Notes: This chapter has been rewritten.

Prologue

The first thing Sonic saw, was light. Standing on a floor unseen, he called out, voice echoing off nonexistent walls..

"Hello? Where am I?" Not expecting an answer, Sonic shuffles in place, wondering if he had made a mistake. After Dark Gaia had been defeated, Sonic had realized he had overestimated himself. He wasn't powerful; he wasn't heroic. He was just a tiny insignificant hedgehog who was incapable of properly protecting his friends.

He had turned to the Gods of Gaia for assistance.

They had yet to respond to him.

Sighing, Sonic fidgeted unhappily. Pushing away his irritation, Sonic forced himself to stand tall. He needed to do this. He needed to make sure he could save his friends.

"You love them."

The statement flickered in the open air, its source seemingly invisible. Taking a deep breath, Sonic nodded.

"And you are prepared to lose everything in order to protect them."

It was not a question, and yet Sonic found himself nodding again.

"You will not be able to control it."

Sonic finds that he doesn't care, "As long as my friends will not be in danger."

"That is up to you, and you alone."

Sonic takes a deep breath, before nodding again, "What must I do?"

"Survive."

And then he woke up.