The desert was behind them, replaced with dark green shrubs, limey trees, and dry brown grass. Sonic alternated between the smoother, dustier road and the uneven, less dusty grass. The sun slipped down the sky, slow yet certain, despite the writhing and protesting of the fire in his head. He winced, grimacing at the pain, and kept running.

They made it to a small, dusty town—Baligo, Rouge said—before he made himself stop. The fire burned and lashed, urging him on, but the sun was already behind the horizon, and darkness was close on its heels.

"Need a break?" Rouge asked, her mocking tone failing to mask her surprise.

Sonic pointed at the sky. "When it gets dark—"

She cut him off. "I remember. I saw you last night." She handed him the bag. "Will we be spending the night here?"

Sonic shook his head vigorously. "No, I can get us to Mazuri. It's only… how far?"

Rouge looked at her device and typed in some numbers. "Two hours." She raised her eyebrows at him. "Sure you'll be able?"

"Of course." He grinned, and she shook her head, walking away.

He imagined the pain was less severe this time, but it was hard to tell with the light clamping down on his chest, flaring behind his eyes and screaming in his ears. It writhed and fought to remain, but despite its efforts it was ripped away, tearing up chunks of him with it.

Black.

Cool.

Sonic blinked his eyes open to a bottle of coke in his face. He sat up and grimaced, rubbing his head. Rouge waved the bottle in his face, and he gratefully took it and drank. Lukewarm, but energy was energy. He managed to down a bottle of water and a sandwich despite his body's argument that sleep was more important than eating. Shaking his head vigorously, Sonic stretched his limbs and jogged in place until his brain finally started cooperating.

"Maybe I should just fly," Rouge eyed him doubtfully.

Sonic shook his head. "It would take you days. And we're not waitin' till morning, either." He added, seeing her about to argue further.

"Let's go." Pretzel spoke up from next to Sonic's foot; he couldn't be sure if she was there the entire time or had just appeared.

Rouge shrugged, signaling her relent, and Sonic lifted her up. Pretzel jumped up to join her, and Sonic felt a wash of gratitude that he was traveling with such light friends. He started running. It felt like forever before he breached the sound barrier, but he reached it, and he kept running, and that was good enough.

Stars wheeled overhead and cool, inky sky beckoned him on. Time blurred, his feet carrying him faithfully on as his mind slipped in and out of a sea of fatigue. Light and a voice in his ear caught his attention, and a glittering skyline filled his vision. A city. The light gave the dark sky a ruddy edge. They reflected off and out of glass windows, illuminating packed cars on ever-busy streets.

The smell of gasoline, smog, people hit Sonic like one of the trucks it was coming from, and he faltered. His ears flicked nervously at the noise, his weary brain desperately trying to track every intrusion on his senses.

"We should slow down," Rouge told him. He obediently slowed to a more car-like pace, and Pretzel opened her eyes, taking in the city now that they were moving slowly enough to see it. "That way." Rouge pointed, guiding him down the crowded streets.

Sonic easily outpaced the packed traffic, weaving from paved street to dirty path and back to the street again. Hardly anyone seemed to notice him, too occupied with their own lives and used to the animal-people by this point. Every major city had at least some.

"We're here," Rouge told him, and he set her down, staring up at the building ahead of him. "Your country boy is showing, Blue." She chuckled, pushing him into the hotel. She left him to stand awkwardly in the lounge while she retrieved the keys to their rooms. She handed him one and pointed him down the hall. "Don't cause trouble."

He nodded, half-asleep, and somehow made it to his room.

Sonic bolted awake at one in the afternoon, scowling at his socks. He was once again stuck in his new form, but he was more immediately concerned with the monstrosities on his feet. They were primarily neon pink and some hideous green-brown color, with lime green, blue, and brown blobs that gave the impression of pizza slices and had the appearance of stickers. Unfortunately, a minute or so of scrabbling at the socks confirmed that they were there to stay. Worse than the revolting color scheme, however, was that they were almost knee-length. And the texture was awful. He was just lucky he had fur, not delicate human skin.

"Are you going to eat?" Pretzel asked from the closet, her paws clasping a covered plate.

"Not hungry." Sonic jumped out of bed, pulling on his shoes and doing his best to tuck the socks out of view. Folding them over only made them look tackier, as if that was possible, and he gave up with an aggravated sigh.

Pretzel grinned, showing off her fangs, and he left her to her meal as he threw open the door and tore down the hall. He had to check his speed for fear of tearing up the carpet, then he had to whirl around and run back to ask Pretzel where Rouge was.

"She's getting lunch," Pretzel said around a mouthful of waffle, waving her hand in the general direction of the city. Sonic sighed and ran off again. He ducked his head in all the closest restaurants, until he finally found her in some sort of lounge a short flight from the hotel.

"Ready to go?" She finished her drink and stood, stretching.

"Rouge." Sonic said, his voice dead serious, causing her to glance at him in surprise. "What is wrong with my socks."

She flashed her fangs in a smirk. "You soaked them in ocean water. I am expecting you to pay me back." She added, waving a hand at the monstrosities in his shoes. "Now come on, we need to get going." She paid her bill and took to the skies, leaving him gritting his teeth in frustration. He yelped at the pain of unexpected fangs cutting his teeth. This new form was a nuisance.

Well, he amended, blasting from nought-to-seven-sixty in seven seconds, it does have its upsides. He jerked to a stop, missing the hotel by several meters. He ran back at a more reasonable pace.

"We're going!" He declared, throwing his room door open. He was disappointed to find his intended audience gone, the only sign two empty plates. "Pretzel?"

He darted around the room, checking under every piece of furniture and poking his nose into every nook and cranny. He returned to the doorway, scratching his head, and winced as one of his quills poked through his threadbare gloves. Crimson bloomed through the white fabric. Hissing, he tugged off the gloves and grabbed some toilet paper, doing his best to bind the wound. This form's quills were in all the wrong places, he really needed some new gloves…

"Let's go." Pretzel said with no warning. He yelped and shot backwards, slamming into the wall. He started to rub his head but jerked his hand away, no longer confident in putting it anywhere near his quills.

"Where did you come from?" He straightened and grimaced at the scratched up wall.

Pretzel shrugged. "The shadows. You said we're going."

Sonic sighed and stepped out the door. Rouge was waiting outside with her arms crossed and a smirk on her muzzle. "Ready to go?"

"I'm always ready," Sonic insisted.

"What happened to your gloves?" Rouge cocked her head, that smirk still on her face.

"They were past their due date." He waved his hand, the one that wasn't still smarting. "I don't really need 'em, let's just go."

Rouge pulled up the neck of her jacket, and Pretzel coiled around her shoulders. With a nod from the bat, Sonic lifted them up and burst out of the hotel, following Rouge's directions out of the city and to the north.