"Cindersonic"

Sonic Become A Servant

How indeed to live? Economies had to be taken. Sonic's stepfather dismissed the household. Eggman, Flash and Timber ever misused him. And by and by they considered Sonic less a brother than a servant. And so Sonic was left to do all the work. This was a good thing, for it distracted hum from his grief. At least that was what his stepfather said. And he and his two sons were more than happy to provide Sonic with lots and lots of distraction. In their defense, they did share with his the very food they ate. Or rather the scraps from their table. He had little in the way of friends. Well, his friends were very little.

Sonic: There you are! Have dinner with me, won't you?

But those friends he had, he treated with an open heart and an open hand.

Sonic places a cup upside down on the floor with a napkin to cover it in front of kwamis.

Sonic: A table.

Sometimes, by the end of the day, the drafty attic was too cold to spend the night in, so he lay by the dying embers of the hearth to keep warm.

Sonic lie down in front of the fireplace to sleep.

The next morning Sonic is woken by the sound of the servant bells ringing, he has the ash from fireplace all over his face as he goes to do his morning chores.

Eggman: I thought breakfast was ready.

Sonic: It is, Sir. I'm only mending the fire.

Eggman: Oh, in future can it not be cold until the work is done?

Sonic: As you wish.

Eggman: Sonic, what's that on your face?

Sonic: Sir?

Timber: It's ash from the fireplace.

Eggman: Do clean yourself up.

Timber: You'll get cinders in our tea.

Flash: I've got a new name for him: Cinder Wench!

Timber: He looks so dirty. Oh, Dirty Sonic!

Flash: CinderSonic! That's what we'll call you!

Eggman: Oh, boys. You're too clever.

Sonic sets out the breakfast table and includes a plate for himself.

Eggman: Who's this for? Is there someone we've forgotten?

Sonic: It's my place.

Eggman: Oh, it seems too much to expect to prepare breakfast, serve it and still sit with us. Wouldn't you prefer to eat when all the work is done, Sonic? Or should I say, CinderSonic? Hm?

Sonic looking visibly upset takes his plate and leaves as Eggman laughs with cruelty.

Sonic is carrying his breakfast plate. He enters the kitchen accidentally breaks the plate and begins to cry, he then sees his reflection in the kettle.

CinderSonic. Names have power, like magic spells. And of a sudden it seemed to him that his stepfather and stepbrothers had indeed transformed him into merely a creature of ash and toil.