Battle at the Ball
It was past 10 'o clock at the Starlight City grand hotel, and the international royal ball was in full swing. All of the royals and nobles, dressed in all of their finery, talked and laughed with one another as the hours dragged on. Many of the younger ones were dancing, while their elders discussed everything from personal business, to political matters.
Over by the punch bowl, King Umberto Ghianda (Called by the western press Nigel Acorn) of Sabato Island had a glass of red wine with King Komometz of Kalong island. Both were watching the younger nobles at the party, dancing and making revelry.
"I say, it appears my children are enjoying the event, or at least trying to." Umberto sighed, red squirrel in blue jacket and diadem crown took a sip of his drink. "At least our youth may get something out of this, eh vecchio amico?"
"Do not speak to me of my sired offspring, Umberto. Only one has brought me honor." Komometz hissed,as the large gray bat with white tunic and crown slurped down his wine. "Although my son Prince Tyson is a true and faithful son, his sister became a jewel thief, and was stripped of her royal title, she is dead to me!"
"Oh, dear... Mi dispiace tanto, I had no idea. You never told me before." Umberto apologized, getting his friend another drink. "Come, let us forget such matters, and discuss instead our planned trade deals..."
Out on the dance floor, several of the princesses were enjoying their time with the eligible young princes and nobles of the kingdoms.
"By the spirit of Gaia, Manic... I was not aware that you were such a talented dancer." Lupe complimented her dance partner, as they waltzed across the floor. "For a member of the hedgehog royal family kidnapped and raised by thieves, you handle yourself extremely well."
"Hey, what can I say? Ya pick up all sorts of skills on the street." Manic replied, smoothly dipping her almost to the floor as they danced. "Besides, Captain Argus of the South island Royal guard found me as a teen, so I did grow up partially at court."
"Still, you turned out as a real wild boy... and this wolf likes wild boys." She growled softly in his ear. "What do you say we ditch this boring party, my spiky prince, and you join me back at my room to have a howl at the moon?"
"Manic, if you want to go for a run with that she-wolf, that's fine." Sonia whispered, as she and Bartleby danced close to Manic and Lupe. "But please wait until after the ball, and use some discretion."
"Hey stop treating me like I'm your kid brother!" The green hedgehog with the wild mane of quills glared over at his sister, as both he and Lupe glared at Sonia. "Just because you and Sonic were supposedly born a few minutes before I was-"
"WE ARE NOT RELATED TO SONIC!" the hedgehog princess practically screamed, embarrassing Bartleby, and getting the attention of all the other surrounding young royals. "He has nothing to us, would everyone please stop acting like he's supposed to be a part of our family!"
"Would you please close your muzzle Sonia, and stop being such a bitch." Princess Undina snapped at the whining hedgehog princess, while jumping from nobleman to nobleman as dance partners. "Ohmygawd, this is why Sally, Lupe, and all the other princesses never invited you to any royal sleepovers!"
"Sonia darling, she's right... you're making a scene..." Baron Bartleby MontClair, the pretty boy mink who was Sonia's fiance, tried to calm her. "This i no way for the crown princess of South island to act!"
As Bartleby tried to calm the temperamental princess down, her received a slap and the declaration that their engagement was over. Unidina then stepped in and proceeded to rip Sonia a new one.
"Good gravy, that sister of mine is annoying!" As Undina and Sonia continued their petty little argument, Manic went back to his dance with Sonia."She has always lived in denial about our bro, calling him 'uncouth' or whatever."
"Sounds like you have met your famous brother personally." Lupe asked as they danced, curious. "have you ever met him in person?"
"A few times. Uncle Chuck arraigned a few meetings for us, where we actually got to hang out and have fun. Sonia wanted nothing to do with it, she hates Uncle Chuck, too." Manic sighed. "Good thing for her Sonic renounced his royal title, and isn't a prince."Manic shook his head. "The funny part is, during the eggman war, my sis and I went into hiding as a traveling rock band, called the Sonic underground. We got a hold of a repaired mecha Sonic, reprogrammed him to sing with us, and traveled around on missions to help the resistance around the world." The green hedgehog laughed. "During one of our missions, Sonia even met Knuckles the echidna, and got a crush on him."
"Wow, that must've been a shock for poor Sonia." Lupe stifled a laugh. "I met Sonic several times... particularly the time he came to our island during the shattered earth crisis, when he thought my tribe might have a Gaia key." Lupe explained. " The werehog helped protect my tribe's Gaia temple, and aided us in driving off Robotnik's forces. I also here about him a lot about Sonic from one of my sisters-in-arms, Whisper, who left the wolf pack to join the Diamond cutters during the Eggman war." Lupe explained, as Manic led her in an underarm turn. "She did not come back to the pack until after the Resistance dissolved a few years back. Whisper is very shy and quiet by nature... but she spins a good yarn to the pack's cubs around the longhouse fire, let me tell you."
"Wow, the wolf pack sounds amazing, Lupe. A wonderful group of islanders to rule over." Manic noted, as they finished up their dance with the song ending. "And you'll rule it all yourself one day?"
"Eh, the pack is made up of mostly noble canines, thoguh we have a few bad eggs we've cast out of the pack; like that horrible Hocke-wulf who works for that vile Wendy Witchkart, of that slime ball Sleet, the bounty hunter who pals around with that big dumb dingo." Lupe leaned forward, softly licking his cheek. "As for the pack... yes, I will become queen one day, with my father having no other children. But whatever prince I take as my mate, will one day become chief."
There was a few minute break between songs, before the music started up again, and all of the dancers returned to the floor. In the next number, Monkey Kahn was slow dancing with Princess Sally, both enjoying the moment of calm, in the sea of chaos and confusion that was their royal lives.
"It is wonderful to see you again after all these years, my dear Salvatrice." The prince of the Sunrise islands told his dancing partner. "It has been far, far too long since we last spoke."
"Si, Ken. It's been a long time since our... failed courtship." Sally frowned, looking away. "It was such a wonderful time back then, so many meravigliosa memories."
"Remember the lantern festival at my father's palace?" Kahn reminded her. "Remember how when danced then, enjoyed the fireworks, and that magical night under the cherry blossom trees in my father's garden..."
Salvatrice blushed at the memory, before resting her head on the simian prince's shoulder. Nearby, two other dancers -a coyote and a rabbit- watched the couple with some amusement.
"Aw, ain't thiat sweet naow!" Scarlett sighed, as her husband turned her in aside reel. "What y'all think they're chances are o' making it work this time, Antoine hun?"
"Perzonally, I zink zier relationship is doomed once again, malheureusement." The coyote sighed. "Zhey are vrom two different worlds, mon bien-aimé, and zhey zier love, it mixes like -how you say?- Ze oil and ze water."
"Hy, ya'll could be sayin' the same about us, Antione, darlin!" She rested her head against his soft shoulder. "Let's just forget about everythang else, and enjoy this dance."
The two dance together on the floor, the only sounds they could hear were the music, the beating of each others' hearts... and the whirring and grinding of Scarlett's servomotor joints in her right arm and legs.
Sadly, this pretty scene was not to last.
Suddenly, the Skylight imploded overhead, raining shards of glass down on the confused and terrified crowd. Royals ran in ever direction, as a large army of robots descended though the skylight, and filling the room with their large numbers. Large, black armored humanoids with a single, v-shaped red eye- these were the Swatbots, badniks made in the hundreds of thousands by Dr. Eggman, then never used in his war against Sonic. Clutch the Opossum had acquired Robotnik's entire stock of what he considered a 'failed project', and reprogrammed them into the service of Nagus. The badniks fanned out in every direction, attack every one of the screaming and fleeing royals. Security, which had been ready to deal with any regular intruders or criminals, was quickly overwhelmed by the attacking hordes.
"Priority one: capture the Princesses." One of the bots declared, in a metallic voice. "All other royal guests are disposable." The robots then spread out, attacking the guests with powerful punches, and firing red beams of energy from their eyes.
That is not to say the royal went down without a fight.
Umberto and Komometz each drew their blades, slashing and hacking away at the robots, chopping many of them to pieces. Manic and Sonia curled up curled up into balls, and spin dashed the bots,while Lupe activated a magical ring on her wrist, which turned into an energy bow which she used to fire arrows at the 'bots. Salvatrice, likewise, activated her wrist wrings, and tore into the swatbots with the two wrist blades that popped out.
"Ugh, this is so lame! These badniks are ruining out outfits!" Sonia shrieked as she fought, slicing a robot in half with her spin dash. "I thought Eggman had disappeared a few months ago!"
"Looks like the stronzo decided to make a comeback." Salvatrice chittered angrily like a chipmunk, as she decapitated two swatbots with her wrist blades. "I'm certa I have seen this model before, I think Eggman used them in the war on Sabato island!"
"I have had enough of that madman's evil!" Lupe snarled, unleashing a flurry of energy arrows, that toppled several swatbots. "Let of make an end of these mechanical monstrosities, who had ruined our chance at a joyous night!"
Meanwhile, Sally's brother Prince Alonzo, who had been standing over in the corner brooding (as usual), drew his blade, the magical sword of Ghianda, and tore intro the swat bots on his own. While Monkey Kahn retrieved his magic staff from the coat check, and unleashed a furious combination of Chi blasts and martial arts upon the robots.
"Ah, Ken Lau, good to fight beside you in battle again." Alfonzo greeted him, having stayed mostly out of the ball earlier. "Confido che tu abbia trattato mia sorella onorevolmente- I trust your intentions towards my sister at this ball have been honorable?"
"Of course, Prince Alfonzo. I would not do otherwise." The simian prince unleashed a series of chi-powered kick, shattering the robots to pieces. "But come, let us concentrate on smashing these fiends."
The royals fought on long and hard, but the endless hordes of Swatbots just kept coming. As the battling nobles began to fall one by one, Salvatrice found herself back to back with Bunny and Antoine.
"Putain tout ça! Zhere are too many of zhem, ve ar being overwhelmed!" Antione growled, as he slashed away at the badniks with his sabre, dropping over a dozen of them. "Zhey keep coming by zee hundreds, and ve are being ze extremely exhausted!"
"Hai ragione, Danton- you are right." Pulling out her PDA, Princess Salvatrice called out. "Nicola, are you there? We've been attacked at the ball, and we're being swarmed by Swatbots! Aiuto! We need a way out!"
"Sally! I've gotten word from the Starlight City police, it's caos totale outside of where you are!" The holographic form of a lynx appeared, a worried look on her face. "Is your brother all right? Where is amore mio, Alonzo?"
"He's figtin' fer his life, Nicole! just like we all are!" Scarlett interjected, kicking several swatbots to pieces with her cybernetic legs. "Cain y'all focus, help us out here a bit?"
"O-of course." Nicola stuttered, as numbers and letters flashed across the screen, as a beam out of the PDA scanned a nearby smashed badnik. "This swatbot model is capable of self repair, that's why you're having the trouble!" A look of fear spread across the holo-projection of the lynx's face. " There are thousands of these thing attacking the hotel, ones you destroy keep rising over and over again! Princess, you've got to get out there, subito!"
Before princess Salavtrice could respond, the Swatbots swarmed in, finally overwhelming the few remaining fighters. Dropping her PDA, the princess heard the screams of her friends as they went unconscious like all of the she saw only darkness.
"Princess Salvatrice, are you there!?" The panicked Nicola called out. "Sally!"
One of the Swatbots stepped on the PDA, smashing it to pieces, and the holographic image of the lynx girl in the purple dress fizzled out.
Next: Team Sonic enters the battle!