"Something is definitely going on." Sonic peered down at the town from his perch, watching as its inhabitants wandered around in a blissful daze. Pretzel crouched next to him, ready to take off as soon as someone spotted her. Nearly everyone they'd met so far had flown into a murderous rage as soon as they saw Pretzel, and those who hadn't had shot them a wary look and ran off. It was definitely odd.
"You mean people aren't usually like this?" Pretzel asked dryly, tail flicking with nervous energy.
Sonic ignored the quip. "Do you have any idea why they hate you?"
"No."
He studied her for a minute. "Do you want to remember?"
She froze with a thoughtful frown. Glancing at the town below, her ears flattened against her skull. "Maybe I don't." Her tail started flicking again, more agitated, and she grimaced at him. "I don't want to, but I need to. It's safer to know."
Sonic smiled. "Then I'll help you." Pretzel cocked an eyebrow, and he shrugged. "It's what I do."
"I'll hold you to that." Pretzel warned seriously, and he laughed, deepening her frown.
"I think your memories have something to do with… whatever this is." Sonic waved his hands at Apotos in general. "Your amnesia and the weird behavior started around the same time, right?" When she nodded, he pointed beyond the white buildings. "Then I think we should hitch a ride and find someone who knows what's going on."
"Hitch a ride?" Pretzel asked as he stood and jumped off the building, zipping towards the airfield.
Sonic quickly had to stop short of hitting another dazed citizen, and then jumped to the side around a dog before slamming into a wall. He got up, shaking his head, and resumed running, trying to rein in his unpredictable new speed. At last he skidded to a halt at the airfield, letting Pretzel catch up.
"Tails mentioned the Tornado, so I figured—ah ha!" Sonic darted over to a red and white biplane, hopping in and rummaging around under the seat.
"We're stealing it?" Pretzel asked, eyes lighting up as she perched on the side of the plane.
"Technically it's my plane," Sonic found the key and inserted it.
"Technically," Pretzel smirked, sliding into the backseat.
Sonic moved to start the engine, paused, and jumped out of the plane again so he could drag it to an open space. He felt Pretzel's concerned gaze following him; it was a familiar feeling. He smirked to himself. His friends really had no sense of adventure sometimes.
"Do you know how to fly it?" She demanded.
Sonic laughed. "Of course I do, it's my plane!" He jumped back in and started the engine raising his voice over the noise. "I've been flying this since I was a year old!"
"WHAT!?" Panic filled Pretzel's voice, or what he could hear of it. "Maybe we shouldn't—"
"It's fine!" Sonic waved his hand casually and turned back to the front. "How do I do this again… oh yeah."
"Wait!" Pretzel yelled, and the engine drowned out whatever else she was going to say as the plane moved forward.
"What did you say?" Sonic shouted as the plane began to lift off. She didn't respond, and he glanced back to see her clinging to the seat, wide-eyed and with her wings spread around her. She'll feel better once we get in the air, he assured himself. The plane broke through the clouds and rose above a sea of white. It occured to Sonic that he'd forgotten what altitude most people could breathe at, but Pretzel was a flier, she'd be fine.
"Where are we going?" His larger ears picked up her shout now that they were away from the noise of the ground. He looked back again while he pulled out a map. She was still digging her claws into the seat, but at least she didn't seem on the verge of jumping out anymore.
"Well originally I was thinkin' we'd head to Station Square, but the booster engine isn't here, so it'd take us… about twenty hours, give or take. Plus, we don't seem to have much fuel, so I guess we'll be landing at…" He unfolded the map and squinted at it. "Somewhere in Italy? I dunno." He carelessly tossed it back to her, and was rewarded with a squeak of protest as it covered her face. "Then I s'pose we'll get some fuel and make some calls. Maybe someone there will know something."
"This is the worst plan I've ever heard."
"Heh, then you don't know me! I've come up with way worse!" He joked. Given her silence, it fell flat.
A few hours later the plane began to descend again, parting the clouds and gliding to a halt in a mostly-empty field. A lone cow glared at them, and Sonic waved at it as he hopped out of the plane.
"I think there's a town… that way." Sonic studied the map and pointed. "I can run there, easy, but can you—"
"Go ahead," Pretzel interrupted. "I'll go my own pace."
Sonic considered arguing, but the light stirred restlessly within him, reminding him that it was getting dark. Running at night, with this unpredictable speed, would be a disaster. "Alright. See ya there!" He zipped off, following a sign labeled "Spagonia".
Neat brown buildings lined smooth streets, peppered with restaurants and clock towers. Few people were out, watching the sun set. Sonic made for one of the few restaurants still open and sat at an outdoor table, tapping his fingers impatiently as he waited for Pretzel to catch up. Something moved out of the corner of his eye and he looked up to the rooftops, but he couldn't see anyone in the dusk. He was about to investigate when the red sun sank behind the horizon, and the last of its rays slipped away.
The breath was shoved out of Sonic's lungs as the light seized him, desperate and animal-like, never weakening its fierce grip even as it melted away with the sunlight. It was like the very blood was being pulled from Sonic's veins, and he was glad he'd decided to sit down as the world spun dimly.
"...Sonic?" A cool claw tapped him lightly, and the world stilled. He sat up, shivering. "Oh, it is you." Pretzel stared at him with narrowed eyes. "You're not possessed?"
Sonic groaned, and his head hit the table again with a bonk. He drifted off into blissful silence before being rudely awoken by a sharp jab to his side.
"You can't sleep here, you'll look like a hobo." Pretzel's cool voice blended with the cold night and he nearly passed out again. A sharp nip woke him up and he glared at her. She bared her teeth, and he forced himself to his feet. Walking kept him awake, at least. He studied his torn gloves, wondering why he hadn't felt so tired last time he'd de-transformed. Than again, the first time he'd transformed he'd been in a daze for most of the time, so maybe that didn't count?
"Where do you live, anyway?" Pretzel's voice jerked his wandering mind back. He shrugged.
"So you are a hobo." She flicked her tail, whacking him with the sharp tip.
The pain and the insult combined dragged him further into wakefulness. "If you lost your memories, how do you know what a hobo is?" He asked irritably.
"I also know how to fly, walk, and talk, clearly memory is an overrated invention." She snapped back.
Sonic huffed. "That's muscle memory, it's different."
"My brain is a muscle," Pretzel pointed out. Her ears flicked and she whipped around, frowning at nothing, before refocusing on him. Vague concern muttered in the back of Sonic's head, but he couldn't quite see what there was to worry about through the clouds of exhaustion.
"That's not how it works— look, I'm a hedgehog, not a hobo." He scowled at her, determined to win the argument if nothing else.
Pretzel stared at him. "You… you do know hobo isn't a species, right?"
Before Sonic could answer, the sound of approaching footsteps made them both jump, and Pretzel slipped out of sight.
"Hello?" The owner of the feet, a brown-haired young man, called hesitantly.. "Are you Sonic the Hedgehog?"
Sonic turned to face him, forcing a smile. "Yup. That's… that's me." He tried and failed to come up with a witty quip.
"Could you come with me, please?" The man looked around nervously.
Sonic couldn't come up with a reason to refuse, so he shrugged. "Sure."
The man nodded and started leading him through the town. Sonic took note of the route in an attempt to keep himself awake. Fortunately, they arrived quickly at a massive, pillared building. Tall, dark doors swung open as the young man gestured him inside. He lead him through the empty halls to a smaller door. The man knocked loudly and then stepped aside.
The door swung open to reveal an older man in a rumpled brown suit. He peered down from under drooping grey eyebrows. "Ah, there you are. Come in, please."
"Thanks. Uh… who are you, again?" Sonic asked, shaking his head in a futile attempt to clear the fog of exhaustion growing ever thicker.
"I am Professor Pickle." The man gestured him over to the couch, and Sonic gratefully sat down. "I am an expert in ancient literature, and I have some information I believe…" His voice faded away as Sonic passed out once again.