Feathery Wings

Chapter One

Where I first saw him

Sunlight poured into the room through the window on the left wall. The room was basic. All that was in it was what was needed. Nothing more. Especially since the owner of the room didn't use it much. He normally was out traveling the world, meeting new people, and of course saving it from the evils of Dr. Eggman. This was the room of Sonic the Hedgehog.

The walls were a deep blue, just a few shades darker than Sonic's quills. The floors were light green carpet that matched Sonic's eyes. His comforter matched the walls. His bed was a queen size and was pushed up against the corner of the room, away from the window. There was an ancient dresser against the far wall with an assortment of souvenirs he had collected on his many adventures. A hope chest rested at the foot of the bed, holding even more things he had found along his journeys.

Sonic himself was in the bed for once. He hadn't slept in the thing for some time now, about a month in a half to be exact. He rolled over in his sleep and sighed. The sun shined upon his bed and warmed his face. He slowly stretched his legs and rolled over again. His eyes darted under his closed lids as he dreamed.

He was running down a dark street. A heavy fog lingered everywhere, blocking his view around and before him. But he kept on running. He had to. There was something beyond the fog, something he had to get to. Up ahead he saw something, a silhouette of someone. His eyes widened as he saw the person in the distance. That was what he had to get to. It was that person. He just knew it.

"Hey!" he called out. The silhouette slowly turned it's head towards him. He lifted his hand to wave, to signal his approach. But the silhouette didn't seem to care. They turned around and it started to shrink. They were walking away. '

"Wait!" Sonic cried out and ran faster. He burst through the fog and dived at the person. A white shirt, a bit to large for them hung off of a small frame. Golden fur decorated their entire body. It seemed to glow in the low light that shined through the fog that surrounded the both of them. Two pointed ears, both adorably cute, adorned their head. And two fox tails twitched from under the shirt.

Sonic grabbed the person's arm quickly. The person stopped but didn't turn around. Sonic hung his head and rested his free hand on his knee, catching his breath. He looked down and noticed, he could see the furry legs. All he saw were just socks and shoes under this large shirt. He looked up at the fox. He was shorter than Sonic a bit and looked rather thin.

"Why were you leaving?" Sonic asked. The fox still didn't turn around. It just stood there, it's back to him. Silence hung in the air and it annoyed Sonic a bit.

"Hey! I asked you a question! Why didn't you answer?" Sonic asked, his tone a bit harsh. The fox's ears drooped a bit and it hung it's head. Sonic's face dropped.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell...." he said and trailed off. He hadn't meant for the fox to feel bad.

"Let me go," the fox whispered. It was a small voice, light, like a child's. And if Sonic wasn't mistaken, it was like a little boy's voice.

"What? Oh...sorry," Sonic released the boy's arm and it fell limply to his side, "But why did you try to run away from me?" the blue hedgehog asked.

"Because." the little fox said, his back still to Sonic.

"Because why?" Sonic asked, getting annoyed again.

"Because, you're pure," the fox said.

"Pure?" Sonic questioned. Although the fox had the voice of a child, he sounded almost like he was old. There was something to his voice that made Sonic feel like he was talking to someone far older than his own age of 21.

"What do you mean pure?" Sonic asked, his voice cracking a bit.

"Pure. Clean. Non-stained. Unblemished. Without Sin. Perfect," the fox said, once again, his voice sounded young, but at the same time sounded old.

"Who are you?" Sonic asked. He reached out to grab the little fox's shoulder and turn him around. Once his finger tips made contact he heard the ripping of cloth and suddenly two large wings burst from the fox's shirt and smacked Sonic.

The blue hedgehog fell backwards and hit the concrete hard. He looked up in shock at two wings sticking out of the fox's back. But there was something wrong with them. The feathers, and what few feathers there were, were all black and looked ruined. The wings were obviously broken in more than one place. Flesh had been removed from atop of several joints and Sonic could see the bone of the wing itself.

"You are still pure of heart. Not touched by sin and imperfection like so many of your kind. You are the shining example of all that your kind is meant to be. You are the perfect one, Sonic the Hedgehog," there was great sadness in these words. Sonic would of sworn he heard small sobs between sentences as the fox spoke, "How I wish I could be like you." As the fox finished, he began to fade away. Sonic got up and rushed towards the fox, hand outstretched.

"Wait!" he yelled as he dived to catch the fox before he left. But Sonic flew through the fox and hit the ground, his nose scrapping the pavement. He quickly rolled over and gasped. The small fox was almost completely transparent now, but he could see his face, and it was the most beautiful face he had ever seen. Sparkling blue eyes gazed at him, full of sorrow. Tears ran down the white fur at the bottom of the fox's face. Sonic couldn't take his eyes off of that face. The small fox looked so sad, yet in this sadness shined his beauty.

"Please don't go!" Sonic begged. He didn't know why, but he wanted the fox to stay. Wanted to hold him as he cried. Wanted to comfort him as he let loose the sobs he obviously was holding in.

"Please....." Sonic whispered as the fox continued to vanish. All he got as a reply was a small head shake, as the fox disappeared completely.

Sonic woke with a start, silent tears running down his face.

"Don't go!' He cried out, his hand stretch out before him, reaching for the dream fox.

Sonic began to shake as he brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. That had been the same dream he had been having for three weeks now. The sad two tailed fox, standing alone in the fog. Sonic would get to him but he would never get his name. Sometimes Sonic would remember this version of the dream within the dream and try to convince the fox to stay. To talk to him. Other times he would not, and he'd get this version of the dream, but it always ended the same. The fox would vanish and Sonic would get to see that face. The face of a small child that seemed to hold so much sorrow in his eyes that it broke Sonic's heart every time he saw it.

"What does he mean? And why can't I get him to stay?" Sonic asked aloud. Those where always his two questions he had after that dream, no matter the version.

"How am I perfect? And how is he not?"