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“Sonic, sweetie, it’s time for bed.” Longclaw said softly as she watched her ‘son’ run rampant and scurry across the room with playful roars. Unfortunately, the toddler was scampering across the room in a fit of giggles and didn’t seem close to stopping anytime soon, even in the middle of the night. The stars were out, the suns long gone. The warrior owl was flabbergasted at how much energy such a little furball could possibly have. Then again, she unintentionally accepted such a heavy burden when she took the hoglet under her wings in his infancy.
”No way! I’m gon’ wun awound this whoooowe iwand!” Sonic laughed. He was still very young, and couldn’t properly pronounce his ‘r’ and ‘l’s’ correctly, instead making more of a ‘w’ noise. “I’m pwacticing, Wongcaw! Just you wait!”
”Come on. If you don’t go to bed, you won’t have enough energy to run tomorrow!” Longclaw hummed, exasperated. “You are not going outside to run, either, we went over this, Sonic.”
”You’we no fun, Wongcaw.” Sonic stuck his tongue out, rolling around and out of the reach of her wings that were outstretched to snag him up. “I’m da gweat Bwue Bwur! You’ww nevew catch meeeee!”
Longclaw found a sliver of amusement in her fruitless efforts to grab the toddler and send him off to dream-land. That, and his pronunciation. To be frank, she found him adorable. But, she just wished he was more reciprocal and more willing to listen to her. She feared that one day, his immense powers would be drawn to outside attention and he would be targeted. If only her little hoglet knew what she knew.
Sonic suddenly tackled Longclaw and snuggled himself into her neck and roughhoused with her, roaring, “I’m a big stwong hedgieee! GRRRRRR.”
She let out a quick snicker and snagged him up, nipping at his ears as he laughed in protest, wriggling around.
”I’m the Great Owl, and I eat little hedgehogs for breakfast! Nom nom nom.” She boasted as she played along.
”Nooooo, pwease don’t eat me!” Sonic outcried, whacking at Longclaw’s beak.
”Nom nom nom nom nom.” Longclaw continued, still nipping at him, her broad wings blocking any form of exit for the little blue toddler. Sonic squealed as he tried wriggling and forming into a little spiky ball. Longclaw was able to sneak her beak and penetrate his defenses. She plucked at the fur adorning his head, again teasing him with the ‘noms.’ He replied with another squeak and playfully kicked at the owl to make her drop him or stop, whichever one came first.
The two tussled around for a while, back and forth between the bird and the prey. As they finished their last round of playing, they had a little moment to themselves as they giggled off to exhaustion.
The warrior owl almost never had many responsibilities since she retired from her work. Considering she was the last owl in her tribe, it was no wonder she had nothing to lose at this point in her life. But, it all turned around when Sonic came in. Being a surrogate mother to the hoglet made her understand how different being a parent is compared to a self-imposed loner. She loved the little blue blur, she really did, with all her heart. She felt the overwhelming desire to protect Sonic from the wonders and mysteries of the outside world that could try and take him away from her. He was only two years old, he didn’t know any better. His concept of rational thinking was barely a scratch of her own. Longclaw had never taken it slow and easy to raise a child as her own, all she ever knew were her warrior techniques and hunting. She could barely even recall the days of her own childhood.
She felt Sonic wriggle around, trying to get onto the ground to roll around. “Oh no you don’t.” Longclaw huffed, drawing him closer to her. He squeaked, “Noooooo! Wongcawwwwwww!”
”Tell you what,” Longclaw said, heading into the center of the room and up upon her perch. “if you promise not to run around again, I’ll sing you a lullaby.”
”Wuwwaby! Wuwwaby!” Sonic squealed. “You sing, Wongcaw?”
”Why, yes. Not often, but I remember my mother singing a wonderful lullaby to me every night to go to sleep.” There. That was a mere glimpse into her past. That was all she really remembered. Her mother’s lullaby.
”Ooooooohhhhh, yay yay yay yay!!!” The hoglet snuggled himself into the crook of Longclaw’s neck, settling his feet down onto her chest plate, absorbing the heat she gave him.
”Well, alright then. Here goes.” Longclaw took a deep breath, and slowly began to sing a little tune.
“Blackbird singing in the dead of night...
Take these broken wings and learn to fly...
All your life...
You were only waiting for this moment to arise...”
Sonic started yawning, snuggling himself deeper into Longclaw’s feathers.
”Blackbird singing in the dead of night...
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see...
All your life...
You were only waiting for this moment to be free.
Blackbird fly... blackbird fly...
Into the light of the dark black night.”
Longclaw begun stroking Sonic’s fur as his eyes slowly began to flutter closed. She knew this would work.
“Blackbird fly... blackbird fly...
Into the light of the dark black night...
She cradled Sonic’s body, seeing as he was finally beginning to drift off. He melted in her wings with a satisfactory purr.
“Blackbird singing in the dead of night...
Take these broken wings and learn to fly...
All your life...
You were only waiting for this moment to arise...
You were only waiting for this moment to arise...
You were only waiting for this moment to arise...”
She noticed that Sonic had finally fallen asleep, softly snoring in the comfort of her wings. Her beak curved into a small smile as her ‘son’ slumbered, his chest slowly rising and falling. Gazing at his form, she realized just how small and defenseless he was on his own. Sure he had powers, but he young. He didn’t know what to do on his own. How his parents ever thought it a good idea to leave a toddler in the wide open for the predators of the island eluded the old owl. All she wanted was to protect him and never let him go it his own again.
__________ _______ ______ _____ ___ _
”Sonic! Wake up and come here, bud! We got something for ya!”
Sonic groaned as he wriggled in bed a tad and kicked the sheets off of his bed. The cold embrace of the air enveloped his body. What could possibly be so intriguing that it would drag him out of the warm comforts of the blankets? He grumbled as he heaved and flopped himself onto the floor, his socks meeting the hardwood floor of the attic. He slipped on his slippers quickly, approaching the exit. He kicked open the attic door, walking down the steps.
Sonic found everyone in the living room. Tom and Maddie were talking to each other and Ozzy’s head was rested upon the vet’s lap. Sonic held himself up by the door frame, sluggishly undiscerning about his posture.
”What do you want, Donut Lord?” He mumbled, rubbing his eyes lazily. “I was just about to meet Keanu.”
Both of them turned to see him. Ozzy continued to sleep, unmoving, his chest rising and falling steadily.
Tom chuckled at Sonic’s drowsiness; it was rare— no, far and few between that he ever caught the hedgehog half-awake.
”Well hello there, Sleeping Beauty. Maddie and I were going through some old stuff and...” he dragged out a case, patting it proudly. “We found something you might like.”
”Is it an actual treadmill? New comics? Tickets to a ballgame?” Sonic asked drowsily, dropping into a sitting position as he stared the case.
”Even better.” Maddie smirked, unlatching the two locks on the side of the case. She flipped it open, and revealed that a sleek wooden guitar was inside. “Behold.”
”A guitar.” Sonic confirmed, gazing at it curiously.
”Yep!” Tom gestured to it. “Figured since you have a knack for instruments, and music in general, we could let you have this bad boy.”
Sonic remained silent, eyeing it. Part of his silence was his exhaustion, the other being... why would they give him an old, dusty guitar?
Tom tuned it, testing out the strings and just flat out fumbling with it for a few seconds before offering it to Sonic. “Still works.” The hedgehog took it in his gloved palms and curiously eyed it. The only guitar he was used to was the inflatable guitar he kept in his cave.
He plucked at the strings for a moment, blinking in curiosity.
”Well, do you like it?” Maddie asked, a bit nervous at how Sonic was reacting. “Tom used to play it for me when we were young.”
”I...” Sonic blinked. “I love it! Thank you!” A wide smile took over his face. Sure it wasn’t the treadmill he’s been dying to have, but he figured a guitar was good enough.
”Anything for our little Blue Devil.” Tom ruffled Sonic’s quills and the hedgehog groaned playfully in response. “Heyyyy, watch the fur pal!” He snickered, batting his hands away.
”Welp. That’s really about all we wanted to talk to you about. You’re free to venture to thy castle o’ slumber.” Tom said, picking himself up from the carpeted floor.
”Hohoho, don’t mind if I do, Lord of thy Donut.” Sonic picked himself up, guitar in hand. “The land of dreams calls upon its brave knight.”
”Off you go then. Don’t get too prickly with the princesses now.” Tom winked. Sonic halted, turning back around and facing Tom with the most unenthused look. “Don’t do this again. You’re not funny.”
”Oh come on, that’s the point!”
”Uggghhhh.” Sonic groaned. “I am so done.”
”Hi ‘so done,’ I’m dad.”
”OH MY GOD.” Sonic yanked his ears with a huge groan.
Maddie only snickered from the sidelines at Sonic’s humiliation. Ozzy left the scene of the crime to feast on his dog food elsewhere.
”PRETZEL LADY, DON’T LET HIM DO THIS TO ME.”
”Sonic, you seem a little...” Tom started.
”Don’t you dare finish that sentence.” Sonic pointed accusingly at the sheriff. “I will leave right now.”
”...on hedge.”
”I hate you.” The hedgehog stomped away, trying to cleanse himself of the terrible humor. It wasn’t even funny! Why was Maddie standing around watching his failure in her own amusement?
“Honey, that was really bad.” Maddie cringed with a pitiful smile the moment Sonic’s body disappeared from sight.
”It wasn’t that bad. He loves it!” Tom joked.
”No, he didn’t. And you know that.”
”Fine. I’ll get him laughing someday, you’ll see.”
”No you won’t!” He heard Sonic’s voice call from upstairs.
”Yes I will! Just you wait!” Tom called back.
”God, to think that in a matter of months our entire life has changed forever.” Maddie said, getting out two mugs for some coffee.
”I can’t believe this all started because I shot him with a tranquilizer.” Tom school his head, remembering the exact moment he met the little kid. It had been such an eventful day. In just a little over two days, he met an alien, started a bar fight, help said alien destroy not just one but four robots, totaled his truck, became a ‘domestic terrorist,’ and traveled to San Francisco. He could still recall the sheepish ‘meow’ Sonic uttered when the flashlight shone on him.
It baffled the sheriff to think about how he was allowed to continue his cop work after all that.
”Hey.” Maddie said, reeling Tom back in from his thoughts. “Do you think we’re moving too fast on Sonic? I mean... he has been isolated for... 10 years. How old even is he?”
”I think he said he was maybe... 13..? I don’t know for sure.” Tom hummed, stroking his chin.
”Oh my god.” Maddie said, worry in her voice. “He had to survive on his own at three years old?”
That fact didn’t make sense to him either. It made him guilty to think of a toddler sized Sonic trying to survive on his own on a brand new planet he’s never seen before.
Maddie finished the mugs of coffee, taking a sip of one. “I’m going to go head back upstairs. Coming with?” She offered the second mug to Tom.
”Yep. Don’t have a shift today anyway, Wade’s covering today. Best take advantage of the downtime, right?” He took in his hands, the warmth of the drink heating him up.
”Oh yeah, absolutely.” Maddie led him up the stairs. “It’s not every day the whole family is together.”
Ozzy weaved his way up the stairs with the Wachowskis and meeting them up top. The vet was next, but just as she was going to open her mouth to speak, she heard the soft tune of a guitar coming from somewhere. “Hey...” she muttered, looking up at the attic. The stairs were still down, Sonic must’ve never closed it. “Do you...”
Maddie walked over to the master bedroom and sat her cup down on the nightstand. Tom watched her as he came from the stairway. “What’s up?”
”Shh. C’mere.” She beckoned. Tom set his coffee down as well and followed Maddie’s lead.
”Blackbird singing in the dead of night...
Take these broken wings and learn to fly...
All your life...
You were only waiting for this moment to arise...”
Maddie gasped as she saw the hedgehog himself, singing a soft melody she never heard. His fingers gracefully flew over the strings like he’s been playing guitar his entire life. Judging by his reaction to the instrument, she figured he’d never had an instrument beyond a few cheap inflatables he stole from the prize corner of the local children’s pizza places.
She never heard him sing before— nor has she even heard him play an instrument. She turned to her husband, who was equally as surprised to hear this side of Sonic. This wasn’t the vocal, flamboyant hedgehog she was used to. Sure, he got vulnerable and choked up occasionally, but this was a whole new level of new for her.
Once Sonic finished the final chord, both Tom and Maddie made their appearance with a standing ovation. He flinched, ears straight in the air with surprise. “H-hey,” he stammered, “how long were you there?”
”Not long, don’t worry, pal.” Tom smirked.
”Sonic, that was beautiful!” Maddie squealed. “Where’d that song come from?”
”Well, uh,” The hedgehog glanced away in embarrassment at being caught. “long story short, my foster mom sung it to me each night as I fell asleep.”
”Well, it’s a beautiful melody.” The vet guided her husband over to Sonic. They sat down on either side of him. He looked back and forth between his surrogate parents. They were a bit too amicable and welcoming for his tastes, all too quickly.
”I think it’s sweet you still remember her melody after all these years distant from her.” Tom patted Sonic’s back. The hedgehog shifted, suddenly chagrin.
”I miss her,” the hedgehog admitted. “I’d usually sing it to myself whenever I was kept awake by nightmares or something stupid. Other times... I’d stay awake, putting myself down for being the one to kill her.”
”Hey, hey, hey, you didn’t kill her, Sonic.” Tom said with parental discern.
”Yes, I did.” The hedgehog hummed uneasily. “If I didn’t waltz all willy-nilly and snag that flower, she might still be alive.”
”Sonic, you were three years old. Three year olds are still sucking their toes and waddling around for their parent’s amusement at that age.” Maddie butted in, running a hand over Sonic’s ears (which he melted into). “You weren’t the one with the weapon, now, were you?”
Sonic went mute, looking down at his slippered feet in shame. His conflicting signals were overwhelming him, and soon he caved in to sniffles and a look of regret. He tried to speak, but his vocal cords failed him. “Hey, champ. You okay?” Tom asked, leaning down to catch a glimpse of Sonic’s lowered face. The moment he noticed the quiet sniffling, he sent a look Maddie’s way and ‘telepathically’ forewarned her. She nodded in understanding.
”Sonic, sweetie...” Maddie cooed, slowly pulling a Sonic into her lap and scooting closer to Tom. “Don’t feel ashamed about what happened. It’s not your fault, nobody’s blaming you.”
”It’s my fault they found us in the first place.” Sonic said before hiding his face in the crook of her neck. The touch alone made him get choked up.
”Stop running this conversation in circles just to blame yourself. She did what was best for you, even if it meant giving her own life to protect yours.” Tom joined in, stroking Sonic’s head. “Don’t look into the past to cry over what you did.”
”But—!” Sonic’s walls came crashing down and the waterworks came into play. “I’m just a BIG screwup. I’m the reason, I’m to blame, I did this to her— It’s just not fair. Longclaw died because of ME.”
Tiny flickers of blue lightning sparked over Sonic’s quills. Tom continued stroking his head in determination to ease him. Maddie kept him firm in her lap, ignoring the small bursts of lightning.
”Buddy. Hey, buddy.” The sheriff said. “You are not a screwup. It was an accident, you didn’t know.”
“But I’m the reason why it happe—“ “You were THREE!”
Sonic’s bloodshot eyes stared up into Tom’s blue ones and back down to his folded hands. He felt even more ashamed than before. The lightning began to die down.
”Sonic, we’re here for you. Through thick and thin. We are a family, and you’re part of it. We care so much about you. The last thing we want is for you to swoop as low as calling yourself a mistake.” Maddie said with an affirming tone. “You care about Longclaw very much, and that’s all that matters. Sometimes the best things someone can do are the things you don’t want, and that’s exactly what she did for you.”
Sonic wiped his glossy eyes, staining his gloves a light gray. “I love you guys so much.” He admitted weakly, jumping off of Maddie’s lap and snuggling both the humans in a tight hug. They returned it. The only sound to fill the air was Sonic’s crying.
And that’s what happened. They sat there in an embrace to let Sonic calm himself from his depressed state, protecting him in their open arms.
He clearly had issues from his history. Being orphaned at a measly three years old and struggling to put his life back together, lacking the love and support he needed to grow up both physically and emotionally. He was as unstable and unpredictable as Russian Roulette.
He finally calmed himself down. His emotions were at ease. The strength to lift himself from wallowing in sorrow at his side, he could bare look the humans in the eye again and give them a giant goofy smile.
”That’s the Sonic I know!” Tom chuckled, ruffling Sonic’s quills again. “Gah! Not again!” The hedgehog wailed, again battering at his hands. Maddie swatted Tom’s hand away only to delicately stroke her fingers through his fur and comb it back into shape. “We definitely need to give you a bath one of these days.” The vet hummed, rubbing a bit of dirt off of her pointer finger and thumb.
”NO.” Sonic growled, wriggling a bit.
”It’s gonna happen, bud. Can’t go prancing around smelling like Ozzy after a trip to mud town.” Tom chuffed.
”Don’t you dare compare me to the likeness of smelly dog, Donut Lord. You’re skating on thin ice.”
”Gee, why the cold shoulder?”
”Oh my god, enough with the dad jokes.” Sonic hissed “I don’t think I can take one more.”
Tom laughed and patted the hedgehog’s shoulder. “Fine, fine. S’pose you’ve had enough for the day.”
“THANK you.” Sonic sighed, thankful he was no longer infiltrated with such disgustingly bad jokes. How did Maddie ever survive with this man?
”Hey.” Maddie said, patting Sonic’s shoulder. “Sonic... if you’re comfortable... maybe... you can play that little song for us again, sweetie?”
Sonic lifted his head and blinked back into focus. “Oh. Yeah, yeah.” He said, an little more comfortable this time, carefully grabbing the guitar again and nervously glancing at both Tom and Maddie. They only smiled.
It would be an understatement to say they didn’t enjoy every second of Sonic’s childhood lullaby the moment he began strumming the strings.