"Come on. Come on. Come on now…"
Sonic was busy engaging in a game of 'Who can do absolutely nothing longest', or at least that's what he called it. In reality, he was sitting at the edge of the large pond in the depths of the forests of Knothole with a fishing pole in hand, with Sally by his side. And they weren't alone. Tails was there too, trying his best to plan out the calculations for the perfect catch. Chirps was also there, impaling fishies on stone skewers before bending and extending them to the shore. And Big was busy racking up a haul, making entire piles of fishes so large that the rest could only regard him with scorn.
Sally was calmly waiting for her own chance to try and catch, though she wasn't nearly so hairbrained or impatient as Sonic was in that regard. "You know that's not going to make it up bite the hook any harder, right?"
"Yeah, well, I'm still gonna try. I mean, we've been here for what, an hour now?"
"Try half."
"Seriously? So not cool."
"You're the one who dragged me out here, you know. I've still got a lot to take care off back at the office as is. The only reason I'm here is because you insisted."
"Well, to be honest, that's kind of why I'm here too. Tails really wanted to, something about figuring out the perfect catch, and darn if I was gonna suffer alone."
"How thoughtful."
"That said, I also knew you'd been pretty busy in there lately. Filing paperwork, going to all those towns and villages. Sounded like a lot of work."
Sally almost swore she could have felt a tug on her island, but sighed when she realized it was simply a trick of the wind. "It is. We're lucky Eggman hasn't started terrorizing the entire island yet, and we need to use that time to get all the help we can get. We need to bring as many villages and outlying towns together as we can if we really want to stand in chance. We've got a lot of firepower here in Knothole, but there are still only so many of us. If we want to win, we're going to need strength in numbers. And this is how we get it."
"By going to only Gaea knows how many villages and selling yourself as Gaea's gift to humanity."
"I wouldn't go that far. But the people need to know their Princess is still out there and ready to fight. And some just need to be told what's going on. We have a lot of isolated and old fashioned villages in the kingdom. Some of them barely even know what's happening these days. So this is the only way rally some of these towns together."
"I guess. Still though, I couldn't see me ever doing that sort of thing. Sounds like too much work."
"It is somewhat overwhelming sometimes. I suppose that's why I gave in and agreed to come down here with you. Even with so much work still on my plate, I think I just needed a break. Besides, I think they Harvey and the rest can get on without me for an hour or so."
"Yeah. Still though. I may act tough, but I couldn't do half of what you're doing. I think I'd be halfway across by the planet by now. Don't you ever think of just getting out of here? Leaving it all behind? Don't you ever wanna do what you wanna do?"
"Well, that's the thing. If I knew what else to do, I'd probably want to do it. I think maybe I'd like to be a writer, but I'm not really sure what I'd write about. But for better or worse, this is what I know how to do. So I'm going to do it. Even if it kills me."
Sonic let out a low whistle. "That's some conviction."
"I guess. But it's the only thing I've got."
"Hey now, you've got a lot of things! You're smart, you're gutsy, you never back down when the going gets tough even when everything else says you should, you don't let anyone else boss you around, you still know when to loosen up and have fun, you… Oh Gaea."
As Sonic began listing off the various reasons why he thought Sally was someone that was worth something, he realized that he couldn't seem to stop thinking about things he liked about her. And he realized that the two of them despite being so different might have had more in common than they thought. So much in fact that one of the bluest things alive was starting to become the reddest.
"Uh, that is, I meant to say, uh, oh hell…"
"It's alright, Sonic." Sally wasn't nearly so stupid as to not notice Sonic's changing complexion or his extensive list of compliments. And even though she wouldn't admit, some part of her was flattered. Enough that the only reason there wasn't even a smidgen of red on her cheeks was that her thick, brown fur covered it up. "Thanks. It means a lot."
"Uh, yeah," said Sonic, turning his face from Sally ever so slighly. "Just tryin' to help!"
"And you did. Sometimes, you need someone to remind you that there's more to you than you think. Especially when you've screwed up as often as I have. I couldn't save my Dad, the capital is in the hands of a Madman, and now the rest of the kingdom could follow suit. I know that there's not always much you can to do change things, but sometimes I feel like throwing caution to the wind and trying it anyway. Maybe if I'd done something else, something sooner, my Dad…" Her eyes began to mist up like a morning fog. Not that it lasted for long.
"Hey, Sal, come on. It's like you said. There's not always much you can do to change things. What's happened happened. Read The Hedghog Queen when you get a minute. It's surprisingly accurate."
"I know. But it isn't easy."
Just then, both Sally and Sonic couldn't help but be on guard. A faint ruffle came from the bushes, as though someone or something was that there that shouldn't have been.
"Hold on," whispered Sonic. "This won't take a moment." Before Sally could whisper 'Wait!', he was off.
It happened seconds later. At first, it didn't seem like much. It was a slight off color but other than than that, he was fine. And then came the stench. A powerful, nauseating stench threatened to shut down everything from now until today. His knees gave way and he vaulted smackdab into the floor, passing out from the sheer concentrated aroma. Faint traces of it wafted throughout the rest of the area, but it was nothing compared to what Sonic suffered through.
Tails looked up from his calculations, noticing the stench and wondered if some random animal had died recently. And then he saw Sonic sprawled out one the ground like a ragdoll. "Sonic!"
Big started to lift himself out of his fishing spot, but before he could, a voice suddenly arose from the bush which was none keen on having a dust-up. "Whoa, WHOA luv!" It was somewhat foreign. It sounded somewhat akin to someone from Downundah, but even then it wasn't an exact match. "Easy, mates!".
Stepping out of the bush was a tall, lean skunk wearing a baret and loaded with all sorts of military gear. Pouches, handguns, ammo, the works. It was almost as if were ready for a way. Though judging by how he knocked out Sonic with his pure stench, it definitely seemed like he was willing to start one.
"Wait a minute." Strangely, Sally could swear she recognized the man. It had been years since she last him, but she had heard of him constantly since. Assuming this was who she thought it was. "Geoffrey ?"
"The one and only, your highness. Deputy director of the Acorn Kingdom Intelligence Agency at your service. Or former deputy director, you might say." He briefly bowed; just long enough to show his fealty, but not enough for her to assume dominance. "Sorry about your beau. Shouldn't have gotten so startled. Guess I'm getting sloppy."
Wait, thought Sally. 'Beau'? She and Sonic weren't that close. Not yet anyway. Were they? That is to say, she thought Sonic was a good Mobian and a good friend, certainly. He wasn't always that smart, but he could always come through when needed. He was also gutsy, never backed down when the going got tough even when everything else says he should've, didn't let anyone else boss him around, still knew when to loosen up and have fun… Oh Gaea.
But enough of her possibly burgeoning feelings. Even if it was just a mistake, (which even then Sally somehow doubted in her gut,) Sonic was still down. Tails flew over to make sure he was alright,("You okay, big bro?!") but soon found himself pinching his nose in abject digust. "Oh, Gaea! Uh, I think Sonic's fine. If somewhat stinky. REALLY stinky. I think we'll have to throw him in the lake as soon as he wakes up. Or maybe before. Pee-yew!"
"Sorry 'bout that, mate," said Geoffery. "But in any case, I'm not here for a social call."
"I figured as much."
"You figured right. I'm afraid I've got some bad news."
Sally gulped. "Really now?"
"You're gonna want to get everyone together. Trust me on this one. It's a doozy.
Within the next hour, all essential personal were gathered around the table in the conference room. Sally and Geoffry were at the top, with Nicole laid out right in front of her. Johnny and Amy were right next to them, being the leaders of the bunch. Harvey and Quack were next. Harvey was eyeing Geoffery as though remembering days gone by, while Quack was content to wait for something actually important to happen. After all, he was a Doctor, not a waiter. (Literally.)
In the middle were the Science Team. Tails, Tekno, Johnny, and Rotor were all there, practically twiddling their bums as they waited with a minimal sense of anticipation. Next to them was Mina. In case anyone needed to get somewhere pronto, the two fastest things alive would be very nifty to have, and so the both were agreed to be let in to all future meetings. This just left Sonic, who was still in a snit at momentarilly being considered a social pariah. Everyone else in the room was doing their best to avoid him like the plauge. The result was that Sonic learned one is the loneliest number you'll ever know, and he didn't like it one bit.i
"Seriously?" said Sonic. "What, do you think I'm stink you to death? Is that it? Or is it? Because I'm really not feeling the love here."
Johnny waved his hand as if attempting in vain to blow the sheer stench out of the room. "Maybe you'd feel more of it if you didn't smell like feces." He glared at Geoffrey. "What did you to him?!"
"Well," said Geoffery, "maybe if you all had bothered to wait a minute before I got myself together, your boy in blue wouldn't have to sit apart from the reason of the room. Of course, maybe thats' just me.
"In any case," said Sally, "we have a job to do. Geoffrey, care to give them the short version?"
"If you insist." He pointed to a map sitting the middle of the table, it's parchment untarnished as if just recently made. "Right. Pay attention, lads. Me and Hershey were doing what's now our usual routine: Avoid getting caught by Eggman and take in as much as we could. And that's when we discovered something odd. You see, Eggman hadn't sent out his troops for some time. For whatever reason, he hasn't done it until now, even though he might have been able to crush us anytime he wanted. That is until he did."
Geoffery took a swig from his canteen. Whether it contained water or booze was anyone's guess. "Two large platoons were sent out, each one containing a mix of Egg Bosses, mooks, and a plethora of SWATbots, Badniks, and whatever else he could cook up on short notice. We watched them from a small opening in the nearest forest. Didn't do much to help, but against those things, there wasn't much I could've done."
"Fasnicating," said Tekno, clasping her hands together.
"Anyhoo," said Geoffery, "our sources indicate that those two lines aren't for show. Eggman plans on attacking two different places at once: Emerald Hill and the Aquatic Ruins. Don't know why though. Perhaps he decided he's had enough of letting us live as he sees it. Or maybe he's getting desperate."
"It makes sense," said Amy. "Eggman probably had a lot of this planned in advance. Except we're something he didn't plan for. He didn't think there'd be any resistance whatsoever."
"And now that he's bein' proven wrong," said Johnny, "he wants to get this over with."
"That would be my guess," said Harvey. "Even when he was nothing more than the Acorn Kingdom's head scientist, Eggman always wanted to make sure he was on top. This is simply an extension of that."
"IN ANY CASE," said Nicole, "WE can't— CANNOT ALLOW EGGMAN INTO THOSE ZONES. OR AT THE VERY LEAST NOT FOR LONG."
"Right, Nicole," said Sally. "In any case, I'm putting together two teams. Johnny, you're leading the first one. Amy, you're in charge of the other."
Amy scratched her head, unsure if she was the right hedgehog for the job. "Uh, are you sure about that? I mean, I kind of accepted just because it would be wrong not to. Or at least it would be from someone like you. I couldn't really turn you down! Not like that. But I don't know if I have what it takes."
"You've got what it takes, believe me," said Johnny. "Maybe you don't always leave the best first impression, but you're a natural at this sort of thing. Trust me."
Amy gulped. She wasn't entirely sure whether or not she should have believed him, but for whatever reason, she couldn't help but try to live up to his expectations. She clenched her fist, ready for what came ahead. Or at least close enough. "Thanks. It means a lot."
"Don't mention it," said Johnny. "Now, as for the teams…"
As Sonic helped the procedures unfold, he began to yawn as though he'd rather get a few minutes of shuteye than have to sit through this. Not that this wasn't important, but it wasn't exactly Roscar winning material. For once in his life, he wondered what old Eggface was up to. No matter what it was, it had to be more interesting than this.
