Walking through the market place in Mobotropolis, were two servants of the House of Acorn. The weasel and crocodile laughed as they exchanged jokes and poked fun at one another. Each of them, armed with swords, began to show off their bravado.
"Vector you sissy! You call that an insult?" Nack, a purple colored weasel, laughed at his friend.
"Yours was no better you poor excuse for a Mobian!" retorted Vector, a green crocodile. He swished his large whip like tail at Nack, who jumped out of the way.
"That was pathetic!" Nack smirked. The two continued to goof off until Vector spotted a familiar armadillo. He jabbed Nack in the side and pointed over in that direction.
"Isn't that Mighty? One of those good for nothing servants for the Hedgehog family?"
Nack craned his neck over Vector's shoulder, spotting the red armadillo walking with the purple chameleon. "Yea! And that's Espio with him!" he glared at the two rival servants. "Look at them! Acting all high and mighty!"
Vector grinned as an idea formed in his mind. "Watch me put those two losers in their place!"
Nack, though confused, followed his friend over to the Hedgehog's servants.
"Well look what crawled out of the sewers, Nack!" Vector smirked, thrusting an accusing thumb at their foes.
"I beg your pardon?" Mighty the Armadillo whirled around to face the crocodile. He rolled his eyes when he saw it was Vector. "Look in a mirror why don't you! Crocodiles roll around in sewers, not dignified armadillos!"
Vector snorted at the comment and gripped the handle of his sword. "Why you little..."
"Vec! What are you doing?" Nack interrupted and placed a hand on his comrade's shoulder.
Vector brushed him off, "Teaching this scum a lesson!" he growled as he unsheathed his sword. Mighty mimicked the action and produced his own weapon as well. In a matter of seconds, the clang of metal against metal echoed through the market place. Mobian citizens screamed and gathered up their children as they fled the scene, though some crowded around to watch the fight ensue.
Miles Prower, better known as Tails due to the fact that he had two of them, happened to be in the market place at the time. Young Tails, a relative to the Hedgehog family, was peacefully browsing the market shops when he was interrupted by the sound of a quarrel. The young two tailed fox's large, pointed ears twitched as he detected the sound of swordplay. By intertwining his unique set of tails, the kitsune was able to fly over the crowd, sort of like a helicopter. Tails landed inside the circle where Vector and Mighty fought.
"STOP! Both of you!" Tails shouted over the clang of the swords, catching the servant's attention. "Do you have any idea what Prince Elias will do if he catches you fighting again?" With that said, Tails snatched the sword from Mighty's hand.
"Starting fights again, eh Tails?" a thick Australian voice from behind snickered. Tails spun around to see a tall skunk make his way through the crowd. Tails glared at the skunk, but kept calm.
"You think this is my doing Geoffrey? I was trying to stop them! Can't I take a walk in peace without having to deal with all this fighting?" the rustic orange fox snapped.
"Peace?" sneered Geoffrey St. John, relative to the Acorn family. "I hate the word! Jus' like I hate the House of Hedgehogs!" he spat. The skunk produced his own sword and pointed it at Tails. "You want a fight mate? Well I'll give you a fight!" Geoffrey hissed as he swung the blade.
Tails blocked the attack with the sword he had taken away from Mighty. "I don't want to fight!"
"Then die!" Geoffrey swung his sword at Tails again. This time the fox ducked, just nearly missing the blade.
Lord and Lady Acorn had also been in the market place as well. The sounds of their nephew Geoffrey lured them to the fight. Yet the two squirrels were unaware of their enemy's presence. Lord and Lady Hedgehog, were also attracted to the large crowd. Lord Acorn gasped when he saw the hedgehogs.
"Jules Hedgehog! That fiend! Figures this would all be his fault! Alicia!" Max Acorn addressed his wife, "Where is my sword? Give it to me!"
Lady Alicia Acorn rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "You are like a child Max! Where ever there is trouble you have to join in!" the female ground squirrel scolded her husband.
"Jules! Calm yourself! Let them be!" Lady Bernadette, a purple hedgehog, tried to hold back her own spouse.
"Let go Bernie! I won't hurt that Acorn scum...much," Lord Jules, a blue hedgehog, struggled against his wife's grasp.
Unfortunately for the Acorns and Hedgehogs, Prince Elias, ruler of Mobotropolis, was making his daily rounds in the market place. It wasn't long until the fighting caught the ground squirrel's attention. The royal stomped over to the large crowd of Mobians, who cleared a path for him the second they realized who he was. Elias wasn't surprised at all to find the troublesome skunk trying to make shish-ka-bob out of the young fox.
"Geoffrey! Fighting?! AGAIN! I can't believe this!" Prince Elias roared but then paused, "Scratch that...I CAN believe this! Why is it that every time I see you Geoffrey, you have a sword pointed at someone?"
"That's a lie!" Geoffrey protested and out of reflex, pointed his sword at the Prince. Elias put his hands on his hips and narrowed his eyes at the skunk. It took Geoffrey a second to realize he had just contradicted himself. "...Sorry your majesty," he apologized and slowly lowered his sword.
Elias let out an annoyed sigh and he rubbed his temples. He had just about enough of all the fighting and this little out burst was the last straw. The Acorns and Hedgehogs had been rivals ever since he could remember. They never passed up an opportunity to harass each other and the Prince was tired of always having to break up the fights.
"Listen up!" Elias shouted over the crowd, silencing them instantly. He glanced over at both families with anger in his eyes. "Your fighting has to come to a stop or I just might go crazy! I will not warn you again! The next time I see an Acorn or Hedgehog in this situation, the penalty will be death! And that is FINAL!" Prince Elias growled at the two families. With that said, the ruler of Mobotropolis stormed out of the crowd, leaving the Acorns and Hedgehogs in a state of shock.
After the Acorns had left, Lord Jules finally broke the silence and turned to his nephew, Tails. "Who started this?" he asked simply.
"The Acorn servants and our own were fighting when I got here. I tried to stop them but then that jerk Geoffrey got in the way!" Tails protested, explaining his side of the story.
"Thank goodness Sonic wasn't here to witness this!" Lady Bernadette sighed, referring to her son, Sonic Hedgehog. "Heaven knows what would have happened then!"
"Where is that boy of mine any way?" Jules asked as he glanced around the market place in search of his son.
Tails pointed in the direction of the Mobotropolis Park entrance. "I saw him this morning in the park. He looked like he wanted to be alone so I just walked away. Sonic hasn't been himself lately, rather slow if you know what I mean."
Jules nodded, "He has been acting rather odd lately, locking himself in his room and refusing to converse with anyone at all!"
"I'm beginning to worry about him...will you talk to him Tails? He listens to you," Bernadette asked.
"No problem. I am actually quite curious about what has made my cousin into such a Slow Mo," Tails joked as he twirled his twin tails and flew over to the park.
As the fox hovered over the beautiful public park he instantly spotted the cobalt hedgehog with bright red sneakers throwing stones at his reflection in a pond. Tails landed behind his cousin and put on his best smile.
"Morning Sonic!" the fox greeted as he walked up beside the depressed teenager. Sonic didn't glance up but instead threw another stone into the water.
"Morning?" the hedgehog questioned, still not looking up from what he was doing.
"Yea, It's just about 9:00," Tails glanced down at his wristwatch. Sonic sighed and then continued to chuck the rocks into the pond. He didn't seem to realize or care about the time at all. Tails had had enough of this silence from his cousin and best friend. Sonic was usually very talkative, in fact, it was hard to get him to shut up sometimes. Tails snapped when a thought came to his mind.
"How about we race back to your house Sonic?" Tails suggested, hoping a race would cheer up his cousin. Sonic shook his head no and sat down on the grass, he had run out of stones to throw.
Now Tails knew there was something wrong. Sonic never passed up an opportunity to race someone. It was no secret; Sonic Hedgehog was the fastest thing on Mobius! And I don't mean fast as in running a mile in a couple minutes, I'm talking about the speed of sound fast! His parents called him Sonic for a reason.
"Sonic what's up with you?" Tails tapped his foot impatiently waiting for an answer.
Sonic sighed again, "She plagues my dreams Tails! All I see is that beautiful face!"
Tails raised an eyebrow, confused at first. But it didn't take long for the fox to understand what his cousin was talking about; he decided to test his theory. "What do you mean?"
"Isn't it obvious Tails? I am in love with this girl! I swear! She has to be the most beautiful thing this hedgehog has ever laid eyes on!" Sonic blurted out.
Tails was now intrigued and his eyes lit up with interest. "Really? Who?"
Sonic smiled as he thought about his crush, "The way past cool Mina Mongoose!" said the hedgehog, who seemed to go weak at the mere sound of her name. Tails snickered at the dopey look on his cousin's face. But then Sonic sighed again and stared at the ground, resuming his depressed look.
"So why do you look so down in the dumps?" Now Tails was confused again.
Sonic let out another sigh, "Because! Mina doesn't love me back! She's defiantly not interested in me, that's for sure! She even said she doesn't want a guy in her life! EVER!" Sonic buried his head is his gloved hands. "Tails, what am I going to do?"
Tails put a hand on Sonic's shoulder, "Chill Sonic! It's just one girl! There are tons more out there! Come on, let's go to the market place and scope some out!" said the fox, trying to persuade his friend to forget about Mina and move on. But Sonic, being the stubborn hedgehog he is, wouldn't listen.
"Are you crazy?! I can't stop thinking about Mina! She's too perfect! I'll never see anyone the way I see her! No one could ever be that beautiful!" Sonic jumped to his feet.
"Sonic, listen to reason! This girl is obviously not your type, forget about her!" Tails tried to convince the hedgehog longing for Mina was a lost cause, which it was.
"Ha! You'd have to teach me how to forget, Tails!" Sonic crossed his arms over his chest. But Tails was determined to help his friend.
"I might not be able to do anything about teaching you to forget, but I know someone who will knock some sense into you!" the two-tailed fox stated as he grabbed Sonic's hand and practically dragged the hedgehog behind him.
***
"Jules won't try anything! He knows what the Prince will do to either of us if he does. Besides, we are both gentlemen! It shouldn't be too hard for us to keep the peace!" Max Acorn babbled on and on to the coyote walking beside him.
After the incident at the market place, the Acorns had returned home. Upon entering the door, Max was greeted by a familiar face. Antoine D'Coolette, a coyote from the French parts of Mobius, had been a friend of The House of Acorn for a while now. Max saw Antoine as a real gentleman, sort of like the son he never had. He simply dismissed the fact that the coyote butchered the English language like it was a side of beef. Antoine had never exactly bothered to perfect his English and talked in a very thick French accent.
"I am to be agreeing with you my lord! Both of you are how do you zay, hon`-or-a-bowel?" Antoine exclaimed, pronouncing the H.
"That's 'honorable' Antoine my boy," Max chuckled.
"This waz not what I waz saying?" Antoine looked a little confused when the ground squirrel corrected him.
"Well! Didn't you have something to ask me lad?" Max changed the subject. Antoine nodded.
"Oui my lord! I waz to be asking you about your daughter, Sally." Antoine said, referring to Max's only child, Sally Alicia Acorn.
"Ah yes! My dear Sally! What about her?"
"I would be liking to know if I could be, how do you say, taking her hand in marriage?" Antoine asked casually, like it was no big deal. Max stopped walking and thought for a second.
"Well...Sally is only sixteen, I'm not sure if she's ready for marriage yet..."
"But zare are being younger womens then her zat are, how you say, 'hitched'?" Antoine protested. Max sighed, still thinking hard about the matter.
"You make a valid point lad! Tell you what, tonight I will be hosting a small get together. You know a hundred friends or so, just a small party! Why don't you get to know my daughter, get her to really like you! Woo her, so to speak."
"Woo? What ez thiz woo my lord?" Antoine tilted his head, not understanding.
"Never mind..." Max sighed.
At that moment one of the Acorn's servants marched up to Max and held out a list. "My lord, the guest list for tonight," the humble looking shrew handed the paper to Max.
"Excellent!" the ground squirrel exclaimed, as he looked it over. "Everything looks in order! Now go, hand out the invitations to the ones on this list my good man!"
The shrew bit his lower lip, "Uh yes sir, as you wish..." the servant took back the list and then made his way out of the room. Little did Max know that this particular servant could not read.
A little while latter, back on the streets of Mobotropolis, Sonic and Tails were on their way to visit a friend who was staying in Mobotropolis for a short vacation.
"I'm telling you Sonic, just picture Mina as a big, fat, ugly, seventy year old women and you will totally forget about her!" the fox suggested. Sonic stopped walking and narrowed his eyes at his friend.
"You're not helping Tails..."
At that moment the hedgehog felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. Sonic turned around and glanced downward at the short shrew looking up at him.
"Excuse me sir," the shrew asked politely, "but do you perhaps know how to read?"
"Yes," Sonic answered, not exactly sure what the shrew wanted.
"Would you mind reading this for me? I can't and I need to know who is on that list," The shrew responded, handing Sonic the list. The hedgehog glanced over the paper, his eyes panning each line. Tails leaned over Sonic's shoulder so he could see as well.
"Amadeus VonBowser and his three daughters. Count Bellvasheare and his beauteous sisters. Former Guardian of the Floating Island, Locke, his lovely wife Lara-Le and their son, present Guardian, Knuckles the Echidna. Uncle Acorn, his wife and children. My fair niece Mina Mongoose. And my nephew Geoffrey St. John." Sonic paused and looked over the list again. "That's one mondo long list! Where are they all going?"
"To my master Max Acorn's house for a small celebration," the shrew stated proudly, "Since you have been so much help, you are welcome to join us if you would like! That is, if you are not related to Jules Hedgehog of course," he added with a smile.
Sonic opened his mouth to state that he was in fact related to Jules but Tails promptly elbowed him in the stomach, causing the hedgehog to cringe in pain.
"We'd love to!" Tails grinned widely. The shrew nodded and then left. Sonic rubbed his aching stomach and glared at Tails.
"Why did you do that?" he growled.
"Because! Mina is going to be there! Along with a whole bunch of other beautiful girls! Let's go and I'll show you she's not worth all this pain you are feeling for her!" Tails explained his plan.
"The only pain I feel right now is the pain in my gut!" Sonic continued to glare at Tails for elbowing him in the stomach. Tails crossed his arms over his chest, ignoring that last remark. Sonic sighed and looked at the ground, thinking if crashing the Acorn's party was such a good idea. "I don't know, what if we get caught?"
"Knuckles is going! We'll just walk in with him!" Tails answered. He and Sonic were good friends with the Guardian. It was Knuckles who they were going to see before the Acorn's servant had asked for Sonic's help. "Come on Sonic! I bet there are girls there ten times prettier then Mina!" Tails pleaded, hoping his cousin would consider the opportunity.
"Like I said bud, no one is more beautiful then Mina! I guess we could go, but only because she will be there!" Sonic insisted. Tails sighed, annoyed with the hedgehog's stubbornness, but gave in. With that settled, the two continued their walk to visit Knuckles the Echidna.
***
Lady Alicia Acorn walked down the hall and into a large bedroom. The room looked as if it would belong to a teenage girl, for it was quite lovely with peach colored silk and satin drapes that hung over the canopy bed and over the arch that led to the balcony. Inside the room was a light brown rabbit folding cloths. This particular rabbit was no ordinary Mobian, for her legs and left arm were robotic.
"Good day Bunnie," Alicia greeted from the doorway. The rabbit quickly turned around at the sound of her name.
"Oh mah Lady! Forgive me! Ah didn't know ya'll were there!" Bunnie Rabbot, a Mobian from the Southern parts of Mobius, was the nurse to the Acorn's daughter. Her robotic limbs had been the outcome of a run in with the Roboticizer. Thankfully the process hadn't been completed and Bunnie was saved from this misfortune of loosing her free will. But that was a while back. The Acorns had hired her as a maid for sometime, but when Sally Alicia Acorn was born Bunnie became her personal nurse.
"That's quite alright! But tell me, would you happen to know where my daughter might be? I need to have a word with her if you don't mind." Alicia asked.
"Ah'll go an' fetch her at once mah lady!" Bunnie quickly walked out onto the balcony. She looked over the side and down into the courtyard garden. She spotted the teenager sitting under a willow tree reading peacefully. "Sally Girl! Ya'll get in here! Yer mother wishes to have a lil' word with ya!" she called down to Sally who glanced up from her book.
Sally beamed and immediately rose to her feet. It was a rare occasion when she was able to have a conversation with her mother. Lady Alicia was very busy and didn't exactly spend time getting to know her daughter. That's why Sally was much closer with Bunnie and saw her nurse as more of a second mother and best friend. The squirrel hurried up to her room and respectfully curtsied in front of her mother. Alicia smiled but her smile quickly faded when she looked over her daughter's attire.
"Sally Alicia Acorn! What are you wearing?!" her mother said in shock as she motioned to Sally's cloths. Instead of a traditional gown that girls in the Acorn's social class were expected to wear, Sally wore a more casual blue jean vest and matching boots. Bunnie slapped a hand on her forehead and shook her head in disappointment. Sally bit her lower lip and looked at the floor. Alicia continued to scold her child. "What happened to that beautiful dress your grandmother made for you?"
Sally cringed at the thought of the ugly pink dress that hung in her closet. "Well..." Sally searched for an excuse. Bunnie hated seeing the poor girl try and explain herself.
"Forgive me again mah lady, but that lil' ol' gown wasn't exactly Sally's size. The pretty lil' thing was just a tad bit too big for the girl! That's all!" Bunnie interrupted, as she put her hands on Sally's shoulders to comfort her. "Ah'll be hemmin the gown as soon as Ah can!" Sally smiled at Bunnie as if to thank her for her quick thinking.
"See to it that you do. And Sally dear, please put on some decent cloths! Imagine what people would think if they saw MY daughter in street wear! It's down right embarrassing you know!" Alicia sighed and massaged her temples, deciding to just drop the subject and move on to what she had come here to ask her daughter. She glanced up at the nurse who was brushing Sally's long maroon colored bangs out of the squirrel's eyes, sort of like something a mother would do. "Bunnie, would you mind if I had a word with my daughter? Alone?"
Sally and Bunnie looked at each other, a bit disappointed at Lady Alicia's request. But Bunnie smiled and gently patted Sally's cheek. Then she turned and faced Alicia. "As ya'll wish mah lady," Bunnie curtsied and then walked towards the door.
Alicia looked over to Sally and was about to open her mouth to say something when she realized that the nurse's presence might not be a bad idea. "Bunnie! On second thought why don't you stay here." Alicia realized that Sally actually spent more time with Bunnie then she did with her parents, which was why the rabbot knew almost everything there was to know about the young ground squirrel.
Bunnie smiled and quickly rushed back into the room, Sally hugged her. Alicia just simply nodded at the display of affection and continued. "Bunnie, do you know how old my daughter is?" she asked as she circled Sally, examining her daughter's every feature. The nurse smirked at the question and instantly started to ramble, one of her most annoying habits.
"Why Sally Girl ain't no more than sixteen! Why Ah remember when she weren't no higher then mah knee! She was such a darlin lil' thang! Sharp as a tack too! Always reading them books of hers! Yet that girl shore did have her head up in the clouds! Ah'd catch her daydreamin durin her classes more than once or twice!" Bunnie babbled on as Sally rolled her eyes. Alicia put her hand up to silence the rabbot.
"So! You say she's sixteen," Alicia tried to change the subject back to Sally's age.
"Shore is! Ain't that right suga?" Bunnie cooed as she gave Sally another hug. "Ah jus' hope I get to see the day when mah Sally Girl gets herself a man and settles down!"
"Marriage! That's what I came here to talk to you about Sally!" Alicia broke in, taking her daughter's hands in her own. "What are your thoughts on the subject dear?"
Sally thought about it for a second and then looked up at her mother. "Well...I guess it's never really interested me. I don't really care for it all that much. What I mean is I could do without it..." the teenager exclaimed.
Alicia frowned, "Now Sally, there are plenty of young ladies in Mobotropolis younger than you who have already been married and found good husbands! Now, you know that very handsome gentleman Antoine? What do you think of him?" she asked hopefully.
Bunnie's eyes lit up, "Antoine! Sally Girl, what a man! He's perfect for ya suga!" the rabbot said, trying to convince the teenage ground squirrel that the French coyote would make a good husband. Sally still wasn't sure.
"Yes! Indeed! He will be at the party tonight, so I want you to get to know him. Give him a chance my dear! I know you will like him if you just try to," Alicia pleaded. Sally looked at her mother and then to her nurse. She really wanted to make them both happy.
"I'll get to know Antoine and see what I think then. But only because you want me too," Sally finally responded. This made Alicia smile and she hugged her daughter.
"That's my girl! Now the party will start soon so I want you to be ready," Alicia instructed. She took one last look over Sally's cloths, ".... and please put on a dress dear!"
After Lady Alicia left the room, Bunnie immediately started to fuss over Sally's cloths and hair. The rabbot got to work and in no time at all, Sally Alicia Acorn looked like a princess.
***
Laughter broke the silence of the streets of Mobotropolis. A small crowd of teenage boys were making their way to the House of Acorn. Since night had come, they carried torches and they wore party masks decorated for the celebration. Among the group were three close friends, Sonic, Tails and Knuckles.
Knuckles the Echidna, who was in fact the Guardian of the Master Emerald on the Floating Island, had come down to Mobotropolis with his family for a vacation. He had been a great friend to Sonic and Tails. They had come by to visit him and when Tails explained his whole plan to cheer up Sonic, Knuckles was all for it. The echidna was the fun loving type, always ready for a party.
While the rest of the crowd was laughing and joking, Sonic stayed mostly quiet. He finally spoke up when Knuckles told him he was being a spoiled sport. "I don't know guys, I think I'll just stay home for the night..." the hedgehog moped.
Tails rolled his eyes and took Sonic by the arm. "No way! You're going and you're gonna like it!"
"Besides! What fun are you going to have at home? Seriously though, we'll just go to the party, hang out for a while and then scram! No big deal!" Knuckles insisted.
This still didn't put Sonic into a better mood. He just sighed and looked up at the starry sky. "I have a bad feeling about all this anyway, and after that dream I had last night..."
"Oh! Did ya hear that guys! A dream he says!" Knuckles snickered, causing the group to laugh. "Dreaming about Mina no doubt! I bet all he thinks about is that hot, tempting mongoose..."
"Knock it off Knux!" Sonic interrupted as he playfully punched Knuckles in the arm. But that didn't do much to shut the echidna up.
"Oh Sonic! Take me Sonic! I'm yours!" Knuckles mocked his friend as he spoke in a girly voice, imitating Mina. This brought about more laughter and hoots from the teens that accompanied the three friends. Sonic glared at Knuckles, but the echidna continued. "Chill out Sonic! Nothing is going to happen! Dreams are just stupid things that we think about when we sleep. That's why they make no sense! I had a dream where I was eating tuna flavored pudding and shoving duct tape up my nose, but did I stop to think it might mean something?"
Sonic shook his head, "It wasn't like that, it was different! I don't know what to think. All I know is that something is going to happen tonight and it feels mondo uncool..."
Knuckles and Tails shot confused glances at each other. Sonic just sighed and continued on. "Well I don't care, let fate do what it wants with this hedgehog. I've had enough of all this torture life throws at me. Come on, if we are going to this party then lets go already," Sonic walked ahead. Knuckles and Tails just shrugged and followed him, not knowing what to think.
***
In the giant ballroom of the Acorn's mansion, a party was taking place. A joyous celebration was unfolding as servants rushed from here to there, waiting on the guests and tending to the refreshments. Mobians of the upper class littered the dance floor. The women were dressed in beautiful flashy gowns while the men wore traditional, colorful masks that hid their faces.
Max Acorn, drink in hand, rose from his seat to toast the evenings' guests and thank everyone for coming. After a few encouraging words to convince the crowd to dance and have fun, he returned to his friends and they continued to chat and joke.
It was at this time that the group of teenagers from the street entered the party. They went their separate ways and browsed the party for young ladies to impress and show off to. Also browsing was Geoffrey St. John. The skunk made his way over to the refreshments, but his attention soon wandered to the blue hedgehog entering the room. Sonic pulled down his mask and walked through the crowd of dancing Mobians.
"Sonic?! What is that scum doing at OUR party?!" Geoffrey growled to himself. He wasted no time in stomping over to his uncle and tapping him on the shoulder. Max whirled around to face his nephew, a sloppy smile on his face. There was no hiding it; the ground squirrel had had a little too much Champaign. Geoffrey simply shrugged it off and began to tell his uncle what he saw. "Uncle! That no good hedgehog is here!" the skunk pointed in Sonic's direction.
Max slowly followed Geoffrey's pointed finger until he finally was able to locate the blue hedgehog. "Why Geoffrey! Isn't that the Jules' boy? Sonic I think his name is?" Max slurred.
Geoffrey let out an annoyed sigh. "Yes Uncle Max!" the skunk cracked his knuckles. "Want me to throw the bloke out of here?"
Max narrowed his eyes and tried to concentrate on his nephew. "Now, now! There will be none of that! The lad doesn't seem to be doing any harm. Leave him be!"
"But Uncle! He is a Hedgehog!"
"No buts Geoffrey! There will be no fighting at this party! Do I make myself clear?! Now go! Dance and forget about Sonic!" Max insisted. Geoffrey clenched his fists but obeyed his uncle. The skunk stormed out of the party, refusing to be in the room with his enemy.
Meanwhile, Sonic took Tails and Knuckles' advice and tried to enjoy himself. But the beautiful yellow mongoose talking with a bunch of other girls distracted him. The hedgehog sighed, "Like I would ever have a chance with her..." he thought to himself.
Across the room, a female ground squirrel wearing a blue gown trimmed with gold fabric was being bored to tears. Sally held back a yawn as she straightened the gold tiara that adorned her head. The poor girl was trying her best to listen to Antoine talk about himself. She smiled and nodded at every word he said; yet in reality she was forcing herself not to KO the coyote with her shoe. "Could this guy possibly get anymore self centered? Mom and Bunnie can just forget it! I can't possibly marry him!" Sally screamed in her mind.
Sonic decided standing in the corner for the rest of the night was his safest bet. "Maybe I'll have better luck blending in with the wall," he thought, even though the walls were gray. The hedgehog scanned the room for a quiet, dark corner he could hide in. But his eyes caught sight of something much more inviting.
Sally desperately needed to get away from the coyote. She had had enough of him and had only been talking to Antoine for ten minutes! "Feels more like ten years!" Sally commented in her head. The squirrel panned the room, looking for an escape route. But instead, she saw what she thought was the light at the end of a tunnel.
She was gorgeous! Just one glance at her was enough to keep Sonic staring at her radiant beauty. He couldn't possibly take his eyes off the magnificent wonder he saw before him. Sonic swallowed hard as he continued to stare. All thoughts of Mina Mongoose vanished in the blink of an eye.
He was like a knight in shining armor! He was so handsome and strong looking. Sally couldn't look away from him. Antoine's voice seemed to just fade away and soon became nothing more than a faint muffle in the distance. Everyone else in the room disappeared; he was the only one worth seeing.
"She's looking at me!" Sonic began to get nervous.
"He's looking at me!" Sally blushed like mad.
The squirrel's thoughts of romance were interrupted by an annoying French accent. "Sally, are you listening to moi?"
Sally blinked and looked back at the coyote. "Oh! Antoine! Yes! Uh...please continue!" she blurted out, trying to cover up the fact that she hadn't been listening to a word he said. Antoine simply shrugged and continued talking. Sally sighed as she pretended to pay attention to Antoine, but her eyes wandered back over to the spot she had last seen Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome. She was dismayed to find him gone. She let out another disappointed sigh and looked back at Antoine. She really wished he would shut up, and the thought of drowning him in the punch bowl was actually quite appealing. Much to Sally's relief, her father broke into the one sided conversation.
"Antoine my boy! Ah! I see you've found my daughter! Quite a piece of work she is, eh?" Lord Max laughed as he put his arm around Antoine. Sally noticed the drink in her father's hand and the distinct aroma of alcohol on his breath that caused her sensitive nose to twitch. She rolled her eyes at her drunken parent. Antoine, oblivious to Max's condition, just smiled.
"Well lad! Join us over here! I have people who want to meet you, you cheeky fellow you!" Max chuckled and staggered off.
"If you are to be excusing me Sally," Antoine said as he took Sally's hand and kissed the back of it. Sally wanted to throw up right there and then, but she was grateful to see him leave.
"Thank Mobius! I thought he would never leave!" she blurted out to herself. She glanced around the room, hoping to find that mystery man, but to no avail. Convincing herself he was gone for good, she walked over to a nearby pillar and leaned up against it. Sally closed her eyes and tried to think of something else. Her daydream was brought to a halt when she felt something gently take her hand.
Sally opened her eyes and slowly glanced down at her hand and a white-glove was what she saw. She slowly trailed the hand back to its owner who was standing behind the pillar, peaking his head out and smiling up at her. Sally blinked as she stared at the emerald green eyes that stared back at her.
"Sorry if I'm making you feel uncomfortable but I couldn't help myself," Sonic smirked, and then gently kissed her hand. "I'll leave if you want."
Sally blushed again and smiled, setting her other hand on top of his. "If you wanted my attention, you have it." she said as Sonic walked out from behind the pillar. "Is it not customary to greet another with a hand shake when first meeting them?" she asked with a grin.
"Only a hand shake?" Sonic grinned back. The hedgehog seemed to be lost in Sally's crystal blue eyes. He hadn't realized how close they were to each other. Their faces were only inches apart.
"Are there other ways to greet someone?" Sally asked as her hands slowly moved up to his shoulders. Sonic placed his own hands on her waist.
"There are a few but only one comes to mind at the moment..." the hedgehog trailed off as he moved even closer to the squirrel. Sally in turn tilted her head farther up.
"You mean instead of hands..." Sally never finished her sentence.
At that moment, the squirrel and hedgehog, after seeing each other for the first time, not even knowing whom the other was, nor caring, shared their first kiss. A kiss so passionate, so romantic it seemed to last forever. It was love at first sight. A love like no other.
Finally, the two slowly pulled apart, gazing into each other's eyes once again. Neither of them could find words to describe what they had just felt. Only one came to mind.
"Wow..." they both said in unison making the other smile.
A voice calling from the staircase caused Sally to break apart from her newfound love. Sonic turned to see what had made her jump.
"Sally Girl! Yer mother wants a word with ya'll!" Bunnie rushed up to Sally and pushed her in the direction she had come. The squirrel glanced back at Sonic, a hurt look in her eyes. She didn't want to leave him, not yet. But Sally hurried up the stairs to her mother, hoping she could rush back to the hedgehog.
Sonic watched as she left. His heart longed to be near hers again. But he turned to the rabbot that was walking away. He quickly reached out and put a hand on Bunnie's shoulder. The nurse turned to face Sonic.
"Excuse me miss, but who is her mother?" Sonic asked desperately.
Bunnie looked Sonic over and smiled. "Sally's? Why the woman of this house suga! Lady Alicia Acorn! Who else?" With his question answered, Bunnie turned and walked away.
Hearing the last name made Sonic feel like he was hit with a ton of bricks. "A-Acorn? She's an Acorn? My family's enemy...NOT cool!"
Sonic felt a tug on his arm and looked to his left to see Tails. "Come on Sonic! We have to go! NOW!" the fox pulled his friend toward the door.
Sally leaned over the railing and looked down over the crowd hoping to see the hedgehog. When she saw him heading towards the door her heart sunk. Bunnie walked up beside her. "You alright suga?"
"Bunnie...who is that?" Sally sighed as she watched the fox pull Sonic through the crowd. Bunnie shrugged.
"Not right shore..."
"Could you go and ask him for me?" Sally pleaded. Bunnie smiled and quickly hurried after the hedgehog stopping him before he got to the door. Sally watched carefully as Bunnie and the hedgehog exchanged words. She smiled excitedly when the rabbot came hurrying back up the stairs. But the expression on her nurse's face didn't please Sally one bit.
"He's a Hedgehog!" Bunnie blurted out.
Sally rolled her eyes, "Well I can see that!"
"No Suga! Ah mean he's Sonic the Hedgehog! Son of Jules Hedgehog!"
The squirrel's eyes widened and she felt faint, "F-From the H-House of H-Hedgehog?" Bunnie nodded in response. It was obvious to her that Sally had fallen for this boy. The rabbot didn't know what to say. Sally slowly regained her senses and recovered from the shock. She sighed heavily and didn't look up. "I'll...be in my room..." With that, Sally turned and walked down the hall.
"Oh Sonic, why must love be so awful to us..." she whispered as she entered her room, closing the door behind her.
***End of Chapter***
(A/N: ok guys, what do you think? Want me to keep posting more or are you ready to strangle me? If so, post a review and state your opinion. I'm not picky so if I get at least ONE person who wants me to keep posting more, I will. TTFN ^^)
"Vector you sissy! You call that an insult?" Nack, a purple colored weasel, laughed at his friend.
"Yours was no better you poor excuse for a Mobian!" retorted Vector, a green crocodile. He swished his large whip like tail at Nack, who jumped out of the way.
"That was pathetic!" Nack smirked. The two continued to goof off until Vector spotted a familiar armadillo. He jabbed Nack in the side and pointed over in that direction.
"Isn't that Mighty? One of those good for nothing servants for the Hedgehog family?"
Nack craned his neck over Vector's shoulder, spotting the red armadillo walking with the purple chameleon. "Yea! And that's Espio with him!" he glared at the two rival servants. "Look at them! Acting all high and mighty!"
Vector grinned as an idea formed in his mind. "Watch me put those two losers in their place!"
Nack, though confused, followed his friend over to the Hedgehog's servants.
"Well look what crawled out of the sewers, Nack!" Vector smirked, thrusting an accusing thumb at their foes.
"I beg your pardon?" Mighty the Armadillo whirled around to face the crocodile. He rolled his eyes when he saw it was Vector. "Look in a mirror why don't you! Crocodiles roll around in sewers, not dignified armadillos!"
Vector snorted at the comment and gripped the handle of his sword. "Why you little..."
"Vec! What are you doing?" Nack interrupted and placed a hand on his comrade's shoulder.
Vector brushed him off, "Teaching this scum a lesson!" he growled as he unsheathed his sword. Mighty mimicked the action and produced his own weapon as well. In a matter of seconds, the clang of metal against metal echoed through the market place. Mobian citizens screamed and gathered up their children as they fled the scene, though some crowded around to watch the fight ensue.
Miles Prower, better known as Tails due to the fact that he had two of them, happened to be in the market place at the time. Young Tails, a relative to the Hedgehog family, was peacefully browsing the market shops when he was interrupted by the sound of a quarrel. The young two tailed fox's large, pointed ears twitched as he detected the sound of swordplay. By intertwining his unique set of tails, the kitsune was able to fly over the crowd, sort of like a helicopter. Tails landed inside the circle where Vector and Mighty fought.
"STOP! Both of you!" Tails shouted over the clang of the swords, catching the servant's attention. "Do you have any idea what Prince Elias will do if he catches you fighting again?" With that said, Tails snatched the sword from Mighty's hand.
"Starting fights again, eh Tails?" a thick Australian voice from behind snickered. Tails spun around to see a tall skunk make his way through the crowd. Tails glared at the skunk, but kept calm.
"You think this is my doing Geoffrey? I was trying to stop them! Can't I take a walk in peace without having to deal with all this fighting?" the rustic orange fox snapped.
"Peace?" sneered Geoffrey St. John, relative to the Acorn family. "I hate the word! Jus' like I hate the House of Hedgehogs!" he spat. The skunk produced his own sword and pointed it at Tails. "You want a fight mate? Well I'll give you a fight!" Geoffrey hissed as he swung the blade.
Tails blocked the attack with the sword he had taken away from Mighty. "I don't want to fight!"
"Then die!" Geoffrey swung his sword at Tails again. This time the fox ducked, just nearly missing the blade.
Lord and Lady Acorn had also been in the market place as well. The sounds of their nephew Geoffrey lured them to the fight. Yet the two squirrels were unaware of their enemy's presence. Lord and Lady Hedgehog, were also attracted to the large crowd. Lord Acorn gasped when he saw the hedgehogs.
"Jules Hedgehog! That fiend! Figures this would all be his fault! Alicia!" Max Acorn addressed his wife, "Where is my sword? Give it to me!"
Lady Alicia Acorn rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "You are like a child Max! Where ever there is trouble you have to join in!" the female ground squirrel scolded her husband.
"Jules! Calm yourself! Let them be!" Lady Bernadette, a purple hedgehog, tried to hold back her own spouse.
"Let go Bernie! I won't hurt that Acorn scum...much," Lord Jules, a blue hedgehog, struggled against his wife's grasp.
Unfortunately for the Acorns and Hedgehogs, Prince Elias, ruler of Mobotropolis, was making his daily rounds in the market place. It wasn't long until the fighting caught the ground squirrel's attention. The royal stomped over to the large crowd of Mobians, who cleared a path for him the second they realized who he was. Elias wasn't surprised at all to find the troublesome skunk trying to make shish-ka-bob out of the young fox.
"Geoffrey! Fighting?! AGAIN! I can't believe this!" Prince Elias roared but then paused, "Scratch that...I CAN believe this! Why is it that every time I see you Geoffrey, you have a sword pointed at someone?"
"That's a lie!" Geoffrey protested and out of reflex, pointed his sword at the Prince. Elias put his hands on his hips and narrowed his eyes at the skunk. It took Geoffrey a second to realize he had just contradicted himself. "...Sorry your majesty," he apologized and slowly lowered his sword.
Elias let out an annoyed sigh and he rubbed his temples. He had just about enough of all the fighting and this little out burst was the last straw. The Acorns and Hedgehogs had been rivals ever since he could remember. They never passed up an opportunity to harass each other and the Prince was tired of always having to break up the fights.
"Listen up!" Elias shouted over the crowd, silencing them instantly. He glanced over at both families with anger in his eyes. "Your fighting has to come to a stop or I just might go crazy! I will not warn you again! The next time I see an Acorn or Hedgehog in this situation, the penalty will be death! And that is FINAL!" Prince Elias growled at the two families. With that said, the ruler of Mobotropolis stormed out of the crowd, leaving the Acorns and Hedgehogs in a state of shock.
After the Acorns had left, Lord Jules finally broke the silence and turned to his nephew, Tails. "Who started this?" he asked simply.
"The Acorn servants and our own were fighting when I got here. I tried to stop them but then that jerk Geoffrey got in the way!" Tails protested, explaining his side of the story.
"Thank goodness Sonic wasn't here to witness this!" Lady Bernadette sighed, referring to her son, Sonic Hedgehog. "Heaven knows what would have happened then!"
"Where is that boy of mine any way?" Jules asked as he glanced around the market place in search of his son.
Tails pointed in the direction of the Mobotropolis Park entrance. "I saw him this morning in the park. He looked like he wanted to be alone so I just walked away. Sonic hasn't been himself lately, rather slow if you know what I mean."
Jules nodded, "He has been acting rather odd lately, locking himself in his room and refusing to converse with anyone at all!"
"I'm beginning to worry about him...will you talk to him Tails? He listens to you," Bernadette asked.
"No problem. I am actually quite curious about what has made my cousin into such a Slow Mo," Tails joked as he twirled his twin tails and flew over to the park.
As the fox hovered over the beautiful public park he instantly spotted the cobalt hedgehog with bright red sneakers throwing stones at his reflection in a pond. Tails landed behind his cousin and put on his best smile.
"Morning Sonic!" the fox greeted as he walked up beside the depressed teenager. Sonic didn't glance up but instead threw another stone into the water.
"Morning?" the hedgehog questioned, still not looking up from what he was doing.
"Yea, It's just about 9:00," Tails glanced down at his wristwatch. Sonic sighed and then continued to chuck the rocks into the pond. He didn't seem to realize or care about the time at all. Tails had had enough of this silence from his cousin and best friend. Sonic was usually very talkative, in fact, it was hard to get him to shut up sometimes. Tails snapped when a thought came to his mind.
"How about we race back to your house Sonic?" Tails suggested, hoping a race would cheer up his cousin. Sonic shook his head no and sat down on the grass, he had run out of stones to throw.
Now Tails knew there was something wrong. Sonic never passed up an opportunity to race someone. It was no secret; Sonic Hedgehog was the fastest thing on Mobius! And I don't mean fast as in running a mile in a couple minutes, I'm talking about the speed of sound fast! His parents called him Sonic for a reason.
"Sonic what's up with you?" Tails tapped his foot impatiently waiting for an answer.
Sonic sighed again, "She plagues my dreams Tails! All I see is that beautiful face!"
Tails raised an eyebrow, confused at first. But it didn't take long for the fox to understand what his cousin was talking about; he decided to test his theory. "What do you mean?"
"Isn't it obvious Tails? I am in love with this girl! I swear! She has to be the most beautiful thing this hedgehog has ever laid eyes on!" Sonic blurted out.
Tails was now intrigued and his eyes lit up with interest. "Really? Who?"
Sonic smiled as he thought about his crush, "The way past cool Mina Mongoose!" said the hedgehog, who seemed to go weak at the mere sound of her name. Tails snickered at the dopey look on his cousin's face. But then Sonic sighed again and stared at the ground, resuming his depressed look.
"So why do you look so down in the dumps?" Now Tails was confused again.
Sonic let out another sigh, "Because! Mina doesn't love me back! She's defiantly not interested in me, that's for sure! She even said she doesn't want a guy in her life! EVER!" Sonic buried his head is his gloved hands. "Tails, what am I going to do?"
Tails put a hand on Sonic's shoulder, "Chill Sonic! It's just one girl! There are tons more out there! Come on, let's go to the market place and scope some out!" said the fox, trying to persuade his friend to forget about Mina and move on. But Sonic, being the stubborn hedgehog he is, wouldn't listen.
"Are you crazy?! I can't stop thinking about Mina! She's too perfect! I'll never see anyone the way I see her! No one could ever be that beautiful!" Sonic jumped to his feet.
"Sonic, listen to reason! This girl is obviously not your type, forget about her!" Tails tried to convince the hedgehog longing for Mina was a lost cause, which it was.
"Ha! You'd have to teach me how to forget, Tails!" Sonic crossed his arms over his chest. But Tails was determined to help his friend.
"I might not be able to do anything about teaching you to forget, but I know someone who will knock some sense into you!" the two-tailed fox stated as he grabbed Sonic's hand and practically dragged the hedgehog behind him.
***
"Jules won't try anything! He knows what the Prince will do to either of us if he does. Besides, we are both gentlemen! It shouldn't be too hard for us to keep the peace!" Max Acorn babbled on and on to the coyote walking beside him.
After the incident at the market place, the Acorns had returned home. Upon entering the door, Max was greeted by a familiar face. Antoine D'Coolette, a coyote from the French parts of Mobius, had been a friend of The House of Acorn for a while now. Max saw Antoine as a real gentleman, sort of like the son he never had. He simply dismissed the fact that the coyote butchered the English language like it was a side of beef. Antoine had never exactly bothered to perfect his English and talked in a very thick French accent.
"I am to be agreeing with you my lord! Both of you are how do you zay, hon`-or-a-bowel?" Antoine exclaimed, pronouncing the H.
"That's 'honorable' Antoine my boy," Max chuckled.
"This waz not what I waz saying?" Antoine looked a little confused when the ground squirrel corrected him.
"Well! Didn't you have something to ask me lad?" Max changed the subject. Antoine nodded.
"Oui my lord! I waz to be asking you about your daughter, Sally." Antoine said, referring to Max's only child, Sally Alicia Acorn.
"Ah yes! My dear Sally! What about her?"
"I would be liking to know if I could be, how do you say, taking her hand in marriage?" Antoine asked casually, like it was no big deal. Max stopped walking and thought for a second.
"Well...Sally is only sixteen, I'm not sure if she's ready for marriage yet..."
"But zare are being younger womens then her zat are, how you say, 'hitched'?" Antoine protested. Max sighed, still thinking hard about the matter.
"You make a valid point lad! Tell you what, tonight I will be hosting a small get together. You know a hundred friends or so, just a small party! Why don't you get to know my daughter, get her to really like you! Woo her, so to speak."
"Woo? What ez thiz woo my lord?" Antoine tilted his head, not understanding.
"Never mind..." Max sighed.
At that moment one of the Acorn's servants marched up to Max and held out a list. "My lord, the guest list for tonight," the humble looking shrew handed the paper to Max.
"Excellent!" the ground squirrel exclaimed, as he looked it over. "Everything looks in order! Now go, hand out the invitations to the ones on this list my good man!"
The shrew bit his lower lip, "Uh yes sir, as you wish..." the servant took back the list and then made his way out of the room. Little did Max know that this particular servant could not read.
A little while latter, back on the streets of Mobotropolis, Sonic and Tails were on their way to visit a friend who was staying in Mobotropolis for a short vacation.
"I'm telling you Sonic, just picture Mina as a big, fat, ugly, seventy year old women and you will totally forget about her!" the fox suggested. Sonic stopped walking and narrowed his eyes at his friend.
"You're not helping Tails..."
At that moment the hedgehog felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. Sonic turned around and glanced downward at the short shrew looking up at him.
"Excuse me sir," the shrew asked politely, "but do you perhaps know how to read?"
"Yes," Sonic answered, not exactly sure what the shrew wanted.
"Would you mind reading this for me? I can't and I need to know who is on that list," The shrew responded, handing Sonic the list. The hedgehog glanced over the paper, his eyes panning each line. Tails leaned over Sonic's shoulder so he could see as well.
"Amadeus VonBowser and his three daughters. Count Bellvasheare and his beauteous sisters. Former Guardian of the Floating Island, Locke, his lovely wife Lara-Le and their son, present Guardian, Knuckles the Echidna. Uncle Acorn, his wife and children. My fair niece Mina Mongoose. And my nephew Geoffrey St. John." Sonic paused and looked over the list again. "That's one mondo long list! Where are they all going?"
"To my master Max Acorn's house for a small celebration," the shrew stated proudly, "Since you have been so much help, you are welcome to join us if you would like! That is, if you are not related to Jules Hedgehog of course," he added with a smile.
Sonic opened his mouth to state that he was in fact related to Jules but Tails promptly elbowed him in the stomach, causing the hedgehog to cringe in pain.
"We'd love to!" Tails grinned widely. The shrew nodded and then left. Sonic rubbed his aching stomach and glared at Tails.
"Why did you do that?" he growled.
"Because! Mina is going to be there! Along with a whole bunch of other beautiful girls! Let's go and I'll show you she's not worth all this pain you are feeling for her!" Tails explained his plan.
"The only pain I feel right now is the pain in my gut!" Sonic continued to glare at Tails for elbowing him in the stomach. Tails crossed his arms over his chest, ignoring that last remark. Sonic sighed and looked at the ground, thinking if crashing the Acorn's party was such a good idea. "I don't know, what if we get caught?"
"Knuckles is going! We'll just walk in with him!" Tails answered. He and Sonic were good friends with the Guardian. It was Knuckles who they were going to see before the Acorn's servant had asked for Sonic's help. "Come on Sonic! I bet there are girls there ten times prettier then Mina!" Tails pleaded, hoping his cousin would consider the opportunity.
"Like I said bud, no one is more beautiful then Mina! I guess we could go, but only because she will be there!" Sonic insisted. Tails sighed, annoyed with the hedgehog's stubbornness, but gave in. With that settled, the two continued their walk to visit Knuckles the Echidna.
***
Lady Alicia Acorn walked down the hall and into a large bedroom. The room looked as if it would belong to a teenage girl, for it was quite lovely with peach colored silk and satin drapes that hung over the canopy bed and over the arch that led to the balcony. Inside the room was a light brown rabbit folding cloths. This particular rabbit was no ordinary Mobian, for her legs and left arm were robotic.
"Good day Bunnie," Alicia greeted from the doorway. The rabbit quickly turned around at the sound of her name.
"Oh mah Lady! Forgive me! Ah didn't know ya'll were there!" Bunnie Rabbot, a Mobian from the Southern parts of Mobius, was the nurse to the Acorn's daughter. Her robotic limbs had been the outcome of a run in with the Roboticizer. Thankfully the process hadn't been completed and Bunnie was saved from this misfortune of loosing her free will. But that was a while back. The Acorns had hired her as a maid for sometime, but when Sally Alicia Acorn was born Bunnie became her personal nurse.
"That's quite alright! But tell me, would you happen to know where my daughter might be? I need to have a word with her if you don't mind." Alicia asked.
"Ah'll go an' fetch her at once mah lady!" Bunnie quickly walked out onto the balcony. She looked over the side and down into the courtyard garden. She spotted the teenager sitting under a willow tree reading peacefully. "Sally Girl! Ya'll get in here! Yer mother wishes to have a lil' word with ya!" she called down to Sally who glanced up from her book.
Sally beamed and immediately rose to her feet. It was a rare occasion when she was able to have a conversation with her mother. Lady Alicia was very busy and didn't exactly spend time getting to know her daughter. That's why Sally was much closer with Bunnie and saw her nurse as more of a second mother and best friend. The squirrel hurried up to her room and respectfully curtsied in front of her mother. Alicia smiled but her smile quickly faded when she looked over her daughter's attire.
"Sally Alicia Acorn! What are you wearing?!" her mother said in shock as she motioned to Sally's cloths. Instead of a traditional gown that girls in the Acorn's social class were expected to wear, Sally wore a more casual blue jean vest and matching boots. Bunnie slapped a hand on her forehead and shook her head in disappointment. Sally bit her lower lip and looked at the floor. Alicia continued to scold her child. "What happened to that beautiful dress your grandmother made for you?"
Sally cringed at the thought of the ugly pink dress that hung in her closet. "Well..." Sally searched for an excuse. Bunnie hated seeing the poor girl try and explain herself.
"Forgive me again mah lady, but that lil' ol' gown wasn't exactly Sally's size. The pretty lil' thing was just a tad bit too big for the girl! That's all!" Bunnie interrupted, as she put her hands on Sally's shoulders to comfort her. "Ah'll be hemmin the gown as soon as Ah can!" Sally smiled at Bunnie as if to thank her for her quick thinking.
"See to it that you do. And Sally dear, please put on some decent cloths! Imagine what people would think if they saw MY daughter in street wear! It's down right embarrassing you know!" Alicia sighed and massaged her temples, deciding to just drop the subject and move on to what she had come here to ask her daughter. She glanced up at the nurse who was brushing Sally's long maroon colored bangs out of the squirrel's eyes, sort of like something a mother would do. "Bunnie, would you mind if I had a word with my daughter? Alone?"
Sally and Bunnie looked at each other, a bit disappointed at Lady Alicia's request. But Bunnie smiled and gently patted Sally's cheek. Then she turned and faced Alicia. "As ya'll wish mah lady," Bunnie curtsied and then walked towards the door.
Alicia looked over to Sally and was about to open her mouth to say something when she realized that the nurse's presence might not be a bad idea. "Bunnie! On second thought why don't you stay here." Alicia realized that Sally actually spent more time with Bunnie then she did with her parents, which was why the rabbot knew almost everything there was to know about the young ground squirrel.
Bunnie smiled and quickly rushed back into the room, Sally hugged her. Alicia just simply nodded at the display of affection and continued. "Bunnie, do you know how old my daughter is?" she asked as she circled Sally, examining her daughter's every feature. The nurse smirked at the question and instantly started to ramble, one of her most annoying habits.
"Why Sally Girl ain't no more than sixteen! Why Ah remember when she weren't no higher then mah knee! She was such a darlin lil' thang! Sharp as a tack too! Always reading them books of hers! Yet that girl shore did have her head up in the clouds! Ah'd catch her daydreamin durin her classes more than once or twice!" Bunnie babbled on as Sally rolled her eyes. Alicia put her hand up to silence the rabbot.
"So! You say she's sixteen," Alicia tried to change the subject back to Sally's age.
"Shore is! Ain't that right suga?" Bunnie cooed as she gave Sally another hug. "Ah jus' hope I get to see the day when mah Sally Girl gets herself a man and settles down!"
"Marriage! That's what I came here to talk to you about Sally!" Alicia broke in, taking her daughter's hands in her own. "What are your thoughts on the subject dear?"
Sally thought about it for a second and then looked up at her mother. "Well...I guess it's never really interested me. I don't really care for it all that much. What I mean is I could do without it..." the teenager exclaimed.
Alicia frowned, "Now Sally, there are plenty of young ladies in Mobotropolis younger than you who have already been married and found good husbands! Now, you know that very handsome gentleman Antoine? What do you think of him?" she asked hopefully.
Bunnie's eyes lit up, "Antoine! Sally Girl, what a man! He's perfect for ya suga!" the rabbot said, trying to convince the teenage ground squirrel that the French coyote would make a good husband. Sally still wasn't sure.
"Yes! Indeed! He will be at the party tonight, so I want you to get to know him. Give him a chance my dear! I know you will like him if you just try to," Alicia pleaded. Sally looked at her mother and then to her nurse. She really wanted to make them both happy.
"I'll get to know Antoine and see what I think then. But only because you want me too," Sally finally responded. This made Alicia smile and she hugged her daughter.
"That's my girl! Now the party will start soon so I want you to be ready," Alicia instructed. She took one last look over Sally's cloths, ".... and please put on a dress dear!"
After Lady Alicia left the room, Bunnie immediately started to fuss over Sally's cloths and hair. The rabbot got to work and in no time at all, Sally Alicia Acorn looked like a princess.
***
Laughter broke the silence of the streets of Mobotropolis. A small crowd of teenage boys were making their way to the House of Acorn. Since night had come, they carried torches and they wore party masks decorated for the celebration. Among the group were three close friends, Sonic, Tails and Knuckles.
Knuckles the Echidna, who was in fact the Guardian of the Master Emerald on the Floating Island, had come down to Mobotropolis with his family for a vacation. He had been a great friend to Sonic and Tails. They had come by to visit him and when Tails explained his whole plan to cheer up Sonic, Knuckles was all for it. The echidna was the fun loving type, always ready for a party.
While the rest of the crowd was laughing and joking, Sonic stayed mostly quiet. He finally spoke up when Knuckles told him he was being a spoiled sport. "I don't know guys, I think I'll just stay home for the night..." the hedgehog moped.
Tails rolled his eyes and took Sonic by the arm. "No way! You're going and you're gonna like it!"
"Besides! What fun are you going to have at home? Seriously though, we'll just go to the party, hang out for a while and then scram! No big deal!" Knuckles insisted.
This still didn't put Sonic into a better mood. He just sighed and looked up at the starry sky. "I have a bad feeling about all this anyway, and after that dream I had last night..."
"Oh! Did ya hear that guys! A dream he says!" Knuckles snickered, causing the group to laugh. "Dreaming about Mina no doubt! I bet all he thinks about is that hot, tempting mongoose..."
"Knock it off Knux!" Sonic interrupted as he playfully punched Knuckles in the arm. But that didn't do much to shut the echidna up.
"Oh Sonic! Take me Sonic! I'm yours!" Knuckles mocked his friend as he spoke in a girly voice, imitating Mina. This brought about more laughter and hoots from the teens that accompanied the three friends. Sonic glared at Knuckles, but the echidna continued. "Chill out Sonic! Nothing is going to happen! Dreams are just stupid things that we think about when we sleep. That's why they make no sense! I had a dream where I was eating tuna flavored pudding and shoving duct tape up my nose, but did I stop to think it might mean something?"
Sonic shook his head, "It wasn't like that, it was different! I don't know what to think. All I know is that something is going to happen tonight and it feels mondo uncool..."
Knuckles and Tails shot confused glances at each other. Sonic just sighed and continued on. "Well I don't care, let fate do what it wants with this hedgehog. I've had enough of all this torture life throws at me. Come on, if we are going to this party then lets go already," Sonic walked ahead. Knuckles and Tails just shrugged and followed him, not knowing what to think.
***
In the giant ballroom of the Acorn's mansion, a party was taking place. A joyous celebration was unfolding as servants rushed from here to there, waiting on the guests and tending to the refreshments. Mobians of the upper class littered the dance floor. The women were dressed in beautiful flashy gowns while the men wore traditional, colorful masks that hid their faces.
Max Acorn, drink in hand, rose from his seat to toast the evenings' guests and thank everyone for coming. After a few encouraging words to convince the crowd to dance and have fun, he returned to his friends and they continued to chat and joke.
It was at this time that the group of teenagers from the street entered the party. They went their separate ways and browsed the party for young ladies to impress and show off to. Also browsing was Geoffrey St. John. The skunk made his way over to the refreshments, but his attention soon wandered to the blue hedgehog entering the room. Sonic pulled down his mask and walked through the crowd of dancing Mobians.
"Sonic?! What is that scum doing at OUR party?!" Geoffrey growled to himself. He wasted no time in stomping over to his uncle and tapping him on the shoulder. Max whirled around to face his nephew, a sloppy smile on his face. There was no hiding it; the ground squirrel had had a little too much Champaign. Geoffrey simply shrugged it off and began to tell his uncle what he saw. "Uncle! That no good hedgehog is here!" the skunk pointed in Sonic's direction.
Max slowly followed Geoffrey's pointed finger until he finally was able to locate the blue hedgehog. "Why Geoffrey! Isn't that the Jules' boy? Sonic I think his name is?" Max slurred.
Geoffrey let out an annoyed sigh. "Yes Uncle Max!" the skunk cracked his knuckles. "Want me to throw the bloke out of here?"
Max narrowed his eyes and tried to concentrate on his nephew. "Now, now! There will be none of that! The lad doesn't seem to be doing any harm. Leave him be!"
"But Uncle! He is a Hedgehog!"
"No buts Geoffrey! There will be no fighting at this party! Do I make myself clear?! Now go! Dance and forget about Sonic!" Max insisted. Geoffrey clenched his fists but obeyed his uncle. The skunk stormed out of the party, refusing to be in the room with his enemy.
Meanwhile, Sonic took Tails and Knuckles' advice and tried to enjoy himself. But the beautiful yellow mongoose talking with a bunch of other girls distracted him. The hedgehog sighed, "Like I would ever have a chance with her..." he thought to himself.
Across the room, a female ground squirrel wearing a blue gown trimmed with gold fabric was being bored to tears. Sally held back a yawn as she straightened the gold tiara that adorned her head. The poor girl was trying her best to listen to Antoine talk about himself. She smiled and nodded at every word he said; yet in reality she was forcing herself not to KO the coyote with her shoe. "Could this guy possibly get anymore self centered? Mom and Bunnie can just forget it! I can't possibly marry him!" Sally screamed in her mind.
Sonic decided standing in the corner for the rest of the night was his safest bet. "Maybe I'll have better luck blending in with the wall," he thought, even though the walls were gray. The hedgehog scanned the room for a quiet, dark corner he could hide in. But his eyes caught sight of something much more inviting.
Sally desperately needed to get away from the coyote. She had had enough of him and had only been talking to Antoine for ten minutes! "Feels more like ten years!" Sally commented in her head. The squirrel panned the room, looking for an escape route. But instead, she saw what she thought was the light at the end of a tunnel.
She was gorgeous! Just one glance at her was enough to keep Sonic staring at her radiant beauty. He couldn't possibly take his eyes off the magnificent wonder he saw before him. Sonic swallowed hard as he continued to stare. All thoughts of Mina Mongoose vanished in the blink of an eye.
He was like a knight in shining armor! He was so handsome and strong looking. Sally couldn't look away from him. Antoine's voice seemed to just fade away and soon became nothing more than a faint muffle in the distance. Everyone else in the room disappeared; he was the only one worth seeing.
"She's looking at me!" Sonic began to get nervous.
"He's looking at me!" Sally blushed like mad.
The squirrel's thoughts of romance were interrupted by an annoying French accent. "Sally, are you listening to moi?"
Sally blinked and looked back at the coyote. "Oh! Antoine! Yes! Uh...please continue!" she blurted out, trying to cover up the fact that she hadn't been listening to a word he said. Antoine simply shrugged and continued talking. Sally sighed as she pretended to pay attention to Antoine, but her eyes wandered back over to the spot she had last seen Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome. She was dismayed to find him gone. She let out another disappointed sigh and looked back at Antoine. She really wished he would shut up, and the thought of drowning him in the punch bowl was actually quite appealing. Much to Sally's relief, her father broke into the one sided conversation.
"Antoine my boy! Ah! I see you've found my daughter! Quite a piece of work she is, eh?" Lord Max laughed as he put his arm around Antoine. Sally noticed the drink in her father's hand and the distinct aroma of alcohol on his breath that caused her sensitive nose to twitch. She rolled her eyes at her drunken parent. Antoine, oblivious to Max's condition, just smiled.
"Well lad! Join us over here! I have people who want to meet you, you cheeky fellow you!" Max chuckled and staggered off.
"If you are to be excusing me Sally," Antoine said as he took Sally's hand and kissed the back of it. Sally wanted to throw up right there and then, but she was grateful to see him leave.
"Thank Mobius! I thought he would never leave!" she blurted out to herself. She glanced around the room, hoping to find that mystery man, but to no avail. Convincing herself he was gone for good, she walked over to a nearby pillar and leaned up against it. Sally closed her eyes and tried to think of something else. Her daydream was brought to a halt when she felt something gently take her hand.
Sally opened her eyes and slowly glanced down at her hand and a white-glove was what she saw. She slowly trailed the hand back to its owner who was standing behind the pillar, peaking his head out and smiling up at her. Sally blinked as she stared at the emerald green eyes that stared back at her.
"Sorry if I'm making you feel uncomfortable but I couldn't help myself," Sonic smirked, and then gently kissed her hand. "I'll leave if you want."
Sally blushed again and smiled, setting her other hand on top of his. "If you wanted my attention, you have it." she said as Sonic walked out from behind the pillar. "Is it not customary to greet another with a hand shake when first meeting them?" she asked with a grin.
"Only a hand shake?" Sonic grinned back. The hedgehog seemed to be lost in Sally's crystal blue eyes. He hadn't realized how close they were to each other. Their faces were only inches apart.
"Are there other ways to greet someone?" Sally asked as her hands slowly moved up to his shoulders. Sonic placed his own hands on her waist.
"There are a few but only one comes to mind at the moment..." the hedgehog trailed off as he moved even closer to the squirrel. Sally in turn tilted her head farther up.
"You mean instead of hands..." Sally never finished her sentence.
At that moment, the squirrel and hedgehog, after seeing each other for the first time, not even knowing whom the other was, nor caring, shared their first kiss. A kiss so passionate, so romantic it seemed to last forever. It was love at first sight. A love like no other.
Finally, the two slowly pulled apart, gazing into each other's eyes once again. Neither of them could find words to describe what they had just felt. Only one came to mind.
"Wow..." they both said in unison making the other smile.
A voice calling from the staircase caused Sally to break apart from her newfound love. Sonic turned to see what had made her jump.
"Sally Girl! Yer mother wants a word with ya'll!" Bunnie rushed up to Sally and pushed her in the direction she had come. The squirrel glanced back at Sonic, a hurt look in her eyes. She didn't want to leave him, not yet. But Sally hurried up the stairs to her mother, hoping she could rush back to the hedgehog.
Sonic watched as she left. His heart longed to be near hers again. But he turned to the rabbot that was walking away. He quickly reached out and put a hand on Bunnie's shoulder. The nurse turned to face Sonic.
"Excuse me miss, but who is her mother?" Sonic asked desperately.
Bunnie looked Sonic over and smiled. "Sally's? Why the woman of this house suga! Lady Alicia Acorn! Who else?" With his question answered, Bunnie turned and walked away.
Hearing the last name made Sonic feel like he was hit with a ton of bricks. "A-Acorn? She's an Acorn? My family's enemy...NOT cool!"
Sonic felt a tug on his arm and looked to his left to see Tails. "Come on Sonic! We have to go! NOW!" the fox pulled his friend toward the door.
Sally leaned over the railing and looked down over the crowd hoping to see the hedgehog. When she saw him heading towards the door her heart sunk. Bunnie walked up beside her. "You alright suga?"
"Bunnie...who is that?" Sally sighed as she watched the fox pull Sonic through the crowd. Bunnie shrugged.
"Not right shore..."
"Could you go and ask him for me?" Sally pleaded. Bunnie smiled and quickly hurried after the hedgehog stopping him before he got to the door. Sally watched carefully as Bunnie and the hedgehog exchanged words. She smiled excitedly when the rabbot came hurrying back up the stairs. But the expression on her nurse's face didn't please Sally one bit.
"He's a Hedgehog!" Bunnie blurted out.
Sally rolled her eyes, "Well I can see that!"
"No Suga! Ah mean he's Sonic the Hedgehog! Son of Jules Hedgehog!"
The squirrel's eyes widened and she felt faint, "F-From the H-House of H-Hedgehog?" Bunnie nodded in response. It was obvious to her that Sally had fallen for this boy. The rabbot didn't know what to say. Sally slowly regained her senses and recovered from the shock. She sighed heavily and didn't look up. "I'll...be in my room..." With that, Sally turned and walked down the hall.
"Oh Sonic, why must love be so awful to us..." she whispered as she entered her room, closing the door behind her.
***End of Chapter***
(A/N: ok guys, what do you think? Want me to keep posting more or are you ready to strangle me? If so, post a review and state your opinion. I'm not picky so if I get at least ONE person who wants me to keep posting more, I will. TTFN ^^)