Duel in the Desert: Pt 2
Shifting Sands of War

Having finished all of their activities around the city, the separated groups of mobians converged back on the hanger where the Sky Patrol lay parked. Every pair was having their own discussion about their rest time.

"I think it was really awesome of you to show me around your hometown, Mina." Sonic said, nervously scratching the quills on the back of his head. "But I really have to get back to Soleanna, the Battle Birds could attack at any time."

"Oh dear, are you absolutely sure you can't stay, Sonic?" Mina asked pushing out her bottom lip. "We could really use the help of a brave and strong hedgehog like you."

"Any more stroking of his ego and he'll explode." Amy snorted, looking at the mongoose pilot in contempt. "I bet you sing that same sweet song to every male you comes through here. So you can get them into your cockpit to take you for a joyride."

"Eh, I'm usually in charge once I grab a hold of the joy stick." Mina gave her rival a smug smile. "I know how to handle a plane when it's in the air."

"Oh, I thought you were talking about…. Nevermind." The pink hedgehog scowled at her. "Still, I do agree with Sonic. It's time we get going back home.

"Y'all got that right, Pinkie." Bunny growled in disgust storming back up the ramp into the Sky Patrol. "I couldn't impress that crazy coon if I took off my jimmies and waved them in front of his face."

"Has anyone seen Knuckles?" Sonic asked nervously trying to find an escape route from the star-struck mongoose.

"So, you're telling me that the secret to life, the universe, and everything is pancakes." The sheikh Ifyoucan said in awe. "Thank you for this great wisdom. I must spread this truth to all my people. It'll be the foundation of a powerful new philosophy that will come to rival Zen."

"Thank you for partaking of my wisdom." Knuckles replied bowing so low the sock almost came off his nose. "May the syrup be with you and may you remain free of the sin of waffles."

"Whoa, I can't believe he just converted the sheikh to a breakfast based philosophy." Sonic said in shock.

"Y'all think that's something?" Bunny replied. "Just wait 'til they have a holy war with the cerealites."

"Don't worry." Sonic replied with a big grin. "They'll have the toast and milk monks to make peace between them. Then, they'll all be part of this complete breakfast." As Sonic and Bunny boarded the craft, Tails came running up to Mina with a beautiful blue flower.

"Mina, wait up." The two-tailed fox cried out. "I picked this for you on the slope of Mount Mundru. It took me two hours to fly to the top where there was a small spot of vegetation in the vast dry desert."

"Awe, aren't you just the cutest little sidekick." Mina replied, patting him on the head. "This'll be a great meal for my pet gecko, Alfonse."

"Gee… thanks." The heartbroken Tails replied, slowly flying into the Sky Patrol. "Thank you so much for your kind gratitude."

"Well Ifyoucan, it's been a blast but we had better get back to the capital or Sally is gonna start to worry about what happened to us." Sonic told him looking at his watch.

"A thousand thanks to you, oh bluest of hedgehogs." The grateful sheikh bowed low before the heroes. "And may all your Rice Krispies snap, crackle, and pop in harmony."

"Umm… thanks your highness." Sonic replied with a dumbfounded look on his face. "See you later."

"SIRE! SIRE! GREAT CLAMITY AND MISFORNUTE UPON OUR PEOPLE!" a parrot in a fez squawked flapping towards where they stood.

"Calm yourself down, Imapanic." The sheikh replied soothingly. "Now, what has got you all excited this time? Did the light bulb in the icehouse burn out again?"

"No, my liege. The Battle Birds are attacking the outskirts of our great city."

"By the Great orange juice, those devils must have been hiding after the battle was over. I shall send my best squadron of pilots out to intercept them."

"No need, Ifyoucan. We can handle this ourselves." Sonic turned back to look up the ramp. "Looks like we're staying here for a while guys, everybody out." As they all came running off the Sky Patrol, Knuckles looked towards the sheikh.

"Is that really your name?" Knuckles asked not having figured it out. "Ifyoucan?"

"I most certainly can." The sheikh replied in annoyance. "Now, get your echidna rear in gear and go protect my people." Knuckle simply shrugged and tunneled after the others.

As Sonic raced to the edge of the city, he saw four tall robotic walkers on metal legs stomping the villagers' homes into dust while their pilots laughed manically. Several explosions rocked the desert beyond the dunes as mortars landed near the outskirts.

"Wee, this is fun." One of the pilots exclaimed as he looked over at one of his comrades.

"Hey Birdo, why not you chuck another egg bomb at the elementary school?" the comrade replied. Birdo, then, did actually what his comrade had suggested. "I got to learn to keep my mouth shut."

"Hey you big, bullies!" a pink hedgehog screamed dashing across the sand towards the walkers. "Leave those innocent little kids alone!"

"You know, you're right." Birdo exclaimed pulling its' goggles down over its face. "I think I'm gonna target a big ugly pink hedgehog instead." The bird walker immediately shot several missiles at Amy who zigzagged her way past the explosives and ran right underneath the walker's legs.

"Hey, no fair!" Birdo yelled looking around. "Come out where I can shot ya!
"Wow, you sound like a little kid." Amy replied. "How young is the Great Battle Kukku recruiting you guys? 10? 11?"

"None of your business, Grandma." He yelled.

"THAT DOES IT!" Amy yelled. Her eyes burning with a pink hot feminine rage. Winding up her hammer, she let got in a mighty swing. She completely knocked both legs out from underneath the walker toppling it to the ground. "YAHBOOM!" She smashed open the mech like a sardine can. "COME OUT OF THERE YOU LITTLE BRAT!"

"AHHH! MOMMY!" Birdo stated running out of the mech while Amy chased him away.

"GET BACK HERE YOU NAUGHTY LITTLE BIRD! I'M GOING TO TEACH YOU SOME MANNERS!" The pink hedgehog screamed.

As another mech cornered three baby penguins, the machine's laser cannon pointed straight at their heads.

"Sorry, kiddies." A bird officer grinned evilly. "Looks like I'm really gonna blow your minds."

"Somebody please," one of the tikes cried as they shivered in fear. "Please help us." Just then, a trail of sand came rushing towards the mech. Reaching the walker, it began to circle it in several laps. Red dreadlocks surfacing in the sand like a shark's fin.

"Daa dum, daa dum." A voice said. "Dun dun, dun dun, dun dun, dun dun."

"Wait, what's that?" The pilot asked. Suddenly, a worried look crossed his face. "Just when it was safe to go back into the sand." The mech slowly sank down into the sand disappearing without a trace. The frightened mobian children heard several shrieks and screams coming from below the desert's surface before the battle bird's helmet was sent shooting back up from beneath them.

"Burp." Knuckles exclaimed wiping his mouth with a napkin as he came up out of the hole. "That's a spicy meatball. I never had such tasty bird in all my life."

"You… didn't eat him did you." The terrified penguin asked, now shaking in even more fear than before.

"WHAT!? Nah, I knocked him out he's down in the hole." Knuckles said. "I found a bag of fried chicken in his glove compartment."

Meanwhile, a large yellow canary with a long beak used another mech to stomp several smaller huts into the ground.

"I'm really sorry to do this to you nice people." The canary explained. "But I got drafted and it's kind of my duty. No hard feelings."

"Well then, keed." Sonic stated, racing up to the scene. "No there's no hard feelings when I kick your butt. AmIright?" The blue hedgehog pulled out a set of bolas that Sally had given him long ago. Running around the mech faster than it can turn, he threw the bolas around its legs causing them to wrap tightly together.

"Naa, nah. Can't catch me." He added, making an insulting face. Sonic ran away from the mech which took one step to pursue him and came down with a mighty crash.

"Hey, you okay in there bud?" Sonic asked running back to the mech. "I didn't really mean to hurt you."

"That does it. First, the army clips my wings, so I can't fly. Now this." The canary grumbled. "I'm defecting to the West Side Kingdom and going into children's public television."

At the same time, a fourth mech started to wobble to and frow, the bird inside grasping wildly at the controls.

"I don't understand." The bird inside proclaimed. "Why isn't my mech working?" Suddenly, the canopy popped off and the bird was launched high into the air. "SQUAAAAAAWK!" He came down on the sand with a loud thud.

"Huh? So that's how you activate the ejection seat." Tails noted popping out one of the ventilation grates near the mech's CPU. "And I guess, battle birds can't fly."

"Ow." The bird grumbled his head sticking in the sand.

"Hey, buddy. I wouldn't do that if I were you." The fox said, jumping into the mech's pilot seat. "You're not an ostrich." He turned to the controls. "Now, how do you operate this thing?" Tails pulled a random lever.

"YEAHH!" the bird screamed followed by a squish.

"Oh, I guess that's how you go backwards." He commented looking back behind the cockpit. "Sorry, but I think you had the silly thing in reverse."

Once, he had gotten control of the guns. Tails aimed the mech's weapons on the mortar cannons and opened fire. Several large explosions rocked the desert out beyond the city before everything went quiet.

"Awesome, looks like we got all the bad guys." Sonic exclaimed giving the group a thumbs up. "Wait to go, team."

Just then, a mech that had been hiding under the desert sand popped up grabbing the blue blur in its giant robotic fist.

"I got you now, hedgehog." The bird in the cockpit exclaimed clenching the robot's fist tight. "I'm going to squeeze you into jelly."

"Ugh," Sonic groaned the fingers squeezing him tighter and tigher. "Now, I know how a burrito feels."

"Now, you y'all don't think I'm gonna let you hurt my sugarhog." Bunny yelled, leaping off a nearby rooftop and tearing the arm holding Sonic right off the mech. "Now, I heard y'all battle birds cain't fly. Here let me give y'all a hand."

"Wait, what are you doing?" The battle bird inside started to panic. Grabbing the leg with her cybernetic arm, Bunny lifted the whole mech off the ground and swiftly kicked it like a football with her cybernetic leg. The mech was sent spinning out of control flying off into the distance. After a few seconds, the group heard a far away explosion.

"Good work, Bunny." Sonic complimented her hopping out of the metal fist's grasp. "You should try out for the Soleanna football team."

"Are y'all kiddin' sugarhog?" Bunny said with a wink. "Playin' on the gridiron is so unladylike."

"Wow, that was incredible." Captian Rescue commented as he and his team came in for a landing out beyond the town. "They took out all the mechs on this side of town while we were busy with the attackers on the East side."

"Tails," Mina said sheepishly coming in over the mech's radio. "I think it was really awesome how you took control of that battle bird weapon. I'm sorry I treated you like a little kid."

"Well… uh… I… uh… It was nothing, Mina." Tails replied, happy that she couldn't see his face turning a bright shade of red in the cockpit. "I'm just happy to help all these people."

"I say… that was an incredible feat of strength. You performed there, Miss Rabbot." Captain Rescue said admiringly. "Would you care to join me for dinner in the pilot's lounge?"

"I'd be delighted, y'all." She replied taking his arm. "As long as y'all spring for Tails and Mina back there."

"Great." Mina exclaimed, fist pumping in the air. "We'll make it a double date."

"Duh… duh… duh… date?" Tails exclaimed, all the fur on his body standing straight up without another word. Tails' eyes rolled back into his head and he promptly fainted.

"Well, gee." Mina exclaimed picking the little fox up from his seat and carrying him. "It's usually the guy who's supposed to sweep me off my feet not the other way around." Everyone laughed as the two pairs walked back towards the pilot's lounge.

"Hey, Sonic… you want to take me to dinner?" Amy exclaimed, batting her eyelashes hopefully. "I just love a romantic dinner by candlelight."

"Sure thing, I know of an awesome chili dog place near here." Sonic exclaimed, completely missing the point. "They even have big plastic bibs to prevent the sauce from getting on your dress."

"Oh gee… how romantic." Amy replied, her eyes narrowing as a gloomy cloud formed over her head. "Lovely, I wanted a romantic dinner and he gives me a bad case of indigestion followed by gas."

"See you later, guys. I think I'll head back to the royal palace for some grub." Knuckles said licking his lips. "The sheikh is serving barbequed shish kababs and I want to tell him about the cosmic mysteries of the peanut butter." And so everyone headed off for a good meal to celebrate.