Hello all you Sonic fans. This fanfic is two firsts for me: My first Sonic fanfic and my first attempt at serious romance. For all you critics out there (Don't point to your nose and ask `Who, me?' That goes double for you, Don Redmond) Please keep this in mind, I'm 12 years old. Even though it may not seem like it, I am. Comments, praise and suggestions to globemanet@ppp.nasionet.net. Flames will be extinguished. CONTACT Moonlight shimmered on the surface of the ring pool. Knothole was quiet, and most of it's inhabitants were asleep. Except one particularly restless hedgehog. One particularly hungry hedgehog. Sonic was in search of food, more specifically a chili dog. He'd found the chili, but there was no trace of a hot dog anywhere. Sonic put the chili down on a table and began to look in the cupboards. Suddenly he heard a sound behind him. Closing the cupboard door, Sonic listened intently for the source of the noise. Nothing but silence. Assuming that it was just his imagination, Sonic shrugged and continued foraging for food. Something grabbed Sonic by the throat and threw him to the other end of the room. Sonic's instincts kicked in, and he landed feet first on the wall, preventing him from smashing his head on it. He saw a dark figure in a crouched position, preparing to pounce. The dark made it impossible to identify it, but Sonic knew one thing for sure. It definitely wasn't friendly. With a growl, the figure leapt at Sonic, only to come into contact with his fist. `Ow!' Sonic recognized that voice. `Sally?' `Sonic?' The figure switched on a flashlight and shone it into Sonic's face. Sonic covered his eyes from the glare. `What the hell are you doing out here?' She asked. `Looking for a chili.' Sonic never finished the sentence. `Again?' sally put the flashlight down and banged her fist on the floor. Picking it up again, she stood up. `Sheesh Sal. Do you have to be so paranoid?' Sonic rubbed his head. `Did you have to hit so hard?' She countered. `I'm sorry. Where did I hit?' Sonic reached out a paw. `Don't touch me!' Sally turned and walked out of the kitchen into the mess hall, Sonic closely following her. `Whoa, what happened? Get up on the wrong side of the.' `Nothing's wrong! Quit following me!' Sally turned and snapped at him. Sonic was stunned by her reply, but like his stubborn self, refused to budge. `What's the matter with you? I said move!' Sonic twitched at the prospect of directly disobeying the rightful ruler of Mobius, but defiantly stood his ground. `I'm not moving `til you tell me what's wrong.' Sonic said matter-of-factly. Sally gave in. `Sit down.' She said. Sonic took a seat on the nearest bench. Sally sat beside him and produced am oil lamp from her backpack. She lit it and put it down on the table. `Well?' Sonic said. Sally sighed and spoke. `Frankly, I think we're doomed.' Sonic was shocked. `Now see here. What d'ya mean by that.' Sonic was serious. `Face it. Robotnik's got the upper paw. He's got thousands of robots at his disposal, while we've got a handful of freedom fighters fighting for a cause that we lost so long ago. Hell, we're losing soldiers day after day. You know what I'd like to happen right now? I'd like just one week where we don't have at least one freedom fighter roboticized. And then there's our toxin problem. `You remember what Uncle Chuck said. Bunnie's gonna die in about five years, and Uncle Chuck himself hasn't got very long on his paws. We're fading. Dying. Fighting a battle that we can't possibly win. And what's the point of me leading a group of innocent young people to their deaths, either by blasters or the roboticizer.' `Now don't talk like that. We've still got plenty of biologic fighters left.' Sonic told her. `Yes, but for how long? Sooner or later Robotnik's going to discover us, then Knothole will be dust faster than you can run to the ring pool and back. Don't you see? Robotnik doesn't want t conquer Mobius. He wants to annihilate it. Then he'll move on to another planet, and destroy that one too. He's not going to let a bunch of rebels stop him. It's hopeless.' Sally put her head in her paws. `Not if we fight, Sally.' He took her paws in his. `Not if we all fight.' They looked into each other's eyes for what seemed like forever before Sonic made his move. `We can beat Robotnik, Sally. With Bunnie's strength.' Sonic's face moved closer towards Sally's `Rotor's genius.' Sally moved closer as well. `Dulcy's flight.' Closer. `My speed.' Closer. `Your leadership.' Closer. `Charm...' Closer. `Beauty.' Contact. Sally put her arms around him as the moments grew longer. Reluctantly, they came up for air. `I love you Sonic.' `Love you too, Sal.' `Love to see how many Academy Awards _this_ scene will get!' A voice yelled from behind the mess hall door. Whirling around, they saw Rotor with a video camera in his paw. `Sally, how could have you done such a thing?' Antoine piped up from behind Rotor. `Sally my girl, I knew you liked Sonic, but not this much!' Bunnie said. This was followed by side-splitting laughter. `Go on, Sal! Kiss him one more time!' Dulcy said. Sally happily obliged. `Yuck!' Sonic, how could you?' Tails stuck his tongue out. `Hey, who called the kid?' Sonic broke off from Sally. `Don't worry about it, Sugarhog.' Bunnie said. `Just keep kissing `er!' Next, on Double or Nothing: The look of pure sadism on Robotnik's face was unmistakable as he reached for the lever that would trap all the freedom fighters in a robot shell forever. `You may get us, Robuttnik. But there are others. Others who will get you, and reduce your empire to rubble.' Sonic said. `I think not, rodent. However, rest assured that you are one group of freedom fighters who felt the wrath of Robotnik.' Robotnik laughed maniacally as he pulled the lever. As the pain hit, Sonic's vision faded to black.