Back to Chapter 83

What Sonic, Mighty and Ray hadn’t accounted for was what was on the other side of the doorway out of the Volcanic Vault. Or, rather, what wasn’t on the other side of the doorway. Specifically, there was nothing at all but a very lengthy drop down to the next area of Robotnik Island. The Icy Isle was carved into the centre of the island itself in a walled off area, in stark contrast to the hot regions next to it. Of course, when the entirety of Robotnik Island was, in reality, a machine designed to put Sonic through the wringer and ensure he didn’t come out the other side, sometimes the rules go out the window.

Mighty was the first to land, skidding down a frozen incline. Sonic hit right after and Ray last, with all three at the mercy of gravity. A wide gap cut the incline in two and Ray slid closer to it. Mighty forced himself to dive forwards, hurling his friend high into the air to allow him to catch the wind beneath his membranes and swoop to a landing on a flat surface nearby.

Mighty turned to Sonic, “Sorry, mate, this is probably gonna hurt a bit”

Before Sonic could ask, “What’s gonna hurt a bit?” he found Mighty’s shoe up his backside, booting him over the gap, whereupon he slid downwards to join Ray in relative safety. Mighty hammered the ground beneath him with his fists to launch himself into the air and reunite with the others.

Sonic got to his feet and rubbed his rear, “Thanks for that,” he offered sarcastically.

“Don’t mention it,” Mighty smirked.

Ray looked down at the ground, puzzled, “Why’s the floor getting darker?”

Sonic and Mighty followed Ray’s eyeline. Then Sonic looked upward. The floor wasn’t getting darker. The shadow of the giant falling frozen stalactite up above was growing larger- which could only mean it was getting closer!

“We need to move!” Sonic remarked, before finding the frozen floor beneath him wasn’t much good in his Power Sneakers, “Darn! Friction-reduction is all well and good when you don’t want to set half the countryside on fire during a jog… but it’s no good trying to get up to speed on ice!”

“I’ll give you both a push,” Mighty announced. Before either of the others could protest, they found themselves being slid across the ice with a pair of surprised yelps. Mighty looked upwards at the falling stalactite and focused. Sonic and Ray looked back in amazement as the enormous stalactite, easily twenty times their size, fell towards Mighty- who effortlessly caught it in one hand. With a slam as mighty as his name, the armadillo hit the icy point against the floor and used it as a half-fulcrum, half-pole vault to fling himself forwards.

“Nice work, Mighty, that was impressive stuff!” Sonic offered, holding himself back from giving a round of applause.

Mighty flexed his arms and failed to hide a smile, “It was nothing”

Ray’s ears pricked up at the sound of a clicking noise, another trap being activated, “Guys, look, the walls!” Sure enough, cube-shaped chunks of the wall were coming loose and sliding across the ice.

Sonic tensed himself, “Get ready, you two, this is going to take a bit of skill…”

As the frozen blocks of ice shot out towards the three animals, Ray leapt up and off the first one, managing to glide from block to block. Sonic gracefully leaned his body left and right like an elegant ice skater, zigging and zagging through the hazards. Mighty took the most direct approach- smashing the ice to smithereens with tremendous punches whenever one came near.

Eventually, the ice blocks slowed to a stop as the trio of animals came upon snow-covered ground. Sonic felt a touch more at ease- snow was slippery, but at least it gave his feet a bit more purchase than sheer ice. The friends moved on ahead before coming to a drop over an unlit cavern, with no way to know how deep it ran. Suspended over it were rungs to hold onto and climb over to the other side.

“I assume you guys don’t mind an upper-body work out?” Sonic asked.

“I think I might just be okay…” Mighty quipped, “How about you, Ray?”

Ray was nervous, “Looks like I have no choice…”

“Be brave, pal. You’ll be alright,” Mighty assured his friend.

The three began climbing across the rungs, with Sonic going first and Ray bringing up the rear. None of the three of them were feeling particularly at ease with the situation- and things didn’t improve when Robotnik launched his next trap. Without warning, the back end of the climbing bars uncoupled, bringing it swinging downwards much as the rope bridge had in the Volcanic Vault. Instead of into a wall, however, the animals were hurled across another icy floor, sliding at astonishing speed.

Sonic eyed some circular holes in the floor as they passed. Something didn’t seem right. Coming up on the wall in front of them, the friends were hit backwards off of spring-like bumpers, sending them back the way they came. As Sonic spun around on the ice, he noticed the holes once more- now with spears jutting up through them repeatedly. Robotnik was clearly keen to skewer his prisoners and, failing that, he’d probably be perfectly happy with them falling into the abyss they’d only just narrowly avoided.

Sonic forced himself to his feet with all his might and faced Mighty and Ray. His feet slapped against the ice with immeasurable speed, faster and faster as he tried to get any kind of grip on the ice. The strain registered on his face as gritted teeth and a furrowed brow. It was taking every ounce of strength and focus Sonic had just to stay upright.

As the spears drew nearer, Sonic pounded his feet even harder and faster. Then he moved forward. Just slightly at first, less than an inch. But soon he was getting into the groove- and literally at that as he realised he was carving footholds into the ice. Putting on one last burst of speed, Sonic managed to gain some forward momentum and careened forwards, snagging Mighty and Ray and barely managing to turn away from the bumpers to get to solid, snowy ground.

In his tower, Robotnik screamed in fury. He pounded a button on the console. It was a big, red button. It had the words “ZONE 2 – DESTRUCT” written on it.

Sonic, Mighty and Ray felt the ground quake beneath them. Having barely gotten their breath back, the three of them turned to see tonnes and tonnes of snow chasing them down. Robotnik had created an avalanche inside the Icy Isle.

Sonic didn’t even have to tell his new friends to move. The three of them ran as though their lives depended on it- because they very much did. The sounds of ice cracking and smashing rang in their ears as dozens of ice stalactites fell from above and rained down behind the friends. The rumble of the snow grew louder as the avalanche grew closer.

And there, up ahead, was a small vertical rectangle of light.

The way out!

Invigorated, Sonic, Ray and Mighty forced themselves to run until their legs ached, bringing the door closer and closer and then-

The three friends were pushed through the door by the avalanche of snow catching up with them, forcing them into a heap outside.

Sonic stood up and looked back. The avalanche had stopped- the wall of the enclosed Icy Isle had managed to hold most of it, save for a small mound that had followed him and the others outside. That small mound was melting rather rapidly. Sonic looked around. He tilted his head with some confusion.

After all, even on Mobius you wouldn’t usually expect to see a desert next door to a glacier.

On to Chapter 85