ARAAT4: Origins

~~~

A Rose And A Thorn 4: Origins

Co-Written by Harley Quinn hyenaholic and Froggy22651

~~~

Harley: Well, it looks like people like it when characters stand around naked…

Froggy: And when loud explosions turn hedgehogs blue. Well, this is a rather nasty chapter coming up. The decision to put N/C (for rape) into the summary was a difficult one, and soon you will see why.

Harley: An animated movie, eh? That would be lovely, except that who's going to make it when there's no way they'll ever get paid for it? As for all your comments about Sonic and Knuckles… they will be answered. Later. We’ve got work to do!

~~~

Chapter Seven: Second Coming

Slowly, a pair of grey eyes opened in the darkness of the small cell. Midnight awakened from a dream about cuddling something soft and fuzzy to a reality that was pretty much the same. Yawning quietly, he breathed in Mirage's now familiar scent, the hedgecat lying beside him on the floor. His arms were wrapped around the feline's belly, his chest against her back. Propping himself up on one elbow, he looked down at her face, remembering the events of the night before, and reached down to gently stroke her cheek, softly so as to not wake her. A deep feeling of warmth spread through his chest as he did so, a feeling that was quickly becoming common around her.

He was fond of her... no, not just fond. He was falling for her; that much was clear, and he didn't know what that meant for their future. He wanted to stay with her, to be close to her. Gazing at her attractive features, the urge to take her as his mate rose up again... but no, she had rejected that out of fear. Ashura, the scientists, GUN, the endless void of space, Espio, whoever the hell he was... they all seemed to be conspiring against them.

Mirage shifted against him slightly, her tail twitching slightly. When she was awake she had a look of fierce determination, and it was as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, but when she was asleep she looked much more childlike, almost innocent. She yawned like a tired kitten and snuggled up to Midnight.

Midnight couldn't help but smile, hugging the sleeping feline close to him. It seemed that only in her dreams did Mirage find peace. When she was awake, there was always something bothering her, a fear coming from one place or another. He wish he could take that fear away, make it so that she could be this peaceful in the waking world as well. Almost without thinking, he leant over and kissed her on the back of her neck, listening to her soft purrs.

Time passed, and Mirage awoke, breaking the dreamlike state they lay together in. She blinked slowly, the feel of Midnight half on top of her not nearly as worrying as she had expected it to be. After a few seconds, she began to stroke his fur softly.

Midnight's smiled widened, feeling the hedgecat stir beside him. The echidna tilted his head down and nuzzled Mirage’s cheek, "Good morning," he whispered.

"Hmmm... good morning..." Mirage frowned, and the moment of innocence was gone, "I bet we will get into trouble for last night," she sighed, her breath warm against his fur. She nuzzled his chest, her eyes closing again.

"Probably,” Midnight admitted. After a moment of snuggling with his feline companion, he added, "Let them be angry. Let them complain. It’ll make no difference, and what we have is worth a few tongue-lashings."

Mirage blushed and kissed his cheek, "I..." she stopped. No, she wouldn't say it. That way he wouldn't get hurt, "Yes..."

Smiling, Midnight gave her a quick kiss on the lips and told her, "Don't worry. It'll be alright. They can't separate us if we don't let them."

"I think you are forgetting who they are," Mirage's face fell again, "They own us."

"They thought of us. They created us,” Midnight admitted, "But they don't own us. They may think they do, but we are free-thinking creatures now, not machines." He ran his fingers comfortingly through her furry quills, "Their arrogance will be their downfall."

Mirage nodded, lying against Midnight calmly, "That is what I am afraid of..." she said softly.

They lay there for some time, comfortable in each other's arms, each lost in their own thoughts about the future. Eventually, they had to return to the present, and so Midnight did, sitting up, still holding Mirage and stroking her fur, "We've got a new day ahead of us, and more training for you,” he told her.

Mirage smirked, "You are getting better too, you know?" she said quietly, "Stronger. Smarter."

"Of course I am,” he replied with a confident grin, "Before, I never had any worthy competition. You changed that."

Mirage kissed him gently, then stood up. She looked down at herself and flushed - she'd been sleeping naked. Then again, she usually did.

Midnight swiftly put on his fingerless gloves and boots, ready to walk out into a new day. As he prepared, he thought about how he was going to test the feline, and what they could spend the rest of their day doing.

Mirage tugged on her own trainers, and her vest, and brushed her quills a few times with her claws to get the tangles out. She turned to Midnight, "Ready!" she smiled.

Smiling back, he led the way out of the room, down the corridors of the ARK, and towards the usual training room they used for their workouts. Stepping out onto the mat and stretching out, the echidna asked, "So how do you want to do this today, Mirage? Unarmed? Your choice of weapons?"

Mirage stretched a couple of times, "Let us take this more seriously," she said, wandering over to the weapons rack. She sneered at the wooden staff, and picked up a couple of wooden fighting daggers, taking one in each hand, "First strike wins?" she asked the echidna, throwing him a pair.

"First strike wins,” he agreed with a nod, snatching the daggers out of the air. Shifting into his chosen stance, he held one blade forward defensively and the other held back, ready to strike like a scorpion's tail. Slowly and steadily, the echidna walked towards the hedgecat, his eyes focused on her. Closing the distance between them, he entered within striking range, but held his ground and waited. For once, he decided that he would be the one to wait and defend, forcing her to attack.

Mirage stood quietly with the daggers pointing backwards. The two combatants began circling each other. Mirage's expression had already frozen into the cold, calculating stare of a trained weapon.

Slowly and deliberately, Midnight changed the way he held the knives, shifting into a reverse-grip on them. Still, he made no move to attack her, occasionally stepping closer and swinging a knife in front of her face, goading her to attack.

Mirage dropped the knife in her left hand and caught his wrist, twisting it hard so that he had to drop his knife; either that or lose all feeling in his right hand. She then spun around, still holding his wrist, and he collided heavily with the wall. She took the opportunity to slash at his chest with her dagger.

Midnight dodged to the side, avoiding the slash from her dagger... barely. Dragging the feline with him, he returned the gesture, throwing her against the wall and aiming a slash at her torso. His body was working on autopilot as his mind was still recovering from the shock. She really was getting better. Faster, smoother, more controlled and planned-out. She almost won the fight in a matter of seconds. He would have to be more careful.

Mirage blocked it with the knife in her right hand, and backflipped away from him, catching him a kick in the jaw as she did so. She snatched up the knife she had dropped and kicked his into a corner. Now she had two knives and he only had one.

Midnight stepped backwards, rubbing his aching jaw, staring wide-eyed as Mirage gracefully manoeuvred herself into her advantageous position, "Holy shit..." the dark echidna breathed, "What got into you this morning?"

"I am getting better, that is all," Mirage replied, "I always take training seriously. Have not you noticed already?"

"Oh yes..." he said quietly. Then he realised he was staring, and he shook his head, "I must be losing my touch. Well... enough fooling around." Smirking at the feline, Midnight charged at her, and as he neared striking range, he did something unexpected; he threw his remaining knife at her.

Mirage's eyes widened, and she sank to her knees, leaning back until she was almost flat on the floor. The knife passed over her head and hit the wall, clattering to the floor. She started to get to her feet again, but it was too late; Midnight was upon her.

Midnight pounced on top of the feline, and both of them rolled across the mat, fighting for control of the knives in Mirage's hands. However, she had one important advantage over Midnight that was going to be hard to get around; she already had possession of the weapons.

Midnight was once again keeping her down with his weight, but her grip on the knives tightened, and curled up her legs beneath him, kicking him repeatedly in the stomach.

Midnight tightened his stomach muscles, taking the repeated blows, trying to push through them and overpower her as he usually did, but the continuous kicks knocked the wind out of him, dizzying him, making him lose strength... The echidna gasped and looked down to see the tip of one of her wooden knifes poking him in the stomach. Glancing up into her eyes, silent for a long second, he uttered three words, "You beat me."

"Finally..." Mirage gasped, and her head fell back as she gasped for air, her heart pounding. She chewed on her lip, "I... hope you are learning something from this training too..."

Midnight was quietly staring down at her face, the knowledge of his defeat sinking in. No one had ever beaten him in a fight. Finally, he responded, "You have no idea..." Then he leaned in and caught her lips in a kiss.

This time, Mirage’s reaction was not one of shock or fear. She dropped the wooden knives to the floor and returned the kiss, savouring the feel of his lips against hers. Despite winning the fight, she was still firmly pinned to the floor - and she didn’t care. Her chest was already vibrating slightly with her purrs.

Midnight pulled himself fully on top of Mirage, his arms wrapping tightly around her, his lips moving over hers hungrily, passionately. All he could feel was her body, their sweat-soaked fur coming together, and the hammering of his heart against his ribs. In that moment, he didn't give a damn if the entire population of the ARK was watching.

Mirage moaned softly with pleasure, her hands running up and down Midnight's strong, well-muscled body. She could feel their kisses becoming more heated and frantic, and all she wanted right now was for them to both be as close and intimate as possible. Her lips parted, allowing his tongue into her mouth.

Taking the invitation, he slid his tongue in, rubbing it against her own, enjoying the exotic feel of its sandpaper-like surface. Their scents mixed and mingled, thick in the hot air around their bodies, and Midnight slid his fingers up Mirage's spine and through her fur as he groaned into the kiss, his legs and hips rubbing against her.

Mirage writhed beneath him, only increasing the feeling of friction between them. Her fingers trailed through his dreads and she breathed in his musky echidna scent - the scent of arousal.

The friction increased as a familiar, hard length squeezed in-between them, caught between their rubbing bodies. The echidna pressed his muzzle against the hedgecat's throat, breathing in her scent deeply and kissing the fragile flesh, "Mirage..." he rumbled quietly.

"Mmm... yes..." Mirage murmured, squirming, "Midnight..." She leant her head back, her hands squeezing his sides gently. The heat between them increased and a shudder of pleasure ran through her body.

Midnight’s kisses trailed lower down her body, his lips trailing from her throat to her breasts which he kissed and suckled like before, remembering how she had enjoyed it in the showers. His hands left her back and travelled down her sides, his fingers slipping through the fur on her belly and toying with it playfully.

Mirage whimpered softly, a soft mewl of pleasure arising from her throat. She wriggled her body down until she could press her lips against his again, her fingers rubbing against his belly firmly, her tongue stroking the inside of his cheek.

Midnight hummed softly into the kiss, his own tongue exploring her mouth as his hands feverishly roamed her body. Pressing down onto her, his hard shaft rubbed between her legs, feeling a dampness that wasn't sweat. Opening his eyes and ending the kiss slowly, sucking on her tongue as he pulled away, he gazed deeply into her crimson eyes, his hips pressing needfully against hers.

Mirage moaned aloud as the tip of his cock touched her entrance briefly. Her grip on his body tightened, sweat trickling between them. She was far too high on his scent to protest, and his weight on her made her feel not trapped, but protected. Her lips moved against his again as she purred frantically.

His lips moved with hers, tasting her, trying to draw himself to her as close as possible. Inevitably, the tip of his cock penetrated her, the head sliding into her opening. Instinctively, the echidna bucked his hips, driving the hard organ into her, moaning loudly into the kiss, his hands gripping her fur frantically.

Mirage cried out in pain suddenly. How could she have forgotten? Her eyes had healed after the little exploit with Ashura, and so had her hymen. She was about to lose her virginity. Again, "SHIT!" she cursed loudly, her claws digging into Midnight’s back.

Midnight's mind was swarmed with conflicting emotions and feelings: Pain, her claws digging into his back. Pleasure, his member inside her tight passage. Pity, realising the pain he had just inflicted on his new mate. Satisfaction, he had taken her as his own. Lust, for her body, and for the power he could have by taking her entirely. Love. Oh yes, he did feel love. He loved her, "Oh gods..." he moaned softly, holding himself still within her, his body trembling slightly.

Mirage moaned softly as her claws remained in Midnight's back, her body twitching with pain. Her eyes started to fill with tears, and she squeezed them shut to keep from crying. A number of emotions were filling her too. Not just the pain, even though there was pain. Or the blood, though there was blood too. Not just the feeling that her ass had just been ripped open, even though that was there too. There was also a certain amount of disappointment that it had happened this way, so spontaneously, on a sweat-stained mat after a training match. Oh, it was what she'd wanted, deep down, but you always forgot just how much your first time really hurt... She spread her legs as wide as they would go, not so that Midnight could enter her more easily, but in hope that some of the pain would be relieved a little.

Panting softly, Midnight gazed down into her eyes, seeing the pain in them, the surprise, the relief, and the disappointment as well. It wasn't like how either of them had imagined. Fighting his urges a little longer, Midnight reached over... And pounded his cock harder into the scantily clad female, not even bothering to remove what barely could be considered to be her clothing. The whore moaned and screamed expertly as he fucked her hard against the wall, grunting and growling like a wild animal as a couple of other echidna females sat around waiting...

Midnight gasped as his mind returned to the present, looking down at his feline mate. He didn't know how long he had been out, but things had changed since the flashback had begun. He was moving inside of Mirage now, thrusting... pounding would be a better description. Even as he realized what was happening, his body was moving of its own accord, slamming into her with all of the gentleness of a weapon being driven into an enemy's flesh, the echidna grunting and growling loudly over her. Just like in the vision. This wasn't making love, and this wasn't showing respect. This was fucking.

Beneath him, Mirage was screaming in fear, and pain, and shock as his body moved without consulting his mind, screaming for him to stop, but he couldn’t. As his eyes met hers for one crucial moment, he knew he'd betrayed her. Then her right hook connected with his face heavily.

The impact knocked the sense back into Midnight's rebellious body and made the situation lose its disconnected unreality. The echidna kicked off the floor, practically hurling himself away from her and onto the mat, staring up at the ceiling, panting heavily and in shock. He had betrayed her. Was it even him? Did it even matter? Moaning in self-hatred, he reached up and rubbed his face roughly. Anger and disgust and sorrow built up within him as he grabbed two handfuls of fur on his head, and the negative feelings exploded outward as he tried to pull it right out of his head, "Nooooo..." he moaned softly, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry...."

No you are not... not yet... At least, that was what Mirage fully intended to say, and she'd meant to follow it up with the beating of a lifetime... but she couldn't. Instead, she curled up, whimpering with pain, a massive wave of relief washing over her, relief that it was over. No... no, it is not over, the more grown-up part of her mind corrected her, It has only just begun... "Why... did you do that?" she managed to ask Midnight. She sounded almost ready to burst into tears.

He couldn't look at her. He hated himself, felt dirty all over. If it were possible, he would have torn himself to pieces trying to climb out of his body, "I'm... I'm a bad man,” he finally spoke quietly, his voice wavering like a child’s, "I'm disgusting. I'm evil. ...I love you, Mirage. I love you, and that's why I don't want you to love me." Curling up into a ball, as well, his back to her, he added, "It was another vision. A memory."

I love you. Those three nasty little words had made a living hell out of Mirage's life. She realised to her dismay that she wanted to tell him the same thing, "What do you mean, you do not want me to love you?" she asked him shakily, trying to take her mind off the burning agony between her legs and the knowledge of what had come a shadow’s width away from happening.

"You'll get hurt,” he told her softly, "You'll get hurt, and I'd never forgive myself if that happened. I can't let it happen. I can't let him hurt you!"

"Apart from the fact that I think I have nearly been raped," Mirage regretted the words as soon as she spoke them, "Who is 'him'?"

Rape. The word made him curl up tighter, made bile rise in his throat, made him want to find a real blade to thrust into his heart or a good airlock to step out of, "Him... he... he's me. He was me. Me from another life. I was him in the vision..." He didn't want to tell her. He didn't want her to know who he was, what he'd done. He didn't want her to know! But again, his mouth and his brain seemed disconnected, working against each other, "I was in a tent or something," he said, his voice strained, "It was lit by candles. There were soft furnishings everywhere. And the women... it was a harem, and they were all calling me their master. I was... I was... fucking one of them up against the wall, just like I wanted to do to you in the showers last night! And I... she... she was moaning something over and over... gods... it was..." He shook his head, jostling the memory about inside, remembering the sound the harem girl had been screaming, "Quilla!" he said, "Quilla, Quilla... that's my name! I'm Quilla..." He looked down at himself, seeing the blood that had oozed out from her. He reached down, ran his fingers through the bloodied fur, and brought his hands up to his face, pulling on his dreads, smearing the red fluid on his face... And he batted away his foe's sword. Grinning at the soldier from the enemy hedgehog nation, he drove his spear deep into the man's gut, driving him towards the ground and revelling in his moans of pain, the gushing blood. Pulling the spear up, giving a whoop of victory, he drove the blunt end of it down on the hedgehog's head, splitting it open... He blinked again, "Oh gods, oh gods..."

Mirage's normally tan face had turned a paler colour. She didn't have the right to judge or condemn, she reminded herself. She was hardly the right person to preach moral values, "Oh, you are not like that, you are not, really," she insisted. How do you know? her mind asked her, How is it impossible for him to be a bad person just be cause you do not want him to be? She answered her own question, "You are so much of a better person than I am," she said desperately.

Midnight couldn't face her, staring at the ground, at the blood and sweat, at those damned memories of the man he was, long ago in another life. A choked cry of surprise came from his left, and he turned to see... the hedgehog child, only about ten years old, the prince of his kingdom, heir to the throne. The smell of smoke and blood filled the air along with the screams of the dying as his people sacked the city. Another glorious triumph for the Echidna Empire! His uncle would be pleased. There were only a few loose ends to tie up. Picking up his weapon, he stomped towards the child, raising his weapon...

And Sonic could only stand there, paralysed with shock as Midnight stood up, the wooden blade in his hand. His hands were coated in blood, his face, and it dripped from his dreadlocks. Mirage was sitting on the ground, bleeding and tired and shocked... The dark echidna had murder in his eyes as he stomped across the mat towards him.

"Midnight, no!" Mirage cried out. Standing up was incredibly painful, and she realised to her shame that her legs were not going to have anything to do with a mad dash to stop him. The pain was just an excuse; she was scared of him right now.

Stopping a few feet away from the hedgehog, Midnight pointed the weapon in his face, "What are you doing here?! This isn't a place for children! You could get hurt here! Get out! GO!" Sonic zipped out of the room as a blue blur, and Midnight sighed deeply, sagging and dropping the weapon. He turned and looked down at her, looking far older and far more tired than he should.

"You are not a bad person..." Mirage curled up, clutching her lower torso, which was very painful, "You are not..."

"...Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm not bad,” Midnight sighed. He walked towards her slowly. "But Quilla is,” he added, poking a finger against his chest, the lighter blue ring around his neck, "And he's somewhere inside here, trying to get out."

"I think we all have a monster we want to keep locked up inside..." Mirage tried to stand, but it seemed slightly pointless and rather painful, so she stayed put. She remembered the satisfaction she'd gained from killing people. Sure it had been necessary… but it hadn’t been necessary to enjoy it, "Some of us are better at it than others."

The echidna knelt down beside her, placing a hand on her shoulders, "I can't let this one get free. I won't let him get free. Quilla is long dead, and I'm going to make sure he stays that way."

Mirage nodded, and dredged up the bravery to nuzzle Midnight's cheek, "I know you can do it," she said softly. But then her tone changed, "But you cannot tell me to not love you. I cannot take that order." Shit, I used the 'l' word, she thought.

He returned the nuzzle, feeling her tear-dampened cheek against his, and he whispered, "I know. And we can do this, Mirage. Together. We both have ugly pasts, I know, but we can bury them and move on together."

"No, I cannot bury mine," Mirage told him, "If I forget the past, I will not be able to change the future...”

"When we're done, that world will not even exist,” he assured her, "We can change it, make it better."

Mirage kissed Midnight gently, then pulled away, "Whatever happens, you are not this 'Quilla' person," she said quietly, "I want you to know I know that."

His eyes travelled over to the spot where he and Mirage had been just a moment before, where her virginity had been taken away so suddenly, and then he looked down at the ground, trying very, very hard to forget the memory of the harem. He silently nodded 'yes', "I... I think we should get cleaned up now. ...How about we go to the gardens? We can take our breakfast there, have a picnic... It'll be relaxing, no conflict. Help us get our minds off of this."

"That would be really... nice," Mirage agreed. She looked down at herself. She was a horrible mess. Her face fell, "I shall go and have a shower."

"Yeah, me too,” he said quietly. Turning, he head towards the showers, stepping inside and moving to the far end of the room where he picked a spot for himself. He wasn't going to have one with her this time. Turning on the water, he leaned against the wall and watched as the blood and pre-cum and sweat was washed out of his fur and trickled down the drain.

Mirage stood under the water, turning it on so hot that it almost scalded her. The shock of the whole incident made her feel... almost dirty. The fact that they had almost had sex on a training mat certainly did. The way Midnight had so suddenly turned into a testosterone-driven animal scared her. She started to scrub herself furiously, wanting to get the thoughts out of her head and out of her body too.

Leaning against the wall, all Midnight could think about was his memory of the harem, of the feelings he had of... lust, unrestrained. Of the feeling of invincibility he had, the dominance, the arrogance! He felt no need to ask for anything, entitled to take whatever he wanted. Just like you took Mirage, wasn't it? The thought was like a dagger that thrust deep through his skull all the way to his heart. He had treated Mirage the same way in that very room. He hadn't been thinking of her when he gave into his lust, just himself. The echidna felt like he was going to be sick. Then he was sick, vomiting on the shower floor noisily.

Mirage turned quickly at the sound. Seeing Midnight on his knees, throwing up what little food he had in his stomach, she hurried over to him as fast as she could without slipping, and knelt beside him, "Midnight!" she cried out, her hand on his shoulder, "Midnight, what is wrong?"

"I never asked if you wanted it,” he whispered, baulked, and was sick again, "I just took what I wanted... Just like him... practically raped you…"

Mirage had noticed that too, but decided it probably wasn't the best idea to mention it, "Just get away from the vomit," she pulled him away from it gently, "And you are not like him," she told Midnight. They both knew that she had no idea whether this was true or not, but she said it anyway, wanting to make him feel better.

Midnight let himself be led away, walking over to another shower. Looking into her eyes and giving her a weak smile, he said, "Thankyou."

"I love you," Mirage told him, and cursed mentally, "So I am obliged to say that in a way. But that does not change the fact that... you and Quilla are not the same person. Not any more."

No. Not anymore. Quilla and Midnight were different people. They had to be. Picking up a bar of soap, the echidna quickly washed his fur off and then dried off with a towel. He still felt dirty, though.

Mirage wrapped a towel around herself, holding Midnight's cheek and looking into his face, "All you have to do is ask," she told him softly, and blushed.

Giving her another soft smile, he replied, "And next time, I will." Leaning in, he nuzzled her cheek affectionately.

Mirage hugged him tightly, a vast amount of relief washing over her. Midnight actually felt it, and the realisation that she'd always wanted him to ask, that he'd known how screwed up her head was but still hadn't bothered because he'd just assumed it was fine with her, and that she had been scared every time, came with it.

Midnight gasped in surprise and confusion, his mind reeling from the thoughts that had passed through it, "What was that?" he asked quietly, hugging back, guilt washing over him as her feelings of fear were still fresh in his mind.

"Was what?" Mirage blinked, "Oh, yeah, there is that also..."

"What?" Midnight asked her.

"Well… sometimes, when I am not really with it, or I am with people who I have grown close to... my thoughts get transmitted into their head,” Mirage explained, “I do not know why it happens... it is not useful, it only means other people know what I am feeling. It is like a kind of super-empathy."

At that moment, all Midnight wanted was to just shut his mind down. It was a jumbled mess of thoughts, all screaming for attention, and the noise was driving him mad. Slowly ending the hug, he picked up his clothing and put it on. The gardens... the gardens would make him feel better...

Mirage sighed. You couldn't lie to yourself. The only difference between her brain voice and other people's was that sometimes other people could hear it too.

~~~

Harley: Well, how was that? Midnight ain’t so nice as he likes to be, deary me…

Froggy: Read and review, dear readers and reviewers! If you read and don’t review, we shall want a review to explain why!