Youth by Daughter.
Occasionally Scared: Atticus Ross
~~~

The spicy, sizzling scent of succulent chilli dogs flew and danced throughout the cosy kitchen. With the colour scheme of furniture ranging from oranges to browns. A white fridge stood beside the archway as cream topped-worktops lined the room. A steaming oven on the opposing side to the exit. A sink in between, tucked neatly under the window.

Jules Hedgehog could never keep back his bright smile from the familiar, welcoming smell. Leaning against the dark wooden dinner table by his hands he watched a lavender hedgehog hum as she cooked.

"Did I mention you look beautiful Bernie?"

The deep blued eyed hedgehog chuckled and approached her husband, lightly tapping his nose with the wooden spoon in a tease.

"You've said that yes." She twirled a finger through his chocolate brown hair atop his head.

"I can't help myself." Jules shrugged and leaned forward to peck his wife's cheek, earning him a purr.

"Where're the kids anyway?"

As if on cue, three giggling and hyper hoglets hurried into the kitchen. The first to be a cobalt blue with emerald green eyes, being the fastest he reached his parents before his siblings could. Speaking of, his older sister with fuschia pink fur and light blue eyes, like her mother, hugged said parent by the legs- accompanied with a giggle. The youngest of the three with fantastic green fur and chocolate brown eyes followed his older siblings, skidding to a stop. He ended up colliding with his blue brother.

"Hey! Manic!" The green eyed hoglet went to mess up the mentioned hedgehog's quills, receiving a protesting whine from the younger one.

"Olgilvie! You're ruining his quills!" The pink hoglet scolded and made to separate the two.

"They're already ruined." The blue one stuck his tongue out, arms crossed.

"Let's see how you like it then!"

"Sonia! No! Lemme go!" Olgilvie protested as his sister began ruffling up his quills.

"That's enough you three." Jules interrupted, clearly holding back snickers, and crouched on his knee with arms spread out wide.

He received three excited giggles as the hoglets tackled their father in a hug. Manic and his older brother began hanging from the older hedgehog's quills soon enough as Sonia rolled her eyes at their behaviour, simply nuzzling into her fathers brown coat.

"Hey, why don't you boys help me with these?" Bernadette suggested when she discovered her husband was struggling with keeping the hoglets calm.

"Otay mama!" Manic hopped down to the floor and waddled over to mentioned parent, letting her scoop him up.

"With what?" Olgilvie asked with the curious tilt of the head, also jumping off his father.

"Well." The mother smiled. "I've made some chilli dogs but I need someone to help me carry them out for our picnic! Someone strong!" She exclaimed for dramatic effect.

The blue hoglet grinned and rubbed his nose. "I can handle it!"

"Are you sure?"

"Of course! Sounds easy!" He waved a hand in dismissal.

"My strong little hedgehog." Bernadette beamed proudly and promptly handed her eldest son a basket full of delicious chilli dogs.

"Me wanna help!" Manic gestured to himself and snickered when he was put down.

"Sure ya can!" Olgilvie smirked. "If you can keep up that is!"

"Now-." Was all Jules could say before the blue hoglet zoomed out, his younger brother waddling after him.

"Can I help too mama?" Sonia asked curiously, tugging on her mothers dress.

Despite her young age of six, she was far more responsible and mature for any child her age. The pink hoglet was willing to take on any task and didn't care if she came across as bossy. As the oldest, she took on the role of being as helpful as possible.

Olgilvie and Manic on the other hand definitely acted their age. The former at five and the latter only three years old. The blue hoglet tried to be as independent as possible despite this, and like any younger sibling Manic wanted to hang with his older brother where ever possible.

Bernadette stroked her eldest child's quills. "Of course dear. Would you be as kind as to help your father with the picnic blanket?"

Sonia turned to the parent in question, who was standing with the rolled up covering. "You bet!" She beamed and hurried over to Jules, taking his hand.

"We'll meet you soon hun." The father grinned and blew a kiss, making his daughter stick her tongue out in disgust, before heading outside.

Bernadette pretended to catch the kiss with a chuckle prior to turning to the oven, or more so the worktop space neighbouring it. Her cheerful smile faded quickly and her shoulders lowered as she reached out for the open envelope.

She revealed the letter from within, as she had opened the envelope previously this morning, and let out a sigh.

"I can't believe he has to go back...." She muttered and promptly tucked the paper into her quills, smoothing them out after.

The lavender hedgehog decided dwelling on the matter wouldn't resolve anything, besides Jules had agreed to discuss this later tonight.

So with this temporary resolution made, Bernadette took her leave. Entering the outside world to be greeted by the early afternoon sky, chirping birds, giggling children and rustling leaves.

The mother looked to the sound of the laughter to discover her three hoglets in the midst of a chase. Circling her husband who sat atop a picnic blanket, food and drink scattered around him.

"Jules." The blue eyed hedgehog addressed when she arrived, promptly sitting beside the mentioned father.

"Bernie, you alright?" He asked, noticing his wife's worried look amongst her eyes.

"Yes. I...where's Charles?"

"You mean me?"

The parents spun their heads simultaneously to see Jules' brother. The three hoglets' uncle. Charles Hedgehog. Who was currently holding his arms out wide, acting as a climbing frame for Olgilvie and Manic who swung from each one. Sonia telling her brothers to get down, yet simply receiving protruding tongues and snickers.

"It's good to see you brother!" Jules beamed.

"I wish the circumstances were better." The light blue hedgehog admitted quietly.

Bernie cocked her head to the side. "What is it Charles?"

Terror washed over the uncle's face. "He's back."

"He's back?" Bernadette Hedgehog echoed as her quills bristled, now highly on edge.

"Are you sure?" Jules Hedgehog raised a brow and his head cocked to the side.

Charles Hedgehog gave the parents a nod. "I'm afraid so."

"That must be why we received that letter." The mother turned to her husband, who nodded.

"They want us to fight again, right?" The dark blue hedgehog poked the tip of his nose.

"Fight what?" Came the curious, almost excited, voice of their eldest son.

Olgilvie jumped down from his uncle and stretched out his legs as his younger brother mimicked his movements.

"Nothing dear." Bernadette dismissed as Sonia, the oldest of the three, turned to listen in on the discussion.

"Doesn't sound like nothin' to me, Ma."

"It's nothing to concern yourself with buddy." Jules reached to ruffle the green eyed hoglet's quills.

"As for your question before brother." Charles interrupted. "Yes. This...GUN wants us to join the fight."

"Will we have to move again?" The lavender hedgehog questioned as she placed a hand on her husband's shoulder.

"Seems so."

There was an immediate uproar of complaints and whines. The three hoglets were the cause and their small arms flailed above their heads. They were clearly attempting to make as much noise as possible.

"Not again! This is like, the hundredth time!" Sonia protested.

"Yeah! There's plenty of space to run here!" Olgilvie gestured to the tracks that looped the many trees holding homes.

Manic rubbed under his eye as his bottom lip quivered. "Me like Knothole."

Bernadette's eyes furrowed in deep sadness and guilt. "I know. I know. It's wonderful here. But it's no longer safe."

"We don't have a choice I'm afraid kiddo's." Jules added, ears dipping the slightest amount.

Olgilvie clenched his fists and stomped on the ground. "This isn't fair!!"

"Honey please-." The mother tried.

"Yeah! Why do we always have to move? Why can't we stay and help?" Sonia whined.

"We will be-." The father attempted.

"You will be." The blue son squinted and pointed a finger at the older hedgehog.

"Who are we even hiding from?" The oldest hoglet inquired. "Why are they making us move all the time? Why can't we stay and help? We can't just leave everyone behind!"

Jules and Bernadette shared a worried glance to each other. Of course their children would ask eventually...but they never thought it would be so soon.

Charles noticed the internal debate the parents were having and stroked his moustache. "You should trust your parents." He looked to the three hoglets.

"Then don't keep us in the dark." Olgilvie countered stubbornly.

"We're only trying to protect you." The mother stressed, holding out her hands.

"From what? From who?" Sonia asked, growing a little frustrated from repeating herself.

The parents shared another glance, accompanied with a matching sigh.

"Someone called Robotnik." Jules shifted uncomfortably.

"Ro-whozzit now?" Olgilvie raised a brow, fiddling with his ear.

"Robotnik. He's why we keep moving." Bernadette gripped the hem of her dress. "He's...dangerous. Merciless. Downright evil."

"He's trying to take over the world." Charles added.

"So why do we gotta move?"

"To stay safe. You see...Jules and Charles, years ago they fought against him. Against Robotnik. They won. Robotnik fled and Mobius was at peace."

"Or so we thought...." The father muttered.

"Recently he's...been trying to build up his empire again." The uncle continued. "We move when he gets close. He...captures mobians and...." He swallowed, fearful of accidentally saying too much. "They're forced to work for him."

"That's terrible!" Sonia proclaimed.

"We have to do something." Olgilvie agreed, smacking the side of his fist against his other palm.

"We've been asked to." Jules replied and turned to his wife.

Bernadette sighed prior to revealing the letter she had previously tucked away in her quills. "Your father and Charles have been asked to join the fight. Robotnik's empire is spreading like a virus. He's taken over almost half the planet."

"Scary." Manic commented as he mindlessly fiddled with his small glove.

"Very." Jules hummed. "We've been instructed to move to a place called New Mobotropilis where we'll meet GUN."

"GUN?" The hoglets asked simultaneously.

"The Guardian Units of Nations." Charles explained. "A newly formed military force, built to defend Mobius. To protect us from Robotnik."

"Cool." Olgilvie breathed.

"Perhaps-." Jules started.

"You must accept!" Sonia interrupted, smacking her hands on her father's knee. "You and Uncle Charles! We have to do anything we can to help!"

Bernadette looked to her husband, a proud twinkle in her eyes. She smirked. "No one annoys him more than you do."

The dark blue hedgehog grinned. "It's all part of my charm."

"So you'll accept?" Olgilvie asked, unable to stay still- which was shown by his small jumps.

"It's been a while." Charles looked to his brother who stood, cuddling Sonia.

"Let's take it as a reunion." Jules smirked.

Bernadette brought Manic into her arms with a chuckle before looking over her husbands head, discovering a colossal silhouette peaking through the clouds.

Her pupils shrank. "That reunion may be coming sooner than we thought hun...."

"Huh?" Jules looked to his wife prior to following where her blue eyes were fixated.

"Oh...."

Charles placed a hand on Olgilvie's head, who clung to his leg with a glare glued onto the silhouette. "Looks like we'll have to give him a welcoming present then." He grinned, turning to his brother.

Jules gasped theatrically. "Did you just trash talk?"

The uncle laughed. "You're rubbing off on me."

"I-."

"Boys!" Bernadette huffed. "We need to do something!" She pointed to the massive, dark shape.

Just as the lower part of the machine broke through the clouds, terrible gusts of wind ran across the land below. Causing trees to arch impossibly and dust amongst other things like leaves, flowers and twigs to fly over the area of the planet beneath. Many citizens ran out of their homes to put a name to the sudden disturbance, though all frustration melted away when they discovered the cause.

Such a simple thing like a symbol caused unbelievable amounts of terror. Red painted faces smothered the vast aircraft. Leaving two circles and many rectangles to represent eyes and teeth. Triangles stuck out at the sides to show the moustache that caused so, so much fear.

The aircraft itself held the colour scheme of black, red and gold. Rods covered the borders and top, holes in their sides- lasers and machine guns. A colossal missile stuck to the bottom of the ship and soon lights snapped on, swiping over the ground below.

And then came a maniacal laugh. A deranged cackle. Ringing through the mobians' ears, making many knees buckle and forms tremble. It echoed over the forced silence of Knothole beneath, it's citizens holding onto one another as their nightmares became a harsh, cruel reality.

No one dared to say a word. No one dared to even whisper or whimper. No one could even muster the courage to look away.

Except for one.

Jules glared at the aircraft in the upmost hatred, taking a step forward as a sign of defiance. He refused to cower when the blinding lights swept over him.

And then he declared, "Robotnik!"