Spoilers: Previous "Storybook Series" games (Sonic and the Secret Rings, Sonic and the Black Knight)

Content Warnings: The same level of slapstick/violence found in the games themselves

Sonic and the Golden Journey

Chapter 0: The Prologue

"Hmm. Wonder if those chili dogs were past their expiration date."

Sonic the Hedgehog knocked on the door of the strange, isolated house, not really knowing where he was or what he meant to accomplish.

"Hello? Anyone home?"

No one answered, but the door had no lock. After tapping his foot for a few moments, he let himself in.

It was a small, unassuming cottage. He walked through what appeared to be the kitchen. There were empty bowls on the table. The kitchen bordered what appeared to be a sitting room. There was a furnace, but nothing to sit on. Climbing upstairs to what appeared to be a lone bedroom, he pushed the door open.

There were no beds in the room, but on the floor sat a human girl in a red, hooded cloak. She was facing away and apparently hadn't noticed him.

"Hiya!" Sonic greeted her.

"Oh!"

The girl jumped up and turned to face him. She was carrying a hardcover book and had obviously been engrossed in it. "I didn't hear you come in."

Sonic looked her over. Now that he'd seen her face and heard her talk, he realized she was older than he'd thought. Late teens or early twenties, maybe. But if that was so, then…

"...how come you aren't taller?" he finished his thoughts aloud. Tact had always been a foreign concept to him.

The four-foot-tall girl looked down at the three-foot-tall blue thing currently addressing her. She cocked her head. "You're...one to talk."

Sonic broke into a grin at the opportunity for a good banter. "I'm a hedgehog," he declared, proudly thumbing his chest. "What's your excuse?"

"Oh. Well, my excuse is that I'm Little Red Riding Hood, and your name has to match your traits when you're a story character."

Sonic's grin tripled in wattage. "Am I in a storybook again?! Woohoo!"

"Why are you happy about this? Wait… 'again'...?"

"Yep! This is my third rodeo after the Arabian Nights and the land of King Arthur. So we're in the story of Little Red Riding Hood?"

"Actually...no. It's Goldilocks."

Sonic did a double-take. "Whuh!?"

"I understand your confusion, but I've been sucked into this story too. I have no idea how I got here, and the last thing I remember is just...arriving at this house."

Sonic paused and thought about it. "Ditto," he concluded.

"So then, it looks like I got here not long before you did. I found this book explaining everything. In short, the world of Goldilocks is missing its heroine, and the story has been corrupted. The three bears have been rampaging and causing chaos. I want to help in some way, but I'm not sure where to start."

"Well, sounds like my kind of job." Sonic said. "Count me in!"

"Great! By the way, you can just call me Red. What's your name?"

"I'm Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog," he replied proudly. Unable to resist an opportunity to brag a little, he added "I have a descriptive name, just like you."

She nodded. "That makes sense. So you have that name because you're very loud?"

"Ye- no! Fast! I got it 'cause I'm fast!" he shouted.

Red hesitated. She didn't seem convinced, for some reason.

Sonic rolled his eyes. He zipped forward, and before Red could even blink, he was suddenly wearing her cloak and hood.

Her eyes widened. He wasn't lying about his speed.

Sonic fluttered his eyelids daintily for good measure. Red narrowed hers.

"Alright, I'll concede that you've got a double meaning. Was taking my hood really necessary though?"

He untied it and handed it back to her. "Actually," he admitted, sheepishly scratching the back of his head, "I also wanted to see your hair before working with you."

"...what? How does that factor into anything?"

"I've learned not to trust pinkish-maned storybook chicks. But you're blonde, so it's cool."

Red stared as he gave her a cheerful thumbs-up. She had thought they were speaking the same language, but now she wasn't so sure.

"So yeah, what's the game plan?"

"Um, well, first off, the book is explicit that only Goldilocks can save the day. And that's where I'm concerned, since she's missing."

He waved a hand in dismissal. "No problem. I can fill in for her."

"E-excuse me?"

"I've got a flawless track record being the protagonist. So far I've been both Aladdin and King Arthur. And my video game is named after me."

"What's a video game?"

"Never mind. Does the book say Goldilocks can't come from outside the story?"

"Oh, actually no. The book likes the number three. It said that the third character to enter this house would be Goldilocks. And that's why I'm confused. I saw a single pair of footprints already on the doormat when I entered."

He snapped his fingers, pointing triumphantly. "Ha! So that makes me the third!"

"Yes," she answered slowly, "but you don't have golden hair. Technically, you don't have hair at all."

"Oh, now look who's being prejudiced."

"This is prophecy, Sonic. It's relevant this time."

"Fine. Hmm," he muttered, before suddenly cracking up. "Hey, have you ever heard of the Chaos Emeralds?"

"No...?"

"They're powerful multi-colored gems. Bad guys often use them for great misdeeds, but if I had all of them, I could totally be Goldilocks. They're from my world and usually stay there, but I haven't seen them lately…"

"Come to think of it, yes, the book mentioned otherworldly, colorful tokens of power hidden within the chapters. It said something about restoring balance to obtain them. That doesn't seem like a coincidence. And these emeralds will really turn your 'hair' gold? That almost sounds like a different story altogether..."

"They'd turn my everything gold," Sonic chuckled, "but I figure that's even better. And trust me, nothing's gonna stand in my way when I'm like that. It's a two-for-one deal. What else does the book say about Goldilocks?"

Red skimmed the later chapters, "That she only appears in times of great crisis."

"Sweet! That fits too. Eh, well, I mean there was that one time I got a little overzealous and now I'm hedgehoga non grata on a couple tennis courts, but…"

"I'm sorry?" Red hadn't quite caught that last bit mumbled under Sonic's breath.

"Uh, nothing. I'm a perfect match."

"But you're not a little girl."

He threw his hands up. "Details!"

"Sonic, I don't know. I really was expecting Goldilocks to come through that door."

"Come on, Red. Everything else matches perfectly! What kind of story would this be if I were already Goldilocks? There'd be no conflict at all! This story needs to be about the journey to Goldilocks."

She sighed. "You're right. This can't be coincidence."

She snapped the book shut. A page flew out of the book, and, growing much larger, pressed up against the bare wall. A portal formed in the page.

Red stashed the book in her messenger bag and gestured forward. "That looks like the first chapter. Let's go."

Sonic watched her curiously. "Y'know, you're a lot cooler about this whole thing than I thought you'd be."

She flashed him a rueful smile as they walked through the portal. "My granny keeps turning out to be a cross-dressing wolf. You learn to take things in stride after a while."

Author's Notes:

Hi! Fair warning: I have little to no respect for the fourth wall.