"Thomas Wachowski the Hedgehog... Thomas Wachowski the Hedgehog... man, I'm never gonna get used to that."
Tom stood, hands clasped on the rim of the bathroom sink, stood on a stool and observing his own reflection. He frowned. It was surreal, looking into that brown furry face and peach muzzle, knowing that it was his but at the same time, very much reminiscent of his eldest son. It was uncanny. He really did look like Sonic. He opened his mouth and checked his teeth, mostly blunt like a human's but with sharper canines. He closed his mouth and ran one hand over his spines, releasing a sigh. "Okay Wachowski. This is you. This is YOU. Time to man up... well, hedgehog up. You got this." Tom huffed, taking another long look at the brown furry creature in the mirror. He briefly raised an arm and checked his fur with distaste. His fur and quills were sticking out at amazing angles. A shower and a good brush was definitely in order.
Tom eventually decided that screw it, he couldn't be bothered to shower. Not yet. He sighed and finally tore his eyes away from his reflection, checking his balance before hopping from the stool. Paw-padded feet slapped into the bathroom tiles, and Tom headed out into the hallway. He'd tidy himself up later. He could barely be bothered to get out of bed these days, let alone take care of trivial problems like personal hygiene.
Still, he did have other responsibilities that couldn't just be ignored. He peered out the window, noting the perfect blue sky and the sun lighting up the trees outside. He was interrupted by a pair of big wet noses and slobbery maws as Bill and Tony the dogs trotted to meet their dad with doggy kisses.
"Hey boys..." Tom said lightly, managing a brief smile as he tiredly pet his dogs, the pair pleading at him with big brown eyes full of love, "you wanna go walkies?"
...
It turned out the boys did want to go walkies, and Tom found himself attempting to corral two hounds that were the size of donkeys for him as they grew very excited at the prospect of adventuring outside.
Soon enough Tom had the pair secured on their leashes, straining back as the two massive golden retrievers dragged him along like a pair of carthorses. Tom wondered if it would be easier for him just saddling them up and riding one of them in future. Tom tried to ignore curious and amused faces that peered from neighbours' gardens.
Living in the middle of nowhere had the great advantage of being surrounded by countryside though, and Tom felt great relief in his heart (and arms) when he was finally able to let the hounds go, wrapping their leashes around his shoulders. The dogs tore off, snouts ready to investigate and pelts ready to be covered in whatever filth they were fortunate to find.
For his part, Tom was merely content to amble through the woods, thumbs in belt, just absorbing the sounds and smells of nature. His eyes were as crappy as they'd always been, but his senses of smell and hearing were sharper than before. He couldn't prevent his ears from swivelling and focussing on whatever sound piqued his brain's interest, but it gave him peace nonetheless. It was better than moping around the house, feeling sorry for himself.
Tom had considered, more than once, of just raiding his stash of Warp Rings. Just going and seeing his missing wife and kids, talking to them... but he hadn't had the nerve. Something was stopping him, a mixture of guilt and bitterness. He knew he'd set his expectations high, expecting everything to just go back to his way of normality after everything they'd been through, but at the same time THEY hadn't come to see him. If they really wanted to then they would, and until then why should he?"
Tom kicked a stone with his boot, sending it sailing into the brush for the dogs to find. He tried to ignore the anxious thoughts tumbling around his head, unable to shake the possibility... what if he'd blown it so badly... that his family didn't want him around any more?
Tom shoved his hands into the pockets of his green flannel shirt, head down as he ploughed on, doing his best to think of something else. He clicked his tongue and called for the dogs, following the two hounds as they returned and trotted up the trail ahead.
Eventually Tom exited the trees, a breeze ruffling his fur as he found himself in more open space. The dogs ambled about ahead, investigating the ground for anything interesting to eat and/or urinate on, and Tom moved to join them.
"Hey... hey! Boys!" Tim called and clicked his tongue, bringing the dogs to heel as he realised where he was. "Be careful, y'hear?"
The two canines did as they were told, staying where they were and lying down as Tom turned to take in the view.
Green Hills. His hometown, all of it, laid below among an ocean of trees.
Tom set his hands on his hips and admired the view from the cliff. He must have been walking longer than he'd thought, it was years since he'd been this far out. Tom's muzzle twirked with a smile as he fondly observed the town he'd grown up in. The town he'd got married in, the town he'd raised a family in. Tom Wachowski might have been transformed into a space-hedgehog and have adopted children from another world, but he could never ever truly leave this quiet little town in the middle of Montana.
Three generations of Wachowskis had been sheriff in Green Hills, Tom remembered. His grandfather, his father... and himself. The last one.
Another thing he'd screwed up, huh.
Tom realised he was becoming morbid again and decided he'd better leave. By the looks of the sky it was midday. He needed to get home, clean up and take care of the dogs, then probably sit around and do nothing until-
The dogs.
Tom sharply turned away from the cliff edge to find the space where his beloved hounds had been was now empty.
Tom kept his nerve. He knew the dogs hadn't gone over the cliff edge, he was stood right beside it and would have surely noticed. They had probably gotten bored and gone investigating in the woods again. He raised his whistle and blew, wincing at the sound it made to his sensitive ears, and called for the boys.
"Bill! Tony! Come here!"
Nothing. His own ears remained perked, listening for any sound of approaching canines.
"Come on, fellas!"
Silence. Nothing but the rustle of wind in the trees.
Tom didn't panic, stilling the rising worry in his chest. They were good dogs, they wouldn't have just run off like this. Right?
Thomas Wachowski the Hedgehog's ears twitched at the sound of distant yelping. And then he panicked.
...
Tom ploughed through the trees, presently very grateful for his smaller frame as he ducked and tore his way through the thick underbrush of the forests surrounding Green Hills. His mind raced along with his heart as he imagined what could have happened to his beloved dogs. The wilderness surrounding Green Hills was regarded as safe, not much in the way of dangerous animals and such but...
"Great job, Wachowski!" Tom snarled through grit teeth, wrenching a branch out of his quills, "you lost your wife, you lost your kids, you lost your job, now you're about to lose your freaking d- OWGODDAMMIT"
Tom's boot snagged on the undergrowth and he briefly became airborne, then quadrupedal, before smacking into an unfortunate patch of filth and skidding to a halt. He groaned, shaking much from his muzzle, before clambering back to his feet. Tom swore as he noted his now torn shirt, shrugging out of the garment to once again become completely bare-furred save for boots and belt. Tom had more important things to worry about right now though than ripped flannel. He looked about, ears raised, quills swaying with the motion... before he became still.
He'd found his dogs.
Tom took one tentative step forward, then another, slowly approaching the bizarre scene before him. Both dogs, flailing their legs in confusion, floating in a pair of glowing teal-blue bubbles some feet off of the ground.
"So..." Tom muttered beneath his breath, "is my life gonna be one endless parade of weird shit or...?"
The brown hedgehog crept closer, gawping incredulously at his dogs as they levitated above him. "It's okay fellas... it's okay... I'll get you outta there..." He hoped. Tom wondered how the hell he was supposed to do exactly that. As he investigated the phenomenon that had captured his hounds, Tom noted a pair of thin blue streams trailing down from Bill and Tony's prisons. He scanned down the strings of blue light, searching for the origin... to find something he hadn't expected but felt surprisingly unsurprised to see.
A small grey Mobian hedgehog, hands raised, apparently keeping Tom's dogs suspended with some strange power.
Tom remained still, breath caught in his throat, wondering what the heck he was going to do.
"Uh... hey?"
Brilliant glowing-blue eyes snapped to him, and Tom wondered if his tentative greeting had been a wise move.
"Uh," Tom went on, trying to at least break the ice with the small creature. He raised his hands slowly, trying hard to make his spines relax to appear less threatening. "Hey kid... take it easy..."
"Who are you?" the small hedgehog whimpered, high-pitched voice shaking. Big amber eyes filled with fear locked onto Tom. "Stay back!"
"Hey, listen!" Tom took one very slow step forward, hands still raised. "Okay... I know you're scared, but these guys ain't gonna hurt you..."
"They attacked me!" the grey hedgehog whimpered, "they were gonna eat me!"
"Okay, now listen to me..." Tom licked his lips and spoke calmly and clearly, "these are my... friends, okay? And I promise they won't hurt you. I just need you to put them down carefully, I'll call them, and they'll come back to me. You understand?"
The little hedgehog appeared uncertain. "You promise?"
"Cross my heart."
The hedgehog appeared to nervously consider Tom's proposal, the two dogs revolving slowly in the air... before he did as Tom had asked, gently setting the retrievers back down in the dirt. The two dogs bolted back to Tom without need for any command, almost bowling him over as they rushed to return to safety. Tom swiftly secured the canines to their leashes and commanded them to stay, fully expecting the grey hedgehog to have vanished by the time he'd finished. To his surprise, the hedgehog remained where he was, hands half-raised defensively, amber eyes regarding Tom with nervous curiosity.
"Hey," Tom said, looking the creature over and hoping to God he wouldn't find any injuries, "you okay?"
The hedgehog merely looked at him wide-eyed before replying in a small voice. "Yes."
Tom nodded, very relieved at the validation. He relaxed his posture, spines softening up, and tried a smile. "My name's Tom. These are my dogs, Bill and Tony. Do you have a name?"
"... Silver..." the small hedgehog took a moment to answer, seemingly cautious of divulging his identity. "You're a hedgehog."
'I noticed' Tom didn't say. Rather, he set his hands on his hips and looked himself over. "That's right," he replied, maintaining his relaxed composure, "do you know where you are? Are you lost?" Silver nodded timidly, eyes flicking between Tom and the dogs. "Okay... where are you from? Do you know how you got here?" Silver remained still and silent for several moments, and Tom was on the verge of prompting him again before the little hedgehog replied in a very quiet voice. "I don't remember." Tom took a deep breath. Okay. So he had a lost juvenile hedgehog running around the forests of his hometown. Why was this so familiar.
Still, he couldn't leave the kid out here alone. Even if he bolted right then and there... he would have to alert the station and organise a search. Space-hedgehogs were safe here, but only in this small town. If Silver managed to find himself further outfield, there was no telling what ignorant humans would do with him.
"Okay... tell you what," Tom set his weight on one foot, hands on hips, a lopsided smile splitting one side of his muzzle as he attempted to put the kid at ease, "you come back with me. I live close by. We can get you some food and get you cleaned up and then figure out what you want to do next. Sound good?"
Silver cocked his head, ears perking at the word 'food'. His amber eyes scanned over the retrievers. "Is it safe?"
Tom nodded. "Absolutely! Don't worry about these guys, they're completely friendly." He extended a hand. "You coming bud?"
It took some moments, but eventually Silver nodded and took a tentative step forward, reaching out and taking Tom's offered hand. Tom clicked his tongue and sent Bill and Tony into an easy trot, and wondered just what in the heck he was going to do with yet another lost alien hedgehog.