Tale as Old as Time
Prologue
Once upon a time, a handsome young black hedgehog prince named Shadow who lived in a beautiful castle far away in France. Although he had everything his heart desired, Shadow was selfish and mean. One cold winter night, an old beggarwoman named Maria came to the castle and offered him a beautiful blue rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold blizzard. Repulsed by her ugly appearance, Shadow told Maria to go away. But she warned him not to be decieved by appearances, for Beauty is found within. When Shadow dismissed her again, the ugly woman turned into a beautiful enchantress. Shadow tried to apologize but it was too late, for she has seen that there was no love in his heart. As punishment she transformed him into a hideous werehog and placed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there. Ashamed of his new form, Shadow consealed himself inside the castle with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world. The blue rose Maria gave him was actually an enchanted rose which would bloom until his 21th birthday. If he could learn to love another and earn her/his love in return by the time the last petal fell, the spell would be broken. If not he would be doomed to remain a werehog forever. As the years passed, Shadow fell into despair and lost all hope for who could ever learn to love a werehog.
Chapter 1
It was a beautiful autumn morning in a small and peaceful village where everyone greated good morning to each other. A beautiful young blue hedgehog boy at the age of 15 named Sonic was off to the town to return a book he borrowed from Mrs. Gray's library. The villagers found Sonic odd because he was the only who was interested in reading books. When Sonic came inside the library, Mrs. Gray was happy to see Sonic and he was the only person who visit her library.
"Good morning, Sonic!" smiled Mrs. Gray.
"Good morning, Mrs. Gray! I came to return the book I borrowed!" said Sonic as he gave her the book he borrowed.
"Finished already?" she asked.
"I couldn't put it down." said Sonic as he's searching another book from the book shelves.
"Have got anything new?" he asked
"Not since yesterday." Mrs. Gray replied with a sweet tender smile.
"That's okay, Mrs Gray!" Sonic smiled as he found one book from the shelf and showed it to Mrs. Gray.
"I'll borrow this one."
"That one?" she asked.
"But you've read it twice."
"Yeah. It's my favorite. "A Prince in Disguise"." replied Sonic.
"If you like it all that much it's yours." said Mrs. Gray as she gave the book to Sonic.
"Really?" asked Sonic by surprise.
"Why yes, my dear boy!" she smiled.
"Wow! Thanks, Mrs. Gray!" said Sonic happily as he left the library waving goodbye to Mrs. Gray and walking to the fountain and happily read his book.
Meanwhile a big, muscular and handsome male tiger named Tommy Thunder was on a duck hunting and he didn't even miss one shot. His assistant Dixon the Ferret admired Tommy's hunting skills while alot of girls from the village fawned over him for his strong skills and handsome muscular good looks. But although he was handsome. He was rude, arrogant, self centered, narcissistic and conceited.
"Wow, Tommy Thunder! You didn't even miss a shot!" smiled Dixon.
"You're the greatest hunter in the whole world! No beast alive stands a chance against you! And no girl for that matter!"
"Yes. I know, Dixon! But I've got my sight set on him!" said Tommy smugly as he pointed at Sonic who was reading a book.
"What? Sir Charles' nephew?" asked Dixon with a shock.
"That's right! He's the one I'm going to marry! Sonic is the most beautiful boy in town!" said Tommy proudly.
"That makes him the best! And don't I deserve the best? Right?"
"Why yes! Of course, Tommy!" Dixon replied
"But are you sure he's going to like you?"
"I'm very certain he cannot resist my big muscles." Tommy smirked as he flexes his muscles.
While Sonic kept reading his book peacefully, Tommy sat next to him and wrapped his arm around him which made Sonic shocked to see him.
"Hello, Sonic!" Tommy said with a flirty look.
"Bonjour, Tommy" said Sonic with a sigh, looking very annoyed.
Tommy rudely snatched Sonic's book from his hands.
"Hey! Tommy, may I have my book please?" asked Sonic annoyedly.
"How can you read this garbage?" asked Tommy confusedly as he looked into the book constantly turning each pages back and forward.
"There are no pictures in it!"
"Well, some people use their imagination." said Sonic as he grabbed his book from Tommy's hands and put it in his bag.
"Sonic, I think it's about time you stop reading silly books and pay more attentions to the more important things like me. The whole town's talking about it. It's not right for a person to read. Soon you get ideas and thinking." said Tommy.
"Wow, Tommy! You sure are primeval." said Sonic rolling his eyes
"Thank you, Sonic! So, what do you say you and me are taking a walk to the tavern and take look at my fancy trophies? asked Tommy as he flirted with him while the girls got very jealous of Sonic. But Sonic declined his request.
"Sorry, Tommy! I can't! I have to go home and help my uncle! Bye!" replied Sonic as he was walking away.
"That crazy old loon! He needs all the help he can get!" chuckled Dixon
"I agree with you, Dixon! He is crazy!" Tommy laughed.
Sonic got upset when he heard what Dixon and Tommy said about Uncle Chuck.
"Don't talk about my uncle that way!" yelled Sonic.
"My uncle is not crazy! He's a genius!"
Suddenly he heard a loud explosion. He turned around to see a smoke that came out of his house.
"Uncle Chuck!" He cried as he rushed to his house with his super speed while Rommy Thunder and Dixon kept laughing.
When Sonic arrived home and went into the basement where Uncle Chuck got stuck in a barrel. Sonic got him out of the barrel.
"Are you alright, Uncle Chuck?" asked Sonic.
"Yes, Sonic! I'm alright." replied Uncle Chuck.
"It was just my latest invention, the woodcutting machine that went wrong! But I can fix it."
Both Sonic and Chuck sat on the bench and having alittle talk.
"So, did you have a good time in the village today?" asked Uncle Chuck.
"Yes. I've got a new book." replied Sonic.
"Uncle Chuck, do you think I'm odd?" he asked.
"My nephew? Odd? Where did you get a silly idea like that?" asked Uncle Chuck confusedly.
"I don't know! It's just that I'm not sure I fit in here! There's no one I can really talk to." sighed Sonic.
"What about Tommy Thunder? He's a handsome man." asked Uncle Chuck.
"Yeah. He's handsome alright. But he's rude and conceited. Uncle Chuck, he's not right for me." said Sonic with a sigh.
"Don't worry, Sonic! Because this invention is going to change our lives forever." said Uncle Chuck as he hugged Sonic.
"I'm very sure you'll win the first pride at the fair tomorrow." Sonic smiled as he hugged his uncle back.
Later, after the woodcutting machine was done and worked well, Uncle Chuck was waving goodbye to Sonic as he was off to the fair.
"Goodbye, Uncle Chuck! Good luck!" smiled Sonic as he waved.
"Goodbye, Sonic! Take care while I'm gone!" said Uncle Chuck as he was leaving the village while taking the machine with him along with his horse Lightning.
Uncle Chuck and Lightning were off far away, and they went into a scary, dark and unfamilar forest. Uncle Chuck was pretty sure they were in a wrong direction. Suddenly a flock of bats flew past them. Lightning was so scared that Uncle Chuck fell off his back and ran off out of the forest quickly. Almost as fast as Sonic, leaving Chuck all alone in this dark and scary forest. And then he heard a wolf howl. Chuck felt very frightened when he heard the howling. And then a wolf pack showed up growling and started chasing Chuck. It was a long chase until he saw a big castle. He rushed inside the castle and closed the door. Once he was inside, he looked amazed at the big hall enterence.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" He cried.
Suddenly he heard two whispering voices.
"Poor man, he's lost in the forest." whispered a female voice.
"Shhhh! Keep quiet! Maybe he'll go away!" whispered a male voice.
"Hello? Is someone there?" asked Chuck as he looked around.
The two voices came from a female bat candlestick named Rouge and a Male echidna clock named Knuckles.
"Not a word, Rouge! Not a word!" whispered Knuckles angrily.
"I don't mean to intrude! But I lost my horse and I need a place to stay for the night." Chuck cried.
"Aww, Knux! Have a heart!" said Rouge giving Knuckles her puppy eye look.
Knuckles hushed at her while puts his hand on her mouth and she puts her flamed candle hand on his hand which caused some burning. Knuckles let Rouge go in pain and agony.
"Of course, monsieur! You're welcome here!" said Rouge to Uncle Chuck.
Chuck heard her voice grabbed her but didn't realised she talked and he looked around. She tapped on his shoulder, he looked at Rouge surprised.
"Bonjour!" smiled Rouge.
Chuck got startled that he dropped her on the floor.
"Incredible!" said Chuck with a surprised look because he never seen talking and moving objects before.
"Nice going, Rouge! Look what you've done!" Knuckles scolded at Rouge.
Chuck lifted Knuckles up looked and poked curiously and opened the clock lid which tickled him.
"Put me down this instant!" yelled Knuckles as he slammed the lid.
"I'm sorry. I've never seen objects that move and talk." said Chuck and then started to sneeze.
"Oh my! You're soaked to the bone. Come, warm yourself by the fire." said Rouge as she lead Chuck to a cosy room.
But little did they know, a black werehog, Shadow saw the whole thing.
"A stranger!" Shadow growled.
When Chuck entered the living room and sat on a comfy armchair near a warm fireplace. A maiden teapot named Vanilla and her teacup daughter Cream served him a nice warm tea. It was a nice and cosy moment until Shadow busted into the living room with anger. Uncle Chuck was frightened to see a big werehog.
"Who are you? And what are you doing here?" Asked Shadow with a snarl.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to intrude, sir! I just needed a place to stay!" Chuck stuttered and shaking with fear.
"I'll give you a place to stay!" snarled Shadow as he grabbed Chuck and took him to the dungeon.
To be continued.....
