#sonicwind149 writing

[sonicwind149]

Scarlet vs. Rain: An Ice-Cold Rivalry Begins

A lot of the time, I feel as though I don’t really do enough with my Sonic FCs. So I decided to do something-- write a short story about how my two often-fighting characters, Scarlet and Rain, first met-- and with it, their first big brawl that would end up cementing their rivalry.

I’m not the best writer, but I feel like I tried with this one. Here’s a little portion from the beginning; the full story is after the jump.

Scarlet loved the feeling of flight. The freedom to go in any direction she wished. The wind blowing through her quills. The sheer rush of speed that made her feel the exhilaration she figured her idol, Sonic, felt every time he ran (which was often). It was a good experience to have, and it never got old.

The hedgehog girl cartwheeled over Station Square, whooping in delight as she literally blazed a trail over the city skyline. Before she had these powers, she'd been ordinary, leading a boring existence. Now she could hold her own with the worst crime had to throw at her (and, of course, have fun punching their faces in).

But Scarlet's happiness would be quickly interrupted. A sudden force slammed into her side, sending her plummeting out of the afternoon sky into the asphalt road below. For a brief second, she lay in the small crater her impact generated, groaning in pain.

“What the heck hit me?” she asked, slowly getting to her feet.

“Not what-- who.”

Scarlet whirled around and saw her-- a blue fox wearing a sleeveless top with a light-blue line running down it that stopped at her waist, followed by black and white pants that led to a pair of blue and white shoes. She had icy blue eyes, one of which was covered by a small tuft of hair sticking out of her forehead. A ponytail ran from the back of her head, and her look was completed by a dark-blue-lipped scowl on her white muzzle. Clearly, from the way this girl was slowly but aggressively walking towards her, she wanted to pick a fight.

Scarlet's confusion quickly turned to anger, as is typical of someone with a hair-trigger temper like hers. “What's the deal here?!” she snapped, a fiery aura quickly surrounding her. “I was minding my own business before you nailed me!”

“Oh, but you're my business, Scarlet,” the fox snarled. “You think you can just fly around, kicking butts and looking all cool, and no one would have a problem with it? Well, I do. I want to show this city that you're not all that. You're nothing.”

“And who are you to make that judgment?! Do you even have powers like I do?!”

In response, the fox's arms began to morph into water, then froze into icy sharp ends, pointed directly at Scarlet. “Does this answer your question? Ice to meet you.”

Of course she uses ice puns, Scarlet mentally groaned. As if this wasn't bad enough.

Then, all of a sudden, the sharp ends fired off like needles, flying at Scarlet at rapid speeds. Shocked, she barely had enough time to put up her Fire Shield, against which the ice needles harmlessly evaporated. As the shield remained up, she looked around to see several citizens staring, fixated on the ensuing fight.

“What are you guys doing just standing around?!” she yelled to them. “Get out of here! You can watch the fight safe at home!”

Like that, the citizens scattered, off to not risk getting hit by friendly fire. Good, Scarlet thought. They're safe. Also, I don't need to feel people staring at me while in a life-or-death situation. Kinda distracting.

“Always thinking about the people, aren't you?” the fox girl asked, stretching as she continued to unload needles from one hand. “Why bother? Once I've beaten you to a pulp, they'll see who the real top dog is and abandon you.”

“You're just living in your own little universe, aren't you?” Scarlet snarked.

“Yeah. And I like it there.”

Engulfing herself in flame, Scarlet dashed forward, seeking to deal a devastating punch to the new foe--

In an instant, she felt her entire body being enclosed in what seemed to be a giant hand, then slammed into the ground.

Scarlet turned her head to see that she was, indeed, in a giant icy hand belonging to the fox girl. “You haven't even introduced yourself yet!” she yelled. “I can't properly form a hatred of you if I can't even scream your name into the sky!”

The fox girl smirked. “Call me Rain,” she spoke.

Rain casually tossed Scarlet high into the air like a piece of garbage, the hedgehog tumbling end-over-end in mid-air as she flew through a nearby building; Scarlet could barely see the startled expressions of the employees inside as she crashed through several rooms before busting through the other side, activating her foot jets to regain control.

“All right, then, Rain,” she hissed, floating in the air. “Let's see what you've got.”

She flew through the same holes her body had created, once again passing by shocked onlookers on her way out (sheepishly apologizing to them for the mess all the while), then curving downward to aim her trajectory close to Rain, who'd been waiting patiently in the same spot for her to return. She'd even created an ice lounge chair to nonchalantly lie on.

Scarlet's mouth morphed into an annoyed sneer. So, this girl thought that little of her, huh? Fine. All the more reason for the pyrokinetic to look forward to the point where she could stomp out that arrogance.

After a perfect three-point landing near her opponent, Scarlet threw constant punches and kicks at Rain, who jumped off the ice lounge chair (which Scarlet melted a split-second later out of spite) and bobbed and weaved away from each of the attacks without missing a beat, almost in a ballerina-esque manner--

Scarlet felt her leg get grabbed at the end of a kick, and she was swung around, Rain's liquid arm extending as her solid hand metronomically slammed Scarlet multiple times onto the ground; she was then dragged across a building before being let go on a downward swing, causing her to slam into the ground hard.

As a stunned Scarlet slowly picked herself off the asphalt, every bit of her body aching, she could see Rain several feet across from her with the widest, cruelest grin she'd ever seen.

This girl is really starting to irritate me, Scarlet thought. But still, she's pretty good. Must have had plenty of training, like I did. I better end this quick before things get too rough for even me.

Scarlet dashed towards Rain, dodging or outright melting ice pillars the fox caused to erupt from the ground. Her fist, cocked backwards in preparation, swung forward and connected... but not with flesh. Instead, her hand went through Rain-- no, not in a messy sense; more like her entire body had become water. Undeterred (and guided by frustration more than logical thinking), Scarlet kept punching-- until she made contact with solid ice. For a moment, she hopped around, yelping in pain as she shook her aching hand and all the while hearing Rain's mocking laugh in her ears.

“You should see yourself right now!” Rain spoke through bouts of laughter as her body returned to its normal state, clutching her stomach and almost doubling over. “You're the new hero of Station Square?! You're pathetic!”

And that was the final straw. Scarlet didn't spend three years forming her own fighting style, slowly start to gain mastery of her powers over the past few weeks, and save people from numerous threats just to be called “pathetic” by some girl she'd known the existence of for all of two minutes.

Teeth and fists clenched, Scarlet's rage bubbled to the surface, showing outwardly as a burst of flames. She flung herself at Rain, who barely had enough time to stop laughing to notice before she was subject to a flurry of punches from the hedgehog, then a backwards cartwheel kick into the air, and finally, a two-handed spike that sent her crashing into the pavement-- a little bit of ironic justice from Scarlet for that first cheap blow Rain dealt her.

“How's that for 'pathetic'?!” Scarlet spat as she landed back on the ground and started panting, each breath carrying an audible fury.

Rain, loopy for a moment, stumbled to her feet. The laughter was gone. In its place was a look of annoyance. After a brief standoff, the two charged at each other, again ducking under attacks for a brief minute before clasping their hands together in a struggle, each trying to overpower the other.

“You know, you're not half bad,” Scarlet observed. “Haven't fought anyone that could challenge me like this.”

“I do have to admit, that was a nice combo you pulled off there,” Rain agreed. “You actually have some spunk. But spunk only helps you so much. You're still going down.”

Then her body liquefied, her hands dripping out of Scarlet's. Rain was gone. There was a brief moment where she scanned for her frantically and saw nothing--

Scarlet felt a sharp slash to her back. The searing pain forced her to her hands and knees. She looked behind her, seeing the back of her shirt had four new holes in it, and who else was there but Rain, with an icy clawed hand, in an “I just attacked you” pose?

And she's a dirty fighter, Scarlet sighed. Great.

“Hey!” she yelled out loud. “Do you know how much fire-proof clothing costs?! I should make you pay for that-- not just in pain, but money!”

“Oh, you'll be the one that pays, my friend,” Rain retorted.

Scarlet's eyes narrowed further. “I'm not your friend!”

She turned and launched a blast of flame at Rain from her cupped hands, knocking her off her feet and sending her tumbling across the road. She then walked forward as her opponent slowly got to her feet and generated another shield, letting loose a continuous stream of fire and not allowing her a moment's rest. But trying to cut through the anger that clouded her mind, some tiny voice briefly squeaked, “Wait, isn't getting close to her a bad ide--”

Logic came too late; Rain bashed her with the shield, then soaked her with a wave of water-- a bad turn of events for someone who utilizes an element weak to the stuff. Scarlet mentally cursed her anger. Sometimes it helped her; sometimes it didn't.

“Not such a fire-starter now, are you?” Rain quipped.

“OK, fine,” Scarlet growled, shaking away the water dripping off her body. “I don't need my powers to kick your butt.”

“Me, neither, with the way you're fighting,” Rain said. “But they help. You're about to be iced.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Scarlet saw a little ripple in the puddle of water below her. She glanced down, only to be met with a giant fist of ice rising out of the puddle and sending her flying into the air. Gravity slammed her back down onto the street, dazed, and Rain, not letting up on the assault, turned her tail into a sledgehammer.

“It's tail time!” she sung, pivoting her body around to swing her tail at Scarlet.

“Nobody even remembers those game--” Scarlet began before the hammer slammed into her side, sending her flying into the wall of another building.

“Note to self: less talking, more punching,” she muttered to herself, now embedded in the wall.

She pushed herself out of the Scarlet-shaped impression and ran towards Rain as fast as her legs could muster before taking a mighty leap at the fox and managing to land a punch, at which point the two traded blows until Rain sweep-kicked her, then swatted her away with a big hand. But the assault would only continue-- Rain again grabbed Scarlet from a distance with her extending arm maneuver, reeled her in, then clotheslined her to the ground. While Scarlet was still on her back, Rain jumped on top of her, grew her fists, and began punching her relentlessly.

“Who's the tough girl now?!” she screamed.

With each megaton punch, Scarlet could feel consciousness slip further and further from her grasp, as it had been with every attack Rain landed. She was slowly becoming one with the road.

Well, this is great, Scarlet thought. She's just gonna keep wailing on me until I'm out cold-- or worse. But I can't let her get the best of me, especially not on her first try. I gotta keep fighting-- I have friends to get back to and a city to protect. Those, and I don't think the headline “Local Hero Beaten Senseless by Random Newcomer” on tomorrow's edition of Station Square News would be good publicity for me.

A fire lit inside her-- both figuratively and literally.

“GET OFF!” Scarlet bellowed, letting loose an explosion of flames that sent Rain flying. She caught up as the fox landed on her feet, and the two once again fought in close quarters; it was only through a combination of determination and sheer adrenaline that Scarlet was still standing at this point and slowly edging out her foe. A punch to the face here, a kick to the head there, and it was Rain's turn to start feeling the pain.

Seeing the writing on the wall, Rain quickly formed a baseball bat out of ice and swung into Scarlet's side, causing her to crumple to her knees as she held the bruised area. Rain took advantage, pressing the bat horizontally against Scarlet's neck and holding her from behind in an attempt to choke her out.

“Admit it-- sooner or later, I'm gonna put you on ice,” Rain quipped.

Scarlet's eye twitched. That was one pun too many.

Furious, she flung her elbow into Rain's stomach several times, eventually causing the fox to release the hold and stagger back in pain. Acting fast, she yanked the bat out of Rain's grasp.

“I'M SICK OF YOUR LAME PUNS!” she screamed, cracking Rain across the face; the impact shattered the ice bat and once again flung her away. For a second, Scarlet felt the satisfaction of briefly seeing her dumb-struck expression. Arrogance-stomping achieved. Home run.

But constantly replaying the moment in her head, while highly amusing, would be wasting precious time; instead, Scarlet burst upwards after her, landing punch after rapid-fire punch while the two were in midair, then blasting Rain down into the road with a concentrated stream of fire. As a follow-up, she thrust herself towards where the fox lay, her fist aflame and ready to strike. With one final battle cry, she slammed the burning fist down into her opponent-- who barely had any time to put her arms in front of her-- with overwhelming force. A massive explosion rocked the area, setting off car alarms all around. Thick smoke rose from the point of impact.

For a moment, other than the alarms and a resonating rumble, there was stillness and silence. Then, slowly but surely, a battered Scarlet crawled out of the crater the explosion had created, panting heavily. She sat on its lip, staring down into it with an expression of uncertainty. Her body was tensed, her mind on edge.

I swear, she thought, if she comes leaping out of the smoke after all that, I'm going to scream.

Fortunately, she had no reason to worry after all; the smoke finally dissipated, revealing Rain sprawled motionless in the crater, her eyes closed and her chest slowly rising and falling. It was clear that last tremendous blow had rendered her unconscious. Had it not been for the fact that she'd been fighting like a savage moments before, one could almost say she looked at peace. Almost.

Scarlet breathed a sigh of relief, her aching muscles finally able to loosen. The spontaneous throwdown was done and dusted. What had only been a few minutes felt like an eternity. Regardless, she felt a twinge of disappointment. That had been the best scrap she'd been in since she got her powers. All she'd really punched at this point were normal crooks and ne'er-do-wells. This girl had given her what she'd been craving for-- someone to match her in skill. Someone to give her fighting prowess a workout for once.

“Shame I had to wrap this up so soon,” she spoke as she stood up to strike a triumphant pose, well aware she looked stupid talking to the passed-out fox who couldn't hear her, but not caring because it wasn't like anyone was around to see it. “Even if you're cold, cruel, and downright infuriating, you hit me pretty hard in a way I wasn't prepared for. Something tells me I'll be seeing you again--” she smiled-- “in which case, I'll be looking forward to the rematch.”

And with that, Scarlet flew off towards home, knowing she'd have a heck of a story to tell to her friends later.

Scarlet arrived back home a few minutes later, passing by Hertz on the couch playing video games. “Bust heads as usual?” he inquired, briefly taking in her beat-up outfit and many bruises.

“You know it,” she confidently answered.

She slowly staggered her way up the stairs towards the bedroom door, barely able to stay on her feet. The numerous injuries Rain had dealt her, the exertion of the day, everything had finally caught up with her. The adrenaline that had kept her going during the fight had long since faded; she'd almost fainted mid-flight and slammed into the ground on the way back here. On the bright side, taking naps was one of her favorite activities, anyway.

Scarlet opened the door, walked in, and collapsed into bed, her drooping eyelids finally allowed to slide shut as the soft mattress caught her fall. But one thought briefly hung in her mind in the last moments before exhaustion completely devoured her few remaining shreds of consciousness and she drifted into sleep: where the heck did that girl come from, and why did she really have such a beef with her?

Every square inch of my body hurts.

That was the first thought that passed through Rain's barely-working mind as she re-entered the world of the waking. The second was the realization that her derriere had been kicked to the half-destroyed moon and back and the ensuing frustration with herself that followed. So close.

Ignoring the pain, ignoring the gathered civilians, she slowly clambered out of the crater she'd been lying inert in for the past half-hour or so and walked away from the scene in a huff. So the hedgehog had won this time. Big deal. She'd come back to challenge her again. And again. Repeat ad nauseam until the heat death of the universe, if it had to come to that. One of those times, she'd eventually win. Then maybe people would respect her. And then maybe she'd stop feeling so empty inside.

Regardless, deep down, she was looking forward to the next time they crossed paths. That Scarlet made for one heck of a rival, not just because she was a good fighter, but because, after all, they were opposing forces. Power and grace. Fury and control.

Fire and ice.

And there it is. I might make more stuff like this in the future (unless procrastination bites me in the you-know-what again). If you enjoyed it and/or there’s anything I can improve on for next time, let me know.