Card

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters in this story.

Character(s): Sonic

There are some things in life that – no matter how difficult they may be, how risky they may be, or how little appreciation you receive for them – you feel in your soul, your entire being, an uncanny (almost supernatural) impulse to continue doing it. Regardless of all the consequences that result from it, or the hindrances you must overcome to even do it in the first place, you feel as if it's a part of you. And you realize that without it, you are incomplete.

It's because of this principle that Sonic still – as others may say – 'plays' the hero. Everyone knows that this job he unintentionally stepped into was a dangerous move on his part. He knows that as well; he knew that the first time he fought against Eggman, then known as Dr. Robotnik, on South Island.

And, despite what some believe, his motivation for standing up against the evil doctor's tyranny was not exclusive to his thrill-seeking tendencies. Sonic will be the first to admit that he gets a kick out of taking down Eggman time and time again, but that doesn't mean that that's the entire reason for him doing so; it wasn't even his primary reason.

His main motivation for doing what he does, and doing what he did back then, is spelled out right here, in the form of a Christmas card. Like most, it gave an abundance of writing room on the inside so the sender could compose a message to the recipient. A trait the sender of this particular card took advantage of.

Merry Christmas, Sonic!

I just wanted to thank you for all you do.

You have saved and improved so many lives, unselfishly sacrificing your own life in the process.

And the fact that you still continue to do this, even though you don't necessarily have to, is why I and so many other people admire you.

I don't know if anyone ever tells you 'thank you,' but if they don't, just know that the world truly does appreciate what you do.

I hope you have a good holiday! Take it easy for once; after all you've done, you deserve it!

After first reading through the note, Sonic was awestruck, his vocal box fixed in a downright speechless state anyone rarely found him in. Rereading the message over and over again, a gentle smile spread across his face, growing as he fully realized the praise being projected through the note, from someone he didn't even know. From a random civilian that happened to think about him, after - surprisingly - finding out where to send the card, a task that probably took some time. The fact that someone out there went through so much trouble just to personally thank him or even take the time at all to care . . . it was touching, really.

This was why he does what he does. No, not because of the attention or praise (though it certainly doesn't hurt). But because he really, truly cares about others.

From the beginning, he realized that the dream he wanted to accomplish before dying was to improve the world, and make it a better place for all to live in; as long as he could better at least one person's life, he could leave this world happy, fulfilled. He found that through helping others, he found his true place; he realized where he belonged.

Yeah, he may have enemies or critics, some that attempt to kill him and others that simply criticize him and what he does. He can't even begin to count how many dirty glances he's received when out in public or the number of the times someone has falsely accused him of going against Eggman just so he could have fame and fortune.

Even still, those don't matter to him, the looks or the allegations. The people do, even those that instigate the looks and allegations; the way people treat him specifically doesn't represent what kind of individuals they are as a whole. It just shows what they think of him,and such opinions won't prevent Sonic from furthering his dream; regardless of the disapproval the public throws at him, he'll do what he thinks is right.

Smokestep: I really have nothing to say, but if you do, you know where to click. If I see that a lot of people really want this story, I'll put up the next chapter earlier. Anyhow, hope you enjoyed this! Catch you next time!

Responses to Reviews:

Christian Ape99: Oh believe me, I'm trying.

ShinyShiny9: I can be quite unconventional with what I write; that last chapter, for instance, was just the result of an unorthodox burst of inspiration. Anyhow, thank you for your input; I hope to see what you think of this one.

Twin-books: Reasoning for how I got idea for last chapter in the first sentence in response above.

And actually, that sentence ("This year, Eggman decided, would not be one ending in his failure . . .") is not a typo, nor a mistake. One reason it's not is because I can rearrange the sentence and it would still have the same meaning (i.e. ". . . this year would not be one ending in his failure . . ."). Additionally, I wouldn't say ". . . the one . . ." because Eggman has had multiple years ending in failure, not just one, which is what the word "the" implies when placed there. Also, if I had put in "he," it would be ". . . this year [he] would not be one ending in his failure . . ." This way, I would be saying that Eggman, himself, ended in his own failure, when it was really the year that ended in failure. FYI, I never spent so much time talking about the structure of one sentence; congratulations.

Now that that's all over, thank you for your input for that chapter; I usually judge how much people want a story based on how many reviews I get. I'm not mad at those who don't review or forget to, but I really love reading the reviews people leave; they tell me where my writing stands, and I always appreciate the praise/criticism. I hope to see if you have either for this chapter.