to Michael CC: Sorry about that. My computer has been acting up and I've just managed to get it fixed. And the idea I was talking about was not Hyper Shadic. It's too anime-style for me. I was talking about the part where Sweet Pea tried to kiss Sonic by surprise. But then again, it wouldn't have been fun if she had succeeded.


The team reached the base of the mountain.

Sonic: "So, where do we finds these Stones of the Seasons?"

A familiar voice came from behind them. "I can help you with that"

Rosetta: "Huh? Who said-"

Sonic quickly turned around with his gauntlet ready to shoot, but the voice had come from a friend. "You're the old man from the forest"

The old man: "I see you have already passed two of the trials. Very well"

Sonic: "Would you happen to know where the Stones of the Seasons are?"

The old man: "Of course. Follow me"

Tink: "Could anyone tell me what I missed while you were in the forest?"

Peri: "We were in the middle of a very interesting conversation"

Tink looked at Sonic, then at Elsa, and then back at Peri. "And I guess that interesting conversation was about-"

Peri: "What else?"

Anna: "Hey, can I join?"

Peri: "Sure"

The old man led them to a medium-sized cottage in the town.

Anna: "Come on, just imagine this: Aaron and Elsa at the fanciest restaurant in Arendelle. Somehow, Aaron would be human-sized. Continuing, they'd sit somewhere outside, right below the moon that would somehow look like a heart that night, eating spaghetti from the same plate-"

Elsa: "Someone's getting her braids cut off tonight"

The old man: "Here we are, my friends"

Shadow: "Where exactly is here?"

The old man: "Since the sorcerer took the Temple of Glacius, I have been using this as a replacement. My name is Ror'Dan and I am a Monk of Glacius. Normally, the Stone of Winter would be guarded by Glacius in his Temple, but given the current situation..." he led their attention to the corner of the room, where Glacius, in his humanoid form, was lying on a table, with several Monks of Glacius around him, trying to restore some of his power. "...we were given the task to keep it safe, along with the Spirit himself"

Shadow: "And now you'll give it to us, right?"

Ror'Dan: "You must first convince the Spirit of Winter that you deserve it"

Shadow: "So two trials are worth nothing by the standards in the Realm of Winter?"

It wasn't long before they heard a blast from outside, along with another familiar voice. "Where are they? Where are those heroes?"

Ror'Dan: "This is not good. Whoever it is, I can feel his dark energy. He's got to be connected to the sorcerer"

Sonic opened the door a bit and looked outside caefully.

Iridessa: "Who is is?"

Sonic: "The one who attacked us in the camp"

Knuckles: "Don't worry, Vidia. I'll stay here and protect you"

Vidia: "I'd rather go straight to that guy and kiss him"

Knuckles: "Now you're trying to make me jealous?"

Sonic: "Everyone, stay inside. We'll take care of him"

Sonic, Shadow and Silver stepped outside.

Silver: "Looking for us?"

Nazo: "Finally decided to show up? I'll make sure your end is quick"

Sonic drew his disc and charged it with Chaos energy. "We'll see about that"

Nazo teleported behind Sonic, aiming a kick to his head. Sonuc turned to face him just in time and countered with a horizontal strike with his disc. Nazo teleported a few metres back.

Sonic: "That's all you've got?"

Nazo: "You'd wish. I'll show you the true power of Chaos Control!"

Shadow: "That's my line!"

Nazo dashed at them with the speed of light, landing multiple hits. "You're too slow!"

Sonic fell to the ground almost unconscious, followed by Shadow and Silver.

Nazo: "Pathetic. And you call yourselves heroes?"

Just as Nazo was about to deal the final blow, a bolt of ice interrupted him. "What-" He looked to the left to see Elsa.

Elsa: "So we meet again"

Nazo tried to use a quick Chaos Spear, but Elsa blocked it with an ice barrier.

Nazo: "Just in time to save your knight in shining armour. Aren't you a little too old for this job?"

Elsa: "I'll make you eat those words"

Shadow managed to stand up while Nazo was distracted. "He teased you about Elsa and called her old? That's two in one. Does he really have to be the enemy?"

Sonic: "Yes"

Shadow ran to Nazo, hitting him twice with his Chaos-infused disc and finishing with a small Chaos Blast. Elsa froze Nazo to the ground, which gave Sonic and Silver the opportunity to teleport next to him, one on each side, ready to immobilise him.

Sonic: "Is there anything else in stock for us?"

Before Nazo could say a word, an orb of dark energy appeared next to him, from which Zaramas' voice was heard. "Failing me again, Nazo?"

Nazo: "No, master"

Zaramas: "It seems otherwise. Return to me before they finish you off"

And with that, Nazo vanished.

Sonic: "He'd better start coming up with his own lines"

Ror'Dan walked outside. "Is it over?"

Elsa: "It seems so"

Ror'Dan: "Good. Now you should come back inside. Glacius has something to tell you"

Shadow: "Maybe he wants to complain about how we kicked his petunia a while ago"

The four walked back in the cottage, where Glacius was waiting for them a few steps away from the door.

Glacius: "Well done, you four. It didn't take too long for me to notice the power of that creature. Apparently, this Nazo was created using a combination of my magic and negative Chaos Energy"

Shadow: "It was no big deal. We've seen worse than that"

Glacius: "I highly doubt that. And not only the fact that you managed to defeat Nazo, but that you worked as a team against him, has proven that you deserve the Excelsior Sword"

Sonic: "Does that mean what I think it means?"

Glacius nodded. "Ror'Dan, the Stone of Winter!"

Ror'Dan walked to the back of the cottage. "Right away"

Sonic: "As for the other three?"

Glacius: "They are guarded by their respective spirits in their Temples. You will have to travel to the other Realms and prove to the other Spirits what you have just proven to me"

Peri: "This will be a problem. Some of us will get their wings melted over there"

Glacius: "No, it will not be. Upon taking my power, the sorcerer has covered the rest of the Realms in snow as well"

Peri: "So I guess we're in our element"

Silence.

Peri: "Come on, it was a good one! Why is nobody laughing?"

Ror'Dan returned with an icy blue spherical gem that had the symbol of a white snowflake on it and handed it to Sonic.

Sonic: "Thank you, Ror'Dan. Thank you, Glacius"

Glacius: "We should be the ones thanking you"

Sweet Pea threw Sonic a quick glance, then turned back to Ror'Dan. "One question: can you officiate wedding ceremonies in this Temple of Glacius?"

Ror'Dan: "Of course, but the groom must approve as well"

Sweet Pea pouted.

Shadow: "One more thing before we go, Ror'Dan"

Ror'Dan: "Yes?"

Shadow: "You're so old that when the Spirits of the Seasons created Pixie Hollow, you were giving indications"

Sonic facepalmed. "Let's go before you get us into more trouble that we already are"

Meanwhile, in the Temple of Glacius:

Zaramas: "I am most displeased with your so-called efforts, Nazo"

Nazo: "I'm sorry, master Zaramas"

Zaramas: "Luckily for you, you've still got enough time until they get the Excelsior Sword. Take all the reinforcements you need and make sure they won't get it"