In the year 3237, a planet strikingly resembling the blue Earth
revolves around its sun in a complete 365-day cycle joined by eight other
planets and a decimated moon that circles the planet itself. On this world
lives a hero, a legend, who is quite possibly the fastest living creature.
This hero sleeps quietly tonight, shiny red sneakers adorned with a single
white strap and gold buckle nestled carelessly at the foot of his bed. Any
other night would yield the serene silence of a sweet sleep, maybe even a
fleeting dream or two about the hero's beloved princess. However, on this
night and other nights in the recent past, haunting visions of mistakes of
the past, ambitions of the present, and a catastrophic future plague his
mind, each scene traveling faster than light, just as he himself can do.
The hero bolts upright in his bed; sweat beading down a thick mane of
cobalt blue quills to pale cheeks. He rubs his eyes, their emerald hues
glazed over from distress and lack of sleep. And on this sleepless night,
the green-eyed blue hedgehog slipped swift feet into the red sneakers at
his bedside. Gazing thoughtfully into a picture upon his nightstand, he
let out a soft restless sigh and rose to his feet, admiring the beauty of
the auburn-tressed princess in the photograph. And so, the hedgehog
silently slipped out of the cabin where he dwelled and ran through the
forest at remarkable velocities, stopping at a lake of the purest water, a
hint of shining gold emanating from the bottom. The hero sat down,
overwhelmed by the dreams that plagued him moments before waking so
distressfully. On a night where the sound of running water and rustling
leaves soothed a tired, weary soul, Sonic the Hedgehog waited for the dawn.
Sonic the Hedgehog:
The Race for Seasons Still To Come
Sonic's dawn came and went, the lights piercing through partly cloudy skies over Knothole Village bringing seemingly celestial illumination to the tree houses and the wondrous castle that serves as home for the monarchs of Sonic's people, King Maximillian Acorn and his wife and daughter. Sonic's return from the lake was long and thought out as opposed to the hurried pace at which he ventured to the water's edge the previous night. The brief trip to and from the lake was much like a much longer exodus. Sonic the Hedgehog traveled over 800,000 light years within one single miraculous year. The expedition comes after saving the world from a vicious alien race, bent on annihilating the entire planet. Their deadliest weapon was seemingly unstoppable until Sonic dared challenge his own mortality. The hero seemingly sacrificed himself just to stop the Xorda's last resort. On the incredible journey, Sonic was worshipped as a god, engaged in fierce combat with his own dark side, and took part in a great race against beings from all across the galaxy. When he finally returned, things in Knothole evolved into a kingdom that has seen hardships, advances, and unfortunately a war waged by Sonic's long-time arch-nemesis Robotnik and his Eggman Empire. Now Sonic's life has begun anew, and the time for getting caught up with loved ones was just as due as his return. The clouds faded away over Castle Acorn as Sonic indulged himself in the high-speeds of a sprint from his private little hutch to the castle gates. To the guards atop the twin watchtowers, there was no doubt of the swift blue blur approaching the homestead. The order to open the gates was carried out immediately, and Sonic slowed down enough to enjoy the entrance. Towards him walked Rosie, the princess' kind nanny from when she was a young girl long before the dark times of Robotnik. The hero smiled with recognition and greeted her with enthusiasm.
"Have no fear...I is here!" Sonic declared with thumbs up from his gloved hand, the comedic display of excitement of the new day bringing an amused smile upon Rosie's face. She embraced him tightly, joyful now that she herself had at last seen for herself that the hero had miraculously came back home. Sonic offered a light chuckle and said simply, "Well, I'm glad to see you too, Rosie." She patted him on the head with that same gentle smile to welcome him back home. So as they slowly traversed the grand castle towards the princess' chambers, Rosie struck up the conversation.
"I thought Sir Charles had surely gone mad. I didn't honestly believe that you had indeed come back after the battle against those Xorda. I started considering that it was true when I saw Princess Sally's demeanor over the past few days. She was so much happier. Over the past year she would spend hours upon hours at that statue in your likeness. That first month, I found her there some mornings. She would spend the night there, camped out in a seemingly endless vigil. Then you came back, and her world became bright again." She shook her head in slight amazement as they stopped at the double doors of Princess Sally's bedroom, flanked by two of His Majesty's Secret Service. "In light of all of this...it is so wonderful to see you here today, alive and well, Sonic." She hugged him once more and left him there in front of the guarded doors. Between Sonic and the two guards, countless silent glances were exchanged, until Sonic casually walked closer to the doors and crossed his arms, tapping a sneaker to the pristine marble tiling of the corridor.
"'Sup?" The bemused hedgehog nonchalantly greeted the two stalwart bodyguards at the door. Stone serious...He thought. Their faces did not move, only a massive knuckle which rose up from the guard on the right side of the door, rapping against it firmly as if laying out a red carpet for the incredible booming voice which resonated through the doors to the one occupant of the chamber. Princess Sally Acorn took a brush to her long auburn hair, freshening up as the door knocked. She tugged at her baby- blue vest and ran to the doors, opening them for Sonic in order to smother him with an affectionate hug. Sweeping her up in his arms he kissed her softly on the lips. "Ready for lunch, Darlin'?"
"Way past ready, Sonic." Sally smiled and held on tightly to her beloved hedgehog as he raced out of Castle Acorn towards their favorite picnic spot, a small enclosure overlooking the Lake of Rings. Other picnic locations would have been ridden with ravenous photographers from the Knothole Press, all looking for hot gossip and the next news story of the "royal couple". However, this spot in particular was perfectly silent, broken only by the rustling of the blanket and the sounds of Sonic munching on multiple chili dogs in the same amount of time the princess would eat just one. Seventeen chili dogs later, most of which were eaten by the bottomless pit that was Sonic the Hedgehog, Sally looked deeply into his eyes, saw them to be dry, not as full of life as she was used to. The slight change concerned her.
"You look tired," Sally said simply, her hand sliding over his to take it. "I've never seen you like this before. Is something bothering you, Sweetie?" Her ocean-blue eyes reflected back to him the heavy concern she had for him. "You're having those dreams again aren't you?" He had talked to her before about the recurring nightmares that invaded him during those past nights. Only now did she see how the sleepless nights were affecting the young hedgehog. She was officially worried, and even said so.
"They're getting longer," Sonic answered, "And feeling more real each time. The weird thing is...It's not repeating each night. They continue where they left off, and it's always the same: Memories of the problems almost three years ago...visions of a horrible disastrous future...and somehow they both tie in with the present time. It's even happened once when I was awake...I'd zone out and see all this stuff happening in the past and the future. It's so confusing, Sal. My head hurts just thinkin' about it." Sonic offered a weak smile and rubbed his head jokingly. She leaned up and kissed him softly on his brow and gave in to curiosity.
"What do you see anyway? What's so horrible and catastrophic about our future? Even if it's the worst thing in the world to happen to us, it's only a bad dream. Dreams can't hurt us." She smiled gently at him, caressing his gloved hand. "Tell me." Sonic sighed with disappointment, but chose to indulge her with the torrid details.
"Mobius is dying, Sally," He said sadly, baleful green eyes focused upon her. "You and I rule over a kingdom suffering from the devastating side effects of a weapon that I ordered built and used. Knux is trying to put his island back together. I've yet to see Tails or Robotnik. You're always so sad, as if nothing can be said or done to make you smile. So many of our friends and family are absent from everything I'm looking at, possibly dead or worse. It's like..." Sonic grimaced, hesitant to complete the sentence. Sally gently shook him, wanting to hear the rest.
"Like what, Sonic?" She edged closer to him. With some resolve, Sonic looked at her with tired green eyes that almost pierced Sally's soul, sending shivers down her spine alongside the end of the sentence,
"It's like we're the last of a dying race. Our future, Sal, is grim. It wakes me up every night, and it keeps me from falling back asleep. Like I said, the dreams get more real, crisper, more horrifying every night. I'm scared, Sally Acorn. I feel like the next turn of events in my dreams for tonight will somehow involve losing you again. Just like I lost you before...I want them to go away, but I doubt they will. Somehow...I just know they won't." In an attempt to comfort himself, he cradled his princess in his arms, where she felt a tear fall from his cheek to hers.
They were tears that hadn't fallen for a long time.
"They're just dreams...bad dreams. They'll go away, and everything will be okay again. And you will never lose me, Sonic the Hedgehog. I promise." She ended her brief vow with a passionate kiss to her disconcerted lover, tickling his nose with her auburn hair making him laugh. It was a sound she was relieved to hear from him. He gazed into her eyes and smiled lightly.
"As long as I have you Sally, I'll always be prepared for..."
"...What's going down?!!" Sonic struggled against the shackles St. John had slapped on him. Narrow black beady eyes homed in on the skunk that was chief officer of the king's Secret Service. St. John's cohorts dragged Sonic away by the chain binding his hands together, Red sneakers complete with white stripe hesitant to move in conjunction with the forced dragging led by Geoffrey St. John of His Majesty's Secret Service, whose rage nearly blinded his sense of duty and the regulations for apprehending criminals by the laws of the Acorn Kingdom.
"You are, Mate, for murdering the Princess!" St. John growled, his exclamation frightening Sonic into submitting to the pulling of the chain. His best friend looked on, his two tails like dead weight on the wooden floor of Dr. Quentin Horatio Quack's hospital inside Knothole Village. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, just as distraught as the unsuspecting hedgehog, who returned from a failed mission at the worst possible time. The dreary overcast inside the hospital only increased with Sonic's arrest. Tails' usual unwavering trust for his long-time friend and role model was disturbed, leaving the poor boy speechless. Words couldn't express the disappointment and the immense sadness that cursed that hospital that night.
Sonic the Hedgehog:
The Race for Seasons Still To Come
Sonic's dawn came and went, the lights piercing through partly cloudy skies over Knothole Village bringing seemingly celestial illumination to the tree houses and the wondrous castle that serves as home for the monarchs of Sonic's people, King Maximillian Acorn and his wife and daughter. Sonic's return from the lake was long and thought out as opposed to the hurried pace at which he ventured to the water's edge the previous night. The brief trip to and from the lake was much like a much longer exodus. Sonic the Hedgehog traveled over 800,000 light years within one single miraculous year. The expedition comes after saving the world from a vicious alien race, bent on annihilating the entire planet. Their deadliest weapon was seemingly unstoppable until Sonic dared challenge his own mortality. The hero seemingly sacrificed himself just to stop the Xorda's last resort. On the incredible journey, Sonic was worshipped as a god, engaged in fierce combat with his own dark side, and took part in a great race against beings from all across the galaxy. When he finally returned, things in Knothole evolved into a kingdom that has seen hardships, advances, and unfortunately a war waged by Sonic's long-time arch-nemesis Robotnik and his Eggman Empire. Now Sonic's life has begun anew, and the time for getting caught up with loved ones was just as due as his return. The clouds faded away over Castle Acorn as Sonic indulged himself in the high-speeds of a sprint from his private little hutch to the castle gates. To the guards atop the twin watchtowers, there was no doubt of the swift blue blur approaching the homestead. The order to open the gates was carried out immediately, and Sonic slowed down enough to enjoy the entrance. Towards him walked Rosie, the princess' kind nanny from when she was a young girl long before the dark times of Robotnik. The hero smiled with recognition and greeted her with enthusiasm.
"Have no fear...I is here!" Sonic declared with thumbs up from his gloved hand, the comedic display of excitement of the new day bringing an amused smile upon Rosie's face. She embraced him tightly, joyful now that she herself had at last seen for herself that the hero had miraculously came back home. Sonic offered a light chuckle and said simply, "Well, I'm glad to see you too, Rosie." She patted him on the head with that same gentle smile to welcome him back home. So as they slowly traversed the grand castle towards the princess' chambers, Rosie struck up the conversation.
"I thought Sir Charles had surely gone mad. I didn't honestly believe that you had indeed come back after the battle against those Xorda. I started considering that it was true when I saw Princess Sally's demeanor over the past few days. She was so much happier. Over the past year she would spend hours upon hours at that statue in your likeness. That first month, I found her there some mornings. She would spend the night there, camped out in a seemingly endless vigil. Then you came back, and her world became bright again." She shook her head in slight amazement as they stopped at the double doors of Princess Sally's bedroom, flanked by two of His Majesty's Secret Service. "In light of all of this...it is so wonderful to see you here today, alive and well, Sonic." She hugged him once more and left him there in front of the guarded doors. Between Sonic and the two guards, countless silent glances were exchanged, until Sonic casually walked closer to the doors and crossed his arms, tapping a sneaker to the pristine marble tiling of the corridor.
"'Sup?" The bemused hedgehog nonchalantly greeted the two stalwart bodyguards at the door. Stone serious...He thought. Their faces did not move, only a massive knuckle which rose up from the guard on the right side of the door, rapping against it firmly as if laying out a red carpet for the incredible booming voice which resonated through the doors to the one occupant of the chamber. Princess Sally Acorn took a brush to her long auburn hair, freshening up as the door knocked. She tugged at her baby- blue vest and ran to the doors, opening them for Sonic in order to smother him with an affectionate hug. Sweeping her up in his arms he kissed her softly on the lips. "Ready for lunch, Darlin'?"
"Way past ready, Sonic." Sally smiled and held on tightly to her beloved hedgehog as he raced out of Castle Acorn towards their favorite picnic spot, a small enclosure overlooking the Lake of Rings. Other picnic locations would have been ridden with ravenous photographers from the Knothole Press, all looking for hot gossip and the next news story of the "royal couple". However, this spot in particular was perfectly silent, broken only by the rustling of the blanket and the sounds of Sonic munching on multiple chili dogs in the same amount of time the princess would eat just one. Seventeen chili dogs later, most of which were eaten by the bottomless pit that was Sonic the Hedgehog, Sally looked deeply into his eyes, saw them to be dry, not as full of life as she was used to. The slight change concerned her.
"You look tired," Sally said simply, her hand sliding over his to take it. "I've never seen you like this before. Is something bothering you, Sweetie?" Her ocean-blue eyes reflected back to him the heavy concern she had for him. "You're having those dreams again aren't you?" He had talked to her before about the recurring nightmares that invaded him during those past nights. Only now did she see how the sleepless nights were affecting the young hedgehog. She was officially worried, and even said so.
"They're getting longer," Sonic answered, "And feeling more real each time. The weird thing is...It's not repeating each night. They continue where they left off, and it's always the same: Memories of the problems almost three years ago...visions of a horrible disastrous future...and somehow they both tie in with the present time. It's even happened once when I was awake...I'd zone out and see all this stuff happening in the past and the future. It's so confusing, Sal. My head hurts just thinkin' about it." Sonic offered a weak smile and rubbed his head jokingly. She leaned up and kissed him softly on his brow and gave in to curiosity.
"What do you see anyway? What's so horrible and catastrophic about our future? Even if it's the worst thing in the world to happen to us, it's only a bad dream. Dreams can't hurt us." She smiled gently at him, caressing his gloved hand. "Tell me." Sonic sighed with disappointment, but chose to indulge her with the torrid details.
"Mobius is dying, Sally," He said sadly, baleful green eyes focused upon her. "You and I rule over a kingdom suffering from the devastating side effects of a weapon that I ordered built and used. Knux is trying to put his island back together. I've yet to see Tails or Robotnik. You're always so sad, as if nothing can be said or done to make you smile. So many of our friends and family are absent from everything I'm looking at, possibly dead or worse. It's like..." Sonic grimaced, hesitant to complete the sentence. Sally gently shook him, wanting to hear the rest.
"Like what, Sonic?" She edged closer to him. With some resolve, Sonic looked at her with tired green eyes that almost pierced Sally's soul, sending shivers down her spine alongside the end of the sentence,
"It's like we're the last of a dying race. Our future, Sal, is grim. It wakes me up every night, and it keeps me from falling back asleep. Like I said, the dreams get more real, crisper, more horrifying every night. I'm scared, Sally Acorn. I feel like the next turn of events in my dreams for tonight will somehow involve losing you again. Just like I lost you before...I want them to go away, but I doubt they will. Somehow...I just know they won't." In an attempt to comfort himself, he cradled his princess in his arms, where she felt a tear fall from his cheek to hers.
They were tears that hadn't fallen for a long time.
"They're just dreams...bad dreams. They'll go away, and everything will be okay again. And you will never lose me, Sonic the Hedgehog. I promise." She ended her brief vow with a passionate kiss to her disconcerted lover, tickling his nose with her auburn hair making him laugh. It was a sound she was relieved to hear from him. He gazed into her eyes and smiled lightly.
"As long as I have you Sally, I'll always be prepared for..."
"...What's going down?!!" Sonic struggled against the shackles St. John had slapped on him. Narrow black beady eyes homed in on the skunk that was chief officer of the king's Secret Service. St. John's cohorts dragged Sonic away by the chain binding his hands together, Red sneakers complete with white stripe hesitant to move in conjunction with the forced dragging led by Geoffrey St. John of His Majesty's Secret Service, whose rage nearly blinded his sense of duty and the regulations for apprehending criminals by the laws of the Acorn Kingdom.
"You are, Mate, for murdering the Princess!" St. John growled, his exclamation frightening Sonic into submitting to the pulling of the chain. His best friend looked on, his two tails like dead weight on the wooden floor of Dr. Quentin Horatio Quack's hospital inside Knothole Village. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, just as distraught as the unsuspecting hedgehog, who returned from a failed mission at the worst possible time. The dreary overcast inside the hospital only increased with Sonic's arrest. Tails' usual unwavering trust for his long-time friend and role model was disturbed, leaving the poor boy speechless. Words couldn't express the disappointment and the immense sadness that cursed that hospital that night.