My arms tightened around the book in my arms as I stood there, silently, and in complete shock.
"Um…" a soft, female voice came from no where.
The blue hedgehog on the couch slept soundly, snores escaping his slightly closed mouth. I could only watch as the scene before me unfolded…
"Hmph!" the voice exclaimed. "Hey, wake up!"
Suddenly, the cerulean hedgehog did indeed wake up. His gloved hand reached up, taking the book from his head. Then, he stretched, his mouth opening and letting out a loud yawn.
"Boy…is it that late already? What time is it?" he asked no one.
He reached out to grab what he thought was a clock, but instead, it was a giant ring. His emerald green eyes stared at the golden object in shock.
"Huh?" was all he could say.
The melodic female voice spoke again, saying, "You are the blue hedgehog…"
Suddenly, the beholder of the voice sprouted from the ring. Her skin was tan in color, and her wrists adorned gold bracelets. Her hair was a bright pink, pulled back in what looked like a braid with another golden ring at the end. Some of her hair twirled upward like a question mark, while her bangs were draped to the sides, outlining her beautiful and almost oriental-looking face. She had big, bright brown eyes that held knowledge and yet mystery in them. Her body adorned a sleeveless light purple top with a pink sash that wrapped around her waist with a bow on the side. She had big, puffy, white pants that ended about half-way down the lower part of her leg, with pink sandals that were on her feet. Arabian? Maybe. But I knew who she was. And more importantly…
I knew WHAT she was.
"AH!" the blue hedgehog cried in surprise. "What the--?"
"Do not be alarmed!" the girl quickly told him. "I am Shahra, the Genie of the Ring…you know, like 'Aladdin and the Magic Lamp'?"
With that, 'Shahra' picked up a book that was indeed entitled "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp".
"Don't think I've read that…" the azure hedgehog responded.
"WHAT?" Shahra's expression was one of total shock. "You've got to be kidding me! It's the best story of all the Arabian Nights—or, at least, the 2nd best…but that's besides the point. Please, look at this!"
The ring genie thrust the now-open book at his face, indicating towards the page she had opened it to. The hedgehog looked at the book with a puzzled face, before taking the page, and flipping it over.
"Hey…the page is blank…" he informed.
Just like in my book! I thought.
Shahra looked at him solemnly. "Our world…the world of the Arabian Nights…is vanishing…"
I opened my book that I held, and saw that the own letters in mine were still fading away. The blue hedgehog seemed to notice that in the book this genie held, the characters were disappearing as well, for his face showed one of shock.
"Vanishing…?" he repeated. "But how?"
"This is the work of an incredibly evil spirit…the Erazor Djinn," Shahra replied.
"Erazor…? Djinn…?" the hedgehog's nose scrunched up as if the name sounded foreign and unfavorable.
"Yes…" Shahra nodded. "He used his evil magic to become even more powerful. He could not bear to simply remain in the book any longer. And so, he has begun to set the inscriptions free, absorbing the power of the book itself."
"The power of the book?" the blue hedgehog repeated.
My eyes widened. That was how I was sent here! The book DID have power! I looked at the one in my hands. The book Shahra held looked like the other one—the original one—which was at the library. I knew the one I possessed wasn't. But then…what WAS it?
"If our world ceases to exist, then not only those stories will be silenced forever, but the Erazor Djinn will then be unleashed unto your world…"
My head snapped up. That was the exact statement my mind had echoed only moments before!
"That definitely sounds like trouble…but…what do you want ME to do?" the teenage hedgehog asked.
"I want you to stop him. You must stop the Erazor Djinn. Only you—the blue hedgehog—can do it!" the genie replied.
Only you, the young author, can do it… my mind whispered. I took a step back to shrink into the shadows, but my weight caused the wood underneath me to creak.
Both of them turned to see me standing there, eyes wide and terrified from the sudden amount of attention.
"Who're you?" the blue hedgehog asked me. "And how did you get in here?"
"I…I…" I couldn't talk. Being put on the spot like that, all I could do was stutter. Finally, though, my mind took control of my mouth, and I was able to get out, "This book…"
I held the novel that was in my hands out for them to see. Shahra's eyes seemed to widen.
"Wh-where did you get that?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"F-From where I came from…from Earth…" I answered, trying to make myself sound brave. That was a failure.
"Um…newsflash: we are on earth," the hedgehog informed me.
I stared at him for a long time. "That can't be…" I began to say. But then I had to remind myself: Sonic and the Secret Rings did take place in—besides the Arabian Nights—earth. But then…how was I here? Was I transported into the game? Where in the world was I? Wait…let me rephrase that:
Where in the universe was I?
"That book…" Shahra spoke him, her eyes never leaving it. "Is the tale of the blue hedgehog…it's the legend that I was talking about."
My eyes widened, catching onto what she was saying. "You mean…this book is about Sonic and the Secret Rings?"
"What in the world?!" the cerulean hedgehog exclaimed. "What is 'Sonic and the Secret Rings'—and WHY does it have my name in it? Somebody start makin' sense around here or else there is gonna be one ticked blue hedgehog."
"F-From where I come from," I began to explain. For some reason, explaining these sort of things helped calm down my nerves. I didn't know how…maybe it was because I got to focus on what I knew and not what I didn't.
Again, the fear of the unknown can be one of the most soul-binding fears ever.
"'Sonic and the Secret Rings' is the name of a popular video game. It's got you, Sonic, and you, Shahra, in it. In fact, it tells the whole adventure that you are about to go on."
"So let me get this straight…" 'Sonic' started. "You have played this 'video game', right?"
I nodded.
"So you know what's going to happen in the future," he concluded.
"Correct," I responded.
"And that book…" he pointed a finger at the novel in my possession. "Also tells what's going to happen in this adventure I'm supposedly going to go on."
"You are right again," Shahra answered.
"But then why does SHE have the book? She already knows what happens!" Sonic said.
The ring genie shook her head, also confused. "That's just it…I don't know…"
Suddenly, I felt out of place. Maybe I wasn't supposed to come like I thought. I was just seeming to make things more complicated…
"But the book…" my mind spoke out loud through my mouth.
"Hmm?" Shahra turned to me.
"U-uh….the Arabian Nights is a book also read where I come from…I looked in one of the books…the characters were fading away…" I murmured.
Silence.
"He's more thirsty for power than I thought…" Shahra whispered.
"Excuse me?" Sonic asked.
"The Erazor Djinn is not only trying to get into your world…he's also trying to get into her's as well…" the genie answered.
"Well, then I guess I really ought to put that Erazor Djinn character back where he belongs!" Sonic smirked, pounding his fist into his other hand.
"B-but he's inside a storybook!" I blurted. "How are we supposed to do anything about that?"
Man, I was so stupid. Just after I said those words, I remembered what happened in the game.
"That's easy." Shahra giggled. She turned to Sonic as she continued. "You are my master, having called forth the Genie of the Ring. As such, I am able to grant your wishes. Simple wishes, at any rate. Bringing you into the world of the Arabian Nights is within my power."
"What?! Inside that book?" Sonic asked, bewildered.
Shahra nodded, and in a puff of smoke, she was a ring. It had a unique design on it, with a small light pink jewel on top of its golden surface.
"Now, please…" her voice sounded from everywhere. "Place the ring on your finger."
Sonic took the ring that was floating in mid-air, and slid it onto his middle finger. "Like…this?"
Suddenly, sparks flew from the ring, and the hedgehog winced in pain.
"OUCH! Hey, take it easy!" he yelled.
"My apologies, oh Master…" Shahra's voice responded. "But now, the contract has been sealed."
"Contract?" Sonic asked, eyebrow raised. He cast a puzzled glance at me, which I quickly exchanged.
"Yes…as master of the ring, I am now bound to protect you. Now, rub the ring," Shahra instructed.
"Like…like this?" Sonic rubbed the top of the ring with his finger from his other hand.
Suddenly, Shahra sprouted from the ring just like she had done earlier when she first appeared. But this time, she was bowed as if in a sign of high respect and servitude.
"Oh Master of the ring, what is thy wish?" she asked.
Suddenly, a little piece of dust flew up into Sonic's nose. Before I knew what was going on, I saw Sonic's head shake forward, sneezes escaping his mouth.
"M-maybe some Kleenexes would be nice…" he said, sniffing, after his sneezing session was over.
In a flash, both of us were buried in a pile of hankies; the only thing showing was our heads.
"HEY!" I exclaimed, surprised.
Sonic has a totally different reaction, however. "Thanks!" he responded, smiling. He grabbed one and blew his nose, it having turned runny after his heavy moment of sneezing. "You're a lifesaver!"
"Please, be serious!" Shahra said, her slim eyebrows furrowed.
"Okay, okay…thanks for the hankies, though," Sonic smirked.
The genie shook her head. "Oh, please…someone tell me this isn't really happening…"
"All right…let's go!" Sonic helped me up out of the avalanche of hankies, that adventurous smirk still on his face. His hand was strong yet gentle, I noted. I couldn't help but take all the mental notes I could. Sonic was my childhood hero. I wanted to know everything about him that I could before I had to go back…
Wait, how WAS I going to get back?
Well, the book took me here, so certainly it must be able to take me back. I smiled. That sounded reasonable enough.
"Take us into this world of the Arabian Nights!" he continued.
"Wait—US?!" I exclaimed before I could stop myself.
Sonic turned to smirk at me. "Yeah. You didn't think you could get out of this trip, did ya? I might need a little help getting through the Arabian Nights—and since you know everywhere I'm supposed to go, might as well tag along, eh?"
I felt a little uncomfortable. An adventure? Me? That didn't happen. Although…it would be fun to go on an adventure…
I mean, come on. How many people get to say they saved the world with Sonic the Hedgehog? This was a once in a lifetime opportunity! And what did I usually do with once in a lifetime opportunities…?
My head nodded firmly. "All right. To the Arabian Nights we go!"
Sonic turned back to Shahra, that courageous smirk plastered on his face. "Let's do this, Shahra!"
Shahra nodded, bowing. "As you wish, Master…"
"Quit it, will you?" Sonic quickly exclaimed. "My name's Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog!"
"Very well then, Sonic…the Legendary Hedgehog," Shahra smiled. With a raise of her hand, a magic carpet suddenly appeared from nowhere. "Here we go! Into the world of the Arabian Nights!"
My heart began to pick up its pace as I climbed aboard. I was actually going to go on an adventure…me, Crystal! I couldn't believe it. My arms wrapped around tightly the book I held.
"Okay!" Sonic said, jumping on board the magic carpet as well. He suddenly stopped once he got on, and turned to me. "I forgot to ask: What's your name?"
"Me…? Oh…well, my name's Crystal," I answered.
Shahra smiled as she joined us on the flying rug. "Very well then, Crystal. Shall we be off?"
I nodded, but then turned to Sonic. The blue hedgehog was her real master—not me. He had to make the orders.
Sonic nodded, his emerald eyes twinkling with an excitement for what lay ahead. "Here we go!"
Adrenaline rushed through my veins along with a pang of fear as the carpet took off, running around the room once, before heading towards the open book. I screamed as it dived downward, thinking we were going to crash into the table the book laid on. Instead, I suddenly felt as if we flew through a cloud.
And before I knew it, we were inside the world of the Arabian Nights.