Heeey... I said in my last note in the previous version of this story that I would have this up in November. Well... it would've been posted in November... the last day of the month (Still November) but this chapter was deleted... so I had to retype it from memory... I cursed like a sailor when that happened.

Now, things will be different... and yet the same... but probably mostly different.

Know this: I'm aiming for a more realistic take on this story. Yeah, it'll have humor, action, adventure, and even character development... but I wanna make this story seem believable. Like you could actually see this happen in a movie one day, that kind of believable.

And this is the final version of the story, I swear. To any newbies out there, I was Yasmine155 once. But that all changed when my forgetfulness got the better of me.

Lastly, the cover of this story is only temporary. The real cover will be here soon. Yes, that's what the main character will look like, and I have no regrets.

Disclaimer: Unless I somehow become president of SEGA or Sonic Team, I do not own Sonic or any of the wonderful characters in any way.

Friday- March 2, 2018

Location: Adabat

A sharp yell pierced through the silence in the jungle. Birds fled the trees in a panic; monkeys hissed and screeched, their fur bristling in aggravation before leaping across the tree tops and away from the intruding sound; and any other animal within the area followed their example, putting as much distance between them and the source of the horrid sound as possible.

Just as a chameleon vanished from sight on a tree branch, the bushes surrounding the tree began to rustle.

There was a sudden grunt, followed by a low curse, before the slow movement of the clump of shrubs increased.

But after a few seconds passed, the rapid shaking of the leaves came to a halt.

Light from the full moon bathed the muddy ground in a soft glow. If one were watching close enough, they would've notice a red shoe step out from the bushes and into the small clearing. And they would've also seen another red shoe follow it's example. But really, they would've seen the owner of these shoes step into the moonlight, now that they were no longer concealed in the shadows of the jungle for the time being.

In the moonlight, stood what appeared to be a male anthropomorphic blue hedgehog with nothing but a pair of gloves, socks, and red running shoes on.

He would've stood in that position for a little longer... if exhaustion hadn't already claimed him, that is.

With a low groan, the hedgehog collapsed on the ground in a tired heap.

The moment he hit the ground, his sore body stilled and it began to relax. His breathing, although ragged, slowed and his muscles softened ever so slowly. True, the ground was muddy and wet, but it oddly felt comfortable under his aching body. His eyelids started to lower. Maybe a small nap wouldn't hurt...

No!

His eyes shot open with a start.

He couldn't fall asleep. Not when he was vulnerable to any incoming attacks. If there was one thing his siblings and Chuck drilled in his head throughout the years, it was that falling asleep with untreated wounds was a big NO NO. Especially, if there was a blood loss. Which he fortunately didn't have.

With a sigh, knowing what was coming next, the hedgehog slowly if not painfully pushed himself into a sitting position. A sharp pain shot in his chest and he winced.

"Yep," he grumbled, gently placing his fingertips over his chest, "Definitely some cracked ribs. Man... if Sonia doesn't kill me after this whole thing blows over, then Tails... will... for sure..."

He trailed off as a memory of his little brother flashed in his mind. Or what used to be his little brother, anyway.

Fur darkened almost as if it were the night sky...

Claws with a sickeningly familiar crimson liquid dripping downwards...

Fangs that would put a grey wolf to shame bared with drool leaking...

And those eyes... once bright and alive with intelligence, now dilated orbs filled with malice and a hunger only a starved animal could attain...

What became of his brother would be enough nightmare fuel for the hedgehog for weeks. His former brother. That thing wasn't Tails... At least, not anymore.

The hedgehog quickly shook his head, becoming disgusted for having such thoughts. What the hell was he thinking? Of course that was his brother!

The anthro glanced at his tanned arm, noting the patch of missing fur. Yeah... that was definitely his brother. Even if he did become a crazy wild animal. But... it wasn't his fault. It was Eggman's.

The hedgehog narrowed his eyes and a sudden surge of anger washed over him.

"Eggman..." he growled.

It was Eggman's fault! He's the reason why Tails became a feral beast. The reason why everyone else were currently feral beasts. He ruined his life! He should be a regular teenager right now, goofing off with his friends and family... Not an overgrown talking hedgehog who's currently fighting for his life!

A small stab of pain blossomed in his chest.

The hedgehog widened his eyes, and slowly forced himself to calm down. Right... he needed to remain calm. If he let his anger cloud his thoughts now, then it wouldn't be long before he joined the others in Mindless Savage City. According to Orc and Z, he and Chaos energy shared an odd connection. A connection he would've ditched if he could.

The teen sighed. He would fix this. He would save Tails and the others... even if it killed him.

His ear twitched as a sudden sound entered his eardrum.

Growling.

Slowly, the hedgehog pushed himself from his sitting position and onto his feet. With his body tensed, he slid into a defensive stance. His feet spread apart, his fists raised to his face, and eyes traveling around, cautiously searching for the source of the sound.

He didn't have to search long. The source revealed itself once it stepped out of the shadows and into the small clearing. Thanks to the moonlight, it took the form of a dark furred fox. Like the hedgehog, he too was anthropomorphic, but only he was crouched on all fours. His small snout was wrinkled as a nasty snarl took place on his face, and his wild violet colored eyes screamed hunger. He looked more like a regular fox with rabies than an anthro.

The hedgehog faltered for a moment. Tails...

This moment of hesitation, however, was all the warped fox needed.

With a veracious roar that could rival a tiger's, the feral fox lunged forward. His jaws opened and ready for the kill, and his claws spread apart and ready to assist. Foxes were said to be quite fast for their size, and that seemed to apply for mutant foxes too. Because when Tails shot forward, his form appeared to blur for a second.

But even when he was exhausted and littered in cuts, scratches, and bruises... the hedgehog displayed that he was faster.

He managed a quickstep, letting the deranged fox breeze right past him. He turned and chanced a look above his shoulder... and winced at the sight.

The fox, having missed his target, had flown and crashed right into the thick tree behind him. He fell and crumpled to the ground, a pained whimper escaping his muzzle.

The hedgehog frowned. 'Yeah, I know the feeling, bud... Crashing into trees suck...'

Unfortunately, for the blue anthro, he was so distracted by the poor sight of Tails, that he didn't have enough time to prepare himself for the incoming purple blur.

The blur made direct contact with the anthro, forcing the hedgehog to the ground with a startled shout and loud thud. When he crash-landed, the hedgehog took a sharp intake of breath. His cracked ribs seared in pain. He immediately tried to thrash his way off the ground, but whatever sent him crashing had a firm grip on his chest, pinning him to the jungle floor.

Once he realized that his attempt at escape wouldn't get him anywhere, did the hedgehog slump in the mud with a small look of defeat. 'Just great... Back to square one, I guess...'

He figured he'd take a look at his captor and try to see if he could slip his way from this one. The hedgehog looked up...

And froze.

Dark purple scales covered the body of his feral captor, with a golden yellow horn pointed directly in the hedgehog's face, should he try another escape attempt. But what really got him were his eyes... They were half violet and half golden yellow. Which meant...

Feral Espio wasn't a full savage yet. He still had a bit of intelligence left inside of him... the warped intelligence Eggman planted in him and the others before they went crazy.

Shit.

"E-Espio!" the hedgehog cried, "Snap out of it, man! It's me! Sonic!"

Feral Espio stared... and then growled. He opened his jaws, giving his captive a full view of his deadly razor sharp teeth.

"Maurice! Come on! Ya know I hate giving away my real name!"

The warped chameleon licked his lips.

"The guy who befriended you after you moved from Chun-Nan!"

The fading reptile snarled and applied pressure to his grip on the hedgehog, causing the latter to cry out in pain. A hint of glee shined in the captor's eyes before he started to lower his jaws towards the hedgehog's chest.

The hedgehog would've struggled to break free... if his chest wasn't on fire at the moment. So, as the teen watched as a hungry mutant chameleon aimed to make him it's dinner, he wondered for the 15th time since he became a hedgehog...

Why did his luck hate him so much? It wasn't this bad in the beginning...

Yes, this prologue was different from the other versions.

I felt like a change was needed. And I'm proud of it. Writing a Gravity Falls styled start for a Sonic story was pretty fun.

I'll be real here. I'm a college freshman, so I won't have that much time to update. Yes, I'll update this story, because believe me, I want to... but I probably won't be able to do it as often as I'd like.

Good day, readers.