"Mm, this ain't so bad" Sonic thought to himself as he ascended the purple asphalt hill infront of him. The surface was a bit slippery but was very easy on his feet. You would think that a creature who runs who much would have physically hardened treads, but Sonic's were very sensetive, the reason he always wore those fashionably daring red and white sneakers. Based on what he knew of the Marble zone, there were two ways to cross through it. The first was over the tops of the mountains, daring bubbling magma pits and unstable crickety ledges, a treacherous route indeed. The alternative was through a series of caves carved through the mountains, though this route was a total mystery to him. He knew not what natural dangers awaited in those forbading caverns. All things considered, Sonic decided to take the more scenic outdoor route. Approaching the peak of the first small mountain, Sonic came to a stop to get a good view of the passes below.
A long steep decline, no problem. Only after a few steps of running downhill, Sonic curled himself into a ball and effortlessly glided down the incline enclosed in a natural sphere. While spinning, it would seem that everything can only be seen as a blended rotating blur, but Sonic had trained his eyes to see almost perfectly normally while rolling at such high speeds. However by the time he saw IT, it was too late. It was purple, so it blended in well with the obsidian mountain surface. It appeared to be a giant caterpillar, but by the way it felt as his quills shredded through it, he doubted it was organic. Unraveling out of his spherical form, Sonic slowly came to a stop; the surface gave his feet little friction for stopping. He quickly sprinted up the hill to where it lay.
"Yup, another one of that maniac's robots." The machine lay in shambles, part of it still twitching on the ground before him. It was quite large, about twice his size. Long sharp spikes protruded from its frame, giving a particularly twisted and evil look. "I guess he was expecting this thing to be a bit a suprise for me. I'm only suprised I shredded through it so easily." It was then that Sonic remembered. He quickly and immediately began picking through the pile of rubble, but it was some movement from a good 20 feet away that caught his attention.
The discombobulated rabbit sat up as Sonic approached her. She appeared to be ok, Sonic must have cut through the robot where she wasnt. Of course it was his place to ask. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, thanks to you Sonic. But my head hurts, I feel a bit dizzy." This was apparent in her dazed expression. Sonic didn't know who she was. There were many people in the village he didn't know, but everyone knew him because of his speed displays. He decided not to ask her name, he didnt have much time. What he needed was raw information.
"What do you remember about whats happened to you?" His question was stern and straightforward. The rabbit held a quizzical look for a second, that soon changed to pensive. After a few seconds she replied.
"I dont remember much. I remember I was taken.. by a giant robot. There were lots of lights, and a big machine. They put me in the machine.. and I can't remember much after that.. except for HIM."
"It's okay, I'll take care of him. But.. do you think you can make it back to knothole from here?"
"Yes, I know the way"
"Then I've got to keep moving forward."
"... Good luck Sonic." Chances are he didn't hear that entire sentence. By the time she finished it his streak was at the bottom of the mountain.
Sonic kept his pace up. With the occasional hop of a magma pit, his speed never dropped. The terrain was indeed dangerous but he was confident in his reaction time, it had never failed him before. However at the bottom of one mountain, he was forced to stop; before him lay a giant lake of molten lava. It looked to be about a mile across and on its far side he could see the flashing lights of the Springyard Zone. Conventiently there were several small areas of mossy rock through the lake, acting like little islands. Seeing as this was the fastest way across, he began to island hop.
About halfway across the lake, that familiar humming sound began to make itself present. Sonic came to a stop on a rather large "island" and looked to the far edge of the lake, where Robotnik's hovercraft was steadily approaching. "Great, just what I need." When he was within a reasonable proximity, Robotnik shouted out to him.
"You're all mine now, Hedgehog!" With those words, the compartment on the bottom of his craft opened, and a small cannon-like contraption protruded. It proceeded to aim at Sonic, and fired a rather clumsy fireball. It approached Sonic slowly, and was obviously not going to hit him so Sonic stood still as it landed on the island a few feet next to him.
"Is that all you've got, Ro-butt... whoa!" Sonic quickly jumped to the other side of the island. The fireball had ignited the moss on the rock and was steadily engulfing the remainder of the island. Sonic hopped to a neighboring one.
"What were you saying, Hedgehog? You may have escaped that one.. but it will be a bit harder when there's no where to run to!" His cannon began spinning, spouting out rounds and rounds of fireballs. Most sunk into the lava and were useless, but a few managed to land on ground, lighting ablaze. Soon Sonic found himself standing on a lone island, amongst a sea of flaming rocks.
"And now, Hedgehog, you burn!" The cannon slowly turned to aim at Sonic's island. It then fired. Sonic panicked, having nowhere to run.. the jumped to the only place he could. He landed with a thud on the back of Robotnik's craft. "What?! Why you pesky little..!" Robotnik turned to swat at the intruder, but as usual nothing remained by the time he hand was there. Jerking his head around to find where Sonic had gone, he could not find him. He checked all sides of his hovercraft, but the hedgehog was not to be seen. "Pity.. he must have fallen. What a sad sad fate. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" He took off to head back to his base. But as he reached the edge of the lake, he heard a thud below him.. soon to be followed by that menacing voice.
"Thanks for the lift, fatty!" All he saw after that was a blue blur zooming ahead of him, into the Springyard Zone.
A long steep decline, no problem. Only after a few steps of running downhill, Sonic curled himself into a ball and effortlessly glided down the incline enclosed in a natural sphere. While spinning, it would seem that everything can only be seen as a blended rotating blur, but Sonic had trained his eyes to see almost perfectly normally while rolling at such high speeds. However by the time he saw IT, it was too late. It was purple, so it blended in well with the obsidian mountain surface. It appeared to be a giant caterpillar, but by the way it felt as his quills shredded through it, he doubted it was organic. Unraveling out of his spherical form, Sonic slowly came to a stop; the surface gave his feet little friction for stopping. He quickly sprinted up the hill to where it lay.
"Yup, another one of that maniac's robots." The machine lay in shambles, part of it still twitching on the ground before him. It was quite large, about twice his size. Long sharp spikes protruded from its frame, giving a particularly twisted and evil look. "I guess he was expecting this thing to be a bit a suprise for me. I'm only suprised I shredded through it so easily." It was then that Sonic remembered. He quickly and immediately began picking through the pile of rubble, but it was some movement from a good 20 feet away that caught his attention.
The discombobulated rabbit sat up as Sonic approached her. She appeared to be ok, Sonic must have cut through the robot where she wasnt. Of course it was his place to ask. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, thanks to you Sonic. But my head hurts, I feel a bit dizzy." This was apparent in her dazed expression. Sonic didn't know who she was. There were many people in the village he didn't know, but everyone knew him because of his speed displays. He decided not to ask her name, he didnt have much time. What he needed was raw information.
"What do you remember about whats happened to you?" His question was stern and straightforward. The rabbit held a quizzical look for a second, that soon changed to pensive. After a few seconds she replied.
"I dont remember much. I remember I was taken.. by a giant robot. There were lots of lights, and a big machine. They put me in the machine.. and I can't remember much after that.. except for HIM."
"It's okay, I'll take care of him. But.. do you think you can make it back to knothole from here?"
"Yes, I know the way"
"Then I've got to keep moving forward."
"... Good luck Sonic." Chances are he didn't hear that entire sentence. By the time she finished it his streak was at the bottom of the mountain.
Sonic kept his pace up. With the occasional hop of a magma pit, his speed never dropped. The terrain was indeed dangerous but he was confident in his reaction time, it had never failed him before. However at the bottom of one mountain, he was forced to stop; before him lay a giant lake of molten lava. It looked to be about a mile across and on its far side he could see the flashing lights of the Springyard Zone. Conventiently there were several small areas of mossy rock through the lake, acting like little islands. Seeing as this was the fastest way across, he began to island hop.
About halfway across the lake, that familiar humming sound began to make itself present. Sonic came to a stop on a rather large "island" and looked to the far edge of the lake, where Robotnik's hovercraft was steadily approaching. "Great, just what I need." When he was within a reasonable proximity, Robotnik shouted out to him.
"You're all mine now, Hedgehog!" With those words, the compartment on the bottom of his craft opened, and a small cannon-like contraption protruded. It proceeded to aim at Sonic, and fired a rather clumsy fireball. It approached Sonic slowly, and was obviously not going to hit him so Sonic stood still as it landed on the island a few feet next to him.
"Is that all you've got, Ro-butt... whoa!" Sonic quickly jumped to the other side of the island. The fireball had ignited the moss on the rock and was steadily engulfing the remainder of the island. Sonic hopped to a neighboring one.
"What were you saying, Hedgehog? You may have escaped that one.. but it will be a bit harder when there's no where to run to!" His cannon began spinning, spouting out rounds and rounds of fireballs. Most sunk into the lava and were useless, but a few managed to land on ground, lighting ablaze. Soon Sonic found himself standing on a lone island, amongst a sea of flaming rocks.
"And now, Hedgehog, you burn!" The cannon slowly turned to aim at Sonic's island. It then fired. Sonic panicked, having nowhere to run.. the jumped to the only place he could. He landed with a thud on the back of Robotnik's craft. "What?! Why you pesky little..!" Robotnik turned to swat at the intruder, but as usual nothing remained by the time he hand was there. Jerking his head around to find where Sonic had gone, he could not find him. He checked all sides of his hovercraft, but the hedgehog was not to be seen. "Pity.. he must have fallen. What a sad sad fate. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" He took off to head back to his base. But as he reached the edge of the lake, he heard a thud below him.. soon to be followed by that menacing voice.
"Thanks for the lift, fatty!" All he saw after that was a blue blur zooming ahead of him, into the Springyard Zone.