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Toma and Madalina were pretty ordinary in every sense. The husband worked as a football coach and as a hunter, the gorgeous woman was a nurse at the local “hospital” which was no bigger than a small kindergarten. They lived in a village so this was normal. They loved each other deeply and were also adored by most people in their small community.
The village was slightly hugged around by hills and mountains and there was plenty of nature surrounding it. It was a perfect place for vacation or settling down with family both small and big. Though it seemed that the later was not chosen by many people, because the village was home only to 500 people, this included Toma and Madalina.
It was a Sunday afternoon. The pair was still having some afternoon rest before going to mass. They were watching some Turkish telenovela with a too complicated storyline and characters who changed their opinions too fast. But it was entertaining. Even if some scenes and even episodes seemed unlikely to happen at all in real life, the emotions and the messages were there, and the couple loved to dissect and overthink motivations and relationships.
They were cuddling up on an old, brown, leather sofa when a loud noise could be heard from their garden. There was no window where they sat that looked at the garden, but they knew the sound must have come from there.
Toma took one of his guns – it was not loaded, but if there was anyone or anything dangerous it would be enough to scare away the bastard or use it as a hitting object. He tried to tell Madalina to stay inside, but he knew his wife was too reckless and brave to stay out of trouble even though she seemed to prove herself to be more reasonable most times.
As they stepped outside to their garden through the backdoor, they saw nothing but some dirt flying up into the air and very possibly a crater that hid under. They stepped closer cautiously, Toma stiffening the gun in his hands as he held it close to his body, laying it on himself. He did not let Madalina go in front; he was supposed to protect her even if his life was at cost.
When the air got clear and they could see inside the hole they could not believe their eyes: there was a small, beast-like looking creature in their garden, seemingly very unconscious but not hurt on the surface. Madalina could not help herself, pushed away her husband and kneeled down to check carefully for any injuries that could not be seen, maybe broken bones or some internal bleeding. But no, luckily this bastard was built like something that can survive a fall God know how deep.
The first thing the woman realised when checking the beast was it had fur, very soft, and even if the dirt covered it much, it was blue, not bright but very much vibrant, like the ocean on some paintings. She picked it up he did not weight more than a bag after market.
***
He was there, somewhere. He knew his name was Sonic and that he was hurt bad. If he had to guess it must have fell from somewhere high, maybe a mountain or a cliff. He fell from trees before and he never had this much pain in his body before. But he could feel being alive, so that was better than the next worst thing. He tried to open his eyes, but he needed some more moments before that. He could here some people talk around him, but he could not understand a word. But he could guess from their tone that they were confused and worried, maybe about him. The next thing he felt was the leather under him, or something like that. So he was not on grass, he is very much likely to be in a house or anything like that.
Finally, he could open his eyes and if he had enough power in his body he would get up and step back from the weird, furless creatures in front of him, but even keeping his eyes focused seemed to be a challenge on its own. He tried to make some sounds - words did not make onto his tongue – and the best he could do was a growl, animalistic and deep. Only now did he realise his throat was dry like some desert.
The two creatures immediately turned their heads at him and the one with long, braided, light brown hair was the first to step closer to him and touching his body. Sonic did not feel any danger or malicious attempt in it, so he let the weird, furless hands check his body. The woman – he guessed this was a woman – sighed in relief and turned slightly to the man, but did not step away from Sonic.
Again, they talked in a weird way Sonic could not understand, he might have not even heard this language before. The woman was pointing at him a lot and having a calmer, more collected tone. The man seemed to be confused more than mad or angry. That was when Sonic realized: he must be just much of a weird view to them like as these furless tall creatures are to him.
The woman walked out while still talking to the man but came back fast with a glass of water in her hands. She said something to the man who walked next to Sonic and helped him sit up. The woman held the glass in her hands and smiled at Sonic and put the glass closer and closer to his lips until it was there. She tilted the glass carefully, not to spill any on Sonic or the leather and made the alien drink all of it.
She pulled the glass away after Sonic finished drinking and put it aside onto a small table. She started speaking again, directly to the blue alien, but Sonic still only could look confused and stupid since none of the words meant anything to him. As the woman realised it’s no use, she stood up and pointed at herself.
“Madalina.” Her finger pointed at the man still supporting Sonic’s back and side. “Toma.” And after that her finger slowly pointed at Sonic and she raised her brow in question.
The alien still had a hard time clearing his throat so his voice would not be too cracked up to quiet. “Sonic.” He finally pushed the very simple word out in between his teeth and lips.
Toma laid him down onto the sofa and he and Madalina walked away a few steps and started to speak again loud and clear enough for Sonic to hear them and they said his name a couple of times before Toma heading out and coming back after a couple of minutes with a coat and a fancy hat on. He kissed the woman goodbye and Sonic closed his eyes in disgust.
So they are a couple. Sonic made a gagging sound which drew the attention to him again by the wife and husband. The later rolled his eyes and after looking back at Madalina for a bit longer, he left the room and eventually the house.
The upcoming half an was not special in any way. Sonic was laying on the sofa, but there was still enough space for the woman to take a seat on it as well and she was reading a book of some sort. Sonic was sure it was a novel. The cover did not have any pictures on it, but the nice, italic font of the title perhaps was enough of a giveaway. And the face Madalina made while reading; she seemed to be completely lost in the story and even gasped and murmured sometimes. She even tried to explain some of the twists to Sonic, but the young alien was still not understanding any word. Madalina just smiled at him and hesitated for a moment before petting his head slowly and gently, possibly both afraid of hurting her fingers and Sonic.
But this could not last forever. Madalina got up from the sofa and said some words to Sonic but did not wait for any confused stare, she picked him up carefully onto her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Sonic could not see where they were heading, but he did not have any reason to be anxious. However, he did not have any reason to trust these creatures either. But he could only let the events unravel themselves with the spare energy he had in his body. He had to put if even just a small trust into these… creatures. He still did not know what they were.
They were strange, furless, bald like a baby, but clearly, they could speak and take care of themselves and they were intelligent as average, being able to read. The only similarity Sonic found in these beings and him was a scent- they also had specific scents it seemed like that. Or at least Madalina’s scent was sweet, slight pine under that. But Sonic guessed that these aliens can’t smell these things as he does since, they did not seem to have such sensitive noses as him. Their noses actually looked really funny, the same colour as their bald skins.
Also, they only seemed to have hair on their heads.
Soon they entered a bathroom and Sonic had a suspicion that he will be the one suffering from this visit. Madalina put him down carefully and Sonic noticed gladly that he can stand on his feet again. Most of the dirt from his fur fell out during these past hours, but its blue colour was still hidden under the filth. Yeah, he needed a bath or a shower. Or both.
Madalina was saying some reassuring words Sonic guessed as she was smiling at the alien. Yeah, he felt small beside her and as he suspected the man to be taller. He was going to get some complexes fast.
Madalina mimicked for Sonic to took off his shoes before going under water so Sonic did pull of the shoes and socks that were just as dirty as his whole body. How did his sock get so dirty? But Madalina was not entirely happy, she gestured that the gloves have to go as well. And yes, they are also very dirty, maybe washing them would be the best idea but Sonic felt weird about taking off his gloves. Sure, he is very likely to be a child in the eyes of these aliens, and they must not understand the importance of the gloves. However, he works together with the kind woman, takes off his gloves but keeps his hands in front of him in fists.
He found himself sitting in the bathtub soon and the sound of pouring water followed him. He was not put under the water immediately, Madalina checked if it is the right temperature and even let Sonic to check it himself with his paws. After that the lukewarm water eased some of his mild pain and he even started purring. He was too tired still to have some self-restraint and he hoped these aliens did not know anything about his culture.
Madalina was talking to him, and he only knew that, because she began her sentence with “Sonic”. Maybe she just wants him to feel included in this situation even if communicating was hard at the moment.
Her voice seemed pretty happy, as if she was talking about a friend, or her husband perhaps. Sometimes there was a hint of annoyance in her eyes and tone, but she always laughed afterwards. She mostly had her eyes all around the place but Sonic, but she took a friendly glance at the alien from time to time. She seems too normal about the fact that she bathes a blue alien with spikes in his fur and who can speak.
As his fur became more vibrant again, Madalina changed the flow of the water and plugged in the bathtub and put maybe a bit too much shower gel that formed into bubbles the moment the water hit it with enough force. But Sonic did not mind, he loved and loves bubbles on water.
Madalina left for a minute or so and came back with a bath sponge of some sort and a brush that had to work for this one occasion. She put both into the water before going through Sonic’s fur and quills.
She was asking a few questions and even waited if Sonic would or could answer, but he only looked confused and sorry.
This was going to be rough.
***
Sonic has spent 2 weeks so far in this strange place. He learnt that he is really far from home, as much as he is on a completely different planet. Distance has been tough on him, but it would be much harder if Toma and Madalina would not have found him, or rather if he did not end up in their garden. Without question he helped with fixing the damage his impact did as soon as he was back to strength even if the man of the household insisted on the opposite. But maybe Sonic not listening to any body language showed the married couple he can be useful is some ways. He was not the strongest being, but he had a lot of energy, stamina and he was fast. None of these were a shock to him, but it surprised the couple a bit, until they remembered Sonic is extra-terrestrial.
After a bit more while he started to pick on phrases and words to communicate with these human creatures while he has to stay. That way he would not be too much of an outsider. He learnt that these people here are very simple and as long as you speak their language and part take in their habits, they will not frown at you too much. They will look weirded out at you still, but they will find other reasons.
For example, they will growl at you and furrow their brows because you used a word in a context that does not make any sense, or if you eat things together or drink that you should not.
Drinking! It is not like back at his home planet they did not know what alcohol is or how it is made, but it is not that important. It seems at this place he found himself – usually men – come together from time to time and spend an afternoon drinking different drinks and talking. That is where Sonic learnt most about humans and how divided they can be for really silly reasons.
Aren’t they the same species? Why is that they judge so much others, especially when the only difference is colour. At his home planet it would be rather silly if people would judge each other for having a different type or coloured fur. Sure, they have their own problems.
But it seems like drinking is the best solution for problems. Both to solve them and create them.
The other habitats of this place were mostly okay with Sonic’s presence if being stared at and hiding your children and shoving different noble metal symbols in your way is okay. But that changed when a sudden lighting strike hit a house in the middle of the night and no one was awake, except him. Sonic tends to sleep in the morning rather than night.
The lighting caused the house to catch on fire and no one noticed until it was too late. But Sonic was quick to the rescue and using his sound barrier breaking speed, he saved the family that was still half asleep when they were dragged out of their burning house.
About 10 minutes later firemen arrived but it would have been too late for the family and even in best case scenario they would have had so much injury that recovery would have taken weeks if not months. The village people after this began to approach Sonic more friendly and trying to teach him the way of their lives. They started to accept him as their own slowly, but surely.
***
Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months and it started to get colder. Sonic learnt the very basic skills so manage life with these humans that adopted him into their community and Toma and Madalina also seemed to look at him more as a member of their family than a work force around the house. They even thought him basic language skills and the blue alien seemed to be a fast learner.
But all these things did not change the fact that he missed home, missed his brother most of all and the people he was surrounded with. In the first month it seemed like someone will come for him surely and take him back. But as time passed the possibility of his rescue from this strange planet seemed more and more unlikely. And it also seemed that no one knew of his alien species.
However, at the same time he grew attached to these strange humans who seemed to compensate with clothes in the lack of their fur. But they were nice people nonetheless. They seemed mostly harmless and peaceful if they did not sense any danger around them, let it be completely based and logical or just a fear of the unknown.
If they opposed threat to anyone, it was their own species and their own selves.
The local kids started to group around Sonic more often as time passed by and he started to grow into a sort of good example. His heroism and kind heart sending a hopeful and warming message to all of them, even to some adults.
The government of the people did not seem to really care about him, or they did not even notice him.
Things were going so fine even if the distance was wide and there was a gaping hole in his heart. But soon he started to feel like there is more to his attitude getting worse and more hopeless; he even stopped helping around for a week before someone noticed and called him out on that. He did not even realise he had been avoiding everyone, Toma and Madalina included. He soon picked himself up from the ground and continued spending time with the people as he has been for the past half a year.
But deep down he felt uneasy, feeling even his physical strength fading away and his actual muscles getting smaller with each week. He had to find a way out of this situation.
As one day he was surfing through the television channels aimlessly he stumbled upon a scientific show. It featured a balding man with long moustache and weird lab coat, not like the ones Sonic seen before. He was built a bit round from the hips, but his legs seemed comically stick like. How can a man like this exist? But then again, Sonic was considered a talking, overgrown, blue quilled and furred hedgehog on this planet who also could speak, not like other hedgehogs. [That’s why after introducing himself, people started to call him Sonic the Hedgehog, even his name was not that. He tried to reason with people, but it was futile.]
The show had crappy voice over – he also learnt that these humans couldn’t decide to speak one language, they needed to invent like more than 50 of them, something about a super huge tower – but he understood every word. At first, he did not want to believe his ears.
My name is Dr. Robotnik, inventor, scientific mastermind and most importantly: space researcher. In my scientific endeavours I stumbled upon a new discovery; we are not alone in the universe. Let me be even more daring! I have a theory that whatever creatures or lifeforms live outside, they already had human contact; multiple times…
The rest of his lines and proves and theories did not matter to Sonic. This was maybe, very likely his only chance at getting some help and getting back to his place. But should he tell at the very least Toma and Madalina his sudden plan? Would they help him? Or say that these men in coats always were trouble. He saw some movies where evil scientists were very popular and had a same look to this Egg guy. But this was reality and not a movie filled with evil people on every corner. And even if the guy was actually evil, he could out run him surely without any problem. Even his muscles were weaker than usual, his super speed was not tied to that.
His writing still had some improving to do, but he quickly searched for a pen and paper and started scribbling the words down. He wanted to state that he is grateful and sorry and that he will always remember this couple and village no matter what, but he had a home, even if he did not like talking about it, or ever mention it. He will cherish these months spent here and grow as a person with the experiences he had and the memories he has created. But he is not a guy known for staying in one place for a long time. He never had a proper house before, just his brother who needed that to invent his gadgets and upgrade old ones. He needed his brother if he wanted to be honest. They were inseparable since the day they met and became friends. He missed him a lot. That must be understood by these kind humans.
He left the goodbye letter on the coffee table, turned the TV off after looking at the address that was shown from time to time on the screen and since he had nothing to his name really, he left without anything.
The night was dark, due to the seasons changing he experienced these past months, but he was not afraid. His starting point and end goal was connected by solid land, he had no reason to be nervous.
Sonic the Hedgehog will find the way home.