"How is he doing?" Silver asked as he, Percival and Galahad gathered around the unconscious Fleetway.
"He is well," Merlina replied. "A little worn out but otherwise fine,"
"Why is he worn out?" Galahad wondered.
"Possibly from escaping from the Dark Creatures and helping us earlier with the dark soldiers," Silver replied with a shrug.
"Is he doing alright?" The four turned to see Arthur enter with Mephiles, Lancelot, Gawain, and Caliburn right behind him, straight from sword-training.
"He should be awake soon, my king," Percival announced. "Merlina says that he is well. Just a little worn out,"
"Well, since he's here," Mephiles cleared his throat. "I think we should look for another friend of ours,"
"But it's too risky!" Gawain argued. "Those Dark Creatures know what's going on and they know about the war! They'll take it to their advantage!"
"Yes, I know," Mephiles sighed. "but if we want Fleetway to help us more, especially with the war, I'm really sure we have to find a certain SOMEONE to give him INSPIRATION to help and defend. Right, Silvy?"
"Yes, yes!" Silver nodded eagerly, knowing EXACTLY what Mephiles was talking about. "I agree, Mephy. We should REALLY fine that certain someone. He's Fleetway's precious emerald, after all. He won't do anything for us without HIM,"
"Who is exactly is HIM?" Lancelot questioned with crossed arms. "And why is he so important to Fleetway?"
"He's... someone you wouldn't like to see again," Mephiles admitted with groan. "To you, Arthur, he's a menace. A creature never to be trusted, like me. But to Fleetway, he's very special. He's his Uke, his beloved, his treasure that he swore to protect,"
"Wow," Galahad was amazed. "Is this male that special to him?"
"Very special," Silver nodded. "This guy's also been one of my best Uke friends. Please, Arthur. We need to get him back too. For Fleetway and for us. He can help us fight. I'll make sure he does,"
"Hmm..." Arthur gave it a thought. "Well, if you think this guy can be a trusted ally and a key to get Fleetway to help us then I guess we should find him. In one condition."
"What is it?" Mephiles asked.
"You tell us HIS name,"
'Shiiit.' the grey hedgehog bit his bottom lip and looked at his fiancé for help.
The albino Uke gulped and fiddled with his fingers. A long moment of silence came and tension built up too as the knights and wizard looked at the couple with suspicions and curiosity. The king was also staring at the duo, awaiting an answer.
"Well?"
"We... ugh," Silver sighed in defeat and looked over at the other. "We need to tell them who he is,"
"Oh boy..." Mephiles places his hands on his ears. "You do it because I don't think I can handle their... yells,"
"Alright..." Silver took a deep breath. "The guy we're talking about is... Scourge the Hedgehog,"
All hell broke loose after that as the knights gasped in shock and horror.
"WHAT?!" Caliburn was bewildered. "SCOURGE THE PLAYER?!"
"Are you insane?!" Gawain cried out.
"He is a dangerous being!" Lancelot bellowed, gritting his teeth.
"He plays with females to use for his pleasure!" Percival growled with her clenched fists. "He is disgusting and infuriating!"
"He also threatens to rape younger children and kill others if the females fight them!" Galahad added, tears in his eyes as he remembered the forest green hedgehog from his childhood.
"Hmm, that DOES sound like the old Scourge I fought before," Silver merely chuckled before he folded his arms and frowned. "You guys don't even know why he became like that. His father was worse than he could ever be,"
"How could anyone be worse than Scourge the Player?!" Gawain huffed. "What has his father done that is more diabolical than anything he has done?!"
"His father ACTUALLY raped children," Silver shuddered. "His father killed his mother after she abandoned them and his father had tortured him inside Möebius Castle,"
"Oh dear!" Merlina gasped. "I did not know Scourge had gone through a rough childhood,"
"And a tough life to get to his happily ever after with Fleetway," Mephiles finally spoke up, uncovering his ears. "And look, they aren't even close to a happily ever after,"
"But do you really think he has changed after all these years of his horrid life?" Arthur questioned.
"I know he did some... unforgivable things," Silver began. "but yes, Scourge HAS changed. He's been neglected, tortured, betrayed, cheated on and everything! Give him a chance to regain himself, please,"
(A/N EVERYTHING SILVER HAS SAID ABOUT SCOURGE WILL BE FURTHER EXPLAINED AND DETAILED IN ANOTHER STORY SOON! PROMISE!)
The knights and the wizard exchanged unsure glances before looking at their king, awaiting his response. Arthur was caught off-guard by their eyes and cleared his throat.
"Well, um," he bit his bottom lip. "it will depend when Fleetway wakes up. We would be trying to do this for his alliance to us, after all,"
"Then you better ask when he wakes up." Mephiles pointed over to the squirming golden form. "which means you have to ask him NOW."
"Huh?!" the rest of them turned to see Fleetway, who had been tossing and turning about before stretching with a yawn.
He slowly began to float as he sat up and stretched again with another yawn, cracking his knuckles to ease his tensed, unmoved arms, hands and fingers.
"Ah~" he breathed in relief as he shook his fingers to loosen them more. "I can FINALLY feel my chaos energy coming back. What a relief!"
He turned to the crowd and waved at them naturally. "Oh, hello again. What's up?"
The knights, Merlina, Silver, Caliburn, and Mephiles all stared at Arthur, the albino one motioning the king to go on with the plan.
The azure king, of course, was nervous, since the golden one was partly a demonic form. One wrong word would cause his life and his kingdom.
With a deep, shaky breath, he advanced towards the oblivious form and cleared his throat, placing a sincere smile on his muzzle.
"Uh, hello, Fleetway," he spoke, trying to sound... out-of-suspicions. "How are you feeling?"
"Pretty good," Fleetway grinned. "I feel like everything I had was placed back inside me!"
"Good, good," Arthur swallowed a nervous lump in his throat. "Well, um, while you were regenerating your energy and resting, Silver, Mephiles and I have been talking and I found out that you have a boyfriend that you deeply love?"
"Ah, yes~" Fleetway sighed, a satisfied smile on his face as his eyes became half-idled. "My love, my precious emerald, my Scourgie-chan~ I love every fur on his body, every personality he shows me and every bit of him~ Ah~"
"Told you," Mephiles whispered to the knights.
Arthur's ear flinched when he heard the grey hedgehog. He gulped and bit his bottom lip.
"I... I see," he cleared his throat once more. "So, uh, a war against the Dark Creatures and the Black Knight will occur soon. We will need your help but Mephiles tells us that in order for you to assist us and defend us, you will need... Scourge. Is that true? Would you like us to get him back from the Dark Creatures?"
"Well, of course I need my lovable Scourgie!" Fleetway replied with a beaming smile until he suddenly realized something in the king's words that didn't make sense to his ears. "...wait, get him back from the Dark Creatures? Are you saying he's still in their clutches?!"
He began to panic, his glowing form flickering and growing intense as he clawed his quills. He paced/floated around with gritted teeth, hyperventilating with wide, fearful spiral red eyes before he went insane and started flying all around.
"SCOURGIE! PRECIOUS!" he yelled and shouted in agony. "SCOURGIE-CHAN! EMERALD!"
"Oh chaos, not this..." Mephiles face-palmed and shook his head. "Anything but this..."
"Fleetway, calm down!" Silver tried to ease the golden form.
"NO!" Indeed, Fleetway didn't stop but instead flew around faster.
"FLEETWAY!" Mephiles's dark crystal form took over, sending his tentacle to grab the panicking hedgehog and slam him back in the ground. "CALM THE FUCK DOWN BECAUSE PANICKING ISN'T GOING TO BRING SCOURGE HERE FROM THOSE STUPID DARK CREATURES OF MINE!"
Fleetway hit the ground in a flash but when he floated back up, he wasn't hurt nor was he angry. He was still upset about not having Scourge with him.
"But I miss my Scourgie!" he whined tearfully. "It was like the time he and the others went on their own Uke Vacation in Los Angeles!"
"Yes, I know. I remember the pain and panic of that," Mephiles sighed as he went back to his normal form and folded his arms, sending a glare to his lover. "I wonder who planned such a diabolical scheme to make us worry..."
Silver's sweat dropped as he grinned nervously. "He he. But to be fair, we just wanted to have a week with no Semes. We thought you guys wouldn't mind because you guys have been busy with work,"
"But never too busy for you and the other Ukes~" Mephiles wrapped his arms around his fiancé's waist.
"ARGH!" Fleetway groaned in irritation. "Meph, Scourge is still kidnapped and you're flirting with your fiancé like hell?! What the fuck, dude?!"
"Sorry, sorry," Mephiles took back his arms and smiled sadly. "We'll get back, Scourge. Promise,"
"Wait, how do you know we're engaged?" Silver questioned.
"Heard it from the Dark Creatures days ago," Fleetway shrugged before floating up and escaping through a window. "I'LL FIND YOU, SCOURGIE MY PRECIOUS JEWEL!"
"FLEETWAY, YOU IDIOT!" the couple roared at the golden one but it was left unheard by his ignorant ears.
"We need to find him before the Dark Creatures manipulate him to side with them!" Caliburn told the king.
"Agreed." Arthur nodded then turned to the others. "Mephiles, Lancelot, Gawain And Galahad, you're with me. We'll have to follow Fleetway to get him back. Silver, Percival and Merlina, stay here just in case he comes back or if other Dark Creatures attack the castle,"
"But, your majesty—" Lancelot was about to speak up when his king beat him to it.
"Galahad will be fine, Lancelot. As long as he's with you and me then there'll be someone close to protect him,"
"Understood, my king," Lancelot could only sigh and bow before they all ran out with Caliburn in Arthur's hand while Silver, Percival and Merlina stayed at the palace.
Silver watched them leave with wide, fearful eyes. Percival placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry," she assured him. "They'll find Fleetway AND Scourge. And they will return safe,"
The albino Uke sighed. "I hope you're right..."
X
"SCOURGIE! WHERE ARE YOU, MY PRECIOUS EMERALD JEWEL?!"
"Fleetway is gonna get himself killed..." Mephiles groaned, lowering his ears to avoid the shouts of one of his best friends as he, the king and the knights ran through the forest.
"That's why we need to get him before he gets caught," Arthur came to a stop. "Mephiles, can you use your tentacles to get him down?"
A smirk crept onto Mephiles's face the moment he heard what he was ordered to do. His eyes turn dark with glowing crystal eyes before he raises a tentacle, grabs Fleetway and smashes him to an empty field.
"Oh my god!" Galahad pinned his ears and covered his eyes, afraid of what happened to the golden lifeform.
"Mephiles, we never meant for you to do it that way!" Lancelot growled as he held his son in a soothing embrace.
"I know and relax, Lancelot," Mephiles didn't seem to care as his eyes returned to snake green and the tentacle disappeared into the ground. "Fleetway is a powerful creature. He can stand a little hit from a tentacle or more,"
"Well," Arthur rolled his eyes. "At least he's on the ground. Come on, we'll check on how he is,"
"Do you think that he has finally calmed down?" Gawain questioned as they ran off to the field.
"I hope so," Galahad bit his bottom lip. "Fleetway going crazy looked so scary!"
"I doubt it." Mephiles shook his head. "Knowing Fleetway, even when he's down for the count, he will still think of one person; Scourge,"
Mephiles was not mistaken. When the five got to the field, they saw Fleetway laying on a crater, his arms hugging his legs and knees to his chest as he rocked back and forth.
"Must... find... Scourgie..." were the words he repeated to himself with every rock.
"You are right, Mephiles," Lancelot let out a sigh. "He has not recovered from his craziness,"
"Unfortunately," Mephiles face-palmed, shaking his head before placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Fleetway,"
"W-What?" the golden one turned to them with tears.
"We'll find Scourge for you." the grey hedgehog held out a hand. "I promise. WE promise. We'll find ALL of our friends. BUT we can't find them without you. Please, Fleet. Calm down and help us so we can help you,"
Fleetway blinked at him before sighing. He took the hand and got up, floating by his friend's side.
"Alright," he sniffled his tears and wiped them with his arm. "so what's the plan?"
"The plan is for us to prepare for the war," Arthur answered. "We need to head back to the castle before—"
"ARTHUR! MEPHILES!"
The group turned with wide eyes to see Terror with Dagger and Putrid behind him. The knights took out their swords and aimed it at the Dark Creatures, who laughed mockingly at the group.
"Pathetic!" Terror huffed. "I know you freaks can't kill darkness! Also, Fleetway, I think we have a little something to ease your tears BUT it comes with a condition,"
"What is it?" Fleetway growled.
"YOU will join us and fight on our side,"
"WHAT THE FUCKING HELL?!" the golden one was taken back with clenched fists. "HELL NAH, BRUH! I'd never betray my friends like this!"
"Even for your... precious jewel emerald?" Putrid smirked as he held out someone familiar in his arms...
"SCOURGIE?!" Fleetway's spiral red eyes widened in fear and anger before he gritted his teeth and floated towards the three Dark Creatures with his claws sharp and ready to attack "GiVe HiM bAcK!"
"Only is you join us," Dagger chuckled. "And fight THEM instead!"
The three howled in laughter as Fleetway's ears pinned, feeling torn in between.
He couldn't betray his friends. They helped him and healed him, for chaos sake! He couldn't just turn his tail and quills on them just like that. Especially on Mephiles and Silver. They were two of his best friends, after all.
But on the other hand, he couldn't stand to see his beloved unconscious and bruised in the arms of the dark being. Scourge had bleeding cuts, too. He looked like he needed Merlina's help immediately or else he'll never make it alive.
"Make a choice, demonic freak!" Terror pressured. "Or else WE'LL make it for you!"
Fleetway was confused until he saw Putrid losing grip on the forest green hedgehog ON PURPOSE.
"FUCKING HELL NO!"
The golden demonic form wasn't going to lose anyone's love or trust so he swooped in and clawed the Dark Creature through. Putrid let out a pain-filled scream before he disappeared into shreds, dropping Scourge to fall.
"NOOO!" Fleetway flew down and grabbed his Uke before he could reach the ground.
"ARGH!" Terror growled as he slapped Dagger. "WHY DIDN'T YOU HELP PUTRID, YOU USELESS IDIOT?!"
Dagger was bewildered and left speechless. He cowered behind his own shadowy arm and said nothing as the other cane forward.
"YOU WIN THIS TIME BUT THIS IS NOT OVER!" Terror roared, pointing his sword at them. "I SWEAR TO DARKNESS THAT YOU WILL ALL BE DESTROYED!"
With that, he and Dagger disappeared into smoke and shadow.
Fleetway let out a heavy sigh, his grip on his lover getting tighter before he flew down to the group.
"Fleetway!" Mephiles kept his sword and ran to his friend as soon as he landed. "Is Scourge...?"
"I... I think so," Fleetway smiled sadly, his ears pinning as he stared down at the one in his arms. "He... He just needs healing,"
"And healing he shall get," Arthur nodded and let Caliburn hop out of his hand. "Come, we shall get him to Castle Camelot for treatment,"
"Thank you, Arthur," Fleetway bowed and floated behind with one of his best friends.
"And thank you, Fleetway," Mephiles placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled. "I know it was difficult but you made the right choice,"
Fleetway smiled softly. "Yeah, I know I did,"