The sun slowly rose over the mountainside, cascading its orange glow over the lands. Deep in the forest, resting beside a thick tree trunk was a giant beast. His dark blue fur flowed each time wind blew past his huge form. Then, slowly, as he felt the warmth of the rising sun, he opened his bright emerald green eyes.

The light slowly crept along his body. The beast stood up, preparing for the immense amounts of pain he was sure he will have to go through yet again. Now that his body was completely exposed to the sunlight, his body started to change. His dark blue fur peeled off like a snake shedding its scales, his canine-like teeth retracted back into his gums as he let out a howl of agony. His limbs grew shorter, and his ordinarily thick arms shrank into regular-sized human arms. It was painful, but his transformation was complete. In place of the beast was a cobalt blue hedgehog. He pulled himself up from the ground, holding his head.

If only I had painkillers... He thought, his head pounding, driving his senses into overdrive. It would help with this hangover.

Using the tree he rested by as support, and the hedgehog helped himself back onto his two feet after a night of running on all fours. His knees felt as if they could give out at any moment without warning. Being somewhat sceptical about running off to find food for the day, the hedgehog decided it would be safer to rest his body first, significantly since he just transformed back. Sitting back down, leaning his back against the thick tree trunk, the hedgehog started to reflect on what happened last night.

As the beast, he barely has any recollection of what happens and what he does. However, it is possible to find memories with some concentrated thinking, but it would still be very fuzzy and unclear.

After hours of reflective thinking and with no result, the hedgehog thought back to moments before his transformation last night. The clear image of a full moon was the last thing he remembers, and that answers all of his questions about last night's events.

The beast was hard enough to control as it is, and with a full moon, the hedgehog shuddered at the thought of it. Every full moon, what was an uncontrollable beast, becomes an incoherent monster. He was willing to hunt, kill and ravage anything that came across his path. That was a solemn reminder as to why he was out here in the woods, alone, in the first place. He wasn't safe to be kept around cities or any civilisation. It'll be better for everyone if he just stayed out here, in the woods.

Laying back down, the hedgehog's eyes started to flutter. He was tired, and he needed rest after a night of stalking and hunting as the beast.

A short nap wouldn't hurt, right? So he thought to himself as his eyes closed entirely and he drifted off into the land of dreams.

~~~

"Sonic 'Maurice' the Hedgehog." the jury spoke, glaring down at him. The cobalt blue hedgehog was terrified, to say the least, tears breaking out from his eyes. "You have been found guilty of associating yourself with Dr Ivo Robotnik's plans of releasing Dark Gaia from the planet's core."

"It wasn't my fault!" The hedgehog cried, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably. "Please! Let me explain myself!"

"Furthermore," the jury continued, ignoring the hedgehog's pleading, "you have injured many civilians and some of resulted in death-"

"Please! You don't understand! I want to control myself, but I can't!" The hedgehog yelled out, falling to his knees. "Please! I don't want to be sentenced to death! There's no reason for that! Please! I promise! I promise I'll never go to any cities or civilised areas if you just let me live! Please!"

The whole room was silent, not even a breath. The hedgehog was still on his knees, his face stained with his tears. Then, after what felt like an eternity of silence, the jury finally spoke.

"Very well," he said, "Sonic 'Maurice' the Hedgehog, you are now banished from all cities and civilised areas. If you are to come within a fifty-metre radius of any areas with civilisation, you will be terminated on sight."

~~~

The hedgehog opened his eyes, waking up from the same nightmare once more. He sat upright and watched the birds fly freely above him. Those moments of his previous life, one filled with joy and freedom, haunted him. He wanted to go home, back to his family, his best friends. Back into the comfort of his home, with his little buddy, his very best and oldest friend, Miles 'Tails' Prower. Oh, how he missed him, all of them. Amy, Knuckles, Rouge...all of his friends. Heck, even his old rival, Shadow the Hedgehog. He missed him too, all of those bloody fights, endless arguments and brutal races.

I wonder if any of them miss me... The hedgehog thought, a strum of sadness hitting his heart. But he couldn't dwell on the past.

So what if they don't? You are Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog, the toughest soul to have ever existed in this world. He reminded himself as he got up. You can make it through. One day, everyone will forget you ever existed, and you can go back, a new person, ready to take on a new life.

For now, you just have to stay here, as you and your inner beast. 

He looked up at the sun, seeing it just halfway up the sky. Then, making an apparent assumption that it was only just ten-ish in the morning, the hedgehog took off, running at speeds unachievable by anything that ever existed in the world. The day was only starting, and he wasn't going to waste it by sulking around under a tree. He's got possibilities, endless possibilities, and one by one; he will find them all. It was only a matter of time, right?