Chapter 3

The Freedom Stormer's initial takeoff rattled Tristina's nerves, a sensation she hadn't anticipated. Every tremor and creak of the patchworked plane set her on edge. Each time it shuddered, her scanner glowed to life, its soft hum breaking the monotonous rush of wind. Her eyes darted between the glowing readouts and the horizon, seeking reassurance that the aircraft held steady.

Sighing, she leaned over her wheelchair's edge and glanced back at Sonic. The hedgehog trailed behind them, his steady pace unwavering. His sharp, focused eyes flicked toward the plane, tracking its every move like a guardian shadow.

The chilly mountain air nipped at her fur, biting through her defenses and leaving her wishing she'd grabbed a jacket before leaving her hut. Shivering slightly, she tilted her bristled head back into the headrest and briefly considered tying a rope to the Freedom Stormer's tail, letting it tow her along. The thought brought a fleeting smirk to her lips, but she dismissed the idea as the mountains began to thin, giving way to a vision that stole her breath—a stone island, suspended amidst the mist.

Inside the Freedom Stormer, the atmosphere was a mix of awe and unease.

"Feeling better, Antoine?" Bunnie asked, her voice soft as she placed a reassuring hand over the coyote's trembling fingers.

"O-Oui, Bunnie. Merci," Antoine replied, though his pale complexion and the slight tremor in his voice suggested otherwise. His eyes darted nervously toward the window. "How much further to Maga now, my princess?" he called out to Sally, who sat beside Rotor in the front, poring over the navigation tools.

"Maga should be just past these mountains, Antoine," Sally replied, her tone steady with a hint of anticipation.

As they passed through a low-hanging mist, it parted to reveal the island in its full glory. For a moment, silence engulfed the cabin as the trio gazed out the windows, stunned.

"Oh my," Bunnie whispered, her Texan twang barely audible.

"Magnifique," Antoine breathed, his usual nervousness overtaken by wonder.

Sally leaned forward, her hand brushing the glass as if to assure herself the sight wasn't an illusion. "It's even more incredible than legend described," she murmured, her voice filled with awe.

Outside, as the Freedom Stormer descended toward a narrow strip of rock on the island's outskirts, Tristina immediately spotted a problem. Her sharp eyes calculated distances and speeds, noting the too-short landing strip and the plane's alarming velocity. She called out, trying to get Rotor's or Sally's attention, but her voice was drowned by the wind and the roar of the engines.

Frustrated, Tristina turned toward the one person who could help.

Sonic's steady pace carried him just behind the plane and Tristina when movement above caught his attention. He looked up to see Tristina frantically waving her arms. Squinting, he tried to make out what she was mouthing, her hand darting between the plane and himself. Finally, Tristina flew lower, leveling her chair until she was nearly eye-to-eye with him.

"Sorry, Tiff, I couldn't hear—"

"The landing strip is too short, and the plane's coming in too fast!" Tristina interrupted, her words urgent. "Rotor won't be able to stop it in time!"

Sonic's expression turned serious as he absorbed her words. "No problemo. I'll stop them," he said, his voice calm yet determined. He picked up speed, the ground blurring beneath him.

"I'll fly ahead and try to slow the plane from the front!" Tristina called out, her hover mode engaging as she sped back toward the Freedom Stormer.

"Woo-wee! Look at that ground rushin' up to meet us!" Bunnie cheered, her eyes glued to the view outside.

"Looks like we're—"

"Bunnie!" Antoine screamed, cutting her off. His legs curled against his chest, and his hands slapped over his eyes. "Please to be shutting up your own face!"

Rotor's confident smirk faded as his sharp eyes caught the rapidly approaching end of the landing strip. "Oh man," he muttered, his face paling. "We'll never stop this crate in time!"

Antoine's shrill scream pierced the air, causing Tristina to slam her joystick so hard that her chair's wheels squealed in protest. "Antoine, shut up!" she heard Sally, Rotor, and Bunnie yell in unison as she surged ahead, overtaking the plane.

Rotating her chair mid-flight, Tristina positioned herself in front of the rounded nose of the plane. Her fingers tightened around the armrests as she braced herself, knowing her code knives wouldn't be of any use here. Gritting her teeth, she pressed her full weight—and the chair's hovering force—against the plane's nose. Her wheels spun with furious intensity, grinding against the strain.

A deafening sonic boom echoed behind them, signaling Sonic's arrival. Tristina filled her lungs and shouted, "Come on!" her voice cutting through the roaring wind. The plane groaned in protest, its patched metal creaking under the combined effort to slow it down. Rotor and Sally strained at the controls, their grunts of effort audible even over the chaos.

Finally, with a teeth-rattling rumble, the plane lurched to a stop—its nose hanging precariously over the cliff's edge.

"Oh man... Too close," Rotor breathed, his fingers trembling as they clung to the controls.

"I thought..." Sally began, her voice cracking as she looked out the window. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. "Oh, never mind what I thought," she muttered.

"Can Bunnie open her eyes now?" came a timid Southern whimper from the backseat.

"Yep, it's okay," Sally said, her tone gentler now. Bunnie slowly removed her hands from her face, peeking at the solid ground outside. "Oh my," she murmured in relief. "Look at all that nice, solid ground, Antoine."

A muffled whimper drew her attention. Glancing under the bench, she spotted the bottom half of Antoine's trembling form, his boots barely peeking out.

Activating Spider Mode, Tristina's wheelchair shifted with a mechanical hum, its limbs extending with precise, fluid motions. The segmented arms clung to the metallic surface of the Freedom Stormer with a series of faint clicks. With practiced ease, she clambered over the front of the plane, her glowing eyes scanning the worn metal for any sign of damage. Each step reverberated through the aircraft, a sharp contrast to the muffled groan of the cooling engines.

Reaching the door next to the wing, Tristina shifted seamlessly back into Ground Mode. Her chair's limbs retracted with a smooth hiss, locking into their standard form. The transition was so fluid it appeared almost instinctual.

She positioned herself just as the first of the Freedom Fighters scrambled out of the plane, their movements hasty and uneven as if still shaken from the harrowing landing. The crisp mountain air hit them all at once, carrying the faint tang of stone and moss and the low howl of wind through the cliffs.

"Everyone cool?" Sonic asked, skidding to a dramatic stop by the right wing of the plane. His trademark grin flickered across his face, though his sharp gaze quickly scanned the group for any signs of trouble.

Tristina raised a thumbs-up, but her frown lingered as she turned her eyes to Antoine. The coyote stumbled out of the cockpit, his beige and tan fur now tinged with an unmistakable hue of green. Catching Bunnie's eye, Tristina gave a subtle jerk of her head toward Antoine, her expression softening when she noticed the way Bunnie bit her lower lip, worry plain on her face.

"Antoine," Bunnie said gently, reaching for his trembling hand, "you all look a little on the greenish side."

"For Ant," Sonic interjected, his arms crossed and his smirk widening, "that's normal."

"I am never feeling more fine in my entire day!" Antoine shouted, his English unraveling in his indignation. He puffed out his chest as if to prove his point, but his bravado was quickly betrayed. His face deepened to a faded green, his cheeks bulging as his hands flew to his mouth. Without another word, he darted behind the plane, his boots kicking up loose gravel as he disappeared from sight.

"Is Antoine going to be okay?" Tristina asked, glancing toward Bunnie. Her voice carried a mix of genuine concern and an edge of amusement.

"Once his stomach settles, I think he'll be fine," Rotor answered with a knowing chuckle. "He mentioned earlier he didn't like flying," Bunnie added, shaking her head. "Didn't think he'd actually get motion sick from it."

"Sonic," Sally sighed, clearly exasperated as she crossed her arms, "we were in a plane. If we'd gone off the cliff, we would've been flying."

"Hmm." Sonic tapped his foot, his grin turning thoughtful. "Good point," he admitted with a nod. "But where would ya land?"

"Oh..." Sally frowned, her expression shifting as the logic sunk in. "Good point," she muttered under her breath. Tristina couldn't stop the soft laugh that bubbled up as Sonic's smug expression grew.

"Thank you, Sonic," Sally said finally, her voice tinged with frustration.

"Foooorr what?" Sonic teased, his grin widening as Sally's glare sharpened. Letting out a small scoff of annoyance, she turned on her heel and began marching toward the ruins. The rest of the group—Rotor, Bunnie, Tristina, and Antoine (who had emerged from behind the plane slightly less green)—followed dutifully.

"This is truly amazin'," Bunnie murmured as she stared up at the towering stone pillars ahead of them. The structures loomed like ancient guardians, weathered by time but still imposing in their grandeur.

Tristina nodded, her eyes trailing over the intricate carvings etched into the stone. "Yo, Sal," Sonic called, pointing toward one particularly prominent rock. "What's that?"

"It's the Arrow Stone," Sally replied, stepping closer to inspect the carved boulder. "It marks the entrance to the ancient city." Her voice carried a reverence that seemed to echo in the air around them.

Tristina wheeled closer, positioning herself beside Sally and Bunnie for a better look. Her eyes traced the symbols carved into the stone with quiet curiosity. "What's it say, Sally girl?" Bunnie asked, leaning in.

"I don't know," Sally admitted as she pulled Nicole from her boot. "It's the ancient language of Mobius. Nicole, can you translate?" she asked, holding up her faithful computer. The device beeped a few times, its screen flickering to life.

"Translation: We do not see things as they are. We see things as we are," Nicole intoned, her voice precise and calm.

"Well, I am shoeless," Antoine said with a shrug.

"You mean 'clueless,' Ant," Sonic quipped, shaking his head.

Tristina frowned, her mind turning over the cryptic phrase as she absentmindedly glanced down at her legs in thought. A low, hollow whistle of wind drifted through the ruins, breaking her concentration.

"Wha-wa-what is that sound?" Antoine stammered, grabbing both Sally and Sonic's shoulders in a panicked grip.

"I dunno, Ant," Sonic said, his voice dropping into a spooky tone as he leaned closer. "Maybe it's a monster!" He threw his hands in the air, yelling the last word dramatically. The sudden volume made Tristina flinch, her ears twitching as Antoine shrieked and leapt into the air.

"Blue!" Tristina protested, her expression irked as she flicked her offended ear. "Easy on the volume blasts, okay?"

"Sorry, Tiff. Couldn't help myself," Sonic said, grinning sheepishly as Rotor caught the descending Antoine in his arms.

"Let's do it, Sal," Sonic quipped, his voice bursting with bravado as he pointed to the dense hedge blocking their way.

Tristina followed Sally's gaze, taking in the thick greenery. "We have to get through that hedge first, right, Princess?" she asked, stroking her chin thoughtfully. When Sally nodded, Sonic snapped his fingers.

"That hedge? No prob!" he declared.

"Careful, Sonic!" Sally called as he bolted toward it at top speed.

"Magan legend says the city is booby-trapped!" Tristina echoed, her voice filled with warning. Sally glanced at her in surprise. "What? I've done my homework too, Princess," Tristina added with a small smile.

Sally's lips curved into a slow smile in return, but before she could say more, Sonic's voice rang out. "Me? Trip a trap? I don't think so! Spin-to-win time!" With that, he curled into his signature spindash, slicing through the hedge like a buzzsaw.

Tristina wheeled after him as Sally, Rotor, Bunnie, and Antoine followed close behind.

"W-what is this now?" Antoine moaned. Tristina turned to see the hedge regenerating itself, the branches reforming with startling speed. She came to a halt, watching as the spindash hole sealed itself completely.

"That's incredible," Sally murmured, stepping closer. "How'd it do that?"

"Some kind of accelerated cell regeneration," Tristina muttered, examining a quickly reforming leaf.

"Tiff. English, please?" Sonic asked, rubbing his forehead in frustration.

"She means—" Sally began, but her words were cut off as the hollow whistling returned, louder and more haunting than before.

"This place is givin' me some creepies," Antoine whimpered, his entire body trembling. Tristina cast him a kind smile, though she couldn't deny the shiver that ran down her spine. The eerie sound settled over them like a warning, urging them to tread carefully.