Duel in the Desert: Pt 1

Love is a Many Splended Thing

The desert winds tore over the walled city as several of the fighter planes came back in for a landing. As the Sky Patrol landed just outside the city walls, the sheikh and his royal entourage came out to greet them.

"Welcome, oh most honorable and worthy friends from the royal capital." Sheikh Ifyoucan exclaimed bowing low before the new arrivals. "If it were not for you and your heroic actions, the tide of battle would have never been turned in our favor."

"Hey, glad to help out your sheikhiness." Knuckles exclaimed burrowing his way up from the sands. "We were happy to take care of those no-good-niks for ya."

"Oh brother, I can't take this cheesiness." Uncle Chuck grumbled, walking back up the Sky Patrol's ramp. "If any of you need me, I'll be checking the ship's systems."

"We're really excited to be here, your highness." Sonic noted, giving the sheikh a salute. "There is no way we'd let those battle bird buttheads hurt any of your subjects."

"We're happy to help out but it really seemed like your own air force had the situation under control." Amy said.

"Why thank you, young lady." A slightly greying raccoon with a slight round belly exclaimed walking up in his fighter jacket and goggles proudly. "My boys and I do try our best to keep our desert home safe."

"Wow, y'all are the famous Captain Rescue, ain't ya." Bunny said star-struck. "I read all about you when I was a little bunny in the warren."

"Why thank you, my dear." He said with a smile pulling his pen out. "Would you like an autograph?"

"Write to Bunny the sweetest flower in the Southern Baronies." She giggled pulling her left pant leg up and sticking her metal leg out.

"Oh brother, Bunny sure is acting goofy." Tails said, rolling his eyes. "You'll never see me acting goofy over a gross girl like that. I don't need a case of the cooties."

"Hey boys, how is everything doing out here?" a yellow mobian with a lithe and shapely figure strode up. "Don't tell me you all started a party and didn't invite little old Mina, did you?" Tails stared at the young mobian mongoose; his eyes going as wide as saucers.

"Uh, duh duh duh duh." Tails responded. Hearts practically appearing above his head, and drool coming out of his mouth. His tails started spinning faster and faster. Then, he zoomed upward crashing into the ceiling and getting his head stuck.

"Oh my, it seems like out little two-tailed fox has developed his first crush." Amy added, slyly, stifling a laugh with her hand.

"Oh wow, you must be the famous Sonic the Hedgehog." Mina exclaimed staring at the blue blur starstruck. "Would you like me to show you around the city?"

"Sure." Sonic replied taking her offered arm. "You guys, have any chili dogs stands around here?"

"But why… how could… ERRRGGG!" Amy exclaimed suddenly switching to from laughing to kill mode in five seconds. "HEY, WAIT A MINUTE! YOU TWO GET BACK HERE!" The pink hedgehog pursued them with her hammer out.

"In the meantime, I would like to speak with you on some very important matters, friend Knuckles." The sheikh said bowing to the echidna. "Members of the echidna tribes are renowned for their wisdom and deep philosophy. I would be most honored to partake of your deep well of knowledge and use it to improve the lives of my people." Knuckles just gave back a blank stare, not knowing how to react.

As the ruler of the Sand Ocean Zone dragged the unwitting echidna doofus off to his royal throne room, Bunny stepped over to Captain Rescue.

"Say Sugar, would y'all like to go grab a bite to eat?" She asked.

"Why thank you, my dear lady." The raccoon pilot replied. "But I need to go back to the hanger to work on Old Betsy." As the raccoon wandered off, Bunny turned back to face the small two-tailed fox.

"Tails, I want to… Tails?" She said.

"I'm up here." Tails replied.

"Get your hind quarters back down here, boy." She continued as Tails fell to the ground. "Listen, y'all wanna catch the eye of that pretty little mongoose, don't y'all?"

"Uh huh. She's pretty. Derhurhur." Tails answered.

"Then, Y'all gotta teach me how to act all mechanic-like." Bunny yelled shaking the young fox by his shoulders. "That goofy raccoon seems more interested in his plane than he is in me."

"Okay," Tails answered back to normal. "Then, you can tell me how to get Mina to notice me."

"Wow, this is a pretty amazing town you got here." Sonic noticed looking around at the various minarets and mosques. "Feels kinda like a battle bird city but nicer."

"Oh, you're just gonna love the chili dog and coffeehouse." Mina laughed, waving at the pink hedgehog behind her. "Let's go sit at the private booth for two."

"THAT DOES IT!" Amy grumbled to herself, her eyes nearly ready to pop out in anger. "I'm not going to let that mongoose hussy take my Sonic." Running into the coffee shop, Amy gave the waitress a 100 mobium bill and put on her uniform and veil. Picking up a tray and walking over to the table with Mina and Sonic, the pink hedgehog batted her big blue eyes and smiled.

"Hello, you cute cute little couple you." She said with a smile. "Would you care for some hot tea before your meal?"

"Nah, I prefer root beer." Sonic replied.

"Actually, I love a hot tea." Mina answered.

"Excellent, very good choice mam." Amy responded, the veil hiding her scowl. "Would you like some sugar, one lump or two?"

"Two please." Mina replied. BONG. BONG. Mina and Sonic weren't exactly sure what had happened but they could have sworn the waitress had slammed Mina over the head with the bronze serving tray twice.

"Geeez, Mina. You're all right?" Sonic asked helping her back up into her seat in the booth. "You got a really big lump on your forehead."

"Oh don't worry about it." Mina replied with a fake smile. "Just a little jealous pain-in-the-butt that likes to bother me now and then."

"Oh, well. I hope it doesn't bother you anymore." Sonic replied. "So Mina, have you always lived out here in the desert?"

"Yeah, my dad moved here just before Robotnik's takeover." The mongoose replied. "I started my career in music, but when the new fight against the battle birds came up I felt I just had to volunteer."

"Wow, you sound really brave." Sonic noted taking a sip of his root beer. "Your dad must be really proud of you." At that Mina looked down at the floor.

"My dad was robotisized about four years back. And about a year ago, after Dr. Robotnik was defeated, we never found him among the victims."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Mina. I had no idea." Sonic replied, sympathetically. "I'm sure if he could see you now, your old man would be proud of you." At that moment, the waitress came back and put two chili dogs down on the table. Both Sonic and Mina failed to notice the small coiled wire going out of Mina's chili dog.

"Thanks, Sonic. You're a real sweetheart." Mina said with a smile.

"Here's your chili dogs." The waitress grinned bowing to the pair sitting in the booth. "I'm sure you'll get a really spicy bang out of this."

"C'mon Sonic, let's eat them while their hot." Mina told him picking up the chili dog. At the exact instant she picked up the chili dog, the waitress flipped a switch on a small box connected to the wire. BOOM!

The next thing Mina knew, she was sitting there holding a remains of a burnt hot dog bun and her face covered in smeared chili.

"Wow that must have been a really spicy chili dog." Sonic added; his eyes going wide.

"I'll kill that little pink puffball." Mina screamed as the waitress headed out the back door.

"I'll have to thank Knuckles for lending me one of his exploding gag chili dogs." Amy thought to herself. "That'll teach that little songstress to keep her muzzle to herself."

Inside the hanger bay, Bunny walked up to wear Captain Rescue was working on his plane. Hearing the sound of approaching rabbit feet, the raccoon looked up to see Bunny dressed in a skin-tight mechanics jumpsuit.

"Y'all look like you can use a little help there, suga." Bunny exclaimed walking over and looking into the engine. "Mind if I give you a lil' old hand?"

"Why uh, no mam." The surprised raccoon replied. "I didn't know you had any mechanical skills."

"A girl's gotta learn somethin' to survive in the Knothole Freedom Fighters." Bunny replied reaching under the plane. "Hmm, it looks like your whosa-whatzit is connected to your gadget thingamabob all wrong; here let me see if I can fix it for you."

"Wow, I haven't met a woman who could work on planes since my wife passed away." The raccoon replied looking off into space as he spoke. "I've loved the sound of a big screaming engine ever since I was a little kid. I learned how to fly at an early age and have been a pilot in the West Side Air Force for decades."

"Wow, that must have been a lonely life for y'all." Bunny replied; her face still buried in the engine.

"Well, it was kind of lonely but I have my daughters, Roxie and Marine there too. So, whenever I missed by beloved wife, I could just look at them and remember a part of her will always be there."

"Ah, that's so sweet, suga. I…" Bunny answered; then the plane suddenly splurted out a big nasty squirt of oil right in Bunny's face. "Oh, that's just lovely."

"Oh my… it seems that Old Betsy doesn't like you." Captain Rescue said with a laugh. "Better go grab a towel and hit the shower."

"I can't believe this. I've heard of a jealous girlfriend but a jealous plane?" Bunny muttered to herself as she stormed out of the hanger. "I'm gonna have to get his attention when he's not working on that big sludge monster."

As she walked out of the hanger, Bunny looked around with a vengeful glare in her eye. "Oh Tails, honey. Y'all out there?" She called out looking around the runway. "I have an oily rag here with your name on it." Over in hanger three a yellow fox peaked out and decided now would be a good time to find a place to hide.

Later that afternoon, the sheikh was sitting on his throne. A leather boot on his head upside down while he squeezed a rubber chicken again and again.

"Are you sure this is going to bring my people harmony?" The sheikh asked uncertain of the echidna's bizarre methods.

"Don't worry, Ifyoucan. I'm sure this'll bring prosperity to Sand Ocean." Knuckles replied taking the boot off his own head. "Just as soon as we bathe in a tub of sauerkraut for thirty minutes and then run around a racetrack backwards while clucking like chickens."

"Are you sure about this?" he asked him again.

"That's what it says in this book." Knuckles replied holding up a text with 'Mad Libs' written on the cover.

Out among the shifting desert sands, several metal forms rose from their place buried beneath the sand. Standing to their full heights these robotic monstrosities stood nearly as tall as the palm trees.

"Battle Bird Command, this is guard unit three." The captain spoke over his com system. "We've survived the initial battle and have managed to stay undetected on enemy territory. Now, waiting orders."

"Unit Three, this is Battle Bird Command." The message squawked over his radio. "You're orders are to proceed to Sand Ocean City and assassinate the sheikh. Farther orders will come following the completion of your mission."

"Copy that." The captain replied motioning to the other mech units. "Alright boys, let's move out." The four large machines began their way stealth-fully across the dunes towards the Sand Ocean Capital.