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The forest was cast in a shining glow of yellows and oranges, the colors only exacerbated by the setting of the sun beyond the horizon. Leaves fell from trees in gentle flutters, falling to the ground which was already covered in them, and the smell of grass and foliage filled the air. It was undoubtedly beautiful, enough to be appreciated by anyone who came through the forest- but Metal Sonic was not anyone ordinary.
He was here for one simple mission- and that was to find his inferior counterpart. Studying the Chaos signatures in the air, he dictated that the blue blur would've been in this very forest not too long ago, and Metal was certain that if he trailed him long enough, he would eventually find Sonic.
But so far, his search had been fruitless. It was frustrating- how was he supposed to eliminate his copy if he couldn't even find him? His engine sputtered to a stop as the machine came to a halt in the middle of a clearing, letting out small beeps of annoyance as his parts whirred.
Metal looked up- the canopy of leaves was thinning due to the coming of autumn, the orange glow of the setting sun casting unorganized rays across the clearing he stood in. A few leaves fluttered from the trees and to the forest floor; some connecting with his head, where the machine would brush them aside. Metal did not appreciate the beauty, because he had a mission to fulfill. He had to find Sonic, and eliminate him.
But when he took a few steps forward, he was immediately distracted. His head looked downward when he heard the crunching of leaves, and throughout his system, Metal felt a strange, crawling sensation. It wasn't bad, persay- it didn't leave him concerned for his well-being- in fact, Metal would classify it as good. He was suddenly curious.
What could've caused this feeling?
Experimentally, Metal Sonic stepped about in the leaves once more, hearing the dry crunches of leaves under his foot. The moment he did so, the feeling came back, unobstructed. Metal let out a beep in delight involuntarily.
He should be embarrassed by this, but he wasn't. His usual cold, calculating demeanor was disappearing behind a veneer of childish delight for the world around him, and despite his vast knowledge of many subjects, the machine was none the wiser to his involuntarily regression.
He jumped, hearing the leaves crunch heavily under his body. He kicked out a leg, watching a flurry of colorful leaves take off into the air, and Metal let out a strange, stilted laugh through his voice box. He spent some time continuing to jump around and kick the leaves, his strange feeling of delight overtaking all of his logic.
Eventually, the robot plopped down onto the ground, delighting in the flutter of big, crumbly leaves. He felt the dirt under his body, and Metal swished aside some leaves to see the dark brown dirt underneath. He had never once observed the world around him like he had now; simply watching the leaves and grass and foliage with a sense of awe he'd never had before.
Metal watched as a small worm wriggled from the dirt, and he gently plucked it from the ground, letting out another laugh as it squirmed in his sharp, metallic fingers. What a silly worm, he thought, and he dug a small hole to place it back into the ground, where it could be safe.
Metal had never cared for the safety of a living thing before, but it came naturally to him, now.
The machine flopped onto his back, looking up and through the canopy of leaves above with red glowing eyes. All memories of trying to find Sonic were long forgotten, and Metal relished in the feeling of being small, even if he didn't recognize it.
Perhaps he should stop to play more often.