Andrea’s gonna get on me for not cleaning up after myself again," he thought
with a laugh. "I’d better check to see where she put some things."
Brian went to a chest that was located next to his bed. This chest
contained all of his various games and puzzles. Looking in, he noticed that all
of his games were in there, with no particular order to which they were
stacked. Brian made a note to himself to reorganize the chest as he closed it.
"All right, time to catch up with the gang and grab something to eat,"
he thought as he turned around...
And met a large object flying towards his head. The object connected
with a resounding CLANG!, flooring Brian instantly.
From where he lied face down, Brian groaned in pain as his assailant
stood over him. "Don’t move, you slime," the figure said, its voice gruff in an
attempt at intimidation, but obviously feminine.
From behind, a boom shook the hut as Sonic zipped to the front door.
Heading inside, he quickly found the scene of the incident. "Whoa, Tails was
right, someone did follow Brian in," he said.
The attacker turned around to face Sonic. She was a fox of Sonic’s
height, wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans, clutching a frying pan in both
hands. "Hold it right there," she said, trying to hold her voice. "Come any
closer and you’ll regret it."
"Hey, chill out, I’m not gonna hurt you, but you’d better tell me what
you did to Brian."
"I don’t have to- wait, did you say Brian?" the girl asked.
"Yeah, this is his house," Sonic replied.
Quickly, the girl dropped her frying pan and turned around to face
Brian. As he rolled over, still clutching his head, she recognized him and
knelt down beside him. "Oh my gosh! Sweetie, are you all right?" she asked
worriedly.
"Ugh... Andrea?" Brian groaned out as he opened his eyes.
"Yes, it’s me. I’m so sorry I hit you," she replied.
"What did you do that for?"
"I saw you from my house and thought you were a burglar because I
didn’t recognize you. How did your quills get all dark like that?"
"Long story, and I’ll tell you when my head stops pounding," Brian
said, sitting up.
"I’m sorry, Sweetie. Here, let’s get you back to my house and I’ll give
you some aspirin."
"Thanks, Cutie," Brian replied. "Sonic, go get the others and have them
follow us to Andrea’s house."
"I’m already gone," Sonic said, juicing back out of the house.
"And on the way, Sweetie," Andrea said to Brian with a mix of cuteness
and sternness, "you can tell me why you never wrote to me all this time like
you promised."
Brian groaned again as his suddenly painful head sank back down in
reply.
Over the next two hours, the Freedom Fighters relaxed at Andrea’s
house. Louise, Andrea’s mother, was more than willing to make lunch for the new
guests, and she made sure that everyone ate to their fill. At one point, Sally
even nudged Sonic jokingly, saying, "You’d really be welcome here. You eat us
out of house and home already, and you don’t need anyone to shout ‘Mangia!" to
you." Sonic glared at Sally while the others laughed, but finally started
laughing himself because he knew it was true.
After lunch, everyone exchanged stories of their lives. Brian told
Andrea’s family about what he discovered about his parents, and how the power
ring had changed his quills. Each of the other Freedom Fighters discussed their
lives before and after Robotnik as well.
Tails felt a little sad at all of this. "Hey, big guy, what’s wrong?"
Sonic asked.
"Well, all of you remember your parents," Tails sighed. "I never knew
mine. They were gone before I could remember. I just know that I miss them."
"I would be knowing a little about them," Antoine said.
"You do?" said Tails and Sonic at the same time.
"Oui, I knew them because my father was ze general in King Acorn’s
army. Monssieur Prower was one of his most faithful soldiers. I would often see
the two of them training together."
"You’re right, Antoine," Sally added. "They were the best of friends,
and it was through General D’Coolette that we found out about your birth.
Lieutenant Prower disappeared shortly thereafter, however, along with your
mother. And a few months later, that’s when Robotnik launched his coup."
Tails’ face was a mix of excited wonder and sadness when he heard all
this. Suddenly, he started to cry. Sonic hugged him in response. "It’s OK, big
guy," Sonic said to him. "We’re gonna find them and make Robuttnik pay. You
cool with that?"
Tails looked up at Sonic with a tear-streaked smile. "Way past, Sonic,"
he replied, giving Sonic one last big hug.
"Aw, they look so cute like that," Louise said. "Say, I have a
question. Has Tails always had two tails, or did he change like Brian did with
those power rings?"
"Oh, not at all," Sally answered. "Tails was born that way. He can’t
use the rings."
"So then how come you were able to, Brian? Is there any way that your
quills will go back to normal?"
"I can’t even guess how I used it," Brian replied. "As far as we know,
Rotor and Nicole concluded that this was a permanent thing. Sonic’s DNA is
somewhat a part of me now."
"So if you use a power ring now, you’ll run just like Sonic?" Andrea
asked.
"Supposedly, I can, but I never used another ring after the first time,
and Sonic and Bunnie remember how it knocked me out."
"Yeah, that reminds me, what was all that mumbo jumbo y’all was sayin’
when you were spinnin’ like a top there?" Bunnie asked. "That whole ‘tot soo
mockee’ or somethin’ like that?"
Brian concentrated to recall the phrase. "I am sort of familiar with
that phrase. It was in those stories that I used to hear."
"What stories?" Sally asked.
"There was a storyteller who came through town many times as I was
growing up, and he told of Sonic’s heroics in many of his tales. But he told
other stories as well. One story was supposed to be a legend, but I only
remember a small part of it. Sally, does Nicole have any information on fables
and legends?"
"We can ask her," Sally replied, taking her computer from her boot.
"If I may ask?" Brian asked. Sally nodded. "Nicole, could you search
your database for ‘The Legend of the Dragon Spirit’?"
"SEARCHING, BRIAN," Nicole said. After a few moments of silence, Nicole
replied, "ONE ENTRY QUALIFIES."
Brian was now at the edge of his seat. "Commence playback, Nicole,"
Sally said. Nicole proceeded to produce a hologram of a world unfamiliar to
anyone present as she began to tell the tale.
"IN THE TIME OF ANCIENT MOBIUS, ON THE FAR EASTERN CONTINENT, THERE
EXISTED A GRAND TOURNAMENT THAT WOULD DETERMINE THE STRONGEST WARRIOR OF THE
LAND. MANY CAME FROM AFAR TO COMPETE, AND IN THE END, ONE STOOD ALONE. HIS NAME
WAS RYU KAMI. TRANSLATED, HIS NAME MEANS ‘DRAGON SPIRIT.’ HE WAS ABLE TO
CHANNEL HIS ENERGY TO INVOKE THE POWERS OF HIS NAMESAKE. HIS MOST FAMOUS
TECHNIQUES WERE KNOWN BY THE NAMES HE CALLED FORTH UPON RELEASING THEM.
"FIRST, THERE WAS THE ‘HADOKEN’, WHICH STANDS FOR ‘WAVE MOTION PUNCH.’
THIS WAS RYU’S MOST COMMONLY USED TECHNIQUE. THE ENERGY OF THE SPIRIT WAS
CHANNELED INTO A BALL OF BLUE FIRE WITHIN HIS HANDS, AND THROWN IN A WAVE-LIKE
MOTION AT HIS ADVERSARY WITH AMAZING SPEED AND FORCE.
"NEXT WAS THE ‘DRAGON GALE KICK,’ OR BY RYU’S COMMAND, ‘TATSU-MAKI-
SENPYU-KYAKU.’ IN A SPINNING MOTION, RYU WOULD LEAVE HIS FEET, CHARGING TOWARDS
HIS TARGET WITH HIS KICK EXTENDED. THE KICK WOULD CARRY THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER
OF THE HURRICANE AS IT STRUCK HIS OPPONENT MULTIPLE TIMES."
Sonic and Bunnie exchanged glances with Brian as they heard the details
of the technique. They turned back to the holograms as Nicole continued.
"THE THIRD TECHNIQUE, AND MOST FAMOUS OF ALL, WAS THE ‘SHORYUKEN,’ OR
‘RISING DRAGON PUNCH.’ THE SPIRIT WAS CHANNELED WITHIN RYU’S SINGLE FIST. IN
ONE SUDDEN MOTION, HE WOULD ATTACK WITH AN UPPERCUT STRIKE SO POWERFUL THAT IT
CARRIED RYU AND HIS OPPONENT INTO THE AIR, FURTHER DESTROYING HIS FOE.
"USING THESE TECHNIQUES, RYU DEFEATED ALL OF HIS CHALLENGERS. HOWEVER,
ALTHOUGH HE WON THE TOURNAMENT, HIS FIGHT WAS NOT FINISHED. HE WAS TELEPORTED
TO A DARK LOCATION. THERE, HE CAME FACE TO FACE WITH CHAOS AND ORDER
THEMSELVES. THE TWO SUPREME BEINGS HAD OBSERVED THE BATTLES, AND SENSED THAT
RYU’S SPIRIT WAS ONE WITH THE DRAGON. CHAOS THEN TOOK THE SHAPE OF A MORTAL
BEING, AND CHALLENGED RYU TO ONE LAST DUEL. THE BATTLE WOULD GO ON FOR MANY
HOURS. ULTIMATELY, BOTH FIGHTERS WOULD SUBMIT, ENDING THEIR MATCH IN A
STALEMATE.
"CHAOS AND ORDER WERE SATISFIED WITH RYU, AGREEING THAT HE WAS A MOBIAN
PURE OF SPIRIT, AND WAS WORTHY OF WHAT HE WAS TO RECEIVE. THEY PRESENTED HIM
WITH A PAIR OF JEWELS OF THEIR OWN MAKING. THESE BECAME KNOWN AS THE SPIRIT
STONES. THESE STONES CARRIED GREAT POWERS SIMILAR YET UNIQUE FROM EACH OTHER,
POWERS THAT ARE AWOKEN BY THE SPIRIT OF THEIR POSSESSOR.
Nicole’s monitor displayed a hologram of a smooth, bright blue stone,
its center bursting with an even brighter fire. "THE FIRST STONE WAS KNOWN AS
THE BLAZE. IT WAS FASHIONED BY CHAOS TO REPRESENT THE INCREDIBLE PHYSICAL FORCE
EMBODIED WITHIN HIM. THIS FORCE, WHEN CHANNELED THROUGH THE CHI OF THE
POSSESSOR, MANIFESTS INTO AMAZING ABILITIES AND VISIONS OF POWER, OR SOURCES OF
INCREDIBLE DESTRUCTION.
"THE SECOND OF THE SPIRIT STONES IS THE BLOOD." The hologram showed a
deep red stone with a softer, glowing core. "WHILE CHAOS CREATED THE BLAZE
AROUND THE PHYSICAL, ORDER CREATED THE BLOOD TO FOCUS ON THE SPIRITUAL. AS
SUCH, THIS STONE CONTAINS THE ABILITY TO TAP INTO ONE’S MIND AND HEART,
INCREASING ALL OF THEIR MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL POWER. THESE POWERS CAN BE USED AS
A CHANNEL OF PEACE AND HARMONY, OR OF TORTURE AND CORRUPTION, BASED UPON ITS
USER.
"AS MOBIUS’ GREATEST WARRIOR, RYU GUARDED THE SPIRIT STONES FOR MANY
YEARS. AFTER HIS DEATH, THE STONES DISAPPEARED, AWAITING THE NEXT TO BE
DESTINED AS GREATEST OF HIS TIME. BY CHAOS’ DECREE, HE WILL BE THE EMBODIMENT
OF STRENGTH IN MIND, BODY AND SOUL. HE IS FIERCELY INDEPENDENT, YET A BORN
LEADER. HIS SPIRIT IS POSITIVE AND HIS MIND DETERMINED, UNBROKEN IN THE FACE OF
TRAGEDY. THESE ARE THE STRENGTHS THAT WILL MARK HIS DESTINY TO UNLOCK THE LONG
DORMANT POWERS OF THE SPIRIT STONES."
"Wow, what a cool story," Tails said.
"I’ll say," Rotor replied. "Those stones sound incredible with the
kinds of powers that they hold."
"See, Cutie, I always told you that guy wasn’t making those stories
up," Brian said to Andrea.
"I don’t know," Andrea replied with some doubt, "you’re always the one
who believes everything he’s told."
"All right, I’ll give you that one, but I’ve always held on to this
story deep inside in hopes that it were true. I mean, I’ve always been inspired
by it, and to know that I could possibly obtain it with everything that’s
happened? How cool is that?"
"You sure that power ring didn’t knock something loose in your head?
You don’t even know if you’re really able to do those moves that Nicole talked
about."
"Well, there’s only one way to find out."
"You don’t mean..."
"Between that and the speed issue, I might as well. What have I got to
lose? Let me get a couple things from my house."
Several minutes later, everyone watched outside the house at the setup
laid out before Brian. From several directions, wooden boards were standing as
a set of targets, each within makeshift holders of varying heights and
positions.
"It’s a good thing that you still had all these broken boards from when
you fixed my house," Brian said to Andrew.
"Yes, we were saving them in case we needed to do any patching up
ourselves," Andrew replied. "Saving for a rainy day, you know?"
"Wouldn’t expect anything else. Now I just hope those are the only
things that get broken." Brian took a deep breath at the thought. "OK, Sonic,
I’m ready. Let me have it."
Sonic reached into his backpack and handed the power ring to Brian.
Brian closed his eyes and held it up to the sky, and within seconds, the ring
bathed him in its golden light. Once the light faded, Brian’s eyes snapped
open, as he quickly scanned the surrounding targets.
Brian sped toward the first set of targets, running twice his normal
speed. Leaping as he approached, he smashed two targets with a pair of kicks
from both legs, then broke a third with a roundhouse kick in the same jump.
Landing, Brian immediately turned toward his next target at the
opposite end of the circle. Taking a few running steps, he leaped again, this
time twisting his body as the cry echoed through the air, "TATSU-MAKI-SENPUU-
KYAKU!" The kick spun at the target beautifully, sending pieces of the board
flying.
The others watched in silenced awe as Brian approached his new target.
The board on this stand was held flat above his head. He paused as he clenched
his fist in concentration, leaping up with an uppercut. As he cried "SHO-RYU-
KEN!", the board was shattered and its holder knocked backwards to the ground.
At the finish of the technique, Brian faced the last remaining target
across the field. This time, he made no movement, holding his ground. Cupping
his hands together, the area around Brian became blinding as an aura of blue
light surrounded him and collected within his palms. Drawing them to his side,
the ball of light grew with each passing moment, until suddenly when Brian
threw his hands forward, ejecting the energy screaming "HA-DO-KEN!" The energy
flew threw the air and completely destroyed the board that once stood within
its holder.
The silence around the field returned as Brian returned to his fighting
position, standing amidst the mass of broken wood that littered the field.
Then, suddenly, Brian tensed up and sank to his knees on the ground. Everyone
immediately ran to him to check if he was all right. "Sweetie, are you OK?"
Andrea asked, kneeling beside him.
"Ugh... What happened to me?" Brian groaned, keeping a hand on the
ground for support.
"What do you mean?"
"I saw what I just did, but I felt like my body was running by itself.
I had no control over those attacks. They just came out on their own no matter
whether I held them back or not."
"I’ll say, look what it did to your shoes," Rotor said, looking down.
Brian followed his gaze to his feet. Indeed, his shoes were torn up from the
intense pressure that was just put upon them. Brian instinctively went to pull
them off.
"Well, at least my feet are fine," Brian said, "but what do I do about
my sneakers?"
"What about Sonic’s sneakers?" Tails asked. "I never see them get torn
up."
"That’s the way Uncle Chuck designed them, little bro," Sonic replied.
"They can handle all the speed and pressure I put on them."
"Those may be the only sneakers that can handle this," Sally said.
"Sonic, think you can part with a pair?"
"You’re joking, right?"
Sally frowned, unamused. "I’m joking, wrong. You’d think you’d have a
little decency here."
"I’m just kidding. Be right back," Sonic said as he sped out of town
back towards Knothole. About a half-hour later, he returned with a second pair
of his sneakers. Brian faked a little bit of displeasure, complaining that they
didn’t come in any color besides red. "At least they fit," he said. "Thanks,
Sonic."
"No biggie," Sonic said, knowing that Sally was slightly smirking
behind him.
"Now if only having these brought me closer to finding my family. I
mean, I can’t travel on foot again, since I can’t run like Sonic. Who knows how
long it would take me to find the next village, let alone seeing if I can rest
there."
"Stay with me, then," Andrea said. "You haven’t forgotten that I’m
still here, have you?"
"I know, Cutie, but you don’t understand. There’s a very personal
reason why I can’t rest until I find them."
"What?"
"I... can’t tell you," Brian sighed.
"Hmmph! Well, we’ll see if I tell you anything anymore," Andrea pouted,
turning her head away.
Brian went and pulled Andrea close to him. "Cutie, I promise that I’m
not holding this back to hurt you," he said softly, "and I haven’t even told
anyone else. Not Sonic, not Sally, not even my parents before they were
captured. You’ll know when the time is right. Please understand."
"OK, Sweetie," Andrea replied cutely. "But it had better be worth it."
"Trust me, it is."
The rest of the afternoon stayed rather quiet, as Sonic and the others
enjoyed the hospitality of Brian and his friends. As the day wound down, Brian
brought Andrea and the rest of the Freedom Fighters across town, where they
came to a large hut with a familiar mouse standing outside its doors.
"Ah, Brian, Andrea, good to see you," Master Cha called, bowing to the
two as they approached.
"Hi," Andrea quietly waved.
"Greetings, Master," Brian said as he returned the bow. "It’s been a
while."
"Yes, I have not seen you for many days now. How is your mom and dad?"
"Well... they’re the reason I’ve been away. They were captured in the
attacks last month, and I left in order to try and rescue them. I was
unsuccessful, though..."
"Oh, I see," Master said, noticing Brian’s depression. "You should not
worry, your family has strong bond. Family always has ways to come together.
You will find them."
"Thank you, Master. I won’t give up. And my new friends here have
helped me a lot in my search. I’d like to introduce you to the Knothole Freedom
Fighters: Sonic, Tails, Antoine, Bunnie, Rotor and Princess Sally," Brian said,
gesturing to each one as he called their name.
"Ah, nice to meet you," Master said, bowing to Sally. "It is an honor
to have you here."
Sally returned the bow. "Thank you, Master," she said. "We’ve all seen
what an incredible martial artist Brian is, and it’s great to me the person
that taught him."
"Yes, Brian is an excellent student, I enjoy watching him. I very proud
of him. So, you are in martial arts training, also?"
"I am a little, but Bunnie is our expert. Her family has trained in
Kung Fu for many years."
"Oh, I see, that is very fast and aggressive art. You need strong
spirit. You have been training long time?"
"All mah life, practically," Bunnie said. "Ah’ve dedicated so much of
myself to it, even after Robotnik almost roboticized me, it’s become part of
who ah am now."
"I can agree with that wholeheartedly, Master," Brian chimed in. "In
fact, I was wondering if you would allow Bunnie and I to have the floor
tonight. We have a little unfinished business," he said, smirking at Bunnie.
Bunnie smiled back, knowing what Brian was talking about.
"Yes, come on in," Master said, stepping aside to allow everyone to
enter the do-jang. As Brian entered, one of the other black belts caught sight
of him. "Hey, hey, looks who’s back! It’s the Sonic Whammy!" he called out.
"How’s it been, Brian?"
"Hey, Rich," Brian replied. "Things are all right, but I’m just ready
to get a good workout today."
"All right, I’ll see you in there," Rich replied as he walked into the
main room of the do-jang.
"Sonic Whammy?" Tails asked.
Brian turned around. "Yeah, kind of my nickname, Tails," he said. "And
I make sure that I live up to it."
From outside, the others watched as the class began. Master Cha guided
the students through their exercises and forms. Brian performed each one with
equal amounts of ease and intensity. After the forms were completed, Master Cha
motioned for Brian to step forward as the others sat down.
"Now, Brian has brought a friend with him today for a special
demonstration," Master Cha said.
"Yes, Master, thank you," Brian replied, bowing. "During my time away,
I had the pleasure of meeting someone who was very helpful in the search for my
family. I discovered that she was a very gifted martial artist as well, and
tonight we would like to set the stage for a rematch from our first encounter.
It is my pleasure to introduce to you Bunnie Rabbot."
Bunnie stepped forward to the applause of the class. She exchanged bows
with Brian, who followed with a smile and a wink. Bunnie returned the gesture
as she faced the class. Going into her ready stance, she broke into her form.
She chose a kicking-oriented form to match the style of Tae Kwon Do. The class
was captivated by each kick, which struck from several heights and angles in a
fast, rhythmic motion. When she was finished, everyone applauded Bunnie’s
techniques, which she acknowledged with a bow.
"Thank you," she said to everyone. "Ah’m very happy to be here today to
share this with you. And ah thank Brian from allowing us all to come. But now,
it’s time for round two!"
"Indeed," Brian replied. "In our first encounter, we engaged in a
little friendly competition, and we agree that match was a draw. So right here
and now, it’s time for our rematch. Are you ready, Bunnie?"
Bunnie nodded in reply.
"OK. Master Cha, if you will, please?"
"All right now, chareyot! Kyung rye!" The two bowed toward each other.
"Fighting stance, Hiya!" They both stepped back, ready to attack. "Shijak!"
Brian and Bunnie immediately circled each other. Brian moved in first
with a front kick-roundhouse combination. Bunnie blocked it easily and
countered with a low-high roundhouse combo of her own. Brian blocked the low
kick, but the high kick glanced past his block, causing him to stagger
slightly.
"C’mon, Brian, you can do it," a fellow student called out. "Don’t let
her beat you!"
Brian backed off and readied himself again. Charging once more, he met
Bunnie with another combination of kicks and punches. Bunnie countered with a
roundhouse-side kick combo. Both blocked the other’s attacks as the exchanges
continued. Brian then quickly feigned a side kick. Bunnie blocked low, to which
he snapped a hook kick to her face, followed by a fast roundhouse. This time,
Bunnie staggered back to regain her composure.
"All right, Brian, that’s it, man!"
Andrea and the other Freedom Fighters watched from outside the dojo
quietly. "Say, Andrea," Sonic said to her, "Brian’s really good."
"I know," Andrea replied. "I’ve watched him do this for a long time."
"You know, you shoulda seen them go at it when they trashed those
SWATbots. They were a great team. They practically read each other’s minds or
something, like they’re..."
"Soulmates?"
"Yeah. Bunnie seems to bring out the best in him."
Andrea smiled in reply and turned back to the contest inside. Brian and
Bunnie continued to trade attacks, blocking each other cleanly. Bunnie’s
roundhouse was met by a back side kick. A quick sidestep of Brian’s ax kick
opened an attempt for a punch combination. But neither one could get a solid
hit to gain ground on the other. After another stalemate, they withdrew, eyeing
each other carefully with a measured smirk. A moment later, they charged again.
"And... keuman!" Master Cha called, freezing them in their tracks. A
couple of low groans came from the other students in reaction to the moment.
"All right now, chareyot and kyung rye." Brian and Bunnie stood to attention
and bowed as the class applauded them on their performance. As Brian and Bunnie
shook hands, he quietly said to her, "Looks like another draw. We’ll have to
settle this one of these days."
"And who knows," Bunnie replied, "maybe we might just make a legend of
our own when that happens."
Brian smiled at that as they accepted more applause from the class.
After the class was finished, the sky had already begun to glow with
the sunset, and the Freedom Fighters were all in good spirits about the day’s
events as they returned to Andrea’s house.
"That was real cool, Brian," Tails said excitedly about the class. "You
and Aunt Bunnie really kicked butt!"
"Glad you liked it," Brian replied. "Say, what about you, Antoine? You
haven’t said much this trip. Are you having a good time?"
"I am very much enjoying myself," Antoine replied. "What makes you to
think I am not?"
"I don’t know, you just seem very tense. You gotta relax and loosen up
and stuff."
"Yep, that’s ol’ stick-in-the-mud Ant for ya," Sonic chimed in.
"I am never feeling more loosened up in my entire day!" Antoine shot
back.
"Ah, don’t let it bother you, Antoine," Brian said. "I’m just glad
you’re all here. I still wish my family were here, too. I would love for them
to see me now. Say, guys, promise me something?"
"What is it, Brian?" Sally asked.
"I want you all to make sure that I never give up in my search. This is
one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to deal with, and I’m happy I’ve had
friends like you to help me through it."
"You can always count on us, Brian," Sally replied, "and that’s a
promise."
"Thank you, Princess."
As Brian and the others continued their conversation, Andrea slowed her
pace to walk beside Bunnie, who was bringing up the rear. "Hi, Bunnie..." she
said.
"Oh, hey, Andrea-darlin’, how ya doin’?"
"I’m fine, you?"
"Ah feel good. Ah haven’t had many good fights like that in a long
time, darlin’."
"So, you and Brian trained together in Knothole? He always said he
wanted a partner to train with outside of class."
"Well, we never trained much cuz of his back and all. But he’s one of
the best partners ah’ve ever had, and a real charmer, too," Bunnie said, a
smile forming on her face. "You’re a very lucky girl, Andrea."
"Thank you, I know. Just remember that," Andrea replied in a suddenly
measured tone before catching up to the front of the group. Bunnie stood
dumbfounded for a moment over Andrea’s last words. "Ah wonder what that was all
for," she wondered as she kept walking. "Really hope she don't think that me
and Brian are... oh dear..."
Realizing what Andrea was thinking, Bunnie went to catch up with the
her. But seeing that Andrea was already at the front with Brian, she decided
that it was better to wait and resolve it later.
"I just want to thank you all again for everything you’ve done," Brian
said as they made it home. "I don’t know how I can possibly repay you for all
of this," Brian said.
"You don’t have to," Sonic said. "You’re all our friends now. It’s what
we do, and we know you’d do the same for us."
"You know it. I hope to see you all again soon."
"Just don’t be a stranger, sugah," Bunnie said.
"I won’t. And thank you for all your help," Brian said as he and Andrea
exchanged good-byes with each of the Freedom Fighters. Then, Sonic raced off
with Sally as the others climbed on Dulcy, shooting a final wave to Brian and
Andrea as they flew into the distance.
"Wow, what a day," Brian said. "In fact, these last few weeks have been
unbelievable. It’s hard to take it all in."
"I’ll say," Andrea replied. "But can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Don’t be so quick to run off again. I’ve missed you for three weeks,
and I’d like to see you again," Andrea said with a look of sadness and worry on
her face.
"Of course. I know my family is still out there, but I don’t know where
to go, and I’m not exactly up to travelling aimlessly on foot again."
Andrea gave Brian a shot in the arm. "You know what I mean," she said,
a little upset at Brian’s remark. "I don’t want you to forget about me!"
"You know I can never do that," Brian replied as the two held each
other close and shared a kiss. "I love you, you know."
"And I love you, too."
"C’mon, let’s go home. You don’t mind if I stay with you tonight, do
you? It is kind of lonely at my place, after all."
"Mmm... maybe..." Andrea replied with a huge smirk on her face.
"Oh, I’ll show you ‘maybe’," Brian laughed as Andrea suddenly ran off.
The two chased each other into the night as they made their way to Andrea’s
house.
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