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Dr. Robotnik found a little blue hoglet. It doesn’t look scared at him, more fascinated. Then it disappeared and as fast as it was gone it was back with a sunflower. The little hoglet held the flower towards him. Shocked, the doctor took the flower and the little hedgehog smiled.
Dr. Robotnik stared at the small creature in front of him, the bright yellow sunflower resting awkwardly in his gloved hands. He wasn’t sure what to make of the gesture. It was… unexpected. He had anticipated fear, maybe even defiance, but not this.
The tiny blue hoglet watched him, wide green eyes filled with curiosity rather than fear. It wiggled its little nose and chirped, a soft, high-pitched sound, almost like laughter.
Robotnik cleared his throat and straightened his posture. This is ridiculous, he told himself. A creature like this shouldn’t matter. And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to toss the flower away.
The hedgehog suddenly dashed away again, faster than Robotnik thought possible for something so small. A mere blur of blue and tiny quills, zigzagging through the grass. Before the doctor could fully process its departure, the little thing was back, this time with a smooth, round pebble, which it carefully placed beside Robotnik’s boot.
Robotnik raised an eyebrow. Another gift? ,,Strange little creature,” he muttered, tapping the pebble with the tip of his boot.
The hedgehog chirped again, its tiny tail wiggling with excitement. It was playing some sort of game, and Robotnik… found himself unable to ignore it.
He knelt down, studying the hedgehog more closely. It was small, its blue fur still soft, its quills not yet fully hardened. A child, clearly, but one that moved unlike any animal he had ever seen.
,,You’re fast,” he murmured. The hedgehog twitched its ears, as if understanding. Then, with a playful bounce, it dashed off once more.
Robotnik found himself waiting for its return. And sure enough, the little creature was back within seconds. This time with a tiny, crooked feather, placing it atop the pebble like a delicate treasure.
A chuckle, small and barely noticeable, escaped Robotnik’s lips. He hadn’t laughed in a long time. ,,Well,” he said, examining the odd little collection. ,,I suppose I should return the favor.”
He reached into his coat pocket, fingers brushing against the spare parts and wires he always carried. After a moment, he pulled out a tiny, silver gear. He hesitated only for a moment before placing it in front of the hedgehog.
The little hoglet’s eyes widened in delight. With an excited chirp, it picked up the gear, turning it over in its tiny paws as if it were the most precious thing in the world. He smiled at the doctor brightly.
,,Okay, I guess… bye,” Robotnik said, wanting to get out of this situation, overthinking every life choice, that led to this little creature. He turned on his heel and walked briskly toward the direction of his ship. But soon he realized that the little being was following him, its tiny feet pattering against the ground.
,,What are you doing? You can’t come with me,” he stopped and turned around, crossing his arms as he glared down at the hedgehog. Sonic merely tilted his head, blinking up at him innocently before taking a few more determined steps forward.
Robotnik groaned and rubbed his temples: ,,No, no, no. You stay here. I have things to do, important things, and dragging around some tiny blue hedgehog is not part of the plan.” Sonic, however, didn’t seem deterred. He chirped and ran ahead, stopping a few paces in front of Robotnik and looking back at him expectantly.
Robotnik sighed in frustration, then picked up his pace, hoping to shake the creature off. Yet, no matter how fast he walked, the hedgehog zipped after him with ease, never falling behind. Eventually, he threw his hands in the air: ,,Fine! Do whatever you want. Just don’t get in my way.” The hoglet beamed, at least, that’s what it looked like and continued trotting alongside him, clearly pleased with himself.
,,So… uhh… what’s your name?” Robotnik asked awkwardly after a while. The blue being tilted its head in confusion, its large green eyes blinking up at him. ,,Do you have a name,” Robotnik asked after a pause and the other shook its head. ,,Great…” the doctor muttered, rubbing his chin in thought. He glanced down at the little creature, who now looked at him expectantly, as if waiting for him to fix the problem.
,,Well, I suppose I can’t just call you ‘blue thing’,” Robotnik grumbled. He crossed his arms and studied the hedgehog for a moment. ,,You’re fast… and stubborn.” The hedgehog chirped, bouncing slightly on its feet, seeming to like where this was going. Robotnik sighed, shaking his head. ,,Fine. What about… Sonic?”
At the mention of the word, the hedgehog’s ears perked up. He tilted his head, then suddenly dashed in a small circle before stopping right in front of Robotnik, looking delighted. Robotnik smirked: ,,Hmph. Guess that’s settled, then. Sonic it is.”