#Time Splicer | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

fluentmoviequoter · 6 months ago

Text

In Every World

Pairing: Terry McGinnis x fem!reader

Summary: Years after losing Terry, fate offers a twisted second chance to tell him how you feel.

Warnings: angst, character death, fluff, comfort, Terry is the ultimate boyfriend, if the names are confusing just pretend they're not

Word Count: 2.7k+ words

A/N: Season 2 Terry McGinnis is my everything.✨ I love him so much but I'm still watching the show for the first time so he's sure to be OOC. Sorry about that! Please let me know what you think and if you'd be interested in reading more for him!!🫶🏼

“Looks normal to me,” Dick says, leaning against the back of Bruce’s chair as you comb through security camera footage.

“Just a couple jokers,” Tim adds.

“Wait, Bruce,” you interrupt. “Go back a few seconds.”

Bruce drags his finger over the batcomputer-version of a trackpad before he pauses the video. You lean closer, narrowing your eyes to find what seems different about the face frozen in time.

“Look at his eyes,” you direct.

“They’re creepy. They’re all creepy,” Dick replies.

“No, she’s right,” Bruce agrees. “They look like-“

“Bat’s eyes,” you finish with him.

Something metallic crashes to the floor before Jason huffs, “That would explain the chick with ram horns I just met in an alley by the Narrows.”

“Who can do this kind of cosmetic work?” Tim asks.

“It’s not cosmetic,” Jason corrects. “It’s like… I think it’s in their DNA.”

“Splicing,” you offer. “It’s a way of altering someone’s DNA with the insertion of animal chromosomes.”

“I take it your experience with it was different?” Bruce inquires.

“Dr. Abel Cuvier marketed the splicers to high school kids. Most adults were against it, the DA, the commissioner. It was on track to be made illegal.”

“And I take it this Cuvier was too young to be here now?” Dick asks. “Which is still confusing.”

“What’s confusing about it, Bluebird?” Jason asks rhetorically. “She’s from the future and from a different timeline so not only is everything she's dealt with more advanced, it’s also completely different.”

“Focus,” Bruce calls, shaking his head. “If these people are being genetically altered, we’ll need an antidote to the foreign deoxyribonucleic acid.”

“Where’s Damian? Sounds like his lab experience could be helpful,” Tim jokes.

Bruce tunes out their brotherly banter, opting to watch your intense gaze on the computer screen. There’s a one-block radius where the spliced individuals seem to migrate. Or come from.

“What’s the address of this building?” you ask, pointing to the map showing the locations of the security cameras.

Bruce tells you the address and then says, “It’s a textile manufacturing facility—or it was before it was condemned.”

“Carmin’s Taxidermy Studio. That’s what it was where I came from. It was condemned then, too, but Cuvier used it as a hideout.”

“So, you think Cuvier is here?”

“That or there’s another timestream break and these people are coming from another dimension, universe, whatever we’re calling it.”

“Then we should get down there,” Jason calls.

“Not if this is anything like my experience with Cuvier. He had vials of splicing material ready to go and didn’t hesitate to turn people without consent. He was one of those guys you wanted to slag but couldn’t.”

“Slag?” Dick repeats, failing to hide his amusement.

“You’re all so annoying,” you groan.

“There will be time for this later,” Bruce interrupts. “We’ve got something.”

Turning your attention back to the monitors, you see an energy signature similar to the one you arrived through. The difference is that your world was ending and the portal collapsed relatively quickly, whereas this pathway is sustained. If people can come and go between the realities as they please, the splicing is the least of your concerns.

“Gear up,” Bruce announces, standing and pulling his cowl over his eyes.

Dick and Jason freeze, their eyes widening as they continue watching the screen. Bruce turns quickly, surprised to see another energy anomaly growing directly above Wayne Manor. Before he can speak, a bright white circle appears in the Batcave. You raise your arm to block out some of the light but try to watch who comes out.

Bruce readies a batarang, Jason racks his Glock, and Dick taps his Escrima sticks together as someone steps out and into the cave. Bruce throws his batarang, and the man exiting the portal catches it.

“No way,” Dick breathes.

You step forward and lower your arm. “Bruce?”

He narrows his eyes at you before complaining, “I’m so sick of time travel.”

“It’s not exactly time travel,” your Bruce – Batman – argues.

“Right,” future Bruce agrees sarcastically. “That’s an important distinction to make right now. Interesting.”

You take another step toward the older, unmasked Bruce and ask, “Are you…”

“I’m not from your world,” he offers, with his hand on your shoulder.

Nodding, you step back, allowing Bruce’s hand to slip from your shoulder.

“Why’d you step through the portal?” Jason asks him. “This Bruce would never.”

“I didn’t. I turned around and I was here.”

“Were you in the cave?” you ask.

He nods, and you pull your lip between your teeth to think.

“Father!” Damian yells.

Everyone in the cave turns. Damian went to bed hours ago, and now he’s descending the stairs dressed in his Robin uniform and extending a katana behind him.

“I found someone who may be of interest to you,” he adds.

Stepping into the light, you see who he’s directing with the point of his sword. Your eyes widen as you see the bright red marking on his chest.

“Terry?” you ask softly.

Batman – the one with the tall ears and the bright red bat insignia, held at knifepoint by his mentor’s lab-grown son – looks up at the sound of your voice. He steps forward, knocks Damian’s katana onto the floor, and says your name in reply.

He walks to you and wraps his arms around your waist, holding you so tightly against his chest that your ribs begin to ache. You don’t care, though, so you hug him like you’ll never see him again. Because you thought you wouldn’t.

Terry’s Bruce lays his hand on Terry’s back and says, “She’s not from our reality, McGinnis. She’s gone.”

“Gone?” you repeat, pulling back slowly.

“I hate to break up the reunion,” Damian calls. “But there’s a goat-faced lady trying to break into GCPD headquarters.”

You turn to Jason and say, “Batman can help.”

“That won’t get confusing,” Jason grumbles. He looks at Terry, his expression hidden by the hood, and says, “You’re with me, then, McGinnis.”

“All due respect,” Terry begins, glancing toward you.

“I’ll be in your ear,” you promise. “Like before.”

Terry smiles beneath the cowl. He nods and drags his hand across your waist before he follows Jason out of the cave.

“I guess it’s just you and me, Wayne,” you say, following future Bruce to the desk.

“Don’t get too attached to this version of Terry,” he warns. “You’ll go back to your time, and he’ll be devastated going back to his.”

“I wish,” you murmur. “I don’t have a time anymore. I lost Terry, Bruce, so if this is a chance to say goodbye, bet every cred you have that I’m going to use it.”

Bruce holds your eyes, then turns to the blinking trackers and the radio feed.

“How do we close this thing?” Dick asks.

“It’s essentially an alternating circuit of time and energy. It’s measured in seconds,” Bruce replies.

“I can measure it,” Terry assures everyone. “Once we know the unit of circulation, we can shut it down.”

“How are you supposed to get home then?” Batman asks.

“I’ll worry about that,” Bruce says. “You get that energy circuit shut down and the spliced kids in cuffs.”

“Bravo-Six, going dark,” Jason quotes.

“What?” Terry and Bruce ask together.

“He’s quoting a video game,” you explain. “Call of Duty, I think.”

“Retro,” Terry muses. “Measuring the stream now.”

“Use the reciprocal,” Bruce reminds him.

“Yeah, I got it, Wayne.”

You smile at their back-and-forth, but tears prick your eyes because Bruce wasn’t wrong. He and Terry will go back to their timeline, and you’ll be left behind. Again.

While Bruce and Batman work on creating a one-way time jump to get Bruce and Terry home, you take Terry’s hand and lead him into a secluded corner of the cave. Your hands rest on his shoulders, and he nods when you brush your fingers against the bottom of his cowl. Pulling it over his head, you look at Terry McGinnis for the first time in too long.

“You okay?” you ask softly.

“Everything’s schway,” he replies, smiling. “You?”

You nod. It’s a lie, and Terry knows it. Brushing your fingers over his jaw, you wonder what took you so long. You waited too long to tell Terry how you felt in high school. And when you were finally willing to risk everything by telling him, he pushed you to safety and told you not to look back. Like that, he was gone forever. Everything was gone when you looked back. Yet, another Bruce Wayne took you in and gave you a home when you didn’t have one.

Your hand drops as you say, “Be careful when you get home, okay?”

“What happened? On your world, I mean,” he inquires.

“It’s a long story, but it involves a bad guy trying to turn the whole world bad. As far as I can tell, it’s a bad guy you’ve already dealt with.”

“So, your version of me...”

“I don’t think Terry McGinnis was ever mine, but, yeah, he’s gone. Everybody is, and trust me, I’ve checked.”

“Well, my version of you – who wasn’t really mine either – saved my life,” Terry whispers. “She saved me after my father was killed, and she saved me again when Batman couldn’t.”

You wipe your cheeks and smile at Terry. “She was yours. She was always yours.”

Terry catches one of your tears on his thumb before he rests his palm on your cheek and promises, “He was yours, too.”

“Hey, punch some jokerz for me when you get back?” you ask, trying to lighten the mood.

Terry smiles and says, “Yeah, anything.”

On the other side of the cave, Dick and Jason watch you and Terry. Since you arrived, they’ve accepted you as part of their family.

“Why doesn’t she just go with him?” Jason asks.

“Because realities have to stay separate,” Dick replies, imitating Bruce. He sighs and adds, “No one knows.”

Jason looks away from you to watch the two different versions of Bruce work together and shakes his head. They want to see you happy but understand that things aren’t as simple as they seem.

“I think we’re ready,” Bruce announces. He turns and asks, “Where’d they go?”

“You’re going to give Bruce an ulcer,” you chide, jogging to keep up with Terry’s long strides.

“It’s around here somewhere,” Terry mumbles, unconsciously brushing his thumb across your knuckles.

“Maybe in your Wayne Manor. This one still has Alfred cleaning up after their messes.”

Terry stops and presses the side of a grandfather clock. It opens a dimly lit passage to an oversized balcony that looks like a simple roofline from the ground.

“How’d you find this place?” you ask, leaning against the rail to enjoy the view of Alfred’s garden.

“I broke in, remember?”

You turn toward Terry, and your breath catches when you realize how close he is. Years after losing him, you’ve been given another opportunity. Fate took Terry from you, but, for some twisted reason, you’re standing face-to-face yet again. It is the last time, though you suppose there should be comfort in knowing.

“I missed you,” you whisper.

Terry sighs and leans closer, gripping the railing as he cages you in. “Bruce would say that it wasn’t really me.”

“What do you think?”

“That we’re the same across all the realities. We may be older, younger, more jaded, but deep down, we’re still the same.”

“If anything, you’re less jaded than the Terry I knew.”

He smiles and brushes his arm against yours. “It isn’t fair.”

“No,” you agree softly. “But it’s the way it is.”

“What if it doesn’t have to be?”

“We don’t get to decide, Terry.”

Terry pushes off the railing, running his hands through his hair as he turns away from you. “Then who does?!” he exclaims. “You stayed here, moved away from your time, so why is everyone here so sure that we can’t do it again?”

“Because your version of me could come back,” you try to explain.

“She won’t.”

“I escaped my reality, Terry, you never know if-“

“We buried you!” he interrupts, his chest heaving. “This is my only chance to get you back, and you’re telling me that I can’t have it.”

“Terry,” you call.

He shakes his head and continues pacing. Finally, you step in front of him and press your hands against his chest.

“I’m sorry,” you begin. “I didn’t know. But we both know we can’t fight Bruce about this.”

Terry doesn’t reply. He watches you and continues breathing against your touch.

“I didn’t get a chance to tell you before…”

Terry’s brows lift nearly imperceptibly. He notices your use of you. It sounds like you’ve stopped seeing him as a different Terry. The moment he laid eyes on you, he knew you were his. Maybe not the exact girl he loved and never told, but still the same. You’re his and always will be, even if he has to leave you behind.

“I love you, Terry McGinnis,” you confess. “And I always will.”

Terry smiles, and his hands move to your waist. “We can’t fight Bruce about this,” he repeats.

“Good,” Bruce interrupts before you’re separated and blinded by a bright, white light.

A calloused palm brushes up and down your arm. Squeezing your eyes closed, you try to remember what it was like to stand with Terry, to tell him you loved him. There should be closure, but you only feel a growing pit of emptiness. Yet, the touch against your skin makes the heartbreak seem mendable.

“No, Ace, don’t lick her,” someone chides gently.

You open your eyes immediately, sitting up to find him. Terry’s hand moves from your arm to your shoulder, and he chuckles at your sudden movement.

“How’s your head?” he inquires. “Wayne didn’t think it through when he pushed us through a portal without knowing where it opened.”

“My head’s fine,” you assure him. “Why’d he do it?”

“Something about knowing that heartbreak makes it hard to be a good Batman.”

“Hi, Ace,” you greet as he presses his snout against your hip. “I missed you, buddy.”

“Good, you’re awake,” Bruce says as he enters the room. He tosses a bag onto the bed and says, “Your alternate-reality brothers sent that.”

“Thank you, Bruce.”

“I just carried the bag.”

Smiling, you say, “You know what I mean.”

Bruce nods once, then leaves you alone with Terry.

“You loved me in the other world,” Terry says. “I’ve lost two chances to say it.”

“You’re just mad I said it first.”

“That is so not kicks.”

You laugh because you're glad to be back with Terry and excited to be around people who understand your slang again.

“Well?” you ask, leaning closer to Terry. “Are you going to say it now?”

“McGinnis,” Bruce calls. “There’s a crew of Jokerz outside City Hall.”

Terry sighs and asks, “Do you think we’ll ever have another moment to ourselves?”

“Keep looking for hidden balconies,” you encourage. “And stay safe.”

“I’ll be back,” he promises.

You pet Ace as Terry leaves, but he rushes back into the room a moment later.

“Forgot something,” he says, leaning against the mattress to be closer to you. “I love you.”

“I love you,” you reply, smiling as you lay your hand over his.

Terry kisses your forehead and promises to return to you.

“You better,” you call after him.

“Hey, I’ve got a kiss to deliver,” he says from the doorway. “I’ll be here.”

You stand nearly an hour later, eager to get to the Batcave and help him as best as possible.

“I think you’re supposed to be in bed,” Batman chides, leaning against the Batcave entrance with his arms crossed.

“And you’re supposed to be back to give me something, I think,” you reply.

Ace barks at your side, and Terry pulls the cowl off his head. He drops it to the floor and takes two long steps to reach you. His gloved hands rise to your neck, and you hold his waist as you kiss Terry.

You both missed your first chance, but your worlds collided, and now you have Terry back. As you move with him, you know this is where you’re meant to be. You love Terry McGinnis in every world, but you belong beside him.

#terry mcginnis x reader #terry mcginnis imagine #terry mcginnis fluff #terry mcginnis #batman beyond #batman beyond x reader #fem!reader #hanna writes✯#dc comics x reader #dc comics fic

116 notes · View notes

son1c · 11 months ago

Text

hi, this is something i wrote for my sonic x dunmeshi crossover. in my mind i've been calling it SATBK 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO because i think it's funny. thanks and enjoy 💜

Sonic the Hedgehog was having a good day. In fact, it was a great day! The sun was shining and there were no ugly robots in sight. He was also hanging out with his best buddy, Tails the Fox. Tails was telling him about some new techno-thingamajig that he'd invented, and Sonic was bobbing his head along, listening but not really understanding as Tails rambled on and on about slicers or splicers or splinters.

"...But that's not even the best part!" Tails was saying now. "With just the press of a button, this device should be able to undo the damage caused by..."

Suddenly, Sonic's ear twitched. He was still listening to Tails' spiel, but now he was distracted.

Tails noticed Sonic's lack of attention and turned pink with embarrassment. "A-And that's pretty much it!" he said in a rush, hoping he hadn't lost Sonic to whatever white rabbit had caught his fascination this time.

Unfortunately for Tails, Sonic's quills were tense. "Something's up," he said cryptically as he scanned the horizon. But even with a hand placed across his brow and a strategic lean forward, he couldn't make out any rotten eggs in the distance; the only things he could see were grass, trees, and other people's houses.

Still, Sonic's eyes narrowed.

Tails stuffed his new invention into his backpack and hurried to Sonic's side. He thought about all of the things he could do to help--Maybe he could run inside and grab a pair of binoculars from his workshop?--but just when he opened his mouth to suggest something, Sonic snatched him up and held him over his head.

"Woah!" Tails said in surprise, his eyes huge.

"Check it out!" Sonic said, gesturing with his foot at the place where Tails had just been standing.

Tails looked, and saw a small... Well, he wasn't really sure what it was, exactly. It was round, so bright it was glowing, and growing larger every second. Not only that, but when Sonic took a step back, it seemed to move and chase after him, too!

With Sonic still holding onto him, Tails began to spin his namesakes so the two of them could lift off and escape the strange glowing circle. At first, that seemed to do the trick, but then the thing peeled itself off the ground and rose up into the air. Yikes!

"Hang on, Sonic!" Tails said as he flew up higher. But no matter how high he climbed, the mysterious circle followed them. "I think it's a portal!"

"That's no good," Sonic said, not sounding particularly worried. If anything, he sounded a little excited.

Typical.

Then, the portal swallowed them up, leaving Tails' backyard empty. It spat them out in an unfamiliar place--at least, it was unfamiliar to Tails. The dirt path they landed on was well worn, the sky was painted a dazzling blue, and the forest to their left was lush with life. In front of them was a lake with water so clear and still it could be mistaken for a mirror. Tails took a closer look and couldn't help but think that if he wasn't a boy of science, he might say the place had an almost magical feel to it.

Sonic rubbed his nose. "Y'know," he said, "I'm not usually one for return trips. What gives?"

Tails reluctantly tore his gaze away from the water so he could look back at Sonic. "You recognize this place, Sonic?"

Sonic stopped rubbing his nose. "Yeah, there's no doubt about it." He put his hands on his hips and then took a slow, sweeping look around. "This is the same place from the storybook!"

If this was an anime, Tails probably would've turned monochrome as a glass breaking sound effect played in the background. Unfortunately, it's just a fanfiction, so that can't happen. But the sentiment remained the same: Tails was shocked.

Sonic shrugged. "I guess someone wrote a sequel," he said, like that was normal. Then, his expression turned sly as he side-eyed Tails. "Unless you think we're both dreaming this time?"

Before Tails could reply, someone walked out of the forest. They were riding a black horse and their face was covered by a dark hood, casting their face in shadow. However, not even their cloak could hide the shining armor they wore, as it twinkled brilliantly when they stepped out into the sunlight.

When the stranger spotted Sonic and Tails, they pulled on the horse's reins and stopped dead in their tracks.

This made Sonic quirk an eyebrow.

Tails asked, "Is that a friend of yours?"

The stranger removed their hood and revealed their face. Or, what could be seen of it through the helmet they wore. The intricately engraved metal was accented with red, which matched the stripes on his quills. Then, the dark hedgehog pushed up his visor so he could get a better look at Sonic and Tails.

In a quiet, disbelieving voice, the stranger asked, "My king?"

"You haven't changed a bit, huh?" Sonic chuckled. "Still dramatic as ever!" With a shake of his head, Sonic's mouth quirked up in a grin. "Hey, Lancelot. Long time no see."

Lancelot quickly got down from his horse so he could kneel to Sonic. Sonic, of course, just waved his hand dismissively. "Let's skip all that royal stuff, okay?" Sonic said, acutely aware of Tails' huge, disbelieving stare as it flicked between him and the knight. "There's someone I want you to meet."

Lancelot looked up and was dazzled by Sonic's grin. The blue hedgehog then motioned to Tails, his hands practically radiating sparkles as he showed off the small fox. "This is Tails. My little bro. Whatever world-ending problem brought me here this time, he'll be sure to help us fix it!"

While Lancelot processed this information, Tails barely stopped himself from spouting off a million questions. The first and most pressing of which was: Why does this guy look exactly like Shadow the Hedgehog?

Sonic offered his hand to Lancelot. Tails watched as Lancelot froze in place, but he didn't smack Sonic's hand away like Shadow would've. In fact, he seemed almost flustered at the friendly offer. He pulled his visor down to cover his expression before eventually accepting Sonic's hand and pulling himself up onto his feet. Maybe he thought it would've been rude to refuse? After all, he did refer to Sonic as his "king"...

Tails' head was spinning. He felt like he was going to burst with all his unanswered questions, so he finally voiced one. "Since when are you a king?"

Sonic grimaced. Tails pretended not to notice when Lancelot bristled at the question. Instead, he stubbornly kept his eyes locked on Sonic so the hedgehog couldn't run away from his question.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Sonic said, "Since I caught that cold a few months back? I dunno, dude. To be honest, I kinda thought..."

None of it was real.

Sonic trailed off as his eyes drifted over to Lancelot. Then, he cleared his throat. "What's it matter, anyway? We're here now! There's gotta be a reason. Isn't that more important?"

Tails frowned. It was clear that Sonic was uncomfortable, if his anxious foot tapping was any indication. Tails knew his big bro hated the limelight, so it made sense that he'd hate being someone as important as the king. But that still didn't answer his question: how did this even happen?

Thinking back, Tails could indeed remember when Sonic had caught that cold. It was hard to forget, since he'd gone through approximately twenty boxes of tissues in the span of about a week. But... "Amy said you just made all that up."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Does this look made up to you?"

Tails looked around at the very real-looking fantasy land they'd found themselves in, and he had to admit that it didn't.

"Great," Sonic said. "Now that that's outta the way..." He turned back toward Lancelot. "Any dragons in need of slaying? Or not-so-evil wizards who need a talking-to?"

Lancelot shook his head. "I'm afraid not, King Sonic. Your appearance is--"

"Just Sonic."

Lancelot stiffened. Sonic looked at him expectantly. Like he was waiting for the knight to challenge him, like Shadow would've back in their own world. Tails almost laughed at the absurdity of it all, but thought better of it.

"...You've earned my respect, my king. I cannot simply refuse you your title."

Sonic's eyes twinkled. "Oh, yeah? Then how 'bout I cut you a deal?"

Lancelot was wary, but he waited for Sonic to explain.

Sonic jerked his thumb at the forest. Tails realized he was pointing at the treetops--no, at what was beyond them. Barely visible, the top of a grand castle could be seen peeking out from the distance.

"Let's race. If you win, you can call me your king. But if I win, you drop it. Sound good?"

Under the visor, Lancelot's eyes hardened. "I won't lose."

"I'm countin' on it," Sonic replied easily, but there was an undercurrent of excitement running through his words. Then, he turned to Tails. "You take care of the horse, okay, pal? We'll meet you there!"

Before Tails could object, the two hedgehogs were off. In their wake, they left a cloud of dust, and Tails sighed a long-suffering-but-fond sigh. No matter where they were, Sonic would always be Sonic, he supposed.

Taking the reins of Lancelot's horse, Tails began to head toward the distant castle. However, when he was about halfway through the forest, he stopped. The fur on the back of his neck stood up. Looking around, he couldn't see much amongst the thick foliage--just a mass of homogenous green.

Tails forced himself to relax and keep walking. Maybe a little faster than before.

Eventually, Tails made it to the front steps of the castle. It was even bigger up close; the massive structure towered over him, its tall stone spires piercing the sky. Lavish tapestries fluttered from the windows and golden ornaments glinted in the light of the setting sun. It even had a moat!

Lancelot stood proudly in front of the grand doors, his smile visible even with the visor shadowing his face. Sonic rolled his eyes as he stood next to him, but he was smiling too.

"I would've won if that frog hadn't been there," Sonic said.

"Of course, King Sonic," Lancelot replied, emphasizing Sonic's title a little more than necessary.

"C'mon, dude," Sonic said, exasperated, "you saw it! It was in trouble. If I hadn't jumped in, something bad would've happened!"

Lancelot nodded. "Yes, my king," he said again. "Helping the frog was much more important than claiming victory."

Sonic groaned.

Tails cleared his throat.

Sonic perked up immediately. "Buddy! You made it."

Taking the steps two at a time, Sonic joined Tails at the foot of the stairs. Lancelot joined him shortly afterward and gratefully took his horse from him. "My sincerest thanks for guiding Dark Rider, young Tails," Lancelot said.

Tails offered Lancelot a small smile. Dark Rider, huh? That sounded familiar. "You're welcome," Tails said. Then, after Lancelot disappeared around the corner to return the horse to her stable, he shot Sonic a pointed look. "I still have questions," he said seriously.

"Yeah, I figured," Sonic replied.

"A lot of questions," Tails added.

"Just you wait," Sonic said mysteriously. "There's more where that came from."

Lancelot returned. "They won't be expecting me so soon," he told Sonic and Tails. "When I discovered you on the outskirts of the forest, I had only just left in search of the mad mages."

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "The mad mages?" he asked.

Lancelot's face darkened. "Yes," he confirmed. "There's much you don't yet know, King Sonic. Things have changed since you were here last... and not all for the better. But this is no place for conversation, let's head inside."

The three of them did so. Once the giant wooden doors closed behind them, Tails had to try his hardest to keep his eyes from popping out of his skull. There was just so much to look at: the mounted suits of armor, the stained glass windows, and even the wonderfully detailed carpet. The whole castle also had a unique smell, like that of a delicately scented candle. It really was like something straight out of a storybook!

Lancelot led Sonic and Tails through the halls of the castle. Occasionally, Tails could catch bits of whispers as the staff noticed who exactly it was that was wandering the halls. Their excited chatter made Tails feel excited too--excited to learn exactly what was going on here.

Finally, they arrived before a set of important-looking double doors. Lancelot went to push them open, but then stopped.

"What's up, Lance?" Sonic asked.

"There's no telling how the Round Table will react to your return," Lancelot said slowly. "We've remained together despite some... differing opinions."

Sonic tilted his head. "Trouble in paradise, huh?"

"It's far from that."

Tails bit his lip. "What's going on here, Sh... Lancelot? Really?"

Lancelot looked from Tails to Sonic.

Sonic snorted. "Anything you tell me, you tell him. He's with me no matter what."

Lancelot gave a small nod of acknowledgement. "Very well," he said. "In truth, your departure left us in a bad state. I had faith you would return, but the wounds of the false king were still fresh for many. Sir Gawain, among others, couldn't move on so easily. To say nothing of the wizard's sudden betrayal..."

Sonic held up his hands. "Woah, wait. You mean Merlina?"

Lancelot replied in a grave voice, "The very same."

Suddenly, the doors were pulled open. From inside the room, a purple cat poked out her head. "Ah! Sir Lancelot, I thought I heard your voice. Was there something...?" she started to ask, but her question was forgotten when she saw Sonic and Tails.

Sonic waved. "Hi, Percival."

Percival covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a gasp. Then, she snapped to face Lancelot. "Swear to me that the mad mages aren't behind this. I have no time for trickery now, Sir Lancelot!"

"I swear, what you see is true," Lancelot replied. "Our king has returned along with his brother, the fox."

Immediately, Percival dropped into a respectful kneel. Tails cringed in sympathy for Sonic, sensing that this would become a trend. But Sonic just ignored it, saying, "Yeah, yeah. Nice to see you too. You know, we were just talking about Gawain. Is he in there with you?"

Percival tensed, then stood. After not-so-subtly pulling the door shut, she said, a little tightly, "Yes. However, it might be best to return later. Sir Gawain has become somewhat... prickly... since your departure, my lord."

"So I've heard," Sonic said, sounding bored. "Look, I know he's a knucklehead. That's not news to me. But from the sound of it, things are a bit rocky here. I'd like to be able to count on everyone if things get tough."

"'Rocky'...?" Percival repeated. Her face softened somewhat as she made a realization. "Oh, well, yes. They have been. But now that you've returned, King Sonic, the political unrest will surely resolve."

Sonic tapped his foot. "I'm not talking about politics," he said, irritated, "I'm talking about Merlina. I thought we'd buried the hatchet last time, but I guess some people need a Round 2."

Percival glanced at Lancelot, whose expression remained hard. She clasped her hands tightly in front of her. "If only it were that simple," she sighed. Then, she explained what had happened in Camelot since Sonic's departure.

Sonic struggled to pay attention through it all. Mostly because it involved a bunch of complicated political stuff that he couldn't care less about. Basically, the void of power left by Sonic returning to his own world had fractured the kingdom. Cool. Personally, he thought these prim-and-proper types should've been able to figure that out on their own, but maybe he was being insensitive.

...Had there always been this many flowers in the castle? The vases were a little gaudy for Sonic's taste, but the flowers were nice...

When Percival finally brought up Merlina's name, Sonic started listening again. Apparently, she had disappeared without a trace not too long ago. But recently there had been sightings of her alongside another magic user. They weren't pleasant reports, though; wherever they went, destruction was sure to follow. So, that explained the whole "mad mages" thing. Sonic's expression soured. Something about this whole thing didn't sit right with him.

Last time he was here, he'd been called by Merlina. So, how'd he and Tails get here this time?

By the time Percival finished speaking, Sonic was deep in thought. Tails, too, was pensive.

"I understand it's a lot to take in," Percival said sympathetically. "But we need not worry ourselves over it all at once. After all, you've returned! The tide of Camelot's misfortune will turn, I'm sure of it."

With that, the doors behind them opened. "I've heard enough," Gawain said as he appeared in the doorway. "So, you're back, are ya? Had enough of running away, huh?"

"Sir Gawain..." Lancelot warned, his hand moving to the sword sheathed at his hip.

Sonic stepped between the two of them, facing Gawain. "I missed you too, Gawain," Sonic said. When Gawain just growled, Sonic held up his hands placatingly. "Look," he continued, "I get it. You're mad. So, let's cut to the chase, alright? Meet me out front and we'll duke it out like old times. Cool?"

Gawain glowered at Sonic. "A deserter is hardly worth the effort," he spat.

"Even if I let you pick the terms?" Sonic asked.

Lancelot and Percival's eyes widened.

Gawain considered this. After a moment, he said, "Your defeat ends in banishment. And your victory..." Gawain leaned fully into Sonic's space, attempting to intimidate him with his cold stare and bared teeth. "...It shall not come to pass."

Sonic crossed his arms over his chest, refusing to back down. "Uh huh. Deal."

"M-My lord!"

"King Sonic!"

Sonic waved his hand. He didn't look away from Gawain. "I'm looking forward to a real challenge. It's more fun that way. So don't let me down, got it?"

The preparations for the duel were carried out quickly. That was good, because Sonic didn't want to wait--he was practically buzzing with anticipation. One of the castle staff had brought him his old gauntlet, but Caliburn was nowhere to be found. Sonic didn't know whether to be happy or disappointed to be given a non-talking replacement sword instead.

By the time the knights, Sonic, and Tails had gathered in the front courtyard, the news of the king's return had spread through the whole castle as well as the town. Spectators ringed the courtyard, whispering to themselves about who would win.

Sonic and Gawain stood opposite each other. The crowd hushed when Gawain shifted, his gaze intense. "I'm Sir Gawain of the Round Table," he stated. "My duty is to protect this kingdom and its people."

Sonic leaned on his sword, a small smile playing at his lips. "Yup, that sounds just like you. But where's the rest? C'mon, I'm waiting."

Gawain's nose twitched. It was obvious he wanted to curl his lip in disdain, but instead he settled for setting his mouth into a hard line. "You call yourself king, but you abandoned your own people. I refuse to bow to a deserter!"

Sonic sighed. He couldn't argue, because Gawain was right: he did leave. Instead, he said, "I don't want you to bow, Gawain. Don't you get it? Your kingdom's in trouble!"

"And what of you, knave?" Gawain hissed, and the crowd gasped. "Could you be an omen yourself?"

Shaking his head, Sonic replied, "I'm here to help."

"Enough!" Gawain snapped. He raised one of his swords, and with that, the duel officially began.

Gawain was faster than Sonic remembered--had he been training since he'd last seen him? The red knight crossed the courtyard in the blink of an eye, slashing at Sonic with what must've been months of pent-up frustration. Sonic raised his own sword to block Gawain's attack, and the subsequent clang of steel resounded throughout the whole courtyard.

Then, Sonic tried to knock Gawain's feet out from under him, but the knight blocked his kick with his other sword. Dang! That was annoying. Even so, Sonic couldn't help but grin. After all, he did say he'd wanted a challenge.

Flipping backwards, Sonic freed himself from the stalemate. From the relative safety of a few feet away, he taunted Gawain with a wink. The red knight grew angry and charged at Sonic again, not unlike a bull.

This time, Sonic dodged Gawain's attack with a simple side-step, but he quickly realized that Gawain wasn't as nimble as him; while Sonic could stop on a dime, Gawain, being taller and heavier, could not. If their fight was happening in the middle of an empty field, then that wouldn't be a problem, but there were people surrounding the arena!

In a flash, Sonic spun around on his heel, and with his super speed, he managed to catch the back of Gawain's metal collar before he could barrel into the crowd.

Gawain blinked in surprise, but quickly recovered. "You won't be so lucky a second time," he told Sonic.

Sonic let go of Gawain's collar and replied, "Prove it!"

They clashed for a while longer, a blur of blue and red across the cobblestone courtyard. Gawain managed to graze Sonic with the business end of his blade a few times, but so did Sonic. Maybe if Gawain didn't want to look like he was covered in paper cuts, he should've designed his armor more effectively! At least, that's what Sonic thought, anyway.

Finally, Sonic managed to knock one of Gawain's swords out of his hand with a well-timed kick. His second sword was soon to follow. Then, Sonic slammed into him, sending him to the ground. With one shoe, Sonic pinned Gawain to the ground, his sword held against the red knight's neck.

"I win," Sonic announced.

The crowd cheered while Lancelot and Percival let out a sigh of relief. Tails, on the other hand, just snorted. Leave it to his big bro to be a drama king!

Sonic sheathed his sword and stepped off of Gawain. Then, he extended a hand to him. "We're stronger together. Will you help us keep Camelot safe?"

Gawain glared up at Sonic. When Lancelot and Percival appeared at his sides, he glared at them too. But eventually, he let out a sharp breath. "Yes, but not for you." He accepted Sonic's hand and said with conviction, "For the kingdom."

Sonic grinned.

Afterward, there was a party. The threat of the mad mages had brought unease to the kingdom, but with Sonic's arrival, it seemed as though a beacon of hope had appeared in Camelot. So, the townsfolk decided to celebrate. As night fell, the castle and its surrounding town became aglow with lantern light. Upbeat music drifted through the streets while people danced. The warm smells of street food wafted from stalls, making Sonic's stomach growl.

"Man, I'm starving!" Sonic said to no one in particular.

In response, approximately twenty vendors suddenly appeared with their freshly baked bread, meats, and cheeses. Sonic blinked in surprise before graciously taking what he could carry, then enlisting Tails' help to grab the rest.

The three knights were there as well, although Gawain was keeping his distance. Sonic offered a spiced bread roll to Lancelot and a sticky pastry to Percival. They accepted with their heads bowed. Sonic also offered pieces of his mountain of goodies to the townsfolk he passed, which eventually left him with a much more manageable hill of treats that he happily stuffed into his mouth.

Tomorrow, he and the knights would need to make a plan for dealing with the mad mages. But for right now, Sonic was content to fill his belly and enjoy the party.

Tails bit into a meat-and-cheese-something-or-other and chewed it thoughtfully. It tasted good, and it was still hot, which made the flavors pop out and swim across his tongue. No food he'd ever eaten in a dream had tasted like this, so he had to accept that it was real. Even though it was hard to believe, he and Sonic had been transported to another world. A world of knights and mages.

Tails' expression soured. He thought about the invention in his backpack, the same one he'd been showing off to Sonic earlier back in their own world. It seemed so small in comparison to this bizarre place filled with magic and mystery.

Speaking of which...

Tails was wrenched out of his reverie when he heard someone scream.

"Monsters!"

Tails dropped the rest of the food he was holding. It all tumbled to the ground dramatically, and the narrator urges you to mourn the loss of such delicious food. Especially since things are about to get much, much worse.

A flight of winged, human-faced monsters had arrived. They swooped down to crash the party, their wicked talons swiping this way and that. People shouted and ran for cover, but not everyone was fast enough to avoid their grasp; a small child was plucked from the street by the arm and lifted into the sky by the harpy.

"Hold it!" Sonic shouted. Then, he took a running leap at the kidnapper, using a nearby food stall to bounce off of and gain height. In midair, he tackled the monster, which then released the young girl in its grasp.

She shrieked as she fell through the air, but luckily Lancelot was there to catch her, his armored skates sparking from use.

The streets were chaotic. Townsfolk continued to scream and run, ducking into buildings and slamming the doors shut behind them as harpies terrorized them. The knights fought valiantly, their swords slicing through flesh and feathers. Despite the large number of winged monsters, they fell quickly, and so it wasn't long before their ranks thinned to almost nothing.

But that wasn't the end of it.

After spin dashing into a group of harpies and knocking them over like bowling pins, Sonic froze. He realized the ground was shaking beneath his feet, and looked around wildly to find out why. It wasn't long before he spotted the source: a giant red dragon. Or, what appeared to be a red dragon. Upon closer inspection, it actually looked like it was part dragon, part bird, and part human. And it had just crashed through the town’s protective wall.

Percival gasped. "A chimera?"

Sonic shook the monster blood off his sword before rushing over to where the knights were gathered. "You guys keep these birdbrains busy," he said. "I'll handle the big guy."

"Sonic, wait!" Tails said, grabbing Sonic's wrist before he could run off.

"No time, buddy. Tall, Red, and Ugly over there is big trouble. I'm countin' on you to back me up!"

Tails pressed his lips into a thin line, but nodded. Then, he let Sonic go.

With his super speed, Sonic was able to dodge fleeing townsfolk, hop over toppled food carts, and run along the roofs of buildings. He stopped on a tiled roof not far from the chimera, cupped his hands around his mouth, and shouted. "Heeey! Over here!"

The chimera ignored him. It bulldozed its way through the town, crushing stalls and carts underfoot. Sonic chased after it, jumping across rooftops like he was in Assassin's Creed, careful to keep his soles from slipping on the inclined surfaces. Where are you going? he wondered as he watched the chimera squeeze through a narrow alleyway, smashing in windows with its huge scaly tail as it did so.

Sonic's eyes moved in front of the chimera. Up ahead was the courtyard and beyond that, the castle. That must be it!

But, wait, that was bad. Like, really bad! Because that was where the townsfolk were headed! The strong stone walls of the castle offered the best protection from monsters. That was, until a huge chimera came knocking at their door!

Sonic zoomed across the rooftops until he got close enough to the chimera to leap onto its back. He nearly slipped when he landed on the slick red scales, but stubbornly held on by grabbing a fistful of feathers. By now, the chimera had burst out into the open courtyard. Sonic didn't have a lot of time to redirect it before people got hurt.

Setting his jaw, Sonic crawled up to the chimera's head like a little blue bug. It only noticed him once he was face to face with it--or, maybe it was a her? She bared her teeth at Sonic and swiped at him with her big dragon claws, but Sonic was too agile for her to catch.

With his feet planted firmly on her shoulders, he leaned upside down in front of her face and blew a raspberry. His hand made the L-shape as he held it against his forehead, the moonlight glinting off his gauntlet.

In response, the chimera's eyes snapped to the gauntlet. She no longer attempted to swat Sonic like a pesky fly, but rather, she tried to snatch the gauntlet. Sonic flipped off her shoulders, landed on the ground in the courtyard, and then looked from his gauntlet to the chimera.

"You want this?" he asked.

Her yellow eyes seared against the darkness, never looking away from Sonic's hand.

The blue hedgehog grinned wildly. "Then come and take it!"

Sonic led the chimera away from the castle and into the nearby forest. He didn't stop running until he could no longer hear any sounds from the town, and then he kept running for a little while longer, just for good measure. He deliberately slowed his pace so the chimera wouldn't lose him in the tangled mess of foliage, where the darkness blended together with the roughage.

When he finally stopped, he skidded in the dirt. The chimera wasn't far behind, so he had to think fast: what was the best way to slay a dragon?

The chimera burst out from the bushes as Sonic unsheathed his sword. It lunged at him immediately, but was still too slow to catch him. Instead, Sonic ran underneath her scaly arm, only stopping once he was directly underneath her. Before she had time to react, he plunged the sword upward into her chest... or, he tried to.

The chimera's super tough scales broke the sword when it made contact. Sonic dropped it and hurried back out into the forest. So, that didn't work. Now what?

Suddenly, Sonic heard someone's voice. He looked around, worried someone from the town had wandered out here and was now in danger, but quickly realized it was actually the chimera. She had her hand raised in front of her as she spoke--no, chanted.

Uh oh.

Spikes shot up from the earth, and Sonic narrowly avoided being skewered. The forest floor was now a mess of jagged spikes, leaving very little room for Sonic to run. He had to navigate between the closely-packed spikes, which took precious time and attention, and it didn't help that the chimera was shooting fireballs at him now.

"Sorry, lady! Hedgehog's not on the menu tonight!" he quipped as he ducked under a particularly large fireball. "These quills weren't meant to be barbecued!"

Eventually, the fireballs stopped flying.

A drop of sweat slid down Sonic's face, but he didn't stop moving. He couldn't afford to. This monster was full of surprises, and one wrong move could land him six feet under.

Unfortunately, Sonic had gotten so fixated on her human half that he didn't notice when her dragon tail arced through the night until it was too late. It slammed into his side, knocking him off the top of the spike he'd been perched on. He soared through the air, stunned, until he landed in the palm of the chimera's huge draconic hand.

Oof!

Sonic tried to wriggle out of her grasp, but without a running start, he couldn't overpower her. Black spots swam across his vision, but he just gritted his teeth. If it was the gauntlet she wanted, then he wasn't going to let her have it, no matter what. Using the last of his strength, Sonic removed his gauntlet and buried it deep inside his un-barbecue-able, super sharp quills.

Then, a sickening crunch echoed through the forest, and Sonic drooped in the chimera's grasp.

Without a word, she brought Sonic's body up to her face, searching for the gauntlet. When she realized it was no longer on his hand, she almost dropped him--but then she caught sight of the silvery prize between the hedgehog's quills. With her soft human hands, she reached for it... only to immediately recoil, because she'd been poked!

Scowling, the chimera tried again, only to be poked a second time. Ouch! She sniffed, a single cartoon tear dripping from her eye. Then, she tried to get the gauntlet with her dragon hands... but they were way too big. There was no way she'd be able to finagle that tiny gauntlet out of Sonic's quills when her claws were the same size as his head!

Pouting, the chimera resigned herself to just taking Sonic's entire body back to the Dungeon Master. She'd gotten what he’d wanted, anyway--surely, he could figure out the rest?

So, that was what she did. With Sonic's body held in her arms, she trampled through the forest, back to Thistle.

He was waiting for her along with the female wizard, Merlina, at the lake where Lancelot had originally encountered Sonic and Tails. The two mages were discussing something in hushed tones, but stopped once they heard the booming footsteps of Thistle's chimera approach. Then, they turned toward the forest to watch as the dragon with a human head emerged from the shadow of the trees.

Merlina’s heart dropped when she saw what the chimera was carrying.

Thistle had no reaction to Sonic's body. Once the chimera was close, he simply asked, "Well? Did you get it?"

The chimera knelt down so she could show Thistle the gauntlet trapped in Sonic's quills. When Thistle reached for it, the chimera pulled Sonic's body against her chest and said with difficulty, "Sh... arp..."

Thistle lowered his hand.

It was then that Merlina stepped forward. Her face revealed none of her true feelings, but when she placed her hand on Sonic's head, her fingers trembled slightly. "I sense a great power within this creature," she said cryptically. "Perhaps he could be of use to us?"

Thistle frowned. He looked closer at Sonic, but he didn't see whatever it was that Merlina saw.

"Some artifacts are protected by narrow passages," Merlina added. "In that case, a... smaller... creature would be valuable."

The chimera puffed up her cheeks indignantly. How rude!

Thistle considered this. Then, he looked down. His arms were overloaded with two large books. Carrying them both this far had been a hassle, but he couldn't leave either one behind. They both had to stay where he could see them. But, maybe...

"Dragon," Thistle said, causing the chimera to snap to attention. "Set it down here."

The chimera did as she was told. Now, Sonic's body laid flat in the grass at Thistle's feet.

After rummaging around in his pocket for a moment, Thistle pulled out a glass vial with a single drop of blood inside. While Merlina watched, he popped the lid off the vial before turning it upside down and letting the droplet stain Sonic's chest red. Lastly, he moved one of his books under his arm, then opened the other one and began to read.

Sonic's body glowed as the droplet of blood soaked into his fur and disappeared. Then, he gasped and sat up, clutching his chest. Life had returned to his body, but his head was spinning, and when he looked up and saw Merlina, his head hurt even more.

"What--?"

Thistle didn't let him finish. He transformed the book into a pulsing ball of light that squirmed and twitched as if it was alive. Before the strange orb could escape the mage's grasp, he shoved it into Sonic's open mouth.

Sonic, startled, swallowed it.

Merlina was glad Thistle couldn't see her expression as Sonic transformed before her eyes, his whole body burning with the fierceness of a small star. Feathers grew from his fur and his legs twisted into the body of a lion, all the while Merlina looked on in horror.

When the light finally faded, signaling the end of the transformation, the dragon chimera cocked her head curiously at the newly made lion chimera.

Sonic shivered in the grass, his long tail flicking back and forth.

Thistle gave him no time to acclimate to his new body. "Lion," he said. "Give me the gauntlet."

Sonic growled.

Thistle held out one of his hands expectantly. "Now, Lion," he repeated, more firmly this time. "The gauntlet."

Sonic looked up at Thistle. When their eyes met, Sonic's stiff, defensive posture evaporated. With his strange new eyes, the lion chimera could see something floating just above Thistle's hand. It was about the size of a blueberry and just as round, but glowing with the warmth of a freshly baked biscuit. It looked delicious.

Sonic reached into his quills and pulled out the gauntlet. Now, he offered it to Thistle without hesitation, his head bowed slightly. But his eyes remained locked on that strange magic blueberry.

Thistle nodded, pleased. "Good," he said. And then he took the gauntlet from Sonic.

When he did, Sonic was able to taste that strange blueberry. And it tasted better than anything he'd ever eaten in his entire life--including chili dogs! His wings fluttered in delight as his eyes filled with sparkles. Now, there was only one thing on his mind: how could he get more of those blueberries?

#sonic #sonic the hedgehog #i don't have a writing tag #chimera sonic #now introducing: a guy who loves set up and character interactions saurrrrrrrrrrr much #(it's me. i'm the guy.)#usually i don't put fandom tags on my writing but i worked hard on this and it's long. please appreciate it or i will be sad ok thank you

192 notes · View notes