Chapter 8: Onward to Cliff Dome
Sally entered the throne room. Her father was discussing the plans for a new east wing of the castle with one of the royal architects.
"Father, I'm going on a date with Sonic tonight."
The King, caught by surprise, turned to see his daughter.
"Where are you going?"
"To the Cliff Dome. Sonic has VIP passes for the both of us. We'll be home before eleven, don't worry."
The King paused for a moment to consider this.
"You… may go, my dear. Shall you need an escort? Sir John, perhaps?"
"No, father, Sonic and I will go alone. Thank you for your consent."
With that she turned to leave.
"…Sally?"
She turned again.
"Yes, father?"
"Please call me Daddy. This formal nonsense that we've been teaching you for the past few years has turned you into a robot while in the presence of the court. Please, try to be a little more, er, frank sometimes, my dear?"
The architect suppressed a chuckle. Sally smiled.
"Sure thing, Daddy."
It was now eight o' clock. The stars had all come out as if in celebration of tonight. The Forest was awash in starlight, giving every object a milky pale, gleaming look. About an hour earlier, Sonic had taken a thorough bath at his parent's home and then told them about the date, and where it was taking place. His father (unfortunately, his both parents were roboticized, but now had their own lives back) had found his own black and white tuxedo somewhere in the attic. It was old, and needed to be dusted out and ironed by his mother. After which, Sonic found that it fit snugly. As a last gesture, his mother removed a single, large white rose from a vase and pinned it onto one of the pockets. They wished him good luck.
"Don't forget, son, that you mustn't show her that you're nervous."
"I won't Dad."
"Please come back soon, dear. I hope she'll like your father's tux. It's the only one he had."
"It'll do fine tonight. See y'all later."
"Bye, son!" they both said, as he disappeared into the woods. They wondered for several moments if this date was going to be something more unique.
"Sally! I've come for you."
"Is that you, Sonic? I'll be out in a minute!"
He heard her bustling around in her hut. He had combed out his hair on either side and looked handsomer than ever in the tux. Seconds later she opened the door and came outside.
She was stunning. Sonic knew that his heart was never going to stop pounding for a long while.
Sally was wearing a deep blue evening dress. It was not a gown, but had a slit at the side. It had a plunging neckline that showed…
At that point, Sonic reminded himself mentally, "Look UP! You can't be staring like that!"
Despite the reminder, he noticed that she still had all the curves in the right places, even after years spent in the palace. The starlight fell on her hair at the perfect angle. She had been spending her time at Knothole's salon for the greater part of the afternoon, after finding the dress in one of the clothes shops. She wore no makeup, but that accentuated her features all the more. An enchanting aroma came from her, driving Sonic to the edge of his sanity, and those eyes were on him again; those delicate pale blue pools were looking at him. Sonic could not help but gawk.
"Good God, you're beautiful!" he managed to say after drinking in her appearance. She smiled gratefully.
"Are we ready?"
"Hop on."
She climbed into his arms, being careful not to wrinkle her dress. She was wearing pearl white gloves that went up to her elbows. They were gifts from her mother.
"Do we have to travel like this? I'm afraid that my hair will take some damage," she pouted.
"Don't worry, I won't go too fast. Just keep your arms around me. Please."
She smiled again. She had not bothered with either lipstick or makeup tonight; natural beauty was the most vain, she thought. She hoped that her high-heeled shoes wouldn't fall off during the run.
It was going to be a memorable night.
The run through the Forest was uneventful. They crossed streams in a single bound and hopped over tree roots, all the while Sonic was doing his utmost not to make his date any more uncomfortable than he felt. The striking figure of Sally made him feel that he was a poor peasant carrying a goddess. He did not deserve such a girl, and yet she was his. After tonight, she would be his forever. He hoped.
"Are you nervous?"
"About what?"
"Tonight," he asked.
"Of course I am. I've never been invited to spend an evening in such a fancy place. I hope that I can keep up appearances."
Listen to her, worrying about 'appearances'! Sonic thought, dodging tree roots.
"Don't worry. I'm sure no one there will want to stop looking at you."
"I don't mind. As long as you're there," she said, looking at his face.
"Sal, I'll never leave your side," he reassured her.
Presently they came to a clearing, and a road. The grass was swaying in the cool breeze, and above the trees in the distance they could make out the lights of the city. He set her down, and they walked to the road. Waiting for them on the road was a large black limousine, with a driver who wore a spotless white coat and cap.
"Good evening, Sir and Madam. Will you please step into the car?"
"Ooh, Sonic! You shouldn't have!" she exclaimed delightedly. Sonic had parted with a lot of money, but the limousine would be a good impression.
"After you, your majesty, he said, bowing. He had learnt to bow properly after watching Sir John accompany the King and Queen on their afternoon walk. She climbed into the huge car, and the chauffeur shut the door lightly, after which he took his place at the driver's seat. Sonic went round the other side and entered.
"Onward to Cliff Dome!" Sonic ordered the chauffeur. The limousine's huge engine throbbed to life and they glided off in the direction of the city.
"Sonic, I can't believe you would do this for me," Sally said, placing her hand on his. He grinned.
"Anything for a Princess," he touched her hair with his other hand. It felt silky and warm. "I knew that your hair would be mussed up a little, so I chose a car with a built in salon."
He reached to the other seat before them, and pressed a concealed button. The seat folded downward, displaying a mirror and various assortments of hair products, combs and brushes. Sally stared for a moment, and kissed Sonic on his cheek.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Again, he wished that the kiss could have been a little down and to the right.
All the way to the Cliff Dome, while Sally fussed over her hair, he stared out the window and to the stars. He hoped that somewhere out there, in the vast firmament, the Ancient Walkers (or maybe another omnipotent cosmic force) had blessed this night of nights.
"Sir and Madam, we have arrived."
The chauffeur cut the engine and left the car to open Sally's door. Her hair had been restored to more-than-perfect condition, and her eyes shone when she gazed upon the Cliff Dome. Sonic stood next to her, and they were both impressed by what they saw.
The Cliff Dome was situated one hundred feet from the cliff's edge. The cliff was the highest outside of the city, over three hundred feet tall. Beyond were the sea and the sky's innumerable stars. The restaurant itself was a large, circular building, no windows, with a sizeable balcony protruding out of the south wing toward the ocean. But they were not looking at the building. Atop the restaurant was a huge transparent bubble, made of durable bulletproof glass. Over twelve spotlights bathed it and the restaurant in white luminescence. The Dome was an engineering marvel, and had taken two full years to be constructed on top of the restaurant. Parazzi himself had envisioned a huge dome covering the restaurant, and now it was an awesome structure to behold. The engineer who invented the blueprints for the seemingly impossible feat had become a very wealthy individual. Now, Sally and Sonic stood in wonder. It was one of the most magnificent sights they had ever beheld. It was even more glorious at night with its smooth surface aglow with the spotlights. They heard a small cough.
"Will Sir and Madam be tarrying here much longer?"
"No, chauffeur, we will enter now."
"Come on, Sonic! I want to see the inside."
"Then, we shall enter, your majesty?"
"We shall," she replied, amused at Sonic's charming attitude. He presented his elbow, and they walked with arms linked toward the splendid restaurant.
"I do hope that Sir's worry of an impending disaster will be for naught," the chauffeur murmured quietly as he watched the couple move off. They were so young, he thought. Untoward events should not happen on such occasions.
They were all in their respective locations. Tails had managed to find a large enough rock to cover his fireworks as Antoine scrambled up the cliff. Lazer was floating about five hundred feet above the ground, directly above the transparent dome. He was wearing his black jacket in which he carried his equipment. Now, he used Tails' binoculars to spy Sonic and Sally entering the restaurant.
"They're here," he reported.
"Roger that," came the fox's reply, slightly fuzzy with static.
"I am aware of zere arrival," it was Antoine. "I hope zat zis weel be done and over weeth without any interruption."
"We all wish it could be that way, Antoine."
"Tails, you have those fireworks ready?" Lazer asked.
"They're all here and accounted for. I wish that we wouldn't need them, but you know Robotnik."
"Yes, I know him too well," came the bitter remark.
"What are they doing now?"
He consulted the magnified view from the binoculars.
"They have entered the restaurant. No security guards have stopped them… They're inside now."
Sonic had found it strange that no security personnel had asked for identification as yet. He shrugged it off, supposing that Parazzi would not want any of his employees to be in danger.
"Signor Sonic! Who is your lovely date?"
Parazzi had greeted them at the large glass doors and found that they wore no coats. He himself was wearing another handsome suit, except it was coloured a deep purple.
"Sally Acorn, meet mister Luciano Parazzi. He gave me the passes after I saved him from his car yesterday."
"Ah, yes! I hope that you are well?" she asked, allowing him to kiss her hand.
"I am in excellent health, thank you Signorina Acorn! Your boyfriend is a very fast runner, I must admit! I even had to ask him to accept a reward for his deed! Such a fine young man!"
Sonic almost blushed again. He disliked it when people sung his praise in front of Sally, for he knew that she would be skeptical of his true heroism.
"Yes, Sonic does save the world every now and then."
"Erm, right. Do we have a seat?"
Sonic realized too late that he had asked a very stupid question. He noticed with alarm that the restaurant was devoid of all life, with only tables and chairs left.
"You are my very special guests tonight! I made sure that you and your delightful girl would be alone to enjoy our exceptional facilities! Now, please seat yourselves wherever you wish so that I might take your orders!"
Sally gave Sonic a queer look. She, too, had wondered why the restaurant was emptied of customers. Luciano's sacrifice to make them exclusive guests was a rather tacky explanation. Sonic took her arm and seated them near to the center of the expansive, circular room. The entire restaurant was air-conditioned, but not too coldly. A waterfall set against one of the walls bubbled away quietly. The floor was of highly polished marble. The tables were in a ring around the center of the room, which evidently served as a dance floor. He eyed a staircase that led to the balcony above them. The walls were painted a silver hue and decorated with eye-catching landscapes and portraits here and there. Overall he appreciated of the grandeur of it all. He noticed that Sally had tilted her head upward toward the dome.
"Aren't the stars bright tonight?"
"Yeah, they're somethin' alright."
Sonic also looked upward to the starry canopy. The transparent dome did not distort vision in the slightest, and gave a breathtaking view of the night sky. Thousands of stars looked down at them from their lofty heights. He knew that a red hedgehog was also floating up there, hidden from sight. They both looked down at the same time, in a brief silence.
"It is a beautiful sight, no? That is why I am so proud of my Cliff Dome. It gives one the view of the heavens while providing earthly entertainment."
Parazzi had moved nearer to them. He placed two menus neatly upon the table.
"Place any order you wish. I have hired my two best chefs tonight."
I'm sure that he hired no one else tonight, Sonic thought grimly. He hid his face behind the menu for several moments, as did Sally. His head popped up suddenly.
"You have chilidogs?! And I thought that those didn't exist in places like this!"
"Indeed, Signor, they do. Here, they are a quantum leap further in quality than the average fast food outlet."
"Sonic! Can't you eat anything else besides those?" Sally asked reproachfully. She was also taken aback by the placing of chilidogs on the menu.
"Okay, okay. I'll take a salad plate along with the chilidogs, and don't hold back on the dressing."
"I'll have a salad plate also, but no dressing. The fourth selection looks superb; I'll take that also."
"Drinks?"
They exchanged glances.
"Um, any non-alcoholic?" Sonic asked cautiously, eyeing Sally for signs of disapproval.
"But of course. Does Blue Lightning strike your fancy?" asked Parazzi, his lips curling into a shrewd smile. Sally laughed.
"You're joking?"
"No, signorina, I am not. It is a fine blue colour, also, and it is best when taken under the starlit sky."
"Well, I have no complaints about that!" Sonic replied, shrugging with his palms upward. Sally shook her head. They served chilidogs and a wine that described her date. What luck.
As Parazzi bowed himself away, Sonic glanced at his date.
"The fourth selection is vegetarian. Don't you want some more protein than that?"
"I have to keep my figure, you know."
Sonic grinned mischievously.
"Are you keeping that figure for me?"
"Sonic!" she reproached sharply, trying to look alarmed. She was hopeless at hiding her feelings in front of Sonic, however, so she covered her mouth and giggled.
"Yes, I knew you were."
"Oh, come on, let's talk about something else."
"Well…"
He fingered the white rose on his pocket, racking his memory. What topic of conversation had he chosen?
"What about the future?" he said at last.
"The future? What of it?"
"What will you do after we get rid of Butt- I mean, Robotnik, forever?"
"I don't know. Maybe we'll hold a week-long party to celebrate," she mused playfully. Sonic's grin was somewhat blank as he tried to remember his response.
"Maybe after we level his city, we'll re-name it Mobitropolis. Then, everyone can pitch in and the city can grow. In a few years, the two cities will join, and we'll finally have our own capital."
Sally was surprised. She did not think that Sonic would have such grand visions of a utopia at this point in life.
"That would be… the perfect idea! Yes! How did you come up with something like that?"
While the conversation had been progressing, his line of sight strayed downward.
"Look UP! At her face!" he reminded himself, and immediately jerked his head upward to reply.
"Oh, while I was lounging around somewhere…"
Never, ever break eye contact in a conversation, and never let your eyes be tempted by other things during the date, he remembered.
They spent the next few minutes chatting idly of other plans, wondering about the direction their life was taking.
"I hear that Rotor is studying for an engineer's degree?" Sonic asked, wondering if it was appropriate to talk about education on dates.
"Yes, I know. He'll have to study at a university, though, and the nearest one can only be reached by plane."
"I thought they were making a university in the new city?"
"They're not, at least not now. The mayor doesn't want to start building on such a grand scale until we're sure that the city won't have any disturbances."
You are so right, Sonic thought unhappily. He looked hopefully toward the kitchen, and to his tremendous relief one of the chefs was bringing their dinner. He smiled confidently.
"It seems our dinner is ready."
The chef carefully placed the
plates before Sonic and Sally.
"Dinner is served."
The chef then held his hand out toward Sonic, who stared at it blankly, then remembered what he was supposed to do. He fumbled in his tux for a moment and drew out a five-dollar bill.
"Thank you."
"No, Sir, thank you."
Sally was waiting.
"Well?"
"What? It's not that I enjoy giving money away."
"I meant that we should start eating."
Sonic mentally punched himself.
"Right," he croaked.
While Sally delicately handled the food, Sonic tried to remember what Antoine had taught him about table etiquette. He realized soon enough, however, that the food was excellent, and decided to enjoy it rather than stay a nervous wreck throughout the meal.
The night air was getting colder by the minute. The half-moon gleamed above the landscape. Tails was idly dangling his legs over the side of a rock, listening to the threshing of waves. He mused at the thought of Sonic stammering madly as he pulled out the ring, and then falling over as he tried to kneel. Sonic was the type of person who would do that.
Antoine stamped about, trying to keep warm. After some time he pulled out the small pink note he had been reading earlier. Bunnie had returned his message. He smiled as he read it…
Suspended above the Dome by the power of his Emeralds, Lazer scanned the area with high-powered binoculars to the north of the Dome, for any sort of activity that was remarkable enough to investigate. He paid special attention to the area outside of Robotropolis. He hated every aspect of the city. Robotnik had created it, and he looked upon it as a vile, black mark that tainted the land around it with its filthy prescence. As his range of view left the vile city, movement outside of its black shadow caught his attention. Something large was lumbering out of the shadows. He removed the walkie-talkie from his jacket without lowering the binoculars, and contacted his fellow Fighters.
"Tails, Antoine, I've seen something come out of Robotropolis. I'm going to take a closer look. Stand by."
"I hear you, Lazer. We'll stay sharp for your report."
"Make sure you do it quietly, or else ze Princess shall not be pleased."
"Don't tell me how to do my job. I'll call back soon."
Lazer put away the equipment in his jacket and shot off at top speed toward the black speck. Whatever it was, it was too large to be a forest animal. The object rapidly became larger as he flew closer to it.
"Yep, it's one of Robotnik's alright," he muttered to himself, as a familiar sense of loathing rose within him. He was hovering above a giant robotic walker, with a ComBot at the controls. It was walking with two huge, hydraulically powered legs that advanced twenty feet per step. It was tramping straight through the forest on the west side of the new city. Lazer lowered himself so that the ComBot could see him clearly from the cockpit.
"State your mission!" the red hedgehog challenged.
"FIRST PRIORITY: DESTROY 'CLIFF DOME'. SECONDARY PRIORITY: ELIMINATE INTERFERENCE" came the programmed reply, amplified by outside speakers.
"Well, that wasn't so hard," Lazer thought. He promptly dodged the artillery fire as the robot walker tried to shoot him. It turned around and resumed its attack. Trees burst aflame as the cannons tried to blast Lazer, who darted through the air with a wry grin on his face.
"I'm sorry, your access is denied."
With that, he charged Chaos energy in his fists, drawing power from the Emeralds. A red aura glowed around him, and he pointed both fists at the combot.
"Goodbye!"
With a burst of radiance, twin laser beams exploded from his fists and seared through the night air. With a flash of light, they struck the walker. Almost struck the walker. An invisible shield prevented the deadly laser beams from even singing the walker's armour. Lazer grinned again. So, he thought, it wanted to increase the fun factor. He began a random evasion pattern, dashing here, there and everywhere as missiles and varying forms of gunfire tried to exterminate him. He deliberately drew its fire away from the forest. He did not want any more trees to be destroyed, since forest animals lived in them. Looking around him, he found the solution to his small distraction.
"Tails," he said, pulling out the walkie-talkie from his jacket as he arched over a pointed missile, "You can start those fireworks now. Make sure they go up high enough."
"Understood, and don't tell me how to do my job," came the young voice.
On the beach, Tails lit a flare and touched off the fireworks one by one. They hissed upward (some of them left a dazzling light trail) and exploded into a myriad of colours, with great echoing booms. He did not watch their explosions, however, and ran back and forth to make sure that Sally would not be distracted by anything else.
"Fireworks! I didn't know they had fireworks here!"
Sonic nearly fell off his seat when the first firework exploded outside of Cliff Dome. So, the conflict had begun, he thought. They had just finished dinner, and Parazzi had cleared away the dishes for dessert.
"I, er, made a special arrangement for fireworks tonight. I wanted this date to be special for you."
Sally turned from the light display and her eyes were filled with affection.
"Oh, Sonic, you're so thoughtful!" she gushed. She held out her hand across the table and Sonic took it in his, and they both watched the brilliant show of light and colour. If only she knew the real reason, he thought…
As Sally looked on, she thought joyfully, Sonic truly went out of his way to make me happy. She was incredibly lucky to have such a charming boyfriend. She then wondered what other surprises would come after dessert…
Lazer flew about quickly, and the walker followed him, gins ablaze, between two very tall trees. He muttered for the forest animals to forgive him, as he powered up his fists again, and unleashed two energy spheres upon the base of each tree. With a loud crack and uprooting of earth, each tree fell toward the other, both landing heavily upon the walker. The shield around the walker crackled violently, and burst into sparks under the pressure. The hydraulic legs groaned under the weight as the two giant trees bore down upon it. The ComBot was trying its mechanical best to compensate for the robotic walker's peril. Then it realized that the red hedgehog was floating before it once more.
"YOU MUST BE DESTROYED," it said, albeit futilely. Lazer smiled wickedly. Mischief showed in his dark eyes. He was so amused at the hopeless struggle. Ah well; all fun must end at some point.
"Goodbye, may your circuits smolder in peace."
The ComBot tried once more to free its walker. It did not make it, however, as an iridescent red beam ended its artificial life. The cockpit and half of the walker melted to molten slag on the ground. Lazer broke off the savage attack of laser beams, and landed on top of the walker, the spikes on his boots allowing him to gain a steady foothold. Incredibly, without the combot to control them, the hydraulic legs were still functioning, groaning under the weight of the colossal trees. Raising his fist into the air, he concentrated his stored electrical energy. With a yell, he smashed his fist into the metal surface, and the walker was suddenly lit up with massive bolts of lightning! It shook and shuddered jerkily about, wavering in its step and streaming smoke as its circuits overloaded. Lazer flew off before the metal behemoth plowed into the ground, still jerking in its death spasms. The walker was certainly destroyed, totally beyond any repair Robotnik or his other robots could manage.
Satisfied with his handiwork, he took flight toward the Dome, making a mental note to get caught in a thunderstorm after the night was over.
"That dessert was wonderful! Apricot fruit and ice cream, yum," Sally commented. Sonic carefully wiped his mouth with a nearby napkin.
"Yeah, good enough for a Princess," he remarked. Sally blushed, although knowing that she was a princess. Sonic pushed his chair back and walked next to her.
"Will you accompany me on the balcony?"
He held out his hand. She took it and they crossed the floor toward the marble staircase on the other side of the room. From the kitchen, Parazzi watched them leave.
"See that? Now, chef, that is what I call young love," he commented to his employee.
"Yes, Sir, I wish that I had a girlfriend at that age."
"Don't worry, chef, the world's full of eager young girls. You just need to find one before you get old like me," he laughed. He should have hired the band tonight so that his two guests could have danced, but he had a feeling that his young guests had more important things to do after their date. He also did not want to lose too many employees if the unexpected happened.
The night air was near freezing as Sonic led Sally to the balcony overlooking the sea. She drew closer to him, trying to keep warm.
"It's cold. Stay close," she murmured, hugging his arm as they approached the railing.
"Sally, how long have we known each other?"
"That sounds like a line from a bad soap opera," she remarked, "I guess we've known each other since we were kids growing up in Knothole."
"Yes, since we were kids. Sal, we've been as close as brother and sister, maybe even closer as the years went by. I've never felt this, this feeling of happiness and joy, with anyone before until I met you. You make me feel glad whenever you're near to me."
"Like now?" she said softly, looking up at him. He smiled gently.
"Especially now," he whispered. It was inevitable what came next… he drew her closer and they kissed. The chill of the night air had no effect on them as they warmed each other's bodies, locked in the passion of their embrace, forgetting themselves and who they were for the simple pleasure of the kiss. After what seemed like a trip to heaven, they came down to earth and broke away, each a little breathless.
"You're a good kisser," she purred, resting her head on his chest.
"No objections from me either," he murmured, lovingly stroking her hair. She is so beautiful, he thought blissfully. She was on of God's more careful creations.
Together, they looked at the dark ocean, holding each other close. They stayed like that for a long time, content to be warm and in each other's arms.
Tails whirled his tails and drifted quietly upward after he made sure that all his fireworks had been spent. The cliff was high, but over the years he had learned to hover for a longer period. He wanted to see when Sonic proposed to Sally. He knew that it was going to be too mushy and yucky for his tastes, but this was an event he could not miss. He landed far to the east side of the balcony, so that he could see the two lovebirds from the ground using his binoculars. Antoine snuck up next to him and they both watched in the general direction of Sonic and Sally.
"Has zat tuxedoed hedgehog made his move yet?" Antoine absently inquired. He was not jealous of Sonic's relationship with Sally any longer, since he had his own girl: Bunnie. He was content, however, that Sally would finally find her place in life beside Sonic. He himself had thought of marrying Bunnie, but this time was simply not perfect. They were still tentative in their relationship, but they did love each other. He sighed inwardly. Did he have the heart to make such a commitment, as Sonic was doing up there, someday?
"Nope. They seem to be hugging, though."
"Good. At
least when he asks her, she will be ready for it."
Tails lowered the binoculars
and pulled out his walkie-talkie. He carried his equipment on a belt.
"Lazer, notice anything strange from up there?"
Lazer had contacted him and Antoine earlier, affirming that the threat to Cliff Dome had been handled.
"Apart from a hedgehog and squirrel in love? Negative. Nothing peculiar from where I am," came the static-muffled reply.
"Great.
Let's hope it'll stay that way."
"The hope is mutual."
Above, Lazer searched the dark ocean's horizon. He did not see anything but waves, except that point of light on the ocean which was probably the moon's reflection on its dark waters. To be sure, he zoomed in to maximum.
That was no reflection!
"What the heck…"
The light was growing slightly larger. It flared up for an instant, and then rocketed off! It was zooming at high speed toward the Cliff Dome!
"Damn
it!"
He knew what that small flare was. The exhaust of a missile!
"Emeralds, don't fail me now…"
Pointing his fist downward, he created a single, thin beam in the path of the missile. The laser energy caused the water to foam and steam below. With large amounts of luck, the beam would be unseen and it would cut the missile in two. But then…
Eventually, Sonic resumed his speech.
"Sally, there's a thought that occurred to me yesterday. We've been at peace for a long time now, and the war seems to be over. I believe that some commitment can be made for the future…" he said, repeating the lines that he had practiced in the afternoon.
"What commitment would that be?" she asked, looking up at him with an inquisitive look in her enchanting eyes. Sonic desperately wondered if he should ask her or not, as he looked into those adoring blue irises. Was he in love with her? Absolutely. Was she in love with him? Unquestionably. What better reason was there to 'pop the question'?
He started to reach inside his tux for the ring that would ensure their future together.
It was at that moment when he heard a dull roar.
"Huh?" he mumbled, looking away from Sally and to the ocean. Confused, Sally followed his gaze. The magic of the night seemed to be broken.
"What's wrong…" she began to say, but time had run out. A white flare was racing toward them through the air, far in the distance, and at the same moment some unseen force caused a loud bang and shower of sparks to come from the object. Sonic was about to explain that more fireworks had been set, but then a very queer thing happened. The flare seemed to have gone mad. It spun crazily in the air for a moment, and then shot straight upward, above the Dome. Red beams of light crisscrossed the sky but missed the flare entirely, so fast did it move. As the small white flame dove downward, and more red beams failed to strike it, the spotlights caught it in their light. Sonic realized with horror what the strange object was.
"A missile! Dive for it!" he yelled, tensed for the imminent danger.
"Sonic!" she shouted, as the world seemed to explode around them. A tremendous explosion shook the Cliff Dome to its foundations, as the glassy dome shattered into a million pieces. Shrapnel spewed in all directions, and Sally felt herself struck down as the deadly shards of glass rained around her. She heard a grunt, and a drawn out groan. She slowly opened her eyes.
Sonic had dived over her, covering her body in a bid to save her life. After gaining her bearings, she raised herself and looked at Sonic. He was lying face down. She suddenly felt sick, as she noticed that three glass shards had embedded themselves into his back, severing three of his spines. His warm blood was staining her dress.
"Sonic! Oh my God, NO!" she screamed in the utmost horror, backing away from him. Her hands, legs and dress were covered in her boyfriend's blood. Her eyes were wide and filled with horror at the gruesome scene. A night of love and romance had turned into one of terror and blood. Why, oh God, why did this have to happen? With tears streaming out of her eyes, she crept closer to him, careful to avoid the red pool.
"Sonic, oh God, who would do this?" she cried, sobbing uncontrollably. She was afraid to touch him, lest the glass shards did more injury.
"Princess! Sonic!" a voice called out from above. Lazer had landed next to her, his jacket flapping about him. He backed away slightly when he saw Sonic lying on the ground, his body violated by the cruel shards.
"Oh Ancient Walkers, why did I let
this happen…"
"Lazer?! What are you doing
here?!!" she cried in a shocked voice. Things were happening so suddenly!
"There was a missile heading straight for you two, so I blasted it and caused it to change direction…"
"WHAT!!" she screamed, leaping toward him, wildly attacking him with her fists. He numbly allowed her to pound on his chest, knowing the pain she felt.
"Why couldn't you stop it!?" she shrieked, sagging to the ground after spending her energy.
"I… thought it would have blown up first…and it was such a small target…"
"Aunt Sally! Sonic!"
"Princess Sally! Have you been injured!?"
Antoine and Tails had arrived. Tails had carried the coyote to the balcony. They all stared aghast at Sonic lying in his blood.
"Sonic! Nooo!" Tails shouted, rushing to his side. He took his pulse: weak and erratic. He was unsure whether he should risk pulling out the glass shards. They could slip and sever an artery.
"Sacrébleu! How could zees happen?" The guard suddenly felt sick.
"I failed to prevent this, but I can help…" Lazer said, recovering from his guilt. He felt terrible when others got injured due to his own mishaps, particularly when that someone was a Freedom Fighter. He stood over Sonic, while Tails shook his friend's shoulder and Sally moaned Sonic's name over and over, overwhelmed with anguish as her tears fell onto the marble surface of the balcony, mixing with the lifeblood of her lover. The distressing situation agonizingly reminded Lazer of himself when Xadra had been destroyed…
"Sonic! Wake up!" Tails sobbed. Antoine moved nearer. He remembered his responsibility in this situation.
"Princess Sally, you must come back to Knothole with me…"
"What!" she shouted in disbelief, turning to the guard, "How could I leave Sonic like this? He's dying! Can't we do something?!" she cried feverishly.
Lazer kneeled next to Tails, considering the injuries. Sonic was not breathing.
"Lazer! Why did you let that missile do this?"
"It wasn't my missile, Princess," he said softly, looking down at the inert form of Sonic, "I think that if I hadn't tried to stop it, it would have killed you both instantly…"
"I'd have rather died than let Sonic suffer like this!" she cried miserably. She violently pulled at Lazer's arm.
"Get away from him! If you couldn't save him, then I will!"
"Princess, please I can help…" he pleaded.
"NO!" she shrieked. "NO! Get away from him!"
Sally was in severe shock. She had never felt so furious and upset, and angry, in all her life. Why did this happen, she kept on thinking to herself. Irrationally, she was blaming Lazer for the horrible turn of events. When she tried to tear Lazer away from Sonic once more, a mist blew underneath her nose, and she slumped to the floor, unconscious.
"I'm sorry, Aunt Sally…"
Tails was holding an aerosol can.
"Antoine, you can take her back home now," he muttered, miserably looking at Sonic. The can fell from his hand, rolling forgotten to one side. Tails felt sick and helpless.
"Yes, I believe zat I will," the coyote replied, trying not to flinch as he picked up the princess in her bloodstained clothing. He carried her down the stairs and to the limousine. The driver nodded in assent as Antoine told him to drive them to a location at the borders of the Great Forest. So, this was the trouble that Sir had feared earlier…
"Lazer, you said you could help?"
The red hedgehog sighed bitterly.
"Yes. That missile was supposed to have been destroyed before…"
"Well, help him then!" Tails yelled. He felt nauseated as he looked at the bloody wounds of his best friend.
"I will," came the firm response. Lazer knew that he was partly responsible for causing the missile to strike the Dome. Just because he had not wanted to interrupt the proposal, he had made the beam thin and unnoticeable. Now, he wished that he had released the full fury of the Emeralds, and detonated the missile while it was still over the ocean! At least Sonic and Sally would have gone unharmed! He tried to concentrate on Sonic now. Years spent helping the Freedom Fighters necessitated the frequent use of his healing abilities. He had not yet mastered the power of the emeralds, but managed to develop a potent healing ability. He held out his hand, and an invisible force caused the glass shards to float out of the wounds. He discarded the dripping shards. Then, he closed his eyes in concentration and rested both hands upon the wounds themselves. Tails flinched a little. A red glow engulfed Sonic and Lazer, as the Emeralds went to work. Tails shielded his eyes from the bright aura.
Slowly, surely, the gashes were thinning. Lazer was concentrating all his power, trying to heal, to save a life. Sonic was hovering near death, he could tell. Slowly, slowly, the wounds closed themselves under the influence of the Chaos Emeralds. Damaged tissue was healed. The spikes on his back regenerated themselves. One minute later, Lazer released his concentration and heaved a sigh, falling backward on his hands.
"I did my best," he gasped, his mind reeling. His energy reserves had been tapped to extreme limits.
"Thank Goodness!" Tails said. He had been holding his breath since Lazer had placed his hands upon Sonic. He felt a surge of immense relief as Sonic began breathing again.
"Sonic, wake up! You're not dead! You can wake up now!" he shook Sonic's shoulder again.
"…blg…"
"Yes!!" Tails cried, jumping from the ground with joy.
"Is… Sally…" he whispered, as his eyes opened a bit.
"Yeah, Antoine took her back to Knothole like you said he should! She's safe, and so are you!"
Groggily, Sonic got to his feet. He groaned loudly and stretched. His back was feeling sore.
"Where the hell did that missile…"
His words were cut off as a booming, amplified voice came from the ocean.
"Incredible! Your red friend managed to save you! But that doesn't matter! As long as I disrupted your little evening, I'll count that as a victory!" it laughed. No one standing on the balcony had any doubt as to whom that voice belonged.
"Robotnik!" they chorused fiercely.
"Pleased to meet all of you! You see, Sonic, I am a genius and knew about that date of yours. I also knew that you were about to ask Sally to marry you! So, I decided to cause a little mayhem to bring life to such a boring evening!"
"Why did you do that to her, Robotnik!? Why pick on Sally?" Sonic yelled at the darkness, his fists bunched up.
"What a distinct pleasure it was to see the princess Sally in hysterics after you tried to save her, and got yourself almost killed! I was rolling in laughter as she blamed your red friend for not stopping my missile! This evening was a grand spectacle for my records!"
Sonic growled. That bastard Robotnik! He had ruined everything, when the proposal was about to take place! Uncontrollable rage built up within him. That Buttnik would pay the consequences a thousand fold!
"Lazer," he muttered, filled with the desire to kill, "I need some light."
"Taken care of," he replied, also furious that Robotnik had done this for the sake of his own malicious pleasure. Madmen needed no motive to cause chaos. He stretched out his arms toward the sea, and created a low-energy laser wave that lit up the waves with red light. A submarine floating some four hundred meters off the coast was clearly visible.
"I'm coming after you, Buttnik!" Sonic barked. He savagely ripped the tux from his back and bounded off the balcony. He landed nimbly and ran with high velocity to the cliff's edge, filled with indescribable rage.
In his submarine, Robotnik chuckled. The blue rodent was about to kill him. He shrugged and pulled a lever. The floor beneath his command chair gave way, and the evil scientist was dropped into an escape pod. He who runs away…
Above the dark depths, the blue hedgehog had leaped from the cliff. He spun into a ball and landed on the beach in a cloud of sand. He gritted his teeth, spying the submarine under the red wave of light. He pulled off a "Figure 8" and rocketed toward the water, his legs pumping across the sand. Upon hitting the water, his shoes seemed to fly across the surface, leaving a spray of foam in his wake. Nothing could stop him, not even the laws of physics stood in his way.
"Whoa man! He's actually running on water!" Tails commented, watching the speedy blue wonder through binoculars. He was skimming the surface of the waves with flying feet, drawing ever closer to the submarine.
With his shoes flashing across the water, he spun into a spiky ball once more, becoming a supersonic spinning blade. With a yell, he collided with the hull. The metal ripped apart as the living rotor blade tore straight through it. The submarine was cut neatly into two pieces, and began to take on water. As he cleared the ruined submarine, Sonic did a twist in mid air. His feet performed the Figure 8 again, and upon hitting the surface he gained momentum and rolled into the spiky blue blade. He cut lengthways across the severed pieces, and then headed for the shore, leaving four pieces of metal to sink to their graves on the seabed. He was hopelessly enraged that Robotnik had not been in the submarine to be cut to pieces like the rest of the machine. He must have escaped again, the cowardly tub of lard!
"Yeah! That submarine is trash! Go, Sonic!" Tails yelled exultantly, punching his fist into the air. The red light generated by Lazer faded to the blackness of night. Sonic disappeared along with the red glow.
"Where'd he go?"
"Back home. He knows that part of the plan was to take Sally back to Knothole, so that's where he'll go."
"Poor guy. This date meant a lot to him."
Lazer said nothing. He levitated off the ground.
"Hey! I'm coming with you."
"The Tornado is on the beach. Happy flying," he said tersely, and disappeared into the starlit sky. Tails watched him go. He turned around and looked at the obliterated Dome, with only splinters left from what had been a marvelous work of art. Yet another victory for Robotnik! The young fox sighed, frustrated, twirled his tails took off for the beach. He had wished for the night to go well, but apparently his lucky star was not shining tonight. He felt a great sense of pity for both Sally and Sonic, for this was supposed to have been their night…
Mr. Parazzi was heading home in his own limousine, rather overwhelmed that his dome had been shattered. He had given the chefs their salary in advance, and sent them home after the insanity had taken place. Both chefs had displayed their shock and sympathy for what had happened. Both had gone home wondering why such an awful thing would happen to a pleasant man like Parazzi.
Although dismayed with the loss of his Cliff Dome, he knew that he would never use it again. He and his family had a plane to catch this very night…he would explain their predicament to his wife and daughters after they were safely out of this country's airspace.
Such was life.