Sonic the Hedgehog's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Mario Hedgehog stood on the ridge and watched the far mountains turn to glass. A white wall of dust rose behind them. It was the shockwave from Robotnik's new weapon, and it was coming for every living thing on the plain. Mario could run faster than any creature alive. He just didn't know where to run. The last safe city lay somewhere past the plain. If he picked the wrong way, the wall would catch him in the open, and speed would not save him. He spun in place, searching for a sign. Three roads split from the ridge. All looked the same. All led into dry grass and empty sky. Then he saw the horse. It came down from the clouds on wide white wings, its mane shining in long streaks of blue and purple. It landed hard beside him and stamped its hooves. It did not run from the wall. It faced it, then swung its head sharply toward the eastern road. Mario had seen animals flee before a storm. They always knew the safe way before people did. This one was pointing. "You know where it is," Mario said. "The city." The horse beat its wings once and lifted a few feet off the ground. It hovered over the eastern road, waiting. The ground under Mario's shoes began to hum. The wall was close now. He could feel grit sting his face. He had a choice. Trust a strange animal, or guess on his own. Guessing had a one in three chance. The horse had lived here longer than he had. Mario ran east. The winged horse flew low ahead of him, close enough to follow. Mario poured on speed. His feet blurred. The grass flattened in his wake. Behind him the roar grew until it filled his skull. He did not look back. He watched the white tail ahead and matched its turns. The road bent around a hill. On the far side the horse climbed higher and faster. Mario pushed harder than he ever had. His lungs burned. The dust wall licked at his heels, and small stones blew past his head. Then the horse dropped sharply, leading him into a narrow canyon between two ridges of rock. Mario shot inside. The shockwave slammed into the stone walls above and split. Dust poured over the top but could not reach the canyon floor. Mario skidded to a stop, gasping, alive. The horse landed in front of him. It was not pointing anymore. The canyon ahead was blocked by a wall of fallen rock, fresh from the blast. The only way through the mountains was sealed. Mario had outrun the wave. But the road to the last safe city was buried, and the horse stood between him and stone he could not pass.