Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning how to dance in the rain.

Vivian Greene

Thunderstorm

Sonic loved South Island.

Had he said that out loud to one of the island's steadily rising number of organic inhabitants, freed from their badnik casings, they might have found such an assessment strange. Here he was, a supersonic hedgehog who'd just flown in from Christmas Island and upon arrival, had been forced to deal with a megalomaniacal doctor searching for the Chaos Emeralds and using animals as organic batteries as a means to that end. But then again, such bemusement stemmed from ignorance, that it was these actions that made the experience enjoyable. Or rather it was the actions that they necessitated. Because while South Island was a drifting mass of wonder, there was far more excitement to be had in preserving that wonder than experiencing it.

Dodging a swooping buzzbomber and smashing the casing open as if to demonstrate the reason for his happiness, Sonic had to admit that the feeling was starting to wane. South Island might have been surrounded by water but it unfortunately had a large amount of water in its interior as well. Sure, the Green Hills were all well and good but passing over the series of bridges that led to the interior was another plate of chilli dogs. And while he'd managed to find a degree of solace in the jungle situated in the island's interior, he knew it was only a matter of time before he had to pass through a flooded labyrinth-the only back door to what people were starting to call Scrap Brain, in an effort to label the monstrosity the doctor had situated on the island's peek.

One step at a time, the hedgehog told himself, his actual speed betraying his words. Just one step at a time...

And he had to admit, there were things other than water that concerned him. It seemed like a good idea at the time when he encountered the desperate animals on the beach begging him for help against the overweight human, a chance to be a hero and reap the benefits of such status. But having nearly been shot by badniks, crushed by wrecker balls and nearly impaled a dozen times on craftily concealed spikes, the hedgehog was beginning to have his doubts. "What if?" was an unwanted line of thought, but it was slipping into his mind regardless. What if he couldn't do this? What if he failed and Robotnik got his hands on the Chaos Emeralds, yanking the three he'd already collected from his cold dead hands? And, if it came to that, what would the madman use them for?

Deciding he'd rather not know, the hedgehog screeched to a stop, flipping up into the air immediately afterwards to grab a mango from one of the trees. He needed something to take his mind off this train of thought and while fruit didn't exactly rank highly in his list of favourite food groups, it was better than nothing.

Ugh...too watery, Sonic thought, watching juice spray all over his gloves as he took a bite, a few drops even getting onto his sneakers. I'd say this thing is green rather than yellow when it comes to experience, not to mention-...

Boom!

Jumping into the air in a demonstration of his agility that he'd have preferred to keep under wraps, it was no secret that the hedgehog had heard...whatever had happened. Exactly what that was he didn't know, but given the darkening sky and lowering temperatures, he had an idea, specifically one that, if true, would manifest in a nightmare rather than a dream. And while Robotnik's scientific ambitions seemed to have dreams and nightmares mixed up, Sonic still knew himself well enough to understand the difference.

A storm? the hedgehog wondered, hearing a second boom in what he now realized to be thunder. Here? On South Island?

Shivering for reasons besides that of low temperature complicated by being drenched in a tropical storm, Sonic tried to keep himself calm. He hated water, or at least when it was in its liquid form. And with water currently being transformed from vapour to liquid in the process of...well, whatever process it was (science had never been his strong suit), it was almost as bad as falling into a stream.

But it's ok, the hedgehog told himself, wishing for a thousand badniks instead of the heavens pounding him. It's water from above, not below. You can't drown, you can keep yourself dry if-...

Boom!

Letting out a yelp that sounded like a puppy being kicked (or a fox being shot...for some reason that popped into his mind), Sonic scrambled for cover under a tree. A random choice in a desire to get out of the storm, but considering the size of its leaves and density of its branches, it had apparently worked out. Still, while the plant was doing its job of keeping him dry warm, that didn't mean it was perfect. The storm rose in intensity and as a result, more water broke through to hit him from above. And with multiple trickles of water forming on the forest floor, Sonic was being assaulted from below as well.

"Go away," he murmured, assuming a fetal position. "Go away..."

"Go away? I only just got here!"

Blinking in surprise, Sonic searched for the source of the second voice and quickly found it. A parrot had landed just in front of him, staring at the hedgehog in bemusement.

"What do you want?" the spiky blue one asked. "I'm busy."

The parrot nodded. "Yeah, I can see that. You...wait a minute. Are you afraid?"

"Afraid? What makes you say that?"

"Cause begging a storm to stop doesn't exactly suggest bravery."

Sonic opened his mouth to say something...then closed it. He didn't like people insulting him or taking down his pride a few notches, but he had to admit, he'd given the parrot an opening to do so. Here he was, hiding under a tree from water despite having destroyed dozens of badniks, defeated Robotnik in his Egg-o-matic twice and collected three Chaos Emeralds. It would have been funny had someone else been the centre of irony, but as he was that centre, it was just downright humiliating.

"You know, for what it's worth, I understand," said the parrot, plucking up a worm from the ground as he did so.

"Hmm?" Sonic asked, averting his gaze to the disgusting spectacle. "What do you mean?"

"Your embarrassment," said the bird between annelid mouthfuls. "Here you are, already a saviour to every organic on this island and yet you're cowering under a tree. Still, that comes as a relief in a sense."

"A relief?" the hedgehog asked. "What, you want someone with hydrophobia to save your island from-..."

"Sonic, you've already saved me from the motobug I was imprisoned in," interrupted the parrot, lifting a wing to show the specks of grime and oil still under it. "And besides, do you really think the inhabitants of South Island want a perfect individual to save them? Sure, that you're able to go faster than the speed of sound is frankly amazing, but in the end, you're just like them. You're not a perfect being. And if you were, if you were some kind of 'ultimate life form,' well, you'd be even more frightening than Robotnik."

Sonic's first instinct was to shut the parrot up, to maintain that he was far better than him in...well, that slipped his mind. Because while he wouldn't deny he loved the attention people gave him, perhaps there was indeed a limit. Let his abilities get to his head and...well, he could become like Robotnik. After all, what kind of scientist used his knowledge to enslave innocent creatures rather than using it for their betterment?

"Anyway, that's just me," said the parrot. "I better get going. Gotta find another worm by midday. Lunch and all that."

"Lunch? But didn't you just have it?"

"Nah, that was recess."

Sonic watched the bird fly off, wondering if he'd reveal his fear of water to those he was trying to save.

Still, he had to admit, the notion didn't really bother him as it once had.