I woke up, not remembering much of what happened before this.

When I took in my surroundings, I realized I was in the wild. I attempted to stretch, but paused when I saw my arms. They were dark and furry. My body is different, it's not my previous one. I then glanced up at the sky. It's day time, morning I think. I noticed that I was in the woods, with trees and vegetation all around me.

"Where am I" I thought to myself. I tested my legs, and tried to stand. I was a bit wobbly, but I managed.

I took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh forest air. I gazed at the scenery around me. One part of the woods seemed more darker and denser than the rest. Hardly any light was falling through the treetops in that region. It looked a bit ominous.

"How did I end up here? Where was I before this? I can barely remember anything..."

I took some more time to collect myself.

"Well, wherever I am, at least I ditched that crappy body I had. Did I get reincarnated or something?"

I inspected my self. "This feels better than my last body"

I decided to walk for a bit, and test out my new form. Subconsciously though, I went the opposite way from the darker section of the forest. I am definitely pleased. No health issues so far. I can actually walk and sit down, no pains. But this is clearly different from a humans body.

This body is furry, animal like almost, and I don't have any clothes. My body is coated in soft and short fur. My limbs are black, and theres a round patch of beige fur on my chest and belly. The fur there is smaller and softer compared to my limbs. My fingers and feet are not very sturdy, and I made sure to avoid stepping on anything sharp. I felt a small and somewhat pointy thing sticking out from my backside. A tail I think. There's large spikes falling down my head, and I can feel more coming out of my back. I ran my hands over my face, feeling my brows and mouth. I don't have a full image of myself, but I'm happy to be out of my old form. It's a miracle. I eventually passed through a clearing, and saw structures in the distance beyond a green field. I wondered if there were any inhabitants nearby. I went to investigate, and found myself in a modest village.

Turns out the locals are animal like as well. There's not a human in sight so far. Some are around my size, and have different features and colours. Some were fully clothed, while others did not. At first I thought it was a bit odd to see animals wearing human outfits, but I didn't dwell on it. Upon noticing my arrival, they gave a warm greeting, and asked me if I needed any help. Surprisingly, they speak English, and are quite friendly. I explained to them how I don't know where I am, or how I got here. Despite their confusion, they offered to help regardless. They gave me food and water, and offered shelter.

After resting up in someone's house, and filling my belly, I decided to learn more about my new location. They told me this is an island near the royal capital. I had no idea what city they were referring to, so I asked them what I should do. They assured me that I can stay with them until I'm ready to head out by myself. I was impressed by their hospitality.

One of the inhabitants in particular was very curious, asking me what I was up to before I came here. I told her the same story I told everybody else. That I woke up here, and had no idea what I was doing before. I also explained how this is a new body, but she didn't quite understand what I meant. She was a smaller creature than me, with blue eyes and a tail flowing behind her. She had brown fur, and dark patterns on her face. She is also quite cheerful, and I get the impression that she is very young.

I asked her what kind of species these people are, and she told me there are multiple different species in the village. When I brought up the topic of humans, she said she knows about them, but she's seen only one in her world, with most of them belonging to another. She also mentioned how people generally referred to the locals in this world as 'anthros'. That surprised me.

"Did I come from that other world?"

I assumed I was an anthro as well because of my body. I rested my head in my hands, and massaged my temples. My memory is foggy. I hardly remember anything past waking up in that forest.

The girl told me her name was Marine, Marine the raccoon, and then asked for mine. I told her my name is Nav. It was the only thing I remembered. She said that I reminded her of someone she knows, and mentioned something about a hedgehog. For some reason, whoever she was referring to felt familiar, but I couldn't understand why.

Marine asked me what I was, and I honestly didn't know myself. I think I'm a cross between an animal and a human. She again stated that my appearance is similar to a friend of hers, and this time uttered his name.

Sonic the Hedgehog

I felt déjà vu again. That name, it's familiar to me. I don't know why, it just feels like I know this person.

Regardless, Marine said that I outta wear some shoes like her. Most of the females wore more clothes than the males, and I asked her if they had anything I could use. She said the towns people had things they could lend me, or they could always purchase something. I told her I had no money, but she said she help me.

I smiled at the nature of these creatures. They're so generous, to a complete stranger. I was very grateful for their aid. Later on in the day, they got some gear for me, and I took whatever was offered. A pair of shoes to wear, along with gloves for my hands.

It wasn't cold, but Marine told me it's more for style and protection than warmth. I equipped everything regardless, and started to feel comfortable in this new attire. The items are breathable and fit me.

The shoes are blue in colour, with a white stripe going horizontally across the centre. They aren't high, only going up to my ankles. The gloves are white and soft. I like the colours. That reminds me I should search for a reflection.

Marine wanted me to go explore with her, and I agreed. I can get familiar with the land, and further test out my body. After I thanked the other villagers for their help, the two of us began our journey. We spent the day travelling all around the island, climbing up hills and walking along beaches. We passed through more woodlands and crossed various streams. The beautiful blue sky eventually began to darken.

Along the way, I found a reflection of myself in a pond. I was mesmerized. Turns out I have three black spikes hanging from my head, along with two smaller fins falling from my back. My muzzle is the same colour as my belly, with even smaller fur. I have a black nose, which is kind of pointy. Black eyes stare back at me, and the fur between the sockets is white. My ears are a bit pointy as well, triangular in shape. While the outsides are black, the insides are coloured beige. A small black tail is also sticking out from my backside. It seems like my body is mainly black, with some areas being beige. Amazing.

I finally knew how I looked. I look good, if I do say so myself. Then again, it's my body, of course I'll say that.

I hardly spoke, but the young raccoon didn't seem to mind. She did most of the talking. She explained stories along the way, which I didn't pay much attention to, but I appreciated the company none the less. She is very upbeat. Many of the stories that Marine spoke of were about Sonic, and again that name is familiar, but I didn't bother mentioning that.

Eventually I wanted to see how this body could handle running. After doing a test, I was pleased. It could run, more faster than my previous one I think. My muscles felt decent as well, although I haven't really tested that out my strength. She was able to keep up with me. I think these physical traits are common here, or we're just faster than most folks. Either way, it's miles better than my last body.

She mentioned more names that seemed strangely familiar to me. Something about a fox with two tails and a purple cat. She also mentioned something about royalty.

I asked her about the royals, and she explained that they were the ones in charge of this land, and that the princess is a friend of hers.

I was kind of surprised that she was close to royalty, but I asked her more about her friend. She said that Blaze the Cat is the current ruler, and that they go on many adventures together. She even wanted to introduce me to her.

I'm not very social, but I reluctantly agreed to it. She was pleased and said that we should head to her castle. Eventually, as the sun set, we went back to her home and slept for the night.

It was a good rest. I woke up feeling satisfied. Everything is better with a new body. Something as simple as sleeping is amazing now. I love it, and I was so happy that Marine noticed. She didn't really question the whole body swap thing, and I'm not sure if she believes it. But she is welcoming none the less.

I ate whatever she ate, some kind of tropical fruits and bread. The food was delicious. Fresh fruits, what a luxury. She talked about all the different types of food they have in this world, and I couldn't wait to try them. After our meal and drinks, we set out for our next destination.

The sights and scenery of this new world is fantastic, alluring. It does seem very watery though, and I don't know if the whole planet is like this or not. Marine said we have to use her ship to travel to Blazes home, and I was skeptical at first. I felt like I wasn't a good swimmer with my last body, and I mentioned this to her, but she assured me that swimming isn't hard, and offered to help me learn. I figured since animals kind of know how to swim by default, that perhaps this new body also works like that.

We spent the next few days practicing. It was a bit difficult at first, but I managed to learn the basics. I'm no expert at it, but I think can survive.

Eventually we climbed aboard her ship, named The Ocean Tornado. It's a decently sized vessel, with a lower and top deck. Its hull is blue and brown, with big white sails hanging above it. I noticed a set of grey cylinders lined up on each side of the deck. Cannons. The ship also had seats built. Marine herself was manning a big steering wheel, near the back of the ship. The platform she was standing on was higher than the rest, and required stairs to access it.

I did wonder how she got this boat in the first place, given her age, but I didn't bother asking. "She seems capable"

I settled down onto the seats, relaxing my muscles and exhaling in satisfaction.

"Miracle"