It was close to 6 o' clock, about an hour since the party had started. More people had come to the party, many of them from different parts of the world. Leaders, ambassadors, and of course, their personal guards. Isaac was using a toothpick, having just finished eating. He couldn't remember the last time he ate so much! But as he did so, he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder. Isaac looked, seeing it was Sally. Isaac quickly got up, giving her his full attention.
"Isaac, my father wants me to mingle with some of the people here. But… I would feel more secure about it if you were with me." Sally explained.
"Say no more. Do you need me to introduce you?" Isaac asked.
"No, they know who I am. All I need you to do is look intimidating." Sally answered.
Sally walked to one of the ambassadors, Isaac walking next to her. The ambassador was an Asian man, standing at 5' 9", about mid-40s, wearing a black suit.
"Ambassador Xian Yi, it is great to see you! My father was hoping you would be able to make it here." Sally greeted.
"Princess Sally, when I heard your father was healing, I decided to ensure I would be here to congratulate him on his recovery. Are you not going to introduce me to your friend?" He asked, motioning towards Isaac.
"Many apologies. This is Isaac Abaddon. He is my personal guard. Isaac, this is Ambassador Xian Yi of Chun-nan." Sally said, introducing the two.
"It is an honor, Ambassador Xian Yi of Chun-nan." Isaac said, bowing.
Ambassador Xian Yi bowed in response.
"It is an honor, Isaac Abaddon. I have heard of you from King Nigel Acorn. He praises you quite highly. But I must say, it is quite unusual for a father to praise his daughter's boyfriend as much as he does you." Xian Yi said.
"I was unaware he mentioned that Ambassador Xian Yi." Isaac replied.
"He has been talking about you since the party started. It is highly unusual." Xian Yi revealed.
Isaac didn't know what this meant. Did he ever speak highly of Sonic when he was dating Sally? I mean, maybe it was because Sonic was a hero, but Isaac, he only ever thought of himself as a guard. Nowhere close to being a hero! After bidding Ambassador Xian Yi farewell, Isaac continued walking with Sally.
"Up ahead are Prime Minister Charles Etwin from England and Chieftain Zoremba from Mazuri of Efrika." Sally informed.
The Prime Minister was wearing a black tuxedo, holding a glass of champagne in his hand. The chieftain was wearing a blue and yellow Agbada, a four-piece garment consisting of a large, loose-fitting outer dress, an underwear jacket, and drawstring trousers and a traditional cap.
"Your father is very well connected with the world, isn't he?" Isaac asked.
"That's what happens when you're king. You make friends everywhere." Sally answered.
As they walked to the Chieftain and Prime Minister, Sally hooked her arm with Isaac's. Isaac made sure to straighten his posture, looking as if he had been a noble for his entire life.
"Ah, and here comes the very topic of discussion! Zoremba, do you remember what Nigel was talking about? Something about a ranger dating his daughter?" Charles asked, his voice laden with an upper-class accent.
"Ah, yes! But I don't remember a noble prince wearing gold and silver mentioned at all! I guess relationships don't last as long as I thought!" Zoremba answered, before the two began laughing.
"We are joking, Princess! Merely having a laugh! But we are quite interested in learning how you came to be infatuated with such a skilled Ranger." Charles said.
"Skilled? Prime Minister Etwin, you flatter me." Isaac responded.
"Oh, enough of the formalities! It's Christmas! And the champagne provided has me in a good mood!" Charles said, laughing.
"Yes, but we have heard you managed to take down an Overlander… with your fists!" Zoremba exclaimed, making a fist to make his point.
"I did it to capture him alive, not to make a point." Isaac responded.
Zoremba and Charles laughed, as if not expecting the answer.
"Modest, too! Don't let anyone take that away from you." Charles said, taking another drink from his glass.
As they were talking, a waiter came by, holding a tray of drinks.
"Drink for you, sir?" He asked.
"Just water, please." Isaac requested.
The waiter grabbed a glass of water and handed it to Isaac. Isaac took it, thanking him. As he drank, Charles continued talking.
"By the way, when are you two getting married?" He asked.
Isaac began coughing and choking, caught off-guard by the question. Sally began slapping him on the back, trying to help clear his lungs. After Isaac got his coughing under control, he cleared his throat.
"I… I do not know. The question… never presented itself." Isaac answered, unsure of how to go about the subject.
"Don't worry about it, Isaac! No need to rush things. I'm happy with how things are now!" Sally said, reassuring Isaac.
"Oh, Isaac! That reminds me! May I have a word with you in private? Just for a minute." Charles asked.
"If it is alright with Princess Sally." Isaac said, looking to Sally.
"Of course. Just be sure to hurry back. I may want to dance for a bit." Sally said.
Isaac followed the Prime Minister, getting to a part of the ballroom where there few people. He produced a cigar, lighting it.
"G.U.N. recently told me about those people you took down. Said they were part of a terrorist organization. The Order of Honorius. They were… very forthcoming with that information. Now, I don't believe a word of what they said about you! But what I do believe is that they apparently have strongholds in England. And that simply won't do! So, I will inform the other countries in Europe about the Order. I will have them rooted out of their hiding places; I promise you this!" Charles said.
"Prime Minister… that is quite a promise." Isaac responded.
"I will not have innocent people killed by these people on my watch! Now, I believe your princess wants to have you back. Speaking of which, my wife probably wants me to stop mingling for now. Until we speak again, Ranger." He said, walking to the other end of the ballroom, a trail of smoke following him.
Isaac returned to Sally, who was speaking to Zoremba, mostly on how Mazuri was holding up because of the droughts during Autumn.
"So, with the rains coming in, things should be back to normal by February. But if I can convince King Nigel, he may be able to help with lowering the tariffs the Mobian Trading Company imposed when the droughts happen again." Zoremba explained.
"That would definitely help when you need supplies you can't produce because of the droughts. I'll see if I can talk to him about it later." Sally said.
"Thank you, Princess! Now, I must see if my wife wishes to be by my side for the rest of the night. If not, I will most likely be talking to King Nigel about the issue." Zoremba said, before walking off.
"So, what did the Prime Minister want to talk to you about?" Sally asked.
"He was letting me know that he was officially declaring war on the Order of Honorius. Has to be some of the best news that I've heard." Isaac answered.
"Well, that's great! By the way, I believe you have something you wanted to ask me." Sally said.
"Do I?" Isaac asked.
As if on cue, the music began to play. It was the Waltz No. 2. Isaac now understood what question he had to ask.
"Sally, would you care to dance?" Isaac asked, gesturing with an open hand.
"I would be honored." Sally replied, taking his hand.
They walked onto the dancefloor, where others were moving forward as well.
"Do you know this dance?" Sally asked.
"Actually, yes. My mother taught me this one. Just let me lead and everything will be fine." Isaac answered.
While it had been years since Isaac had done the Waltz, and a few of the steps weren't as fluid as he would've liked, he nonetheless was able to perform the steps, the pulls, the pushes, and the twirls that made up the number. As they danced, Isaac caught a glance of the others, them watching he and Sally dance. He could tell Knuckles and the other guys were silently laughing.
"They're laughing at us." Isaac observed.
"Let them. They're just jealous they don't have anyone else to dance with." Sally reassured. And as if on cue, Sonic and Amy passed them on the dancefloor, Sonic struggling with steps.
"Ow! Careful, Sonic! You just stepped on my foot again." Amy informed.
"Sorry! I'm having trouble with the steps." Sonic responded.
"Yeah… Now that I see it, I don't think it's us they're laughing at." Isaac commented.
At the end where Isaac held Sally, he felt tempted to kiss her again. But as he got closer, Sally subtly wagged her finger, dissuading him.
"If you want to, we can go to one of the balconies where no one will see us." Sally informed.
Isaac nodded, thinking that was a good idea. After making their way to the upper level, Sally led Isaac to one of the balcony doors, where there was no one to be found. Before she could say anything else, Isaac planted his lips onto hers', finally able to kiss her without interruption. After a few minutes, they broke the kiss, feeling breathless. Isaac looked upon Sally, the moonlight magnifying her beauty.
"You look like an angel in the moonlight." Isaac observed.
"Speaking of which…" Sally said, looking out from the balcony.
Sally and Isaac held each other, looking out into the distance. The moonlight illuminated the snow coming down. While it was a clear night, it was still gently snowing.
"Will it ever stop snowing?" Sally asked, laughing.
"Fimbulwinter." Isaac responded, laughing.
"Fimbulwinter?" Sally asked.
"Yeah, it's just an old story my parents told me. Something about a winter that spans three summers. I don't really remember a lot of the story." Isaac answered.
As they stood there, they heard something behind them. Isaac quickly looked over his shoulder, seeing Rouge and Knuckles turn the corner, looking out for others. Sally quickly grabbed Isaac's hand and pulled him to the other side of the balcony, concealing themselves. Rouge and Knuckles quickly got onto the balcony, Knuckles shutting and locking the door behind them. As he turned around, Rouge quickly clasped her arms around his neck and kissed him!
"I knew it!" Sally exclaimed, whispering.
"Please, don't tell me there's another bet with these two!" Isaac whispered.
"Not this time. But I think we should try to get out of here before they see us." Sally responded.
Sally and Isaac slowly sneaked their way from the couple, making their way around the castle balcony, going around the corner. Isaac could see another door that would lead back to the ballroom, relieving him that they wouldn't be stuck while waiting for Knuckles and Rouge to leave.
"Man, I'm pretty sure I saw tongue!" Sally exclaimed, still in disbelief that had happened.
"Tongue? Why would there be tongue?" Isaac asked, not knowing what she was talking about.
Sally looked at Isaac, first in surprise, but then adopting a mischievous look.
"How about another kiss?" Sally asked, grabbing Isaac's hands.
Isaac smiled, always looking forward to a kiss with her. As they kissed, Sally embraced Isaac around his neck. Isaac moved his hands to her face, gently caressing it. As Isaac was lost in the kiss, he felt something. Something sliding across his lips.
"What was that?" Isaac thought to himself.
Isaac continued kissing Sally, but he felt it again. Perhaps it was part of her lip. Perhaps it was part of his lip. But whatever it was, it continued to slide across his lips. Isaac, against his better instincts, slightly opened his mouth. But the moment he did so, whatever it was sliding across his lips quickly pushed its way into his mouth!
Sally tightened her grip on Isaac, while Isaac moved his hands to her shoulders to push away. At that moment, Isaac finally realized what was happening! It was Sally's tongue! Isaac, not knowing what to do, attempted to use his own tongue to stop her. But instead of it stopping her, Sally became more aggressive, as if wrestling him!
"Isaac…" She breathed, getting lost in the kiss.
After a few minutes, Sally finally broke the kiss, she and Isaac breathing heavily. She was looking into Isaac's eyes, lost in the moment. Isaac, while he felt disoriented… admittedly enjoyed it, after the initial confusion.
"That was… amazing!" Sally exclaimed, still holding onto Isaac.
"That… was unlike anything I've ever experienced." Isaac said.
Sally smiled, looking up at Isaac.
"Was it nice?" Sally asked, winking.
Isaac blushed brightly, feeling as if he were running a fever. Isaac cleared his throat, feeling out of place.
"It was… very nice, actually. But I will admit… when you asked for a kiss, I wasn't expecting you to shove your tongue down my throat." Isaac admitted.
Sally looked away, visibly ashamed. Isaac gently put his hand under her chin, moving it back to face him.
"Next time… just let me know what you want from me." Isaac said, giving her another kiss.
After having their moment, they returned inside. Going back downstairs, they saw there were new people at the party. Their clothing were more business than party. They were wearing black suits, human and Mobian alike.
"Do you know these people?" Isaac asked. Sally shook her head, never seeing them before. As they walked, Isaac could feel that some of these new people were staring. They eventually made it to the others, who were talking. Sally let go of Isaac's hand, talking with Amy and Blaze.
"Hey, Sally. I have to excuse myself for a moment. I'll be right back." Isaac said, walking towards the bathroom.
After walking into the bathroom and relieving himself at one of the urinals, Isaac went to wash his hands. As he did, he noticed three of the new people walked in. But as soon as they did, they walked themselves into the different stalls. As Isaac washed his hands, he looked in the mirror, seeing faint lipstick smudges on his face. Washing his face, he grabbed a paper towel, drying his face.
As he removed the towel from his face, he saw one of the new suits behind him in the mirror, reeling back with a collapsible baton. Isaac quickly ducked, the baton swinging over his head. Isaac kicked back behind himself, planting his foot into his gut. After the new suit doubled over, winded, Isaac grabbed the back of his collar and threw him into the mirror, smashing it! At the sound of the mirror smashing, the other stalls opened, the other new suits waiting.
"For the Order!" They exclaimed, running towards Isaac.
Back in the Ballroom:
"Amy, can I talk to you in private? Just for a moment?" Sally asked.
"Sure. Sonic, save me a dance when I get back, okay?" Amy asked, walking away with Sally.
Sonic gave a thumbs up, continuing to talk to Blaze and Silver. Sally and Amy walked out of the ballroom, ensuring no one was nearby. After closing the door, Sally turned back to Amy.
"Amy… I have something to tell you. But before I do, I need to ask… do you know why Sonic and I broke up?" Sally asked.
Amy sighed, nodding. She knew this conversation was going to come up sooner or later.
"I heard it when Sonic was taking a nap a few months ago. And if we're going to be honest, when I heard it, I wanted to pound you and Sonic into a pulp." Amy explained.
"I don't blame you. Amy… the reason I wanted to talk to you is because when I heard you and Sonic were dating, I wanted to make sure you don't make the same mistake as me. You and Sonic… you both deserve to be happy! And I understand if you're still upset with Sonic and I because of what had happened." Sally explained.
"Well, I was upset, but after a while, I realized it was something I had no control over. I mean, Sonic and I weren't even dating! I can't blame him for loving someone else at the time." Amy responded.
Sally was shocked! It was almost verbatim what Isaac had said over a week ago! Perhaps there was something to his 'seeing-the-good-in-people' attitude.
"So… want to get back to the party?" Amy asked.
"Yeah, that sounds good! Also, thanks… for, you know, not pounding me into a pulp." Sally said.
"No problem!" Amy responded, opening the door back to the ballroom.
Back to Isaac:
Isaac grabbed the baton from the floor, ready for the fight! The Mobian, a reptilian, swung a hand full of claws at Isaac. Isaac deflected with the baton, creating an opening. Isaac dug his fist into his side, feeling his ribs cave in! As he did so, Isaac threw his fist into his face, causing him to fly back into one of the stalls as well as dislodging a few teeth. The human equipped his own baton, engaging in an impromptu swordfight with Isaac.
While he had a height and weight advantage against him, Isaac had the advantage of experience. The moment he saw an opening, Isaac swung for his knees, shattering one of his kneecaps! The human collapsed in a fetal position, nursing his injured knee. Isaac swung his foot to his head, knocking him out with a punt kick! Isaac studied the carnage, ensuring they were all incapacitated.
"Next time, watch your openings." Isaac commented, leaving the bathroom. As he walked out, he straightened out his shirt and vest. He eventually came back to Sally, who was talking to Blaze.
"Everything alright?" Sally inquired.
"Nothing a dance won't fix. Shall we?" Isaac asked, extending his hand. Sally took it, the both of them walking out to the dancefloor.