The Hedgehog's Song

Chapter Twenty-Three

Sonic and Ryn swam as fast as they could through the dark ocean, making their way to the clearing where their colony mostly inhabits. When they got there, they smiled at the sight of their people taking in the season's tradition. All around, males were glowing, trying to lure at least one female towards them. The females were being picky, looking up and down at every male, and those that had mates went to the far side to do their deed. Of course, the merhogs went with other merhogs, and the mermaids went with the mermen. There was no cross breeding in their colony.

There were no babies yet, but that was to be expected at the start of the season. It will be a few weeks until the mark of pregnancy formed in the bellies of the females.

Sonic smirked and looked over at Ryn. "Ok. You stay here and wait for my signal. I want your return to be a surprise."

"Ooh, I like it." Ryn giggled and stayed hidden behind the rock.

Sonic nodded and swam out from their hiding place, swimming towards the colony. He was nearly halfway there when suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, he was surrounded by Siren Warriors. Merhogs and mermen swarmed him, pointing their spears at him in all directions. Sonic remained completely still, suddenly fearful of his life.

"What is the meaning of this?" He timidly signed.

A hiss came from behind one of the mermen. He backed away to let them through, revealing the mermaid hisser to be the Alpha, Tia. She glared at the blue merhog, signing to him angrily.

"What are you doing here?! I banished you from the colony!"

"You banished me because I wanted to go and save Ryn." Sonic frowned. "Is it so wrong that I was worried for the wellbeing of one of my own kind?"

"Yes, because we all know that Ryn is dead! When a Siren is caught in a net, if they do not defend themselves and come back a few minutes after the kill, then they are never coming back!"

"You think so little of me. Do you not think that I could not save her?"

"The last I remember, you said that you were not coming back until you have Ryn with you. I do not see the merhog, so I can only assume that you failed, and now you are here to admit your defeat."

Sonic gave his Alpha a shit-eating grin. "Ah, but you see my dear Alpha... that is where you are wrong." He then looked back and gave a merhog squeak, signalling to Ryn that she can come out now.

At the squeak, the purple merhog immediately came out of hiding from behind the rock and swam over to them, a bright, beaming grin on her face. Tia looked on in shocked, as well as many of the other Sirens that Ryn's appearance caught the attention of. The spears were lowered down away from Sonic, the Warriors unable to believe what they were seeing. Ryn swam up beside Sonic and snuggled up to him, smiling at Tia. "Hello, Alpha."

Tia was at a loss for words. Ryn was actually back, rescued by the famous Sonic the merhog. She didn't think that he could actually do it on his own. She frowned and growled upon this realization. There was no way he did do it on his own.

"At what cost?" She hissed.

"Nothing." Sonic answered. "Completely free of charge."

"You expect me to believe that you did all of this on your own? You had help, you must've."

"... Well I... may have had a little help from my friends."

"Ah! Land dwellers! I knew it!"

Sonic hissed at the attitude of his Alpha. This was not how he expected this to go at all. "Those land dwellers are my friends! They helped me rescue Ryn!"

"Ah yes. That's how it always starts." Tia hissed. "They act like your friends. They act like you can trust them. And then, before you know it, they're stabbing you in the back! Surface dwellers cannot be trusted!"

"These surface dwellers can!" Ryn screeched. "They risked their lives to save Sonic and I... unlike you."

"Are you challenging me, pup?" The Alpha towered over her.

"You left me to die. You didn't even try to help me when I was caught in the net."

"It was your own fault that you got caught to begin with. Why should I help a merhog who can't even help herself to pay attention to her surroundings?!"

"Would you say that for the entire colony?!" Sonic challenged.

"Of course I would! In this sea, it is the survival of the fittest. If you cannot survive on your own, then you do not deserve to survive at all! True Sirens don't need the help of their colony!"

Sonic growled and swam up to her without fear, getting right in the Alpha's face. "Then maybe it's time for a change!"

Tia hissed. "Are you challenging me, boy? Because if you are, I could have the Warriors kill you right now. A male can never challenge a female, especially the Alpha. Are you going to go back on your Siren traditions?"

"... No, Alpha. I'm not stupid. I know a male cannot challenge the Alpha. Females have always been the Alpha because they are smarter and are natural born leaders. They also have something a male doesn't, a voice."

"If you're smart enough to know that then I suggest you stand down, before I actually do set the Warriors on you."

"He may not be able to challenge you, but I can!" Ryn hissed, pushing Sonic back as she swam up to the mermaid. "Tia, I challenge you for the role of Alpha!"

Tia growled at the purple merhog, but then she smiled, a grin made of razor sharp teeth within her beautiful face. "Very well then. As tradition, we will meet here in the clearing at sunrise. We will battle to the death. Whoever is still alive will be Alpha. Good luck, little merhog. You're gonna need it."

With that, the Alpha turned away from the two merhogs and swam away, the Warriors following after her. When she was gone, Sonic swam up to Ryn.

"Why did you do that?" He asked her. "You know she is much bigger and stronger than you. A merhog has never been an Alpha before due to that same reason."

"Because you're right. It's time for a change and that'll never happen as long as Tia is in charge." She looked to her best friend. "Don't worry. I can do this. Have faith in me, my friend."

Sonic sighed and nodded. "I... I have faith in you, Ryn. You are one of the strongest merhogs I have ever met. I know you can beat her."

Ryn smiled and nuzzled him. "Still, it doesn't hurt for a male to wish his female some good luck."

Sonic smirked with a light blush as he held her hands. "And I think I know just how to do so. No more waiting."

His chest and neck barely started to glow before Ryn suddenly charged him, biting his shoulder and hitting her tail against him roughly.

The mating ritual between the two merhogs had finally started.