(Hey everyone, how's it going? I finally got this chapter done too. How will you all react to see whose playing what role as the story continues. As before I do not own either Sonic or any other character in this fic, they are the property of their respective owners. And dont forget to read and review, I like to know what you think about this chapter.)
After that display outside the castle, some time went by when the doors leading way to the main entrance opened violently. The Mink nobleman stormed out as he shouted, incredulously, "Why, I have never been so humiliated in my life!"
In that very same hallway stood a chipmunk Mobian wearing fancier clothes than his guards. He also wore a cape and had a crown on his whitened hair. He was Maximillian Acorn, king of Mobotropolis and father of the princess that the mink was supposed to marry. The sudden outburst confused the king as he asked, "But, Lord Bartleby, where are you going? Don't tell me you are leaving already."
Bartleby suddenly stopped, turned to the king and said with a polite bow, "Your majesty, I truly wish you good luck in marrying her off."
As he turned to leave the king, could see that there was a tear in the mink's clothes and underneath the lord's underwear was visible. When King Max saw the tear he grew angry, and entering the door through which Bartleby had exited from, whispered as angrily as he looked, "Sally!"
The king entered the courtyard garden. Seeing someone there, he approached her. The person he saw was his daughter's maiden in waiting, Bunnie Rabbit, a very beautiful yellow furred Mobian rabbit with blond hair. In her southern belle like voice, she chimed, "Howdy yer majesty, what can Ah do fer ya'll?"
"Good day, Bunnie. Have you seen my daughter? I must speak to her about something."
"She's ova there, trying to calm herself after that Bartleby fella upset her." Bunnie said sadly as she looked towards the center of the courtyard. A large fountain stood there, and sitting on the rim around it was his daughter. He thanked his daughter's handmaiden and walked towards her. Suddenly, a dog with cream colored fur with large brown spots and a red collar around his neck crossed his line of vision. In his mouth was a piece of cloth, something that was similar to the prince's clothing.
"Out of my- Give me that at once, Muttski!" said the King. He snatched the piece of cloth from the mobini dog, but it ripped, causing both to fall backwards. "So, this is why our guest left in such a hurry!"
The dog approached his mistress. She was a chipmunk like her father but with short red hair. She was wearing a light turquoise color outfit. "Daddy, He wouldn't stop bad mouthing Bunnie about her heritage and Muttski was only trying to protect her."
Sally proclaimed as she petted her dog behind the head and in a cutesy voice, said "Isn't that right Muttski? You were only defending Bunnie from that mean, snobbish, self-absorbed mink, weren't you?"
The two let out a small laugh, but soon noticed the expression on the king's face. It promtped them to stop making fun of the snobbish nobleman.
"Be that as that may, you must stop rejecting every prince or noblemen that comes your way." stated the king, angrily.
"Father, most of them were only interested in our money, power, or connections and they are the absolute worse." Sally argued as she got up and started walking to a nearby birdcage.
"Even if that's the case, the law says you must marry a man of noble birth before your next birthday."
"The law? Father, you know I don't like being forced into this. If I do marry, I want it to be out of love not for power or prestige..." Sally said. She continued gently petting the mobini bird which affectionately cooed against her cheek .
"Bean…I know it is not fair, but…I will not be here with you forever, and I want to make sure that someone will be here to take care of both you and our kingdom." said King Max, taking the bird carefully in his hand. He then returned it to the bird cage before closing the doors for its own protection.
Sally sighed and said "But, father, I've never been able to do anything on my own. I never have any real friends!"
Hearing this, Bunnie and Muttski looked over to her with annoyed looks. Sally, however, quickly corrected herself, turning to them and saying, "Except you guys, Bunnie, Muttski."
The two smiled as Bunnie went back to rearranging the flowers near the fountain. Muttski returned to sleep. She sat on the fountain and continued, "You never even let me go outside the palace, to see what's beyond these walls."
"But Sally, you're a princess! Royalty must not mingle with the commoners." her father reminded.
"Well, maybe I don't want to be a princess anymore!" the princess yelled as she smacked her watery reflection. The King gave an aggravated groan.
"Solaris forbid you have any daughters!" Sally's father exclaimed as he headed back to the inside of the palace, leaving a confused Muttski in his wake. Angrily, the chipmunk princess looked away.
"Now Sally-girl, yah know yer dad wants what's best fer yah, right? He isn't as spry as he used to be back when we were kids." Bunnie asked as she approached her friend, concerned at how the princess had reacted to her father.
Sighing exasperatingly, Sally looked back, "I know Bunnie, but he…he just doesn't get it."
"Maybe ya'll should sit on down and talk 'bout this before thangs get hairier than a two-headed cobra shedding his skin." Bunnie suggested, watching her friend concerned, before continuing with her duties.
"Maybe…" Sally answered. She went back to the birdcage and set all of her birds free. She watched them fly away, flying to their freedom.
"Maybe I should look for myself." Sally whispered, trying hard to think of something that would make her father outraged.
Inside the throne room, King Max began pacing, muttering to himself as he came to a 3D model of Mobotropolis, "Why is that girl so stubborn? Her mother was alright with how our marriage came to be, If only Alicia or Elise were here…"
Suddenly, the door leading to the throne room opened and he turned to see his advisor, the Overlander, Julian Robotnik, walking to the throne with his nephew Snively at his side. "Oh, Julian, My most trusted advisor! I am in need of your counsel."
"I'm here to serve, your majesty." said the advisor bowing low in his king's presence. Snively mimicked his uncle's actions.
"It concerns Sally and this suitor business. I do not know what to do." King Max sighed as he leaned against the hologram projecting device.
"Well, maybe we can assist in this endeavor, sire." Robotnik stated as he looked down to his nephew, "Isn't that right Snively?"
"Oh, yes, indeed uncle Julian." Snively piped up.
"Really? Oh Julian, if you could do this then I would be forever in your debt!" King Max said, relieved that Julian could help. Normally King Max would be cautious when someone, particularly a Overlander, offered their assistance to their king, but considering that Julian Robotnik had helped the Mobian forces against their genetic cousins, the Overlanders, who were also Robotnik's and Snively's people, most of all of King Max's doubt was wiped from his mind after the ending of the Great War.
"Actually that is why I have come, your majesty. What I need to do will require the power of the Ring of Acorn." Robotnik told his king. Snively nodded in support of his uncle's answer.
The King looked shocked at his advisor. He glanced at the ring with the Acorn family coat of arms on it, "The ring of Acorn? But Julian, it's been in my family since the foundation of the kingdom. I can't just simply…"
"Yes, you can." Robotnik stated. While saying this, he used a button to activate the hypnotizing frequency to control the king as the Overlander assured, "Everything will be fine."
"Everything will be fine…" King Max repeated, completely under the doctor's control.
"The ring?" Robotnik demanded in a whisper as he opened his hand.
"Yes Julian…You may…have the ring…" King Max complied and dropped the ring of Acorn into Robotnik's hand.
"Thank you very much, sire. Now, why don't you go back to playing with your toys?"
"Back to playing…with my…toys…" The King repeated. He continued to smile absent mindedly as he played with the model's computer controls.
After leaving the throne room, Robotnik and his nephew dropped their happy faces disguise and concern for the king as the scientist growled, "That was pathetic, even for Max; but with everything that is happening even someone like him would've lost his edge…"
"Absolutely correct, sir." Snively agreed. He activated the hidden button to open the door to Robotnik's secret lab.
"When I retrieve that lamp, I will be king." Robotnik declared to his nephew.
The minute Overlander smirked, "and I will be your most loyal advisor, future king of Mobotropolis."
"I never did like that name. We will need to rechristen this kingdom with something more appropriate when we take over." Robotnik mused. He walked over and sat on his chair to begin using his personal computer system.
"Especially with what we-I mean you have planned for them, Sir?"
Then the two of them burst into a chorus of laughter as the secret door closed behind them.
That night Sally, wearing a cloak to disguise herself, hurried along the lawn moving to the nearest palace's wall. As the Mobian princess began to climb up a nearby tree, she felt a tug on her cloak's rim. The princess turned and saw her dog whimpering to her, begging her not to leave.
"Oh! I'm sorry, Muttski, but I can't stay here any longer... I need to find my life out there… I will miss you and Bunnie very much. Keep her safe while I'm gone?" The princess told the dog painfully before hugging him and attempting to climb again. The Mobini dog helped Sally climb up, using his head to push herself higher up the tree.
As she climbed over the wall, the princess looked back down at the dog and whispered, sadly "Good-bye."
Her head disappeared. Muttski looked down sadly and emitted a short and sad howl.
Behind a tree stood Bunnie, she was of course sad that her best friend had to leave, but she couldnt go with her, not after the Southern barons, Bunnie's family, was revealed to be working for the enemy and was banished. She prayed that her friend would be safe as she went back to bed, 'Becareful out there Sally-girl.'
The next morning, in the marketplace, Sonic and Tails were on the top of the awning of a melon stand. They were getting ready for today's heist for breakfast.
"Ready, Tails?" Sonic asked, giving him a thumbs up.
"You bet, Sonic!" Tails replied, giving a thumbs up of his own before looking over the awning. Tails saw an Overlander with melons in his hands.
"Delicious melons! Come buy some ripe melons!" said the man.
Behind him, Tails picked a melon. Then, he whistled, getting the man's attention. The salesman turned and saw the two tailed fox flying around making a spectacle of himself for the salesman to see. "Hey! Give me that, you freak! Unless you're planning to pay for that, give it back!" yelled the salesman.
"Oh come on, Mister. Why do you have to be so mean?" Tails whined, sniffing with big tears, drawing a crowd. Many of them felt for the boy, since, after all, it was an Overlander that caused the Great War so many years ago,
"Stop with those tears you Mobian! I don't care if you are a child! Give me back my mellon. Right. Now." Unbeknownst to the salesman, a certain blue hedgehog sped by, swiping two melons from behind the Overlander.
Tails, seeing Sonic's signal, sighed and gave the melon back to the Overlander salesman before flying away. The salesman turned and discovered that two other melons were missing. He looked confused. Back on the awning of the stand, the two Mobian thieves sat, eating the very mellons that they had just pilfered from the Overlander.
"Nice job, big guy!" said the speedy hedgehog.
"I'm just glad we don't have to get another Chillidog today." Tails said, ignoring the appalling horror on his friend's face.
Meanwhile, in another part of the market place, Sally walked down the street, wearing her cloak, fascinated at seeing so many different people and places.
"You want to buy vases? I have both maces and vases! Knock a creep on his back with a mace while placing fresh flowers in a stylish vase." A blond woman with a white cloak and very large earrings called, with her a red fox with an eye-patch was holding up a vase to show its beauty. She looked at an ogre with an eye covered by a glass replacement who was holding different kinds of maces in both hands.
"Beads good for making a necklace or bracelets!"
"Here's some great made crystal glasses! So clean it makes your drink look as though they're floating in the iar."
"Souvenirs! Souvenirs from the Great War! Serve as a reminder as to why the war was so horribly great!"
"Hello, pretty lady! A pretty necklace for a pretty lady."
"Here are some grade A seeds; buy them and watch as you make a farm on your own!"
Sally was enchanted by the bizarre sights and sounds. It was simple and there were so many people, Mobians and Overlanders.
She was alarmed when a large purple cat Mobian with a frog on his shoulder shoved a fish in the princess' face, "You want fish! Froggy and me got a whole bunch!"
"Uhh…I'm sorry, but no thanks." Sally sadly replied to the overfriendly cat, taking a few steps back. That was when she accidentally bumped into a fire eater preforming his act.
"Oh! Excuse me!" Sally tried to apologize, but the man gave a powerful belch of his fire, knocking Sally's hood backwards, revealing her face. But all that she could only come up with was "Again, I so sorry."
Sonic, while eating his half of the melon, noticed flames shooting into the air accompanied by belching sounds. Curious as to what had caused it, he turned to the source of the commotion and his eyes widened. It was a female Mobian chipmunk with pretty eyes, silky red hair, and a beautiful smile. Sonic had never seen a more beautiful girl like that before in his life, well maybe once, but that's another more tragic story for another time.
"Whoa!" Was all that Sonic could say, even after she pulled her hood back over her head. Tails noticed the look in his friend's eyes. Stopping to eat, he moved towards him and waved his hand in front of his face.
"Sonic? Sonic? What's up Sonic?" Tails asked, turning his head to where Sonic was staring and groaned. The mechanical genius had seen this look before but never one as strong for a girl as this one was. Sonic had fallen for another girl.
Tails placed his head in his hand, "Not again…"
Sally then noticed a young boy staring up at a stand full of apples. He even tried to reach for them, standing on his tip toes. Feeling sorry for the little boy, Sally "Oh you poor thing… Here you go."
The little boy smiled at her and ran away with the apple. Unfortunately, the apple vendor, a nasty looking Overlander with a mustache and beard, turned and asked, "I hope you plan on playing for that. Missy."
"Pay?" she asked, confused.
"Nobody steals from my shop and gets away with it!" The Overlander shouted. Then, he grabbed Sally's hand and pinned it down on his table. As he saw this, Sonic became very alarmed and began revving up as he heard the girl beg, "No! Please! Wait! If you could just wait here until I get money from the King?"
"No! And you deserve a big penalty for stealing!" The Overlander stated. He grabbed a sword and was ready to chop off her hand.
"Wait! No!" Sally cried, squeezing her eyes shut, awaiting for the excruciating pain.
The Overlander swung, but felt something missing in his hand. He looked up, surprised to find his sword gone. He looked around to determine where it could have gone, when a whistle caught everyone's attention. They turned and saw a blue hedgehog standing there, leaning against the sword like it was a cane.
"Hey buddy. Don't ya know it's against the law to cut someone's hand off? You usually hold them still until the guards come." Sonic said, angrily, before running the sword into the ground. He then went over to the chipmunk girl and began to scold her, "Why'd you run away like that? I searched everywhere for you!"
"What are you doing?" Sally asked, whispering to the hedgehog.
"Just play along." Sonic whispered back.
"You know her?" the man asked, confusion showing on his face.
Sighing sadly, Sonic answered the confused Overlander, "Sadly, yes. She's my sister. She doesn't like it when I do this, but… she's a little…"
Sonic stopped before spinning his finger around the side of his head. Knowing what that meant, Sally became very offended and insulted at being referred to like that by someone whom she had never met before.
"Oh yeah? She says she knows the king, Quill back!" the Overlander stated, poking a finger at Sonic's chest.
"Well, that's easy, she thinks our brother's the King." Sonic replied, looking over to Tails. For a mere second, Sally didn't know what was going on. But she quickly deduced the Hedgehog's plan and began kneeling before Tails.
"Oh! Your majesty! What can I do for you?"
"Oh Umm… There's nothing that you can exactly do for me, right now." Tails said, playing along, patting her shoulder in a comforting manner.
The Overlander didn't know what else to say after witnessing this. Sonic then snatched an apple from the stand and gave it to the man as though it wasn't one of his to begin with. He kept up his saddened façade as handed the apple, "Tragic, isn't it? But hey! No harm done, right?"
Getting the message, Tails began to lead Sally away as he said, "Let's go, sis! You need to see the doctor."
Suddenly, Sally noticed a Terrapod, and still acting crazy said, "Hello Doctor, Nice to see you."
The Terrapod looked confused at her talking to it. Tails however hovered over to her and said, "Not this one."
"Are you coming, big brother?" Tails asked, looking back to the blue hedgehog.
Sonic smiled and bowed low, his fez in his hand as he waved it dramatically, "As you command, my king."
Suddenly, from his fez hat and vest emerged a few apples, some loose change, and a couple of Chilidogs. When the Overlander saw this, he was flabbergasted, "What the… Hey!"
Sonic quickly picked up the stolen goods and ran after Tails and Sally. The former carrying the later as he flew her away from the laughing crowd with the angry vendor calling out, "Come back here! You, you, thieving rodents!"
As she hung on to the young fox boy's hands, she was amazed that he could fly like this while supporting her weight. She was especially surprised at how fast the blue hedgehog was, but she was thankful that his speed was able to save her from that man.
(Whoa... Okay raise your hands if you didn't really expect to see Bunnie, Muttski or even Bartleby there. Bartleby's from Sonic Underground, a snobbish mink Mobian that chose to serve Robotnik rather the fight for his freedom... never liked that mink... And the woman in a white cloak with the red fox wearing an eye patch and the Ogre with the eye covering are characters from a show called Slayers. good, funny series for the kids of thirteen an up.)