The wind whipped through the trees, their leaves rustling as a blue blur shot through the Green Hill Zone. Sonic the Hedgehog zoomed across the familiar terrain, a confident grin on his face as he raced towards a set of loop-de-loops up ahead.

"Too easy!" Sonic muttered to himself, his legs a blue whirlwind beneath him.

As Sonic rounded a corner, preparing to vault into another loop, he suddenly skidded to a halt, leaving a trail of dust in his wake. Standing in the middle of the path was a figure he’d never seen before.