Dib07: Me again. Wow, 2 reviews! I feel loved! Lol.

Shadow: O.O?

Disclaimer; We do not own Sonic. Nope. None of him at all.

Chapter 5: Battle ignition

'Well, come again tomorrow. Fate thee well. A fiend like thee might bear my soul to hell.' – Twelfth Night – William Shakespeare

Everyone in Knothole was gathered. If anyone were to walk past this particular array of animals, they would have thought a celebration was taking place, or even a great discussion. This was in fact a serious meeting where everyone in the village was expected to turn up. Sonic took the center stage and stood on a tree trunk so that he was proudly elevated and was able to be seen from all four corners of the crowd. It hadn't snowed in the morning but the crisp frost underneath proved slippery and gelid. Many animals came out in fur coats and scarves, and many children stayed close to their parents as Sonic's young voice laced across the cold winter air.

"This isn't going to go away the moment we turn our tails on the situation." He was saying. Knuckles and Tails stood behind him, silently urging him on, "something needs to be done. The mention of war sounds extreme. We've been fighting for so long, what does war mean now anyway? But we mustn't forget what freedom stands for. It's our heritage. And it's ours. We just need to take it. Robotnik can't stop us forever. He has limitations. If we push him back far enough, and show him we're not afraid, we can do this!"

There were a few claps, though most of them were only half-hearted attempts.

A white mink from the back said harshly, "what about our families? We may go to war with you Sonic, but what protection is guaranteed? While we fight at the forefront, I do not expect to come home to find my children slaughtered."

Sonic drew in a breath. He saw worry and fear in all their eyes. Most of them were just peasants, or humble creatures that went about their day as peacefully as they could. They weren't warriors, but they had talent, and bravery. Sometimes, that's all you needed to do battle.

"They'll be guards. I have contacts." He smirked weakly at this, because it was true. It had taken him almost a full decade to be this renowned, and it paid off, "Silutel, and his army of crocodiles will be here by tomorrow and they will be especially assigned into protecting all your homes and families."

There were a few gasps. This new information put a smile on a few anxious faces.

Knuckles stood with his heavy arms folded, however there was a fretful frown marring his brow. Tails didn't notice. "I can't wait!" He breathed, "this is happening! We're gonna battle Robotnik!"

"And who else will help us?" This question came from another creature from the back, "if this war is really going to happen, isn't everyone on Mobius going to be involved? What about the echidnas? And the birds? Huh?"

Sonic nodded. "Them too. Knuckles has already sorted that first problem out. And the birds… let's just say they're thinking about it."

Another disquieted murmur rattled the group.

Knuckles reached up and tapped Sonic on his sneaker. "Sonic!" He whispered so that he wouldn't be heard by the others, "what are we going to do about first aid?"

"Sal's gonna handle that part," he said smoothly, "and there will be others like doctors and nurses for the villagers and warriors. Not to worry."

Knuckles pouted, still not looking convinced and he placed himself back in his swamp of worry.

Sonic turned back to the group. "We will attack at dawn. Most of us can only see by the daylight, but when it grows dark, the nightfighters will come and take over. They will be creatures of the night, such as the owls, bats and echidnas."

"Where will we attack?" This question came from Amy. She stood next to a family of moles. She smiled wistfully when Sonic met her gaze.

"We will attack Eggman's HQ. I've been there myself a few times. The guards there are tight, but they won't be expecting an attack, so we'll grip the advantage and I will personally make sure it doesn't slip."

"I will join you, Sonic."

The hedgehog searched the faces for the voice. It was Rogue. He nodded his appreciation.

"Thanks, Rogue."

"And I." Voiced another.

"Me too."

"Let me join."

Soon, everyone offered Sonic their services. The hedgehog stood, surveying them with a look of bafflement but glee on his face also. He didn't expect them to join him so readily.

"Wow." He whispered guilelessly.

Knuckles sighed. "That's it. We're going to war."

Tails was frolicking in the air.

The preparation for dawn began right away while Sonic left Knothole in a storm of speed to gain and renew alliances. Knuckles left to call upon aid, while Amy went to Forest Falls to seek out the Chaotix. When all was said and done, the party began. It was late in the night and the fires in Knothole were blazing strongly. Cheery music floated in the air from various musicians and singers as the night went on. Knuckles grabbed a mug of cider and stood alongside Sally as a huge firework display decorated the dark sky.

"Everybody's having a good time." The echidna said dryly, "petty we might not see another night like this one."

Sally wrapped an arm round his and clinked his mug with her glass of wine. "We will, Red. We will." She took a swing of her drink and paused a moment to wipe her mouth dry. "Sonic's not back yet. I hope he's okay." She thought briefly, then added with honest concern, "is the master emerald safe?"

"I hid it earlier this afternoon!" He smiled gravely. "It's under the water in Hill Rise. If Eggman finds it, he'll have a job getting his robots down there, if they're aquatic-based or not."

She too allowed a smile but it was a faint one. Everyone was laughing and dancing. The air was full of joy. But behind it all there was sadness and desperation. It was there on every beast's face. The laughter was strained. And the alcohol helped hide their true emotions and fears.

Knuckles gulped down all his cider in one gulp. "We're gonna win this one, Sal. Me 'en Sonic will clear up the whole horde of badniks. You can count on it."

She sighed. "I know. But whatever you do, try not to take too many risks. And look out for Sonic."

"Will do, ma'am." I always have.

Tails came up to them, a glass of milk in his paws. He had mud up his legs. Knuckle's vision was good in the dark, and the help of the oil lamps made it even more plain.

"Tails, why are you so dirty?"

"I tripped!" The fox confessed sheepishly, "but I've got good news! The Chaotix are here! And Sonic's with them! Come see!"

Knuckles chuckled. "Well I never!"

Espio, Charmy and Vector where arguing when they found them. They were near the stage beside the fruit stand where the dancers were singing. The stage had been propped up especially for the party and the music thronged painfully in Knuckles' ears.

Espio nodded his acknowledgement when he saw the red guardian and their leader back in the old days. Knuckles shook their hands with a polite grin on his muzzle.

"Glad you could make it." He told them, "you ready for tomorrow?"

Vector puffed out his chest. "We've always been ready." He scorned, "we are the Chaotix. We are well known for our bravery and our skills."

"And we can cook too!" Added Charmy bee as he did a clumsily twirl in the air.

Espio bit into a cookie that he had taken from one of the many foodstands. "I'll be the greatest asset." He said between mouthfuls, "you'll need someone who can disappear in battle and take their foes by surprise."

"Yes." Knuckles had never been keen on their boastfulness. That was one of the main reasons he had left their team.

Sonic cheerily made his entrance and he was dancing to the beat of the music. He couldn't quite make out the lyrics, but it sounded good all the same. "You having a good time, guys?" He asked before twisting in the air like a dramatic dancer, "Eggman's gonna have a fit in the morning!"

"If we don't have one first." Knuckles claimed morbidly.

"Ah, cheer up! We'll do fine!" Sonic slapped him in the back. The echidna growled his dislike.

"You're drunk Sonic." He could smell thick alcohol, but the stench was so strong, the source could have been coming from anywhere. Then again, he had alcohol on his breath too.

"Right back atcha pal!"

"Can you repeat that?"

Espio shrugged. He had grown bored of their company. "Let's go and find more grub." He told the Chaotix, and they left.

Tails finished off his glass of milk and was about to head on his way to ask for more when he fell over again. More mud squelched under his stomach. Knuckles turned to laugh, but he suddenly started choking and coughing instead. Horrified, Sonic intervened to help and started performing the abdominal thrust on him, thinking that he was choking.

Knuckles sourly pushed him away. When he was in enough space he gulped down air, and gasped, "I wasn't choking you idiot! I just swallowed the wrong way!"

Sonic grinned helplessly.

"Sonic!" They all turned to the speaker and they instantly felt like running when they saw Amy approach. Before Sonic had a chance to move, she glomped him round his waist. "You, my little blue hedgehog," she cried like the stupid girl that she was, "are not going to war tomorrow. No you're not. You'll be staying with me! No more fighting!" From the way she swaggered, it would appear to anyone sane enough to have a grasp on reality that she was drunk too. Then again, she was very often normally like this.

Knuckles decided to leave. He could not bare the sight of romance. With a stiff air in his walk, he left in the same quiet manner as the Chaotix, and disappeared into the night.

It was still dark when Sonic rounded his troops. And it was still dark when they reached the Dark plains where Robotnik's HQ resided deep in the snowy valley. The sun was just peeping over the horizon when all of Sonic's pieces were set and ready to play. And when the sun gleaned down on the snow below them and painted a scene before their eyes, Sonic was dismayed to see robots dotting the hills some two leagues away. The robots were watching them.

To the west, more of Sonic's people were gathering. The Chaotix joined Sonic on the hill, and a small number of fierce echidnas joined the rear. Still, Sonic's numbers in his army grew, even when the dawn was full and morning was present. The sand in the sunlight was strong, and its orange pigment stained the snow, which rested upon it. But as Sonic's numbers swelled, so did the opposing army of robots. Eggman either must have known about this, or he had some very clever spies. This made him think back to Shadow. Had he warned Eggman?

In hopes to solve this mystery, Sonic told Knuckles to be in charge while he went down the hill towards the robots. It was madness. Knuckles didn't stop him. Instead he looked on in absolute horror.

Sonic wanted a response from this massive army of robots but his sudden bravery could get him killed.

There were thousands of robots, and they seemed to gaze at Sonic without eyes. Only sensors. They could fire at him at any time.

There were so many, Sonic couldn't see past the frontline of androids, but the line stretched from east to west and there was no end. Sonic's ears flattened against his skull and for once he was starting to feel guilty about making this whole war thing a reality. He promised his people that Robotnik hadn't a clue what was going on. He had told them it would be a sneak attack, and the advantage would be theirs. Now, there was no chance of that.

Sonic walked to the center of the field so that he was directly half way to his people, and half way to Robotnik's savage army. The cold air rustled through his blue fur and everything was silent. Then, as if sounding a horn in the serene stillness, he cried out; "Eggman! I'm here. I want to talk to you!"

His eyes searched the stationary robots and he half expected a big fat red man to come out of the ranks and greet him. But he knew Eggman better than that.

Just as he began to feel a bit embarrassed, and now relishing the thought of going back to stand beside Knuckles, something small moved out of the rows of badniks and floated over to him. Sonic stood his ground, his hands clenched into tight fists. He didn't relax when he saw that the thing coming towards him was nothing but a television screen with little jet engines under it and an antenna on top. When it was but yards from him, Sonic snarled at the image he saw.

Robotnik's face was even more ugly and hideously misshapen in the television screen. "Ah, hello Sonic, my old friend. Anther war is it today? Oh I do love a challenge. When this is all over, come to my place and we'll have some tea. What do you say?" His eyes seemed to squint when he narrowed his eyebrows. His ginger mop of a moustache twitched just once. Just seeing him made all the loathing and hatred bubble up inside of Sonic like a volcano's core about to erupt with poison.

"You're going to die today, Eggman." He said as coolly as he could.

Robotnik paused briefly, as if his script of speech hadn't foreseen this reply. He recovered quickly and that horrid sneer of a grin was back on that confident face of his. "Very well. We'll see who dies first, Sonic. But I'll just like you to know that no matter how hard you try, you won't win." Sonic's expression remained unchanged. "I mean it. Even if there was ten thousand of you little blue hedgehogs, you'd still lose. My robots are designed perfectly on how to kill little animals such as yourself." At that, his words spoke malice. His grin stretched wider, revealing his ridiculously white teeth. "Well, I'll be seeing you around, won't I, Sonic! Good luck! And I hope you die painfully!" The screen logged off, showing a screen full of disorganized fuzz and static. Sonic stared at it angrily, as if the Doctor was still grinning devilishly down at him. Then the little engines under the screen engaged and the floating monitor glided back to the sea of robots ahead.

Sonic turned heel and walked back to his slight army of freedom fighters. It was too late to turn back now. The decision had been made. There was no escape.

It was time.

Sonic looked at the eyes of his followers. They were all ready. Ready for the inevitable. He only wished he had Shadow as an ally in this fight. He was a worthy assist. But, it couldn't be helped. What was done, was done.

He forced himself to smile and to look as confident as a hedgehog could be. "Are you ready?"

He was met with an instant response. "YES!"

Sonic faced the rows of enemies ahead. At Eggman's high command, they would come like an iron fist. And they would hit hard. But so would they.

"Let's do this!"

A/N: More action soon, promise.