The day was perfect—just the way Sonic liked it. The sun lit up the land like a spotlight made just for him, casting golden beams across the hills and trees he zipped past in a blur. The sky stretched endlessly above him, and the breeze wrapped around his body like a familiar friend, tugging at his quills as he ran. His red shoes pounded the earth with a rhythm only he could keep up with—fast, fearless, and free.

For Sonic, days like this were more than just nice. They were fuel. He didn’t need a reason to run, no destination in mind—just the thrill of the wind in his face and the feeling of the world rushing by beneath him. Every twist of the path and every leap over a rock or fallen tree was part of the fun. The planet felt alive beneath his feet, and Sonic? He was the pulse.

And then—just as he was about to race the wind itself—a sound hit his ears. Faint, carried on the breeze, but unmistakable.

A cry for help.

He skidded to a stop, dust and leaves swirling around his feet. His ears perked. His emerald eyes narrowed with focus, but that familiar smirk crept onto his face. That was all he needed. Somebody out there was in trouble—and when that happened, there was only one name that came to mind.

“Sonic the Hedgehog,” he said to himself with a grin, flexing his gloved hands before taking off. “It's hero time.”

He leaned into the wind and took off again—faster this time. The trees warped into streaks of green around him, the sound of his shoes against the ground like thunder rolling through the valley. Every step was laced with purpose now, every breath charged with adrenaline. He didn’t know what he’d find, and he didn’t care. Whether it was a badnik causing trouble, a trapped animal, or someone just needing a hand—he was going to be there. He always was.

Because that’s what heroes do. They run toward the danger. Toward the voices calling out. And Sonic? He was born to run.

So with the sun at his back and that familiar fire in his heart, he charged ahead—chasing the cry, ready to turn someone’s worst day into a story worth telling.