CHAPTER 21: PARTY HARD

-You know, my dad told me, when I was a kid...-

Sonic sat back against the wall of a building, with a smile on his face, barely containing his laughter.

-"If you ever get into a party that's serving beer..."-

Sonic's gaze was focused on the large, ten foot tall barrels of beer that were being rolled from the castle by dozens of cheerful men. These were the largest barrels he'd seen since he went to Apotos. They had no supervisors, no one to tell everyone what they couldn't do. For now, the everyone in the city was truly free.

-"Sit back, relax... and enjoy abusing as many drunk people you want to your heart's content."-

Sonic let out silent chuckles as he watched dozens of people, including most of the knights, begin to fill large glasses with beer.

-I wonder if he met my mom that way... An experiment for another day.-

"Not drinkin' anything?" Bors said as he walked up to Sonic.

Sonic politely declined. "Nah, I'd rather not end up piss drunk." -By the way, if you're wondering why no one is giving a rat's ass about teens drinking beer, is because lifespans were much shorter back in ye olde time. Tails could live up to eighty, or ninety, while the Blacksmith, Smithy, Leon, whatever you call him would live up to forty or fifty if he was lucky.-

"Meh, suit yourself." Bors shrugged.

"Guys," Sonic said aloud for all the knights to hear. "Follow me. Let's go to Smithy's place."

"Yes, it has enough places to sleep." Percival noted.

The armadillo slapped a hand on the beer bottle. "Alright, let's go there, then."

As Sonic and his fellow knights moved through the crowded streets of the city, fights were breaking out. Because they was no sort of law established, let alone people to enforce these laws, there were many attempted house robberies, murders, and other such crimes, but the mobs of civilians seemed to handle it well.

"This place is perfect," Lamorak said cheerfully, though not completely drunk yet. "It's like I'm in Valhalla! Meat, beer, and fights all around you..."

"You could be in the thick of that shit, man." Sonic jokingly provoked.

Lamorak's eyes shot toward Sonic. "You're right!"

Lamorak turned around, ready to slaughter people abusing the celebrations to commit crimes, but before he went charging off into the crowd fists raised, Sonic withdrew Lamorak's sword from his side and quickly put it behind his back. Lamorak had not noticed, and kept running.

"Um..." Sonic dazed off, acquiring the stares of his comrades. "I didn't mean to do that. Oh whatever, let's just get going, quick."

Traveling at a more hurried and faster pace than before, Sonic and the knights minus one curse word spouting bird had finally reached the Blacksmith's home.

"Well, here we are. Home of all of my armor and weapons besides this yakking sword, Smithy's place." Sonic announced.

"I have feelings, too..." Caliburn pointed out.

"PERHAPS A TAD TINY?" Galehaut noticed.

"Yeh," Bors replied in a tired tone. "Where'll we put our stuff?"

Sonic opened the door downstairs. "There's a bunch of cots, just put your battle gear in there and we'll find something to do. I don't know what you guys do when you party, so maybe you can bring me around?"

"I guess, I dunno." Galahad stepped in the conversation as the knights were walking downstairs. "Not sure what you like to do."

Sonic followed them, undoing his vambrace. "Hell, I'll do the most interesting thing I find."

In a minute or two, the group had removed themselves of armor and weapons, and proceeded to leave the building and into the streets. Large crowds have gathered in front of bands of musicians to dance, and many were rowdy. -There was a mosh pit in one of them. That's right! Even in medieval times, drunk men partied hard, and their traditions passed down many generations, all the way to modern times.-

"God, the people are getting crazy." Sonic pointed out.

"Wonder what's pissin' 'em off." Gawain wondered aloud.

To Sonic, it was a confusing party. It didn't look like there was much to do, and yet people were out in the streets, having a great time. -I can understand this working in houses and stuff, but this is through the whole city.-

Sonic stopped walking. "Okay, okay. What is there to do? Maybe I'm not seeing much over these people's heads, or is there not much to see?"

Galahad shrugged. "There's stuff to see, alright. Probably not tall enough, though, heh..."

"Are you calling me short?" Sonic asked. "Coming from the guy with the giant white marijuana leaf on his head."

"It's not MY fault it's like that..." Galahad retorted.

Sonic scoffed. "Oh, then enlighten me."

"It grew like that..."

"Uh huh."

Bors stuck his head in the conversation.

"Was mother a giant plant?" -PFFFT HAHAHA, I am SO using that next time I see Silver!-

Gawain, Sonic, and Percival began to laugh at that, while Galahad took made an irritated face. In a few moments though, he began chuckling along with the rest of the group.

"I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND THIS SITUATION." Galehaut spoke loudly in a seemingly sad tone.

"Maybe you don't want to." Gawain lazily replied. -...wha...?-

"I DO WANT TO." Galehaut announced.

"Whatever..."

"Hey, let's go onto the castle walls." Bors suggested.

"I'm okay with that. Away from this brawling crowd..." Sonic said, rushing away from the drunken mob that covered the streets.

As they walked to the battlements, Sonic took another look of admiration of the city. The citizens were dancing in the streets as musicians played tunes with their hats on the ground, collecting pays of those enjoying their pieces. The waterfalls that the city had an absurd amount of glistened brightly as people lit many torches all across the city, and the bright moon helped a great deal to light up the night. When the knights got to the castle walls, Sonic stared back into the city in awe. -It'd look even better if they did that lamp thing they did in that movie Tangled. Also, please tell me I am not the only one that thought of "Ninety Nine Red Balloons" at that part.-

"I STORED DRINKS FOR US." Galehaut said, taking out several bottles.

Sonic turned around, mouth agape. "Like you guys need more alcohol."

-You know, so I don't mess up my experiment, I need to find a way to be an ass in this situation. It's a given I'm going to try to abuse drunk merchants, and I don't want to start a huge brawl within this group. I don't want to mess up this city more than it already is, so what is there to-oh god, that forest... OH GOD, THAT FOREST!-

"Actually, you know what? Give me one of them." Sonic said as he snatched a bottle. "Anyone got a spare napkin or something?"

Galahad took out one of his, and handed it to him. Sonic pulled the cork out, and stuffed the napkin in the bottle halfway. He tilted the top toward Percival.

"Light it, please." Sonic ordered.

Without a second thought, Percival set the tip of the handkerchief afire, and began to watch what Sonic was going to do.

Sonic turned to the forest, and began whirling his arms around like a cartoon baseball pitcher. With his incredible gift of speed, Sonic threw the Molotov cocktail at the forest. The bottle soared past the rolling hills, until it could not be seen. -Think of it as Team Rocket blasting off again.-

"Now what was that for?" Bors asked.

Sonic crossed his arms. "I'm bored."

"Think we'll come across that bottle later?" Galahad asked. None of the knights, except for Sonic, knew alcohol burns. -Just as planned. Now, when I see that fire when I get up tomorrow mornin', I'm gonna shout something, but I don't know what. Probably yet another music reference. ~"THROUGH THE FIRE AND THE FLAMES WE CARRY ON."~ That song is better slowed down a little bit.-

"NOT LIKELY." Galehaut answered.

And so the knights sat there, on the battlements of the grand celebrating city, talking.

"Beautiful night out, isn't it?" Percival said, staring at the moon.

"Yes, it is..." Galahad replied.

"Sure is." Sonic said. A moment later, -after realizing how uncanny and absurd the moon's size is, of course. I mean, it looked like how it would from a cheap over-dramatic romance movie. I should know, I've been involved in several incidents where the moon gets bits blown off it. How the hell does the government fix it anyway? Fucking magnets.- he opened his mouth again. "Have any of you ever thought about if the moon crashed into us, or we crashed into the moon? Things do fall." -Please tell me I didn't jinx it.-

"Hmm..." Percival shrugged, and then sighed, her slight smile not fading. "If it is, then it's falling awfully slow. Been up there my whole life, and all the hundreds of years before."

"CORRECT." Galehaut added.

Sonic stretched. "Well, I'm almost spent, anyone else?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty done for the night." Bors yawned.

"Eh, I can keep goin'..." Galahad groaned.

The knights had exited the battlements, and went back into the streets. There was a noticeable amount of people laying around, conscious or otherwise. A couple of them were laying in a puddle of their own vomit, unconscious. -I ain't cleanin' that.-

As they walked through the crowded and crazy streets, Sonic saw a blacksmith's parlor. Hoping to get his armor repaired, Sonic told them to go ahead, however Percival and Galahad stayed behind.

Sonic had began removing bits of his armor, and put the pieces on the counter top. The shop owner picked them up and took it to the back, where he would fill the gashes in the platemetal with new metal.

Bored, Sonic looked around him. To his left, he saw Galahad talking to Percival, who had her eyes fixed on Sonic. To his right, he saw a familiar bat face inches away from his. -WHA- oh dag nabbit...-

"Hello there, hero." She said in a flirty voice. Her face was a tad flushed. "-Rouge. Well, time for practice on when this actually does happen in real life.- "Name's Mary Rand. Call me Mary."

"Uh, hi." Sonic stammered, moving his face away from hers. He was thinking about what witty comment he could make to her possible responses. "Heard of me, I take it?"

"Heard of you? It's why were celebratin', darlin'. Aren't cha tired from all that fightin' you did?" Mary asked. -...Is she really a...-

"Yeah, a bit." Sonic answered, raising an eyebrow.

Mary drooped her eyelids, and let out a devious, yet gentle smile. "Anything I can do about it?" -Yep. She is. Bitches and whores. Reject with extreme prejudice.-

"Woah woah woah," Sonic shook his head. "I see where this is going. No. Why? From the looks of you, you're like a fire. Once you get into a forest, you go wild."

The bat's face went red with rage. "Oh, for a hero you don't seem too POLITE!"

"Well I'm sorry I don't give a shit. Which brings me to EXHIBIT B: Youact like you're the answer to a young man's prayer. No wonder so many men aren't praying these days."

"You sure know how to treat a lady!"

"You are not a lady, you are a WHORE!"

People began to notice the verbal fight, and began to chant. Percival was walking up, ready to intervene.

"Fucking typical!" She screamed, hate filling her eyes as she slowly reached to her back. Her voice lowered to a disappointed tone. "Hm... No one loves me..."

She pulled out a fan with razors on the ends of it. -SON OF A BITCH!-

"And neither do I. Makes perfect sense, so I never ask w-"

"Oi! Mary!"

Mary turned to the voice, and was pulled by her arm and tossed to a wall by the person who called for her, with their arms up against the wall under hers.

It was Lamorak. Whose armor was half covered by vomit, dried blood, among other things. -... The heck has he been doing this whole time?-

"Whatcha doin'?" Lamorak asked, as cocky as ever.

"Look, I'm in the middle of something right now, can-"

"Look, he does whatever the fuck he wants, and if he doesn't want to do you, whatever..."

Sonic stared at the two, jaw dropped slightly. He could not believe his luck.

"Them crooked vultures, eh?" He heard a jolly voice from behind the counter. -God damn it, I'm the one that's supposed to be spouting references. It's enough SHE started it.-

Sonic turned to the shop owner, who was putting the now sturdier-looking, repainted armor on the counter. He also gave him a sack. "The bird? He's hawk."

The salesman laughed as he put the armor in a sack. "Literally or metaphorically?"

Sonic laughed with him, and tossed a small bag of rings over into his hands, as he began filling the sack with the armor.

"Oh, and you didn't seem too nice to the girl." The blacksmith went on.

Sonic quickly thought back to the Giant Book of Insults that he read before entering this book. -Yes there is a book called that.- "Oh, if I said anything to insult her, believe me I tried my best."

Sonic turned to leave Lamorak and Mary there, to see Percival there a meter or two away, chuckling with her mouth agape.

"Let's go" Sonic ordered, beginning to walk away.

"I hope you don't mind, but I want to stay for a little bit." Galahad said with his arms crossed.

"Not coming back?"

"I'm gonna listen to music, for a little bit, before coming back. Percival, you comin'?"

"All the other knights are there, so..." Percival dragged on, and eventually turned her back and began to stumble off. "Have fun, I guess."

Sonic opened the door to the workshop. Bors turned to them, with Riley sitting on his head, and Galehaut was already asleep, standing upright in a corner.

"Hey." Bors said, Riley smiling happily at Sonic. -D'awww.-

"You know you have Riley on your head, right?" Sonic pointed out.

"Yeah, he climbed up there." Bors smiled.

"Gawain is... where?" Percival asked.

Bors hiccuped. "Asleep, like a hibernating rock."

Sonic laughed as he sat down on the rocking chair. A moment passed Bors started to ask questions.

"So, yer the guy that I've been hearin' about?" Bors said in a drunken stupor.

"Yeah, me. Sonic the Hedgehog!" Sonic replied enthusastically. He was getting tired, so it was hard to pull off.

"The guy that kicked the Knights of the Round Table in the can?"

"Uhuh."

"The guy that killed Lamorak."

"... Yes." Sonic looked down, feeling some remorse.

Bors flicked his hand in a lazy fashion, gesturing him to pipe down. "He was a great knight, but to be honest about the guy he could be a real ass sometimes..."

He began to chuckle and think. "Huh, like that one time, where..." He hiccuped. "Where Guinevere and a couple other of our guys were stuck inna tower, he climbed up the side of the tower, getting scraped in da proceess, grabbed the girl and ran. When the kidnappah," Bors paused, letting out a long 'uuuh' while he tried to remember. "Whatevah his name wuz, found blood on the sheets, he was complainin' that he didn't do what he wanted with her, if ya know what I mean..." He raised and lowered his eyebrows. -Yes I know the story, now PLEASE STOP MENTIONING NAMES AND ASSIGNING CHARACTERS WITH PEOPLE I KNOW. I'd rather not imagine the stuff they do in the Arthurian Tales.- "The ress got out, evenshually, but no help cuzza him."

"Don't talk about that behind his back." Percival chastised his friend.

Bors switched his lazy gaze to the girl who spoke to him. Riley let out a confused 'ooo'. "Weren't you onna da people stuck in the towah?"

"No, that was Galahad."

"Oh!" Bors boomed, looking back at Sonic. "See, the guy didn't even save his son."

-Which reminds me of something that has been bugging me.- "How old was the guy?" Sonic asked.

Bors raised an eyebrow. "Eh?"

"How old was Lancelot? He and Galahad looked the same age."

"Hell, why does it matter now?" Bors replied, avoiding the question. "You killed the man, AND Arthur. Sure, Guinnie's gonna be mad at you double time, but you're justified to me."

"Still, I'd like to know." Sonic pressed on. "It looks way too young to be legit."

"Look, he's old, alright?" Bors boomed. "You couldn't tell from the voice?"

-Okay, I guess they won't talk about things that challenge the character's backstory.- "You know what, forget it, I'm hitting the hay." Sonic announced, getting up.

Caliburn became noticed. "Well, you sure seemed to think of Lancelot proudly."

"That was so sarcastic, I felt it elbow my ribs." Bors mumbled as he slowly slid down into the comfy custom made arm chair. "Not to say that he wasn't a friend, though. You can have pretty rude and stupid friends."

"I was just trying to get a joke off." Caliburn noted.

Sonic headed off downstairs, and went to sleep.