Sonic, Sally, Tails, Antoine and guards had returned to the castle; from foiling the latest Badnik attack that had occurred on the island and now they were in the throne room giving a personal report to King Elias. "... Oh you should have seen it your highness; I was throwing those Badniks up in the air and Tails got them with his blaster thing! I bet old Robotnik must be embarrassed knowing that it's more than just me kicking his butt but with all his years and experience, Tails here is running circles around him in the inventing department at a young age!" Sonic said excitedly as he then took Tails' head around his elbows to give him a head nookie much to the fox's embarassment.
"I definitely can see that we have a bright mind as the newest addition to the team; you could actually have what it takes to take over as his successor one day." Elias said with a smile and Tails after Sonic let him go was open mouthed at the high praise coming from the island's young king himself.
"You know Tails; you could come with Sal and I as we are going to the doc's lab to visit his daughter whose an old friend of Sal. How about you come along?" Sonic asked as Tails was jumping with joy at such an honour. "That alright with you Sal?" Sonic asked Sally who gave a nod.
"The more the merrier they say and I bet Nicole will be happy to have another new friend in the time that she has." Sally answered as Antoine straightened himself.
"I would be happy to join you but alas I have some training with the royal cadets that I can't miss; I can't allow being a more field protector of our island keep me from my obligations that will help me become a noble guard of the royal House of Acorn! Till we meet again Your highnesses." Antoine said with a bow before walking off and the others cringed at his demeanour and even Elias had a sigh.
"As much as it is good news that he doesn't want to go; what exactly gave him the impression that he was invited in the first place?" Sonic asked with his arms folded as Sally shrugged.
At the lab home of Dr Ellidy; Sonic, Sally and Tails had arrived and the young fox was anxious about getting to meet the top scientist of the kingdom. He had even brought a backpack filled with his inventions to show the Doctor. "I must say Mr Prowler; these are quite remarkable especially considering that someone your age designed and built these on your own! Blows what I was working on at your age out of the water." Dr Ellidy said in impressed amazement as Tails beamed at the praise.
"That's Tails for you Doc; the perfect companion to hang around Sonic the hedgehog himself! I tell ya that not only is he going to help me kick Robotnik's butt permanently once and for all but when people start to see how awesome he really is, everyone is going to forget all about you!" Sonic said standing near Nicole's bed where Sally was on the other side of the bed. "You should see Tails in action out there; I tell ya that I am glad that I was able to take him from the Emerald Hill Zone to where he can be proper appreciated!" Sonic said as Tails looked at him never believing that his top idol could say such a thing about him.
Sally groaned shaking her head while Nicole looked amused; "I always thought that you replaced me as Sally's best friend but now you are replacing Sally with Tails." Nicole remarked as Sally took Nicole's hand.
"No one can replace you Nicole." Sally told her softly with a smile.
"Plus Sal has nothing to worry about; Tails is my new best bud but there is always room for her as my other best friend! Lucky her doesn't have to worry about me pushing her aside; there is plenty of room to bask in the glory of being friends with the hero of Mobius!" Sonic said in a boasting voice as Sally rolled her eyes.
"Thanks Sonic; you are ever so humble with your talents which includes being unable to swim if you end up falling over the boat!" Sally remarked sarcastically as Sonic spluttered and gave a humph as everyone giggled.
"How exactly did you meet Princess Sally anyway Sonic?" Tails asked as Sonic gave a smirk.
"A long epic story Tails; one that involves me being her knight in shining armor..." Sonic started but Sally gave a fake cough interrupting the story.
"While I am sure that your account will be as entertaining as it is embellished and made up; how about I give Tails the actual FACTUAL story?" Sally suggested as Sonic groaned about his fun being spoiled. "Plus Tails; you can just call me Sally. Less formal from my friends please." Sally told him as she started the story:
Months after the end of the War and the 5 year old Princess Sally had managed to sneak away from lessons from her tutor to see if her brother Elias wasn't busy; they hadn't had much chances to spend time together since their father was killed and Elias had to take over as the new King. Even after the United Federation surrendered; didn't mean that Elias was any less busy as there was the aftermath of an entire war to focus on.
She found the doors to the throne room and listened in hearing the angry ranting of Captain Armand D'Coolete; "You are not serious your highness? This delinquent caused no great trouble for us and the citizens with how much property damage and injuries that he caused in the last few weeks, we have had to put time out of our schedule protecting the citizens trying to catch him and now that we have you want us to just let him go free?" shouted the voice angrier than Sally ever heard the Captain.
"What do you know about protecting the citizens on the street? Those goons you say that I injured had been getting away with picking on kids without a home for weeks and I didn't see you all noticing!" snapped back the voice of a boy about her age.
"Enough Sonic and yes Captain D'Coolete; my decision is final that he is allowed to go free. But Sonic I advice that you be careful from now on." Elias said with it clear that it was the end of the matter and the doors opened and Sally saw as the 4 year old Sonic ran out smirking.
"Are you the blue hedgehog that the guard have been trying to catch in the past few weeks?" Sally asked with great interest hearing about this super fast hedgehog who was playing hero and Sonic struck a heroic pose.
"You must be the Princess; don't worry Princess as you can rest easy as the great Sonic is here to save the day when it needs saving!" Sonic todl her before leaving as soon an angry Armand then left the throne room as well.
Sally was walking by when Elias called out saying "I know that you are there Sally; if you want to spend time together then we can as I get to make the rules now!" Sally jumped at it but entered the throne room where at the throne that used to belong to their father now sat Elias who kept struggling with the Crown on his head that wasn't supposed to be his until he was much older.
They embraced and Sally asked "I heard you saying that the blue hedgehog Sonic could go free; the one trying to be a hero? Can I ask why?"
Elias sighed and said "I can tell his heart is in the right place and the fact that he lost his village and family during the War... I can understand him trying to do his best after having his whole life changed thanks to the war..."
Sally thought about that fact and said "he seems interesting; I hope I can meet him again..."
"I have a feeling that you will have plenty of chances to do so Sally; I bet he will get sent back here again..." Elias admitted shaking his head.
"And I did and we got to be close friends ever since!" Sonic finished Sally's story with a grin as Sally shook her head with an amused look on her face.
"If that's how you want this story to end then soon; but I can't deny that I wasn't wrong about you being interesting Sonic." Sally replied and Sonic nodded in the affirmative. "Dr Ellidy; you think that you can please show Sonic and Tails more around your lab? I was hoping that Nicole and I could have some girl friend time?" Sally then asked as Dr Ellidy then motioned for them to follow them and once they left Sally then sat on the bed and carefully put her arm around Nicole's shoulder.
"To think that it wasn't long before I started to become like this; when we were discussing our futures and I imagined mine being with a beautiful princess as a bride!" Nicole told Sally with a bittersweet smile and Sally did the same.
"Would have been a nice future as well; but I promise you that I will be your side for the rest of your time! We can be girlfriends for that time if you want!" Sally said kissing Nicole's forehead.
"I just hope that you won't be too crushed after I am gone; can my dying wish be that you let yourself fall in love with someone else? I believe that the heart will go on." Nicole said as Sally gave her a look.
"Did you really quote the song from that stupid human movie about the boat?" Sally asked in disbelief as Nicole just giggled. "But seriously; I don't know if anyone can mean to me what you do..." Sally admitted but Nicole shook her head.
"How about Sonic? Your friend and partner the handsome brave hero who hides how much of a dork he is that feels sad about how much he lost when he was so young?" Nicole suggested as Sally blushed as she tried to shake her head. "Well if not him then how about Antoine?" Nicole joked and Sally gave her a glare in response.
"Don't even joke about that but I don't know if what Sonic and I have can go that far but for you I will let my heart go on if it comes to it." Sally promised as they softly embraced.
In his lair Robotnik was working on a machine created with stolen data from the computers of Dr Ellidy; he was testing the machine on a couple of small bugs. After a few minutes and a flash he checked and smirked as he saw that the bugs had turned robotic; "Organic becomes robotic... Dr Ellidy; what would your kingdom think if they knew that you were working on this technology? Shame that without the Chaos Emeralds; these lowly lifeforms are the only test subjects that I have enough power on but soon that will be rectified..." Robotnik said to himself as he went to document his progress in testing this technology out.