Wind. That was all there was. Cool wind, blowing around him and over him and through him. He relished the chill, the biting sting, the rush of it. He blazed across the country, colors and shapes blurring into a blanket of motion. This was how it should be. This was right. Sonic whooped, the sound torn away almost before it left his mouth.
A hand tightened its death grip on his arm as he leapt over a rock. He glanced down apologetically at his passenger. Rouge clung to him, black wings shielding her and Pretzel from the biting wind as best they could. Pretzel was even less comfortable than the bat, curled in a ball with her claws digging into Rouge's uniform.
Sonic's eyes leapt back ahead as his shoes hit pavement. There were no vehicles on the road, and something told Sonic this was not right. But he wasn't listening to that part of himself, his ears tuned only to the wind. He raced through the town, buildings and people nothing but streaks of color.
Something in the wind changed. It was heavier now, weighed down with… salt. Moisture. They were approaching the sea. He leaned forward, ready to pick up speed, though it really wasn't necessary. At the speed of sound, water was no issue.
He saw the ocean. Vast, dark, blue, cool and still. Something uncurled like a snake within him, hissing and lashing at the sight of the water. Something made his heartbeat accelerate, jerky and wild. Something made his eyes widen, his ears flatten, and his feet suddenly dig into the ground. He fought with himself, trying to keep his momentum going, trying to fight the foreign fear, but by now his speed was broken and he had to stop, shaking his head, at the water's edge.
Rouge slid gracefully out of his arms, while Pretzel lunged away with a hiss. They both watched as the creature dove into the water, wriggling around like she was trying to escape her own skin. Apparently, this behavior didn't warrant Rouge's attention for long, and she focused on Sonic.
"What's the hold up, Blue?" Her tone was smooth as always, but her crossed arms and tilted posture gave away her impatience. "I thought we weren't taking the ferry?"
Sonic tried moving towards the water, but the coiled fear bit without hesitation, digging its fangs into his heart and making him stumble back with a gasp. "Change of plans, I guess." Sonic studied the water. It was the same as any ocean. The same as any water, discounting the salt.
He couldn't swim, yes. He wouldn't want to drown, sure. But this? This fear made no sense. He wasn't in the water. He could cross it easily. Why—
His eyes went to Pretzel almost of their own accord. She was still in the water, rubbing at her scales as if burned. Burned. His eyes dropped to the yellow fur poking through his gloves and then to the flame-shaped tip of his tail. It had to be the new form. That light, that fire, hated the water.
"Alright, I've bought us tickets for the ferry." Rouge sauntered back, and Sonic realized with a twinge of irritation that he hadn't noticed her leaving. "I take it we won't being running across any oceans today?"
"'Fraid so." Sonic grinned at her, shoving the coiled fear down to whatever corner it came from.
"Luckily for us, we don't have much of wait." She offered him a chili dog in a plastic container. "Hungry?"
"Probably," Sonic looked at Pretzel.
"I'm hungry," She said bluntly before he could ask.
Sonic smirked and split the chili dog in two. He let her keep the container. Not like my gloves can get any dirtier, he realized ruefully. Tails would throw a fit, if he wasn't brainwashed.
He laughed to himself, then stopped, frowning. Was that something to laugh about? Were people aware they were brainwashed? There was that thought again, that maybe what Light Gaia was doing was good. Maybe they weren't brainwashed, maybe they were just happy. Maybe Light Gaia just took away the bad things. That was what light did, right?
For the next fifteen minutes Sonic alternated between introspection and playing chicken with the ocean. He got close to putting his foot in the water, but the fear surged with a vengeance and he was three hundred meters away before he knew it.
"Time to go," Rouge declared, throwing a styrofoam cup of coffee into the trash. Sonic zipped over to join her, nearly annihilating a trash can in the process. She smirked at his sheepish grin.
"What about Pretzel?" Sonic suddenly remembered, glancing at the creature sulking under a chair.
Rouge tapped her nose thoughtfully, studying the creature. "Perhaps she could qualify for the child—"
"I'll fly." Pretzel interrupted, taking off before they could respond. She was slower than Rouge, Sonic noticed. She wasn't exactly slow, but she definitely wasn't fast.
Sonic and Rouge made their way to the ferry. They waited in line until they reached the main passenger area. Rouge wandered off, presumably to flatter an innocent passenger into giving her something. Sonic tentatively moved to the edge, glancing down at the water. His hands clenched on the railing, and he felt his claws jab into his palm. Grimacing, he backed away and focused on the sky instead.
Sonic spotted a dark spot in the bright blue and waved. The spot dove unexpectedly towards him, and he instinctively ducked as Pretzel swooped down to land on the railing. She grinned mischievously at him, showing her fangs.
"You said you were flying," Sonic stepped to the side, crossing his arms petulantly.
"I did." Pretzel yawned, showing off her fangs again.
Sonic shook his head and turned his eyes to the sky again, resisting the urge to pace.
"We're fortunate the ferry's running at all," Rouge observed, joining them with a put out expression. "Everyone I've talked to so far is brainwashed."
"Maybe it's automated?" Sonic suggested.
Rouge studied the passengers around them. "I'm more concerned about why they feel the need to cross. Are they under orders? Or just following routine?"
"Maybe we could ask," Sonic half-joked, but remembered the last time he'd tried questioning a brainwashed citizen and waved Rouge's considering expression away.
At last the ferry reached the other shore—Messina, several signs read. He tapped his foot impatiently as they waited to disembark. He watched enviously as Pretzel slipped off the ship and flew to shore without drawing any attention, her every movement silent. He glanced back at Rouge to see an amused expression on her face. He huffed sullenly, and she laughed.
As soon as his feet hit the ground, he lifted Rouge and started running, grinning at her yelp and glare. Pretzel dove to join them, landing on Rouge with claws out. The bat yelped, and the sound was whipped away as Sonic accelerated, light pouring through his veins as they easily breached the sound barrier. There was no need for roads. The wind and the fire carried him easily, across the green and to the blue again.