Darkness. All Sonic could see was pitch black, completely void and empty, no sign of life in sight whatsoever. But… Why? What had happened? His body wouldn't budge whatsoever either, almost as if it was frozen. The blue hedgehog couldn't comprehend what was going on, let alone what was happening to him. The last thing he could remember was trying to escape Dr. Eggman's lab before everything became hazy. However, before he could continue pondering about what was happening, there was sound he could hear, but where from?
The hedgehog slowly began opening his eyes as the noise rang in his ears, trying to figure out what it was. After a few attempts, the pitch black void he was once in slowly disappeared as he started seeing walls and windows take form in his vision. Was he in another one of Eggman's bases? No. There were so signs of any cell bars and he wasn't restrained, let alone any sign of any robots walking or flying by.
'Where… am I?' Sonic pondered as he got up and began exploring his surroundings, exiting the room he was in. As he looked around, everything seemed to be larger than usual, but why? However, before the blue hedgehog could figure out what was going on, a large crash rumbled through the area, causing him to turn towards the source of the noise.
'Whatever that noise is.. Maybe I can find some answers from there?' the hedgehog muttered silently as he headed towards the noise, seeing a door as he got closer. He wasn't sure why, but this felt familiar. Very familiar. Without thinking twice, Sonic opted to open up the door, showing the outside world, but his eyes widened in shock as soon as he stepped through the door.
There was water, water everywhere as the sound of thunder, rain, and lightning echoed through his ears. There was no sign of civilization anywhere, let alone any sign of land, the only thing keeping him above water was the very ship he had woken up on. It was practically Sonic's worst nightmare, but yet, for some reason curiosity was still creeping in his mind. Despite his gut urging him to go back inside, he opted to approach the guard rails on the ship. Was he dreaming again? No. This felt real, almost too real.
Leaping up on to the rails, Sonic had finally noticed just how massive this storm was from the harsh rain to the blistering wind to the roaring thunder and lightning. Just then, the ship had suddenly leaned back, causing the hedgehog to lose his balance before the ship jerked forward almost in a nosedive, making him fall right into the vast ocean face first.
'No, no no! I can't swim!' he thought as he desperately scrambled back up to the surface, gasping for air as soon as he came up. Massive waves were crashing down onto the blue hedgehog as he struggled to stay afloat.
"Help!" he shouted desperately, his arms flailing in an effort to keep himself above the surface, "Anybody! I can't swim!"
Unbeknownst to the blue blur, the ship he was once on was drifting further and further away. Before he could make another attempt to call for help again, a massive wave crashed down onto the hedgehog, plummeting him underwater and sending him even further away from the ship.
'No.. NO!' Sonic looked around desperately as he tried to hold his breath for as long as he could. Fortunately, there was a wooden plank slowly floating up that seemed large enough for the hedgehog to fit on as it was drifting towards him. Thinking quickly, Sonic grabbed the plank and moved it underneath his torso, allowing it to push him back up to the surface. As soon as he hit the surface once again, Sonic gasped for air, coughing and sputtering any water he may have swallowed. However, he hadn't realized just how exhausted he was as he began to breathe heavily, trying to catch his breath. As he slowly lifted his head up, the ship was nearly out of sight, however for some reason he couldn't muster up the energy to move.
"Sonic!" "SONIC!"
'Is someone calling for me?..' the hedgehog silently questioned as his vision started getting blurry once more, unable to recognize the voices calling out for him as he could do nothing but stare at the ship that was drifting even further away.
"Somebody!.. Anybody… help.." Sonic mustered out before his vision turned black as the sound of thunder roared across the area, barely catching a glimpse of lightning striking something before passing out.
Once again, Sonic found himself being surrounded by nothing but a pitch black, empty void. This time, however, he could finally move. His body ached everywhere, even the slightest movement felt painful, causing him to grit his teeth as a low groan escaped his mouth. Why did he feel so sore? He was fine merely minutes ago, right?
"Hello?" he called out as he looked around, hoping to find something or someone around, but there was nothing. It felt like he was practically stuck in an endless limbo, unable to move from the sheer amount of pain he was in. However, his ears suddenly twitched as they picked up a relatively faint noise.
'Are those.. Voices?' the hedgehog questioned as he attempted to stand once again, fighting through the pain this time as he finally got up and turned towards the source of the noise. As he walked towards the source of the noise, a small yet bright light had begun approaching him from that very direction in which he was heading. Sonic stopped in his tracks as the light got closer and closer, causing him to shield his eyes for a few moments due to the brightness of the light. However, once his eyes had adjusted to the light, the light soon took the form of a majestic, female white wolf with bright, amberish-yellow eyes that stood gracefully in front of the blue hedgehog as stars hovered around her.
"Wha-..?" Sonic's mouth gaped in surprise as he stared at the wolf standing in front of him. The female looked familiar, but he couldn't place his finger on it whatsoever for some reason. He could've sworn he had seen this wolf before somewhere. Before he could ask any questions however, the white wolf slowly approached him with a warm smile. There were a million questions running through Sonic's mind as he stepped back, unsure and wary of what the wolf was doing. However, his right leg had suddenly stiffened, causing him to fall backwards. By the time Sonic had recovered from the impact he had from his fall, the female wolf was directly in front of him.
"You've been through so much in such a short span of time, Sonic.. Yet, your time is far from over." the wolf calmly spoke in a sympathetic tone.
"Wha-? What do you mean?" the blue hedgehog stammered, his eyes wide in surprise and confusion, "Am I…?"
"No, however, this will not be the last time you will be able to communicate with the spirits of the past." the white wolf explained, "You have a very long journey ahead of you, Sonic.. One that will not only challenge you physically, but mentally and emotionally."
"W-what?" Sonic questioned, unable to understand, let alone comprehend what the wolf was telling him.
"Remember, you are never alone. You have friends, and family who are there to support you and guide you even in the darkest of times, …even if you can't see them." the female wolf said as she gently touched the blue hedgehog's forehead with her nose.
Before Sonic could muster anything else out, his vision became completely enveloped by a bright white light before fading back into darkness for a few brief moments. Letting out a low groan, the blue hedgehog soon saw light once again as he slowly woke up. Once again, he could hear voices, but he couldn't tell who exactly was talking, but as his vision slowly became more clear, so did the voices.
"He's waking up! Get Boulder over here, quickly!" one voice cried out in joy.
"On it!" another voice responded.
"Where… am I now?..." Sonic muttered silently, clutching his head as he slowly sat up. His whole body ached for some reason, but yet he couldn't really remember what had happened. As he looked around, the hedgehog had noticed he was in some sort of cave before taking a look at himself. Only then did he realize what had happened upon examining the various areas in which he had bandages and stitches.
'I must've passed out after escaping from Eggman's lab or something. Everything feels so fuzzy after escaping.' the blue hedgehog muttered as he continued examining his wounds.
"I see you're finally awake, Sonic." a deep, male voice said, prompting the hedgehog to stop what he was doing and turn towards the source of the voice. At the entrance of the cave, a large gray wolf stood in front of the hedgehog with a smile.
'Finally?... What does he mean?' Sonic questioned, confused as to what the wolf meant before hesitantly asking, "...How long was I out?"
"You were in a coma for a week, Sonic. When you were brought here, you were on the verge of death, literally." the wolf explained in a stern yet solemn tone, "Had you been brought in any later or had waited for treatment, you wouldn't be alive right now."
"A-a week!?" the hedgehog stammered as his eyes widened in shock, unaware of what exactly he had gone through up until now.
"When your friends brought you in, you were nearly frozen to the touch, something that's common with anyone that's suffering from hypothermia and frostbite. I'm not exactly sure what had happened, but from what I was told, there was a severe snowstorm that you got stuck in by the time your friends had found you. Your injuries didn't help your situation either since the cold temperature can make it easier for your body temperature to drop to dangerously low levels.. It would explain why you may not be able to remember anything right now." the gray wolf explained.
'A snowstorm? But where..!?' Sonic questioned as his mind processed the wolf's words before realizing what had happened, 'Eggman! He must've brought me to Holoska to make any form of escape difficult, knowing I wouldn't last long if I was in bad shape! But that means…!'
The blue hedgehog's mind was reeling as his memories from what had happened returned, but one thing still tore at him. Where was White Fang then? The last thing he could remember was watching Raze knock out the white wolf in one blow and saving him from falling off a shattering cliff. Before the hedgehog could begin asking a mirage of questions however…
"What's with all the commotion, Boulder? The pack is acting like they saw something rise from the dead or something–!" a familiar voice piped up as White Fang entered the den, stopping in his tracks completely upon seeing Sonic conscious.
"White Fang? Are you alright?" said another voice that the blue hedgehog recognized all too well before stepping into the den with the white wolf. All it took was one look for Tails to understand what was going on and why there was so much commotion.
"Sonic! You're alright!" Tails exclaimed, his eyes lighting up in sheer joy as he ran towards the hedgehog and embraced him in a tight, brotherly hug.
"Ow! Great to see ya, lil' bro, but still a little sore.." Sonic said as he winced in pain from his body aching all over, but couldn't help but smile.
"Oops.. Sorry." the fox replied sheepishly, loosening his grip a little to make the blue hedgehog more comfortable, "You have no idea how worried everyone was.."
"Heh.. I've been through worse challenges." the hedgehog remarked with his usual confident smirk, however, upon glancing at White Fang, he had noticed the wolf hadn't moved at all yet, "..White Fang?"
Much to Sonic's surprise, the white wolf had suddenly rushed towards him before gently headbutting him, visibly shaking from the overwhelming range of emotions the wolf was feeling. The blue hedgehog had been caught completely off guard, White Fang had never acted like this before, even when he was a pup. However, it didn't take long for him to figure out why as soon as his ears picked up the sound of the young wolf whimpering, taking one look and seeing tears streaming down the wolf's face.
"White Fang hardly left your side at all throughout the last week after we brought you here… The only time he even came out of the den was if Boulder forced him out for any medical treatment needed.. When that cliff shattered, he was the one that found you in the snowstorm." Tails explained, giving the white wolf a sympathetic look.
'So that's why… I'm practically the only real family he's had since he lost his mother at such a young age…' Sonic thought as he looked at the white wolf, now understanding what was going on.
"...Hey. It's alright now…" Sonic calmly, yet sympathetically said to the young wolf, gently stroking the wolf, "It's going to take more than what happened over the last week for any villain to get rid of me. I won't be going anywhere anytime soon, I promise.."
Deep down, the hedgehog was very grateful that his friends were alright at the end of the day. Although Dr. Eggman was still a massive threat right now, Sonic knew he had to take the small victories for now. As much as the blue hedgehog wanted to get right back up and give the mad scientist a piece of his mind, he was in no condition to do so after everything he had gone through over the last week.
Boulder smiled as he saw the warm reunion from the entrance of the den. In hindsight, he was silently thanking the great spirits that he was able to save another life from what seemed like a nearly impossible scenario. However, his warm feelings were soon halted as he heard a couple wolves coming into the den.
"Boulder, the messenger has returned from the ocean pack with Krypto, Blade, and Rosebud." one female wolf said.
"Alright. I'll go meet them at the entrance, can you guard the medicine den in the meantime?" the gray wolf said as he got up and prepared to leave the den.
"There won't be a need for that, Boulder." Krypto said as he ran up to the den, panting a bit once he came to a full stop, "We rushed back as soon as the messenger told us what had happened."
Upon hearing the elderly male wolf, the heroes had perked up to see what was going on. Blade and Rosebud soon came up right behind their grandfather, quickly coming to a full stop right outside of the entrance, and greeting Boulder.
"What took so long though? Normally a trip to the ocean pack is only a day long trip normally?" Boulder questioned, his eyes creasing up in worry.
"The messenger was ambushed by Eggman's robots on the way over here. By the time they showed up at Canyon's camp, he was covered in bruises and scratches from trying to get away from the ambush. Fortunately, their injuries weren't severe and they were able to recover after a few days." Rosebud responded in a concerned tone.
'Eggman!? Does he know where this pack is or where I am?' Sonic's mind raced as he overheard the conversation, but not for himself. He was more worried about his friends and the wolves residing in this camp. If Eggman knew where this camp was, the entire pack was in danger, not just himself and his friends.
"Were there any traces of Eggman's robots in the territory or nearby when you guys were coming back here?" Boulder questioned.
"No signs of robots at all or in the territory while we were on the way back. If I were to guess, a few may have strayed into the territory when the messenger was ambushed because it didn't seem like they were going for any kills or trying to cause too much damage. I didn't catch any scent of robots in the territory either." Blade explained, raising a brow as he pondered about their trip back to camp.
"We'll need to increase the number of patrols for a while, especially when we have the hero of Mobius under our care right now." Krypto said in a stern tone, "From what Rosebud had told me before we went to the ocean pack, Eggman had him held prisoner, so if he gets the jump on the pack again like with what happened six months ago, we may lose one of our only chances of stopping that mad man."
"Wouldn't that just attract more of Eggman's forces anyways and draw them to the pack camp again?" White Fang said in a stern tone as he unexpectedly stood up and stepped right in front of the pack leader.
"White Fang? What are you-!?" Tails began to question before Sonic suddenly stopped the fox, shaking his head, as if telling his best friend not to interfere.
"What do you mean, pup?" Krypto questioned, suppressing a low growl as he realized the young wolf was challenging his decision.
"You know that with Sonic here recovering, Eggman is going to be searching high and low for him in hopes of either capturing him again or killing him. If one of your wolves was attacked while trying to relay a message to you on the suspicion of searching for something, don't you think it'd be wise to lay low until we can actually strike?" the young wolf explained, standing tall with his tail held high.
"The increase in patrols will help us catch his robots off guard before they can get to camp. If the ambush is successful-" Krypto began explaining before suddenly being cut off by White Fang, "That's only if your ambush is successful. You forget how tough Eggman's robots are, so if something goes wrong, you're risking not only the possibility of a couple of your wolves getting killed but having the camp location be given away to him. What are you going to do if that were to happen!? Your wolves can only fight off so many robots before they get overwhelmed, and if Eggman manages to capture Sonic again, Mobius is basically doomed!"
"You have some nerve challenging our grandfather, White Fang.." Boulder growled, stepping close to the young wolf in an attempt to intimidate him into backing off, however the young white wolf wouldn't budge.
"Boulder don't-" Rosebud pleaded before being interrupted.
"Our grandfather? I grew up outside of a pack, so I don't recall having any blood relatives unless you know something about what happened six months ago when my mother died." White Fang interjected, his fur rising as anger and frustration boiled in his blood.
"Your mother? Blade, Rosebud, and I all lost our mother and two brothers that same day when Eggman's army attacked the camp!" Boulder snarled as his fur rose on end as well.
"Really now? I remember Rosebud telling me how I reminded you of your mother before going off to rescue Sonic from Eggman's clutches. Care to explain that?" the white wolf questioned as he stepped closer to the healer. Despite Boulder's larger and stockier build, White Fang refused to budge.
"Are you sure it wasn't her overhearing things-" the gray male questioned, but before he could press further, Krypto suddenly stepped in with a snarl, causing both wolves to back away from each other, "ENOUGH Boulder!"
"Wh-? Grandfather?" Boulder questioned, mouth gaped open in shock with the elderly wolf's sudden outburst.
"Your brother deserves to know his family after having to keep away for so long for his own safety!" Krypto scolded the gray male wolf before turning towards the younger white wolf, "White Fang.. I'm so sorry you had to find out this way, and after this long…"
"Brother?..." White Fang questioned in disbelief, as he stepped back in shock while Blade and Rosebud looked on in disbelief, "All this time… I had more family elsewhere, and yet nobody told me?..."
As Sonic watched on with Tails, although he didn't show it, he could feel his heart being torn as the new revelation shook the young white wolf. Despite wanting to say something, he couldn't bring himself to do so, and he couldn't understand why. His best friend was just as shocked and silent as he was.
"White Fang… I can explain…" Krypto pleaded as the young wolf stood silent, still in complete disbelief at what he had just heard, "After Eggman attacked our camp, you, your mother, and your eldest brother, Raven, all disappeared. Raven stayed back to help us escape, but you and your mother got separated amidst the chaos. Once I was finally able to start searching, I only found your mother, killed by Eggman's robots… After finding your mother however, I couldn't find any more traces of you or Raven, and assumed you were also gone.. However, once I saw you with Sonic, I was beyond overjoyed you were still alive, but I was also afraid of Eggman finding out your ties to our pack… Especially after learning about Raze…"
"Does Sonic know?..." White Fang questioned cryptically, his mind reeling from everything he was hearing.
"No.. The only one who knew was Boulder. I was afraid that if Eggman found out that you were from our pack, he wouldn't just go after you, but our entire pack…" Krypto responded dejectedly.
The young wolf stepped back in shock and disbelief as the words raced through his mind. What was he supposed to believe? All this time he had believed his mother was his only blood related family, but yet he had more family around this whole time? He suddenly turned and bolted out of the camp, unable to process anything that was going through his mind.
"White Fang, wait!" Tails tried calling out, but it fell on deaf ears as the white wolf was already outside of the pack camp. The fox was suddenly stopped by Sonic, who had placed a hand in front of him and shook his head in disapproval.
"...You knew our brother, our littermate of all wolves, was alive this whole time, and yet you told nobody? Not even your own family!? How could you, grandfather?..." Blade questioned cryptically before following White Fang outside the camp.
"I had a suspicion that you knew something about White Fang being our brother, but to hide this even from your own family is sickening… I hope you're happy with hiding such an important secret from your own family…" Rosebud said coldly before heading out of the camp as well, not far behind her brothers.
Sonic looked on as the young wolves ran out of the pack camp, his expression clearly pained despite trying to hide it. This was all so much for the wolves to take in so soon after waking up from a coma, but yet he understood why this revelation was hidden for so long. The pack had gone through so much because of Eggman over the last six months, and even the slightest mishap could spell doom. The pained expressions he saw from both Boulder and Krypto said everything. They never wanted to hide this from their family, but had to for the safety of the whole pack.
"Sonic?.." Should we check on them-..?" Tails questioned, but Sonic quickly shook his head before responding, "They need time alone. This is a lot for them to take in with everything going on right now."
"Are you sure, Sonic?" the fox questioned, his tone uncertain, but the blue hedgehog gave his friend a reassuring smile.
"They'll be alright after a while." he said reassuringly before turning towards the two older wolves, "Besides, I'm sure the others are worried about me."
"Yeah.. I better go let the others know you're up and about." Tails said as he flew off, glancing back at the hedgehog with a smile, knowing that everything would be ok.
Once the fox was gone, Sonic turned his attention towards Boulder and Krypto as they hung their heads low after realizing what they had done. The elderly male looked defeated as he struggled to comprehend what he had done wrong while his grandson tried to comfort him.
"What more could I have done?.. I couldn't risk the entire pack's safety with how ruthless Eggman has been…" Krypto questioned cryptically.
Before Boulder could respond, Sonic decided to step in and say his piece, "I don't think there was anything else you could have done. You have an entire pack to defend, and risking any possibility of being discovered would've brought more harm than what's happening now. White Fang and his siblings just need time to take it in."
"I suppose you're right.." Krypto sighed as he looked out into the distance, "There's only so much I can do as leader to protect everyone… Boulder, can you check on Sonic's injuries and see how long they'll take to heal?"
"Of course, grandfather." the gray male responded, walking towards the blue hedgehog and taking a close look at his injuries, "From the looks of, most of the smaller injuries have already healed thankfully. However, his foot will still need at least a few weeks before it'll fully heal, but-"
"A few weeks!?" the hedgehog questioned as his eyes grew wide in shock and disbelief about his leg injury.
"I'm afraid so. From what I felt, it seems like whatever happened before you were brought here caused more strain on your foot, more specifically on your ankle, and prolonging the recovery time considerably. You're going to be out of commission for a while." Boulder explained, "Had it not gotten strained as bad as it did, you would've been up and about within a couple days max."
"Great… That was exactly what I wanted to hear.." Sonic huffed sarcastically, sitting back in frustration about not being able to do anything for a while.
"However, there are treatments we can do that will help your recovery that we can start up within a week or so, maybe even sooner if we can get it set up quickly, but until then, you'll have to take it easy and find something to keep yourself entertained." Boulder said, hoping to bring some optimism to the situation.
"Guess I better get comfortable while I'm here." the hedgehog said with a huff as he laid back, realizing he didn't have much of a choice in the matter.
As day grew into night, White Fang found himself sitting on the edge of the lake within the forest as his mind tried to process the information it had just received. He couldn't understand why he never knew about the rest of his family until now. Was this what Rosebud told him about before he left on the rescue mission a week ago? Who knows?
"White Fang?" Rosebud's voice echoed the white wolf's ears, cutting him out of his current thoughts as he looked behind to see his littermates coming up from behind.
"Blade? Rosebud? What are you two doing here?" White Fang questioned, raising a brow in confusion.
"We could ask you the same thing, but I guess that's not too hard to figure out given what we found out earlier." Blade said, "To think that all this time our missing littermate was not only alive this whole time but under the care of the hero of Mobius of all people! Honestly I'm a bit jealous."
"You two at least had a family that took care of you that still share the same blood in some way." the white wolf responded, his tone a bit bitter at the revelation, "The only family of our own blood that I could even remember was our mother, and I had to watch her die at the hands of Eggman's robots… I probably wouldn't have even been alive if it weren't for Sonic.."
"I can't imagine what you had to go through this whole time after the attack on our camp and mom's death…" Rosebud said as she sat next to her brother, with Blade following right behind her, "I don't understand why grandpa never tried to at least tell you we were family, let alone us… This whole time we thought you died along with mom.."
"I think I may know why grandpa kept this a secret this whole time.." the large, gray male said as a realization hit him.
"What do you mean, Blade?" White Fang questioned.
"I remember grandpa telling me in one of his lessons when it comes to being a leader that it's your responsibility to keep the entire pack safe from any possible threats, no matter what it takes.." Blade explained as he looked up at the night sky, "If the pack knew you were alive this whole time, there's a chance they would've searched thick and thin for you, and it would've attracted Eggman's attention. We would've been at risk of another attack, and likely one far more devastating than the one we had five months ago.."
"I suppose so.." the white wolf pondered, looking up at the night sky deep in thought, "Ever since Eggman started getting more drastic with his attacks, it seems like everyone has been on edge, even Sonic.. Even though he acts like his usual self, I noticed recently he's been stressed. Being the hero of Mobius, I can't imagine how much pressure he has to deal with all because of Eggman. He doesn't show it, but it's like I can sense it.."
"Boulder told me we can sense the emotions of other Mobians because of our powerful sense of smell. When it comes to noticing how someone is feeling, our noses never lie." the pinkish tan female said with a smile, "We should probably head back. Our family will wonder where we are if we stay out here all night."
"Yeah, you're right, sis." Blade said as he stood up and started walking back towards the pack camp.
"I'd imagine Sonic would be worried about where I am considering how I darted out of camp earlier.." White Fang said as he stood up, "For the longest time he was the only real family that I had.."
"Well, now you got us, Boulder, and even our grandfather." Rosebud said with a soft smile, "Welcome home, brother."
"Thanks, Rosebud.." the white wolf said before walking back to the pack camp with his sister following right behind him.
Back at the pack camp, Sonic laid back on the moss bed wide awake as he stared intently at the stars with numerous thoughts running through his mind. On the one hand, the fact he was still alive after what he went through over the last week was nothing short of a miracle. However, Dr. Eggman's drastic actions had been deeply troubling, and this last week truly showed that his nemesis wasn't messing around now.
'I didn't think Eggman would go so far as to use me as bait for his own plans, let alone pull all the possible stops to prevent me from escaping.. He was so close to actually taking me out for good..' Sonic silently muttered to himself, the mere thought of what he went through honestly scared him a bit, 'I wasn't even sure if I would even end up escaping at all.. I can't even imagine what would happen to the others if Eggman was successful in ending my life…'
However, before the hedgehog could ponder more about his past ordeal, he felt someone, or rather, three someones, lay right next to him. Upon turning to look, he noticed White Fang, Blade and Rosebud laying right next to him. He hadn't noticed the three wolves returning to camp, but it seemed that they had made peace with their recent discovery of them being siblings. Sonic couldn't help but smile as he saw the young wolves sleep together for the first time in months since their mother died, right next to him of all places too.
'Even despite everything that has happened, things are only going to get better from here on out.' Sonic said to himself with a smile as he allowed himself to drift off into sleep, a new sense of hope rising within him.
As the coming days turned into weeks, it seemed as if everything had calmed down quite a bit. White Fang had found himself slowly beginning to bond with his new family, especially his siblings. It was the first time he even had any family aside from Sonic, so it was a welcome change, even if the discovery was rather sudden for him. As for Sonic, recovery had felt quite slow considering he was not able to run or go out on any adventures due to his injury. Although his foot healed quite well over the last couple weeks that had passed since he woke up, the deep scratches on his left arm was a different story. The wound was more than just a physical scar that would slowly heal over time, it was a reminder to the blue hedgehog that he couldn't mess around anymore with how close he came to dying. Despite having Tails and the rest of his friends visit on numerous occasions during his recovery, all it did was temporarily distract him from the reality of what he was dealing with.
However, the stress from his recent experiences was not the only thing that was still stuck on the blue hedgehog's mind. Day after day, Sonic found himself being awoken by the very same dream he had been having ever since he came out of his coma. He didn't know why, but each time he had that dream, it felt so real. It always played out in the exact same way and ended with the same outcome. Was there something deeply rooted within the pack camp that brought on such a dream? Was it related to what he's gone through over the last couple weeks? Or was there something more to it that he could not remember?
"Hello? Earth to Sonic!" White Fang's voice rang through the hedgehog's ears as he suddenly found himself snapping out of his daze. Had he really been stuck within his own thoughts again?
"Wha-? What's up, White Fang?" Sonic responded, raising a brow in confusion as he shifted his attention towards the white wolf.
"Krypto wants us in the leader's den right now, Sonic." the young wolf said, "You've been acting odd ever since you woke up from your coma. Is everything alright?"
"Heh.. Guess when you're stuck recovering and not able to do what you love, it's kind of easy to let your mind wander off to space." the hedgehog responded sheepishly as he stood up, hoping to steer the conversation to a different direction, "Once I can get out of here, we can worry about kicking Eggman's butt. For now, we better head up, and see what's going on."
White Fang let out an unconvinced sigh, knowing the blue blur was not being completely honest, but he didn't want to keep his grandfather waiting, "Yeah.. You're right. The quicker we get there, the better. Between you and my grandfather, I can't tell who has less patience."
"Now what does that supposed to mean?" Sonic questioned raising a brow in confusion, though a smirk was present on his face.
"Both of you can hardly sit still for two seconds without getting bored. Now come on, slowpoke." White Fang jabbed playfully before darting off towards the leader's den.
"Heh! I can still beat ya in a race even with my ankle recovering!" Sonic responded with a smirk as he quickly followed the young, white wolf into the den.
As the two entered the leader's den, there was no sign of Krypto. The elderly white male was nowhere to be seen, which was rather unusual.
"Sonic! White Fang!" Tails called out as he entered the den right behind them, having seen the two race towards it, "What's going on?"
"My grandfather wanted a word with us, but he's not in here?" White Fang said as he looked around the den, trying to see where the old male went.
However, it didn't take long for Sonic to spot an opening towards the back of the cave. Somehow, it looked strangely familiar to the blue hedgehog despite not having been in the cave as far as he remembered.
"Hmm.. Perhaps this opening could lead us somewhere. Maybe Krypto went in here?" the blue hedgehog said, motioning Tails and White Fang over to check the opening out.
"Only one way to find out." the white wolf said with a shrug as Sonic led the way into the opening, with him and Tails following close behind the hedgehog.
As the trio ventured further into the cave, small gemstones embedded into the walls illuminated the cave with various shades of blues and violets. It was a spectacle of a view as they looked on in amazement at such a sight. However, one thing had caught White Fang's attention suddenly.
"Hey guys! Look at this!" the white wolf exclaimed, pointing at what appeared to be a painting on the wall, but it didn't seem to be any regular painting.
"Whoa…" Tails gaped in awe as he brought out his tablet gizmo and scanned the painting, "If it's what I think it is, this could be a whole new part of history that I never knew existed!"
"You are right, young one. These paintings tell of the Lightning Blaze pack's history as well as the history of Aeneas and Kieron." Krypto's voice rang through the cave as the elderly white wolf appeared with a gentle smile, "I was wondering when you'd arrive. After all, I believe these can help with your fight against Eggman."
"Really?" White Fang questioned, raising a brow in confusion as he looked at the paintings.
"That's right. These paintings visualize how the fight between Aeneas and Kieron went down all those centuries ago. With Dr. Eggman's assistant being a descendent of Kieron, you should be able to pinpoint his strengths and weaknesses, and use them to your advantage. Anyone who was born into or shares a connection with the Lightning Blaze pack is able to bring the paintings to life by simply touching them. They can also answer some questions you may have regarding the pack's history, even up to recent times." the elderly wolf explained.
The only one who had not said anything at all since entering the cave was Sonic, who had been completely caught up with looking through the paintings. It felt like something was drawing his attention, so much so that a headache was building up that he tried to ignore. However, there was one painting that had completely caught his attention, causing him to stop in his tracks, his eyes wide in surprise.
"Sonic? Are.. you alright? You haven't said anything since–" Tails questioned as he approached the blue hedgehog, but stopped as soon as he saw what his best friend was looking at.
"What's going on, Sonic? It's like you've seen a–" White Fang tried to question, but stopped upon seeing the painting Sonic was looking at.
As Sonic took a few tentative steps towards the painting, he couldn't help but place his hand on it. The painting showed what appeared to be Krypto from an earlier point in time along with a familiar figure.
"Sonic..? Is that… you?" White Fang's words echoed through Sonic's head as a splitting headache struck the hedgehog, causing him to grunt in pain and tightly shut his eyes as the dream he had been experiencing replayed in his mind along with old memories that had not been present on his mind for a very long time.
After what felt like an eternity, Sonic's vision soon became more clear as he found himself waking up inside the medicine den once again, but something was off. It seemed bigger than he remembered. In fact everything felt bigger to him, but why?
"Why hello there, little one." an elderly female wolf said, interrupting the blue hedgehog from his thoughts as he turned towards the wolf, becoming tense as he saw her dark violet fur and turquoise eyes come into view, "Now now, little one. You're safe here."
"Who are you? Where am I?" the hedgehog questioned, a hint of uncertainty in his voice as the last thing he could recall was watching the boat drift away from him in the ocean before everything went black.
"My name is Neptune. I'm the healer of the Lightning Blaze pack. My leader found you unconscious on the beach and brought you here for treatment." the elderly female wolf explained with a gentle smile before her ear twitched suddenly, "Speaking of my leader, here he comes now."
In a matter of seconds, Krypto had rushed into the den, panting as he bursted in. However, the white male had appeared younger, and even had less scars. The gray fur on the elderly male took on a darker, blueish tint as well.
"Neptune! Is everything alright!? I came as soon as– !" the white wolf stopped in his tracks upon seeing Sonic wide awake, realizing why he was summoned and gave a gentle smile, "Hey there, kid. You sure gave us a scare there, but you're safe now. You got a name?"
"It's Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog." the hedgehog responded, this time a bit more confidently, realizing nobody was going to attack him, but one thought couldn't escape his mind as he let the question slip out, "W-where's my parents?"
"We're doing everything we can to find them.. You were alone when we found you." Krypto responded as a pang of sadness flashed in his eyes for a brief moment, "Until then, we'll take care of you and make sure you get the proper care you need."
"Krypto!" a voice rang out from outside the den as the white wolf rushed outside, confusing the blue hedgehog.
"It seems like Krypto is needed for something. Feel free to explore the pack camp in the meantime, Sonic." Neptune said, noticing how the hedgehog wanted to get up and move.
As Sonic walked outside of the medicine den, he found himself surrounded by countless wolves going about through their lives. They were all happy, sharing meals, playing games, and even comforting each other, but one sight caught the hedgehog's attention in particular. By the leader's den, he had caught a glimpse of Krypto speaking with another wolf, his face unreadable as he quickly ran out of the pack camp with the other wolf. Sparked by curiosity, Sonic followed the two wolves rather easily thanks to his immense speed. However, it didn't take long to figure out why as he quickly got to the beach and saw a massive crowd of police and paramedics on the scene along with Krypto.
Upon surveying the scene, the blue hedgehog had caught sight of two figures draped in white cloaks being carried into an ambulance. Sonic's eyes widened in horror as he immediately recognized the motionless figures being carried away.
"...Mom? ..Dad?..." he mustered out, his mind unable to process what was happening as he stood frozen in horror at the sight of the scene.
Krypto whipped his head around upon hearing the blue hedgehog, eyes wide with shock and horror upon realizing what the kid had just seen.
"Oh no… Sonic… I'm so sorry.." the white wolf said in a saddened tone as he attempted to walk towards the hedgehog.
However, Sonic suddenly turned away and blasted through the forest at full speed, leaving a cloud of dust and even a scorching trail behind him.
"Sonic, wait–!" the old wolf cried out, but it was too late as the blue hedgehog was already long gone.
Deep within the forest, Sonic's mind was endlessly spinning as waves of questions and emotions overwhelmed him as he kept running. Would he ever see his parents again? How would he get back home? So many questions, and so few answers. However, the blue hedgehog suddenly found himself tripping over a tree root he had not noticed due to his lack of familiarity of the area and his mind being too focused on what he had just seen. He stumbled for a few feet before finally stopping right at the edge of a river. Once he had recovered from his stumble, the hedgehog's eyes widened in horror as he saw just how close he was to more water.
Unbeknownst to the blue hedgehog, a small group of dark furred wolves began approaching the hedgehog, letting out devilish growls as they came close.
"Well, well, well… What do we have here?" one wolf questioned with a dark smirk, prompting Sonic to turn towards the source of the noise.
"S-stay back!" the blue hedgehog yelled defiantly, bristling his quills in the hopes that it would scare away the wolves.
"Is that supposed to be a threat, hedgehog?" another wolf questioned, letting out a laugh at the sight it was seeing.
As the wolves got even closer, Sonic's eyes grew wide as he realized he was vulnerable and helpless. He didn't know what he could do. He was surrounded and had nowhere to run even with his immense speed. The blue hedgehog tightly shut his eyes as the snarling became even louder, bracing for the impact of sharp teeth tearing through skin, but as the wolves let out a menacing roar, he felt nothing. Instead a loud screech pierced the hedgehog's ears as his eyes snapped open, realizing he was back in the depths of the leader's den. Sonic's eyes darted around quickly as he saw his friends look on at him with a worried look in their eyes, struggling to regain his breath.
"S-Sonic?" White Fang tentatively questioned, but the wolf's words fell on deaf ears as the blue hedgehog's eyes darted to his best friend who followed up the young wolf, "A-Are you alright?.."
Sonic's eyes then darted over to Krypto, who was back to his old appearance, covered with battle scars and the duller gray fur he remembered seeing prior to touching the painting on the stone wall. However, the information that had invaded his mind had become too much to process. The blue hedgehog hadn't even realized that a hint of tears were welling up in his eyes, as he stepped back for a second before blasting out of the cave at full speed.
"Sonic, wait!" White Fang cried out as he saw the blue blur dart out of the cave, but was stopped by Krypto who gave him a disapproving shake.
"W-Wha.. What was that all about? I've never seen him so shaken up like that…" Tails commented, shocked by what had happened with his best friend just now.
"Tails? You mentioned how Sonic seemed troubled after returning from the Lost Hex, didn't you?" the young wolf questioned, bringing up a good point.
"Yeah.. He always did anything he could to make sure none of us got hurt, but the last adventure we had, he almost lost everything… And he almost couldn't do anything… None of us really knew much about his past, and whenever one of us tried to ask, he usually brushed it off and changed the subject." the orange fox responded, recalling how the world was nearly destroyed and how almost everyone died on that day before turning towards Krypto, "This painting… Was this when you first met Sonic?.."
The elderly white wolf let out a sorrowful sigh, "Yes… Ten years ago I found him washed up on the beach, alone.. I was worried he had drowned, but miraculously, he survived. However, his parents weren't so lucky, and he watched them being taken away in the ambulances, never to return… He was nearly ambushed by wolves from an evil pack as well.. Although I managed to save him in time, there was no doubt he was left with permanent trauma… My mate and I took care of him and raised him until he went off on his own adventures almost five years ago."
"So that's why there's paintings of him in here.. Even some relating to some of his recent adventures. That's why he always hated seeing us getting hurt, especially if he's unable to do anything…" Tails said thoughtfully, looking towards the exit of the cave, concerned about what his brother could be dealing with emotionally.
White Fang looked on wordlessly, unsure of how to react. On the one hand, these paintings gave so many answers, but also made the wolf realize just how similar he and Sonic really were. However, it also produced even more questions that he had never even thought of. Just how long had Sonic felt this stressed? How deep were these scars?
"I'll go check on Sonic." Krypto said as he turned towards the exit of the cave.
"Are you sure?..." Tails questioned, worried about how his best friend would react to seeing the elderly wolf.
"I'm certain.. He needs support right now… Fatherly support…" the white elderly wolf said as he walked out of the den.
Tails and White Fang looked on, silent as a leaf as their brains processed what had happened today. They never knew just how difficult things were for Sonic until now. Yet, the discovery also brought on a sense of understanding of why cared so much for his friends. They were his family, his pack.
As the night fell, Sonic found himself sitting in the same grasslands that he always enjoyed relaxing in. The cold breeze gave him a sense of calm and peace as he looked up at the night sky. His mind was still reeling from revisiting his own past and piecing out why he was having the same nightmare. It was no nightmare, it was real. It was his own past traumas revisiting him, giving him an answer that he had stuck in his mind when he was being held captive by Dr. Eggman. He hadn't felt this helpless since the day he lost his own family, and nearly lost his own life. However, a certain elderly voice soon caught the hedgehog's attention, snapping him out of his deep thoughts.
"I figured I'd find you here, Sonic." Krypto said as he walked up to the blue hedgehog and sat next to him.
"Krypto?.. What are you doing here?" Sonic questioned, raising a brow in confusion despite the answer being rather obvious as his muzzle was noticeably stained with tears from earlier.
"Checking on you.. Like any parent would…" the white wolf responded, his eyes creasing with worry as he turned towards the blue hedgehog, "We may not have spoken in years, but that doesn't mean I don't think about you."
"I-i guess.." the blue hedgehog muttered as he rested his head on his knees, unsure about how to feel after today, "The last thing I even expected was to revisit a past that I thought I had forgotten about… I guess these last six months really put me on more of a wringer than I thought."
"We can never truly forget our past, son.. It's a part of who we are." Krypto said as he looked up at the night sky.
"What do you mean?" Sonic questioned, confused as to what the wolf was referring to.
"Think about where you are now, Sonic." Krypto explained, "You were beyond traumatized the day I found you and took you in, but as time passed you grew into a fine, confident young hedgehog. Despite everything you had gone through at such a young age, your spirit held strong and you fought to live through every moment and allowed the wind to guide you on your journey. You grew up so fast that you were ready to go on your own adventures before you even became a teenager."
"Well.. What can I say? I just love a good adventure." the blue hedgehog responded with a smirk on his face as he recalled the good days before setting out on his adventures.
"And that's what made you so special. The days you spent with the pack I saw you come out of your shell so quickly with such a stride in confidence, even the pups took inspiration to follow your lead and go on their own adventures like you. I saw you as if you were my own son, and I'm beyond proud of the path you went on." the elderly wolf said with a gentle yet proud smile, "You've gone through so much recently, but yet you still have the power to keep fighting. Just remember, you're never alone. You have your friends and family here to support you. Even if we don't share the same blood or species, you will always be family, Sonic."
Sonic's eyes widened in surprise as he heard the white wolf's speech. He had forgotten about just how much support he really had, not just his friends. He had his own family who supported him, even despite not remembering them for years. In that very moment, he felt a gentle, yet welcoming breeze blow through his quills as he looked up at the night sky for a moment, almost as if he knew the great spirits were watching over them.
After a moment, Sonic couldn't help but give a heartfelt smile as he turned towards Krypto, "Thanks, ..Dad."
To be continued…