WARNING: This is a Sonic Fanfiction. If you don't like Sonic, or don't want to read any fanfics, then I'd suggest that you hightail it out of here.

Once upon a time, there was an island south of Angel Island called… South Island. On this island was the bustling Gigalopolis, home to just over 150,000 Mobians; and just outside of that city was the beautiful seaside community of Turquoise Hill, with a more modest population of 1,200.

Today was a particularly busy day at the beach there. A family of sea lions was having a barbecue, two swallows were splashing in the shallows, an expectant hedgehog was sunbathing, and a hyena was — drowning?

The hyena gasped for air as he desperately tried to get his tail out from between two rocks. "Help!" he managed to cry out before the tide swallowed his head.

Then a gray wolf leapt into action. He dashed down the beach, his three tails propelling him forward, and jumped into the water. He quickly swam to the hyena's aid. Narrowing his tails into three razor-sharp points, he sliced through one of the rocks that was holding the swimmer's tail captive. He took the swimmer by the arm, then mounted his tails on the two rocks, pulled himself back, and let go, sling-shotting them back to shore.

The hyena knelt on the sand and coughed up water, taking deep breaths. "You saved my life! Oh thank you, mister…"

"Tetra" he said, helping him up.

"Thank you, Tetra. That's the last time I try jumping off of Caught-Tail Cliff!" The hyena ran to gather up his stuff.

Tetra smiled and waved as he left, then sighed and walked back to the lifeguard station.

As he got up into the seat, his best friend Frizz The Bear congratulated him. "Wow, Tetra! You just saved that hyena's life!"

Tetra only sighed in response.

"What's wrong? Aren't you glad you saved him?"

"Of course I am, Frizz. It's just, this job barely entails more than telling people off for roughhousing or littering. Whenever I DO get to save a life, I know that that'll be just about the only excitement I get out of this job for at least a month."

Frizz replied, "But you're perfect for this job! Who else do you know that can turn their tails into blades sharp enough to cut through rocks and even some metal?"

"Nobody."

"And who else could get him back to shore as quickly as you with your stretchy tails?"

"Nobody."

"And don't forget how fast you are! Why, I daresay you rival Tails in speed!"

"That old geezer that lives in Red Volcano? He's so old that practically anyone could beat him in a race! Not that he'd want to, since he spends most of his time meditating."

"You know what I mean."

Tetra stared off into the distance. "I just want some excitement! What I wouldn't give for just one action-packed day of just fighting stuff, running from explosions — you know, the cool stuff from the days of Robotnik!"

Frizz said, "Stop acting so cliché, Tetra; You're fifteen years old! Just look at the positives of your life! You remember the day that old Badnik emerged from the sand and threatened that couple?"

"That thing was over four decades old and barely functional."

"But you still faced it like a hero! I know I couldn't have done that! You may not see yourself as one, but you're a hero to all who know you."

Tetra looked at him with compassion. "You always know just what to say to keep me going, Frizz."

"What're friends for?"

Tetra looked off at a fox who had just thrown a cup into the ocean. "Hey, hey! No littering!" He blew his whistle and ran off.

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the ocean...

An alarm beeped dimly through the murky water. Something stirred from under the dust — it was an ancient breed of shark called a Megalodon, which was thought to be extinct. This one's name was Razor.

"What's this?" He murmured, still half asleep. "What has awoken me from my slumber?"

He went to the source, a blinking light on a dashboard. Text on a screen read, "FILTER 4 BLOCKED".

"What?!" Razor was confused. "My filters were made with every kind of animal, plant, or rock in mind! What POSSIBLY could have blocked it?"

He turned to another lump under the dust and shook it, waking his first mate (and girlfriend) Skeen the Stargazer.

"wha-What? What is it? Did we find it?" She rubbed her eyes. "Oh, hey, Razie. What's up?"

"I'm sorry to wake you, Skeenie dearest, but there's something blocking Filter 4."

"But how? You designed it with every —"

"Yes, yes, I know. Just come with me to check it out."

She uprighted herself, then followed him as they walked down the long corridors of their ancient ship. They reached the airlock and exited the ship.

When they got to the Filter, they were shocked to see a hollow cylindrical object made of some unfamiliar substance. It had the name "Ferdinand" written on its side.

"What is this thing?" Razor wrenched it away from the suction of the grate and looked it over. "Skeen, analyze."

Skeen touched the object with her forehead, giving her insight. "The Mobians call it a 'cup'. They drink out of it. This one was tossed into the sea by a fox named Ferdinand."

Razor was aghast, then furious. "The surface dwellers threw this? It could've blocked the filtration! I could've choked on my own exhalations!"

"Razor, it blocked ONE filter out of SIX."

"But still! I'm the last of my species, so I —"

"Yeah, yeah, you've gotta be extra careful. So what should we do?"

"Alert my allies! We're going to show those Moblins —"

"Mobians."

"— Mobians what happens when they mess with us!"

"And you?"

"I'm going to go looking for an old legend."