(Realm Sagas: Story One: Past Resurfacing) By: Chandra Rooney ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Legal Stuff: Sonic, Knuckles, and related characters are copy-right of Sega and Archie Comics. Jax Hedgehog is copy-right of Jax Hedgehog. KTE is copy-right of KTE. Moon the Echidna, Gabriel, KA (to a certain extent), and all other original characters are copy-right of Chandra Rooney. The ideas/characters presented in this story are my own, so don't use them without my permission! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For those of ya that don't know, here's a profile: My Name: Moon the Echidna My Species: Silver Echidna My Age: 16 My Job: Current Guardian of the Silver Moon Emerald, I also act as a protector for the different realms, making sure that they are not off-balance. Special Abilities: Can channel energy from the emerald, some telepathic abilities, glides, good with a dagger and fighting stick, some ability to use chaos energy as a weapon. My Family: Mother: Belladonna Echidna (Silver echidna) Father: Dimitri...{Oh, c'mon you know who Dimitri is!} (Red echidna) Half-brother: Knuckles Ash Echidna (red echidna) Home base: because my job calls for me to be rather nomadic, (that is; always on the go), I spend most of my time traveling from one realm to another as my kind have for eons. But I do have a "house" in the realm of the Silver Echidnas, a place that is nearly impossible to get to, because it is off of the realm connector. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter One: Night, Realm Location: Unknown The figure unlocked the door to the dwelling, and went inside. He rubbed his neck, and groaned. It was so good to be home! He smiled, flashing white teeth at nothing in particular. It had been a good night. A successful night. He was very close to finding what he was looking for. And best of all, no one suspected anything! He smiled at that. He was very pleased with his cleverness. Sharp green eye traced his home. Something was wrong. It was too quiet. Where was Nadaline? Why wasn't she at the door, kissing him with her sweet lips, asking him what she could do for him tonight? He looked around. He sniffed the air. No trace of Nadaline's distinctive perfume. But another smell was present. A coppery smell. A smell unmistakable to someone like him. He looked down at the floor. Yes, blood. A trail of it; leading to one of the rooms off the hall. What the hell? He wondered; following the drying stain like a trail of bread crumbs. He reached the door, and nudged it open with a boot toe. The faint moonlight filtered through the open window; it revealed all that was there to see. A girl, so pale her skin had tinted blue. She lay on the floor, and her blood soaked the throw rug. Her blood trailed from the parlor. The girl must have been beautiful. Long, brown hair. Now matted with blood. Large, doe-like violet eyes, staring, frozen wide open in shock. Such a lovely mouth, contorted in terror. Lovely, creamy skin. A fashionable pastel dress, but no, that was wrong. The dress was stained. But the thing most wrong about the picture was the tapered, wooden stake protruding from her chest. He turned and left the room. All his notes and papers were on his person, so he only needed one other thing. He went to the hall closet and removed a bundle. He placed it on his back, and left the home. He was careful to leave no trace of his return to it. The boy stepped out the door, and became just another shadow in the night. Chapter Two: The next morning: Moon's home Realm Location: Silver echidna realm Moon the Echidna was peacefully lost in the world of dreams. She was having a particularly nice dream about her boy-friend, Jax Hedgehog. She probably could have continued the dream for quite some time. But that was not to be the case this morning. Moon felt someone shaking her, and heard them call her name. She groaned, rolled over, and opened her eyes. Dark twilight blue ones stared back at her. Just able to see above her high mattress. "I'm hungry," the small, red echidna told her. He just stood there looking at her with those dark eyes. Then, a large, knuclawed hand tugged on her blankets. "I'm hungry, Moon." Moon groaned. She pulled the blanket around her, and sat up. "What time is it, K.A.?" "I don't know how to tell, I'm only five," K.A. replied. He pouted a little. "You're supposed to be lookin after me. An I'm hungry." "All right," Moon replied. She shooed him out of her bedroom. "Go to the kitchen and just wait...don't touch anything." He nodded, and bounded off. Moon groaned. Goddess, he was more demanding now than he had been when he was seventeen. She rubbed her eyes, remembering the events of yesterday. Knuckles Ash had been cleared of all charges of being Dimitri. But then, the High Council of the Order of the Realms had ruled he undergo the regression sentence as punishment for his crimes as EnerAsh. Of course, he still had to get off the island for six months due to his sentence from the Echidnopolis judge. And his mother Lara-le and their father, Dimitri, had been hauled off to jail to await their own sentencing. Leaving the now five "K.A." in need of a caregiver. Moon had volunteered. He was her half-brother after all. She got up, and got dressed. Could she really care for a five-year-old? Did she know what she was getting herself into? K.A. was waiting for her in the kitchen. "I'm hungry, Moon," he repeated when she came into the room. Moon narrowed her eyes, and gave him "the look". It was simply too early for her to have any patience. "And what do you want for breakfast?" She asked, searching through cupboards. "Root beer." K.A. replied. Moon glanced at him. "You can't have root beer for breakfast." "But I WANT it!" K.A. yelled. "How 'bout pancakes instead?" Moon asked, ignoring him. "Nuh uh," K.A. shook his head. "I wan' root beer." "C'mon, K.A.," Moon waved a box of pancake mix. "I'll let you help me make them..." K.A.'s eyes lit up. "Really?" "Yeah," Moon nodded. "And I'll let you sit on the counter, too." K.A. got off his chair and came over. "Can I have root beer with my pancakes?" The boy cursed from within his hiding spot. Sure enough, there were guards and enforcers all over this place. If the wrong people saw him; he would be in very big trouble. He eased back into the slowly fading shadows. Patience. He couldn't ruin things now by being hasty. He was almost where he wanted to be. Moon looked across the table at K.A., and shook her head. He was covered in pancake mix, and flour. "These are good," K.A. told her, mouth full of food. "We made good pancakes." Moon smiled and nodded. She didn't remind him of the few he'd dropped on the floor. "So," she began instead. "What do you want to do today?" K.A. opened his mouth to answer, but a rough knock on the door stopped him. "Just hold that thought," Moon instructed. "Um, finish your pancakes while I go take care of this." K.A. nodded, and went back mouthfuls of breakfast. Moon went to the door. Who could it be this early? Chapter Three Morning: Moon's Home Realm Location: Silver Echidna Realm "Hello?" Moon asked, opening the door wide to look out. No one was there. She frowned. What the hell? Moon shrugged and shut the door. Damn pranksters. She turned to go back to the kitchen, and walked through the fading shadows along the hall. Hands grabbed her, pulled her aside, and a voice whispered in her ear: "Don't make a sound, my little Silver one. You wouldn't want to draw attention to me." Moon froze, the voice sent chills to down the tip of her tail. It had *that* timber to it... "What do you want?" she asked, growing concerned. K.A. would be finished soon, he'd come to find her... "A place to stay for a while, my little Moonbeam," the voice answered. Moonbeam. Something clicked. She stomped on the foot too near her boot, and elbowed the intruder. Moon turned and grabbed the wooden staff hanging on the wall. She put all her weight behind the swing of it, and knocked her attacker to the floor. "Hey! Ow!" he cried. Moon didn't let up. She put the tapered end at his neck. "Yield or die." His vibrant green eyes glowed up at her. He swallowed, and a lock of black hair slipped into his eyes. He was handsome, as far as human guys went, a dark-haired, green-eyed older version of EnerAsh, no doubt. He looked to be perhaps nineteen, but that didn't mean anything. Moon pushed the staff a little harder. "I said yield or die." He looked up at her with those green orbs, and smiled. "Now, now, my little Moonbeam, is this anyway to greet a childhood friend? Or have you taken to staffing all those who come calling?" Moon frowned deeper. "Yield or die," she repeated. She pushed the staff harder. "I mean it." He searched her eyes, then with the faintest trace of a grin, replied: "well, then I yield, little Silver one." Moon withdrew the staff from his neck. "Get up slowly, and don't try anything. I mean it." He rose, brushed himself off, and eyed her, offended. "Come, come. This is how you greet someone you haven't seen in nearly six years?" Six years. When she had been ten, and he thirteen. "This is how I greet your kind," Moon replied. "Moonbeam," he protested. "Do you hate my kind that much? Do I repulse you so much that you can't even say my name?" No, Moon thought. But you should. "Moon? What's goin on?" K.A. asked, coming in. "I heard noises...like a fight." His eyes found the boy. "Who are you?" "I am Gabriel," the boy with the green eyes replied. "I'm an old friend of Moon's. And who are you, little one? Her child?" "Naw, she's just lookin after me, she ain't my mommy," K.A. replied. "Gabriel," Moon found her voice. "What do you want?" Gabriel turned to her, and smiled. "Well, Moon, m'love, I've come with a proposition for you." They sat in the living room. Gabriel looked edgy to be near windows. "Why?" K.A. asked. "I might be in trouble if I'm found here," Gabriel replied, simply. "What do you want, Gabriel?" Moon demanded, keeping K.A. near her. "Moon, Darling, why don't you call me 'Gabe' like you used to?" he asked. "What do you want, Gabriel?" Moon repeated. Gabriel sighed. He leaned back, and gave her a cunning look. "Have you heard that the Great Powers are returning?" Moon pursed her lips. The Great Powers, that had created and ruled all the realms in the beginning. "I believe I may have come across that rumor." Gabriel shrugged. "Oh, then you mustn't have heard..." "Heard what?" Moon demanded. "That the Master Tools have returned," Gabriel replied. "The Master Tools?" The master tools had been the talisman of the Great Powers. "Of course, I thought as a realm guardian, I should offer to include you in my little venture," Gabriel continued. "What little venture?" Moon demanded. "I intend to gather the Master Tools, Moon." Gabriel smiled. "Help me." "I can just imagine what you want them for," Moon remarked. "Moon, you can't possibly imagine my motives." Gabriel replied curtly. "You know that a descendant has to help to gather them." "So you've come to me," Moon replied. "Well, you are a silver echidna." Gabriel replied simply. "Why should I help you, Gabriel?" Moon asked. "Because if you don't gather them, then Queen Hecate-Chaos will." Gabriel's smile vanished. "Hecate-Chaos? Your queen?" Moon gasped. "She can't have them! She'd be Master of all realms with those Tools!" "So you see that it really is in the best interests of everyone that you help me," Gabriel replied. Moon looked at K.A. "Gabriel. I can't drag a five-year-old through a realm-wide chase that could take years." "Why not? He's young." Gabriel shrugged. "Gabriel, this is Knuckles Ash 'K.A.' Echidna. Perhaps you've heard of him?" Gabriel's eyebrow raised slightly. "Moon..." He trailed off. "K.A., how'd you like to go on a treasure hunt?" K.A.'s large eyes grew even wider. "Really? Can we Moon?" Moon glared at Gabriel with a classic "how dare you" look. "I'll think about, honey." Gabriel smiled. "That's great. I knew you would, Moon." Moon sighed. "And how do you plan to find these tools?" Gabriel leaned back. "Well...in one of the realms there's an indicator wand. If we can find that...it will lead us to the rest of the Master Tools." "And what realm, praytell, is this indicator wand in?" Gabriel was about to reply, no doubt another snappy remark, when a sharp knocking at the door cut him off. Moon stood. She glared at him. "Get outta sight. Hide in a closet or something. K.A., don't say anything to whoever is at the door about Gabriel, understand?" "Why?" demanded K.A. "It's a secret," Gabriel told him. "That I'm here. It's a secret. I bet you're good at keeping secrets, aren't you?" "Ya bet I am," K.A. smiled. Gabriel nodded, and slipped into the shadows in the hall. Moon breathed deeply. She composed herself, and answered the door. Chapter Four Late Morning: Moon's Home Realm Location: Silver Echidna Realm Moon opened the door. "Hello?" The red echidna at the door could have been Knuckles. Any one of the many Knuckles. But she knew he wasn't. He was too young, and had too hard a look in his eyes. "KTE," Moon smiled. "This is a surprise. What's up?" KTE didn't return the smile. Moon knew it wasn't because he wasn't friendly; it was just his way. He didn't smile when he was serious. "Moon, good to see you again," KTE replied. "I heard about your brother...I'm sorry." Moon waved a hand dismissively. "Forget it. He's fine. Don't tell me you came all this way to say that." He shook his head. "I didn't. Can I come in?" Moon hesitated. If he came in he might see Gabriel. She looked back at the shadows. She couldn't see anyone...maybe he was hiding somewhere else. "Sure, KTE, c'mon in," Moon gestured, stepping back from the door. "Have a seat." "Thanks," KTE sat in a chair. "Daddy!" K.A. cried, running in from the kitchen. Moon frowned. Was that where Gabriel was? "Huh? Wha-?" KTE asked, looking at K.A. "K.A., this is my friend KTE, not your daddy," Moon told the five-year-old. "Come sit by me." K.A. sat on the couch near her. KTE probably didn't guess it was so she could clamp a hand over his mouth if he said anything. "I like your hat," K.A. told KTE. "Yeah, well my hat is kinda cool, thanks kid." He replied. "How come you kinda looks like me?" K.A. asked. "What's up, K?" Moon asked, before he could answer K.A. "I hate to have to be the one to bring bad news to ya, Moon," KTE said, "but I couldn't help it this time." "What are you talking about?" Moon asked. He sighed. "Look you know Gabriel Shadows, right?" She didn't allow an expression on her face. "I *knew* him, yes. But that was six years ago. What's he done?" "Well," KTE took off his head, and placed it on the coffee table. "Moon, there's been a death...in his home realm...your Council thinks he's responsible." "Whose death?" Moon demanded. "You don't know her, but a female human girl," he paused. "I think her name was Nadaline DeMount. She was...uh, "involved" with Gabriel. Her brother went to visit her, and found her dead..." he looked at K.A. "Staked in the heart. Blood everywhere...and Gabriel no where to be found." She frowned. So *that* was why Gabriel was on the run. "K, wait, I thought you said the girl was human. Why would he stake her?" Moon asked. "Who knows?" KTE shrugged. "He's insane, Moon. Everyone knows that. All his kind are." She refrained from saying anything. "How are you and I connected to this?" "The family of Ms. DeMount have hired me to track down Gabriel and bring him back. Dead or alive." "Oh." Moon replied. "So you've come to me...?" "For your help, Moon. He knew you once, and if he tries to contact you promise you'll tell me. Or come with me, and hunt him down. You've lost family to his kind..." "KTE," She cut him off. "I would love to go bounty hunting with you. But, in case you haven't noticed, I have a five-year-old to care for right now. Besides, last time I helped you, you short-changed me." "Moon, when are you gonna let that go? It was a measly two grand!" "Two grand isn't measly when it's all the income you've got that month." She replied, icily. "You think this house pays for itself?" "Moon," KTE snorted. "Your house is paid off. You have no debts. And last time we talked we agreed to let the 2 grand go. You know, forgive and forget." Moon tossed her silver dreads. "I remember agreeing to the forgive part, now that you mention it, K. But forget? That's not my style." KTE chuckled. "No, I guess it isn't." He stood. "Look, I have to go." "Well, thanks for the offer," Moon replied, standing too. "Maybe next time." He pulled a card from his glove. "Here's my number if you hear anything. You'll tell me, won't you Moon?" She took the card. "Hmmm, this is a new one. Making a nice sized digit are we, K?" He gestured to her house. "Not doin too bad yourself, are ya?" Moon smiled. "If something comes up, you'll be the first to know." KTE smiled. "Good. I knew I could count on ya, Moon." He looked down at the table. "Hey, where'd my hat go?" K.A. walked over and bumped into Moon. KTE's hat was on his head, but it was too big and fell over his eyes. "I can't see!" K.A. said. KTE plucked the hat off his head, and put it on his own. "Gimme that, ya little thief." Moon smiled, and opened the door. "I'll see ya around," KTE told her. "You lemme know if you hear *anything*." "I will," Moon promised. "Bye, KTE." "Later mista KTE!" K.A. waved. Moon shut the door behind him, and her smile vanished. "Thanks, Moon, I knew I could count on you," Gabriel detached himself from the shadows. "Did you kill that girl?" Moon demanded. "No," Gabriel's eyes narrowed. "I came home from my last attempt at finding out where the indicator wand was, and found her already dead. The blood wasn't even dry. I just missed the bastard that did it. I...liked her, Moon, I don't kill things I like." "Was she your slave?" Moon demanded. "If she gave me anything it was completely willingly," Gabriel snapped. "I was framed, Moon. Hecate-Chaos must've found out that I was looking for the Tools. This is how she's assuring that I don't become a threat to her finding them first." Moon put her hands on her hips. "And why are you such a threat, Gabriel?" Gabriel smiled, he leaned in close. "Because I know where to find the indicator wand, Moon." Moon shrugged. "Why should I believe that? Why should I believe anything you say?" Gabriel grabbed her arm, not roughly, but clearly with a grip like stone. "Because I intend to take you to the place, Moonbeam." Moon shook him off. "When?" "As soon as you and little 'K.A.' are ready." Gabriel backed off. "You shouldn't need much." Moon glared at him. "Why should I do anything to help you?" "Because if you don't, what will your 'dear friend KTE' think? You lied to him Moon. That will discredit your status." "That's blackmail, Gabriel," Moon hissed. "Call it what you like, female, it's a fact of life. Besides, I saved your life, and now I'm calling back the favor. It would only be honorable to help me." Gabriel sat down in the same chair KTE had been in a few minutes ago. "Go on and pack, I'll wait for you here." "KA, go get your pack of things," Moon said, not looking at Gabriel. "We're going on a little trip." Chapter Five Mid afternoon: Location unsure Realm Location: Silver Echidna Realm Moon had packed quickly. She took some money, Realm ids, and the silver moon emerald. She didn't tell Gabriel, but suspected he knew that she had it. If he tried to take it she'd make him sorry. She'd put the wooden fighting staff's tampered end right through his heart. K.A. bounced along beside her. He wasn't complaining about the walk, but Moon didn't know how long he could keep it up. Gabriel led them up a steep path to a cave. "The realm passage-way is in there." Moon looked at the dark cave. Natural realm passage-ways existed all through her home-realm. But she'd never even heard of this one. That meant she might not have ever been where they were headed before. If Gabriel was telling the truth, that is. "Where is exactly is this realm?" Moon asked, suspicious. It was a *very* remote location after all. "I don't exactly know, okay?" Gabriel snapped. "I don't go to realm after realm like you do, all right?" "How do you know this will work?" Moon demanded. "Look, do you know the name of this place?" Gabriel asked. Moon shook her head. "Not offhand I don't." "It's called Myst's passage," Gabriel replied. "Yeah Moon that's right, *Myst* my mother." "Did she tell you about the Master Tools?" Moon asked. "Yes," Gabriel replied. "She told me about the indicator wand. She said her passage would connect me to the realm it was in. She told me before she died." "Before Hecate-Chaos' minions killed her," Moon added softly. "Yes, before Hecate-Chaos completely destroyed the part of me that was echidna." Gabriel finished. "Before she awoke the curse I inherited from my father." "Before you tasted blood for the first time?" Moon asked. Gabriel closed his eyes and nodded. He seemed in pain. "Yes, Moon, before I became a full vampire." "What's a van-pire?" K.A. asked. Moon looked down at him. He was regarding Gabriel with concerned eyes. "It's like being sick, kid," Gabriel said. "I'm sick." "Is it like having the flu?" K.A. asked. "Something like that," Moon muttered. "Show me the passage-way, Gabe." Chapter Six Afternoon: Myst's Passage Realm location: Silver Echidna Realm Moon entered the cave behind Gabriel. K.A. had a tight grip on her hand. "I don't see anything, Gabe," she said. "I don't understand," Gabriel said up ahead. "She told me to just go in..." "Moon," K.A. whispered. "I don't like dark..." "Does the passageway only open at certain times?" Moon asked. "I don't know." Gabriel replied. Moon couldn't see anything. "Moon," K.A. started to wail. "I really don't like the dark!" "Are you sure this is her passage?" Moon asked Gabriel. "Positive," he snapped. "I REALLY DON'T LIKE THE DARK!" K.A. wailed. Moon went to shush him and say everything was all right...but she didn't have the chance. A blinding flash, a force tossed her aside, and she felt like she was falling.... Epilogue: Time and exact location: Unknown Realm Location: Also unknown Moon slowly came to her sense. She opened her eyes. "K.A.? Gabriel?" She asked, her voice weak, her throat dry. No answer. Moon sat up. She was on the floor of what looked like a command center. But she couldn't be sure. No lights were on. She looked around. She may not know where this was, but she did know one thing: K.A. and Gabriel were no where to be seen. She was alone. To be continued...... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cast: Moon (silver echidna): Where is she? Should she have trusted Gabriel? Gabriel (half-vampire half-echidna): Can he be trusted? Is he really innocent of that girl's death? K.A. (red echidna): Where is he? Is he okay? KTE (red echidna): Are we gonna see him again? Will he find Gabriel? If so, how will he feel about Moon helping him? Nadaline DeMount: Who really killed her? Why? Hecate-Chaos (Vampire Queen): Who is she?