Chapter 2: Facing your Fears
Sonic slowed down from running, tired. He turned around and looked at the far-behind Station Square. That's when he wondered how Tails was feeling. He also hoped that Tails was sleeping peacefully in his bed. Sonic turned again and saw the blue mountain hiding behind a shrine behind a maze. The blue hedgehog walked further, knowing that afternoon was soon approaching.
He stopped a mile near the maze and rested in his sleeping bag. Once he woke up again, Sonic packed up his camp and continued on his way. Once he was in front of the maze 30 minutes later, he entered. The maze looked easy, and he ran where he got closer to the shrine.
He suddenly stopped, feeling that something grabbed his leg. He turned and looked down to see a vine. "Great," he mumbled. He tossed his bag in front of him and curled up. He charged up and shot forward, breaking the vine. He uncurled and the dead vine slid down his shoe.
Sonic picked up his bag and continued on his way. He kept walking until he felt his shoe get wet. "Hey, what the...?" He saw that he had stepped into water, so he stepped back. "This isn't good!"
Sonic ran to each of the opposite sides of the river. There was no way around it. He looked and searched frantically, but no avail. Sonic went back to where he first was, trying to think of a solution. He finally thought of a way to get across it. To swim across it.
"I'm really gonna regret this," Sonic whispered. He stepped into the water, coldness started to fill his shoes. He whimpered and continued going deeper into the water. More coldness filled his body, and he really didn't like it.
Once the water was up to his chin, Sonic tried his best to swim. He kicked his legs, and he started moving forward. He kicked his feet faster, and he swam faster. Finally, he went at top speed. In no time at all, he was across the river.
"Heh, just like running," Sonic said quietly. He started running forward again, back on land.
The blue shrine started to come into view. Sonic ran faster to get to it sooner. He was finally in front of the shrine. He panted and rested for a moment, then entered. Once he got in, the place looked like a normal hut. There was a large Minotaur statue that was crouched down was at the edge of the shrine.
There was suddenly a strange voice, a hoarse and harsh voice. It said, "Welcome to the Aqua Arrow shrine. This is where you will take the test."
Sonic shuddered, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from. He stared right at the Minotaur statue. "What test?" Sonic asked the air.
There was a silence, and then the voice replied. "The test to see if you are worthy enough to fight Dragoon and possess the Aqua Arrow." The voice was coming from the Minotaur.
Suddenly, its eyes glowed blue and the statue gave color and stood up. It came to life. The Minotaur's horns stood above its ears, which were at the side of his head. There was am extra pair of horn standing on the bull man's head. Its colors were two-tones of blue. The Minotaur snorted at Sonic.
Sonic screamed, and turned to run. But the Minotaur took a step to reach the poor hedgehog, so he grabbed him by a quill and picked him up. Sonic started praying to himself, and then he curled up and cut his enemy's hand. The Minotaur roared and dropped Sonic.
Sonic landed and pulled out his Chaos Emerald. "Sonic Wind!" he shouted, and the blue tornado hit the Minotaur, causing pain. Sonic then hit the bull man's stomach with a homing attack. Instead of taking the hit, the Minotaur slammed his prey into a wall.
Sonic got up, his mouth was bleeding. He wiped it and yelled, "Time Stop!"
Before the Minotaur stepped forward, it froze into its place. Sonic found the right time to attack and charged up a Light Dash. "Ready? Go!" Sonic hit the Minotaur with a hard hit, but it didn't feel pain since the Time Stop didn't wear off. When it did, the Minotaur roared painfully and fell to his knees.
Sonic stood over the monster. "Give up?" he taunted.
His enemy suddenly got up and shot a blow to Sonic's stomach. Sonic's eyes went wide as he spat some blood. The Minotaur snorted, "You're not in the position to be taunting me."
Sonic looked up angrily, he then yelled, "Chaos Control!" He disappeared in a flash of light, and left the Minotaur looking around. It suddenly felt pain right on its horns, and fell over. Sonic stood on his head, pulling on his horns. He then yelled, "Sonic Wind!" The attack broke the Minotaur's top horns, leaving it screaming in pain.
Sonic jumped off with victory. "Who's the loser now?"
The Minotaur sighed with defeat. It stood up, fully healed.
"What the heck?!" Sonic stared with amazement. Its horns even grew back.
The Minotaur looked at Sonic. It said, "You have defeated me. Go on to Dragoon. Good luck." It then walked over to its spot before it came to life and crouched down again, turning to stone, waiting for its next opponent.
Sonic saw a portal open next to the statue. He walked into it, and everything went black.
=====
Sonic opened his eyes, finding himself on the ground. He scrambled to his feet, looking at his surroundings. He was in some kind of cave, only with no entrance and no exit. He torches, which were carrying a blue flame.
Sonic then fell backwards as a strong wind hit him. The flames flared up, becoming bigger. Sonic then saw a huge flame form in the middle of the room. It spread and became bigger and bigger. Soon, the flame went out, being replaced by a humongous dragon. It had white hair going down between its horns on top of its head. Its belly was white as well, and it also had a long, white mustache. Its tail was very long, and small horns erupted from its spine. Other than its whiteness, it was covered with blue.
The dragon turned and looked at Sonic, revealing a large muzzle and glowing red eyes.
Sonic whistled, "Now that's what I call cool and blue."
The dragon talked without moving its mouth. "Thank you for that statement, hedgehog. I am Dragoon, the guardian of the Aqua Arrow. And since you are a hedgehog, you are my prey. If you win this bout, you will get my Aqua Arrow. And if you loose, you will be my dinner." Dragoon approached Sonic with a deadly look in his eyes.
Sonic backed away nervously. "Whoa, can't we talk this out first?"
Dragoon shook his head. "Sorry, but I don't accept checks."
Sonic blinked. "This is unfair! I'm a hedgehog with great speed and a gem, and you're a hundred foot dragon!"
The blue dragon snapped his fingers, and a sword and shield appeared in his hands. "There, now it's just the evil dragon and the prince to battle for the princess." Sonic nodded, and he charged at the dragon.
Sonic slowed down from running, tired. He turned around and looked at the far-behind Station Square. That's when he wondered how Tails was feeling. He also hoped that Tails was sleeping peacefully in his bed. Sonic turned again and saw the blue mountain hiding behind a shrine behind a maze. The blue hedgehog walked further, knowing that afternoon was soon approaching.
He stopped a mile near the maze and rested in his sleeping bag. Once he woke up again, Sonic packed up his camp and continued on his way. Once he was in front of the maze 30 minutes later, he entered. The maze looked easy, and he ran where he got closer to the shrine.
He suddenly stopped, feeling that something grabbed his leg. He turned and looked down to see a vine. "Great," he mumbled. He tossed his bag in front of him and curled up. He charged up and shot forward, breaking the vine. He uncurled and the dead vine slid down his shoe.
Sonic picked up his bag and continued on his way. He kept walking until he felt his shoe get wet. "Hey, what the...?" He saw that he had stepped into water, so he stepped back. "This isn't good!"
Sonic ran to each of the opposite sides of the river. There was no way around it. He looked and searched frantically, but no avail. Sonic went back to where he first was, trying to think of a solution. He finally thought of a way to get across it. To swim across it.
"I'm really gonna regret this," Sonic whispered. He stepped into the water, coldness started to fill his shoes. He whimpered and continued going deeper into the water. More coldness filled his body, and he really didn't like it.
Once the water was up to his chin, Sonic tried his best to swim. He kicked his legs, and he started moving forward. He kicked his feet faster, and he swam faster. Finally, he went at top speed. In no time at all, he was across the river.
"Heh, just like running," Sonic said quietly. He started running forward again, back on land.
The blue shrine started to come into view. Sonic ran faster to get to it sooner. He was finally in front of the shrine. He panted and rested for a moment, then entered. Once he got in, the place looked like a normal hut. There was a large Minotaur statue that was crouched down was at the edge of the shrine.
There was suddenly a strange voice, a hoarse and harsh voice. It said, "Welcome to the Aqua Arrow shrine. This is where you will take the test."
Sonic shuddered, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from. He stared right at the Minotaur statue. "What test?" Sonic asked the air.
There was a silence, and then the voice replied. "The test to see if you are worthy enough to fight Dragoon and possess the Aqua Arrow." The voice was coming from the Minotaur.
Suddenly, its eyes glowed blue and the statue gave color and stood up. It came to life. The Minotaur's horns stood above its ears, which were at the side of his head. There was am extra pair of horn standing on the bull man's head. Its colors were two-tones of blue. The Minotaur snorted at Sonic.
Sonic screamed, and turned to run. But the Minotaur took a step to reach the poor hedgehog, so he grabbed him by a quill and picked him up. Sonic started praying to himself, and then he curled up and cut his enemy's hand. The Minotaur roared and dropped Sonic.
Sonic landed and pulled out his Chaos Emerald. "Sonic Wind!" he shouted, and the blue tornado hit the Minotaur, causing pain. Sonic then hit the bull man's stomach with a homing attack. Instead of taking the hit, the Minotaur slammed his prey into a wall.
Sonic got up, his mouth was bleeding. He wiped it and yelled, "Time Stop!"
Before the Minotaur stepped forward, it froze into its place. Sonic found the right time to attack and charged up a Light Dash. "Ready? Go!" Sonic hit the Minotaur with a hard hit, but it didn't feel pain since the Time Stop didn't wear off. When it did, the Minotaur roared painfully and fell to his knees.
Sonic stood over the monster. "Give up?" he taunted.
His enemy suddenly got up and shot a blow to Sonic's stomach. Sonic's eyes went wide as he spat some blood. The Minotaur snorted, "You're not in the position to be taunting me."
Sonic looked up angrily, he then yelled, "Chaos Control!" He disappeared in a flash of light, and left the Minotaur looking around. It suddenly felt pain right on its horns, and fell over. Sonic stood on his head, pulling on his horns. He then yelled, "Sonic Wind!" The attack broke the Minotaur's top horns, leaving it screaming in pain.
Sonic jumped off with victory. "Who's the loser now?"
The Minotaur sighed with defeat. It stood up, fully healed.
"What the heck?!" Sonic stared with amazement. Its horns even grew back.
The Minotaur looked at Sonic. It said, "You have defeated me. Go on to Dragoon. Good luck." It then walked over to its spot before it came to life and crouched down again, turning to stone, waiting for its next opponent.
Sonic saw a portal open next to the statue. He walked into it, and everything went black.
=====
Sonic opened his eyes, finding himself on the ground. He scrambled to his feet, looking at his surroundings. He was in some kind of cave, only with no entrance and no exit. He torches, which were carrying a blue flame.
Sonic then fell backwards as a strong wind hit him. The flames flared up, becoming bigger. Sonic then saw a huge flame form in the middle of the room. It spread and became bigger and bigger. Soon, the flame went out, being replaced by a humongous dragon. It had white hair going down between its horns on top of its head. Its belly was white as well, and it also had a long, white mustache. Its tail was very long, and small horns erupted from its spine. Other than its whiteness, it was covered with blue.
The dragon turned and looked at Sonic, revealing a large muzzle and glowing red eyes.
Sonic whistled, "Now that's what I call cool and blue."
The dragon talked without moving its mouth. "Thank you for that statement, hedgehog. I am Dragoon, the guardian of the Aqua Arrow. And since you are a hedgehog, you are my prey. If you win this bout, you will get my Aqua Arrow. And if you loose, you will be my dinner." Dragoon approached Sonic with a deadly look in his eyes.
Sonic backed away nervously. "Whoa, can't we talk this out first?"
Dragoon shook his head. "Sorry, but I don't accept checks."
Sonic blinked. "This is unfair! I'm a hedgehog with great speed and a gem, and you're a hundred foot dragon!"
The blue dragon snapped his fingers, and a sword and shield appeared in his hands. "There, now it's just the evil dragon and the prince to battle for the princess." Sonic nodded, and he charged at the dragon.