I still don't own any of the sonic characters. And the delay is a result of writer's block.

This ought to have better formatting, now that I'm semi-used to it. Apologies for the roughness of the last chapter.

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Super Sonic held his ears until the chanting ended, and dared to crack an eye open to look around. Nothing. Slowly uncurling from a knot of quills, he took a shuddering breath.

As he sat, he realized that the barrier was still blocking him from exiting the cave. Wanting to know what it was, he stood up and wandered to the area that he'd recently gotten finished cracking his skull on.

"Hm. Not electromagnets. So I should be able to get outta here..." he pounded a fist on the still very solid barrier, "But yet it's still pretending to be diamond." Growling, he punched the barrier with all his strength and cursed like the demon he was,

"It's almost as if I put this cursed thing up myself!"

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((C'mon, Mylin! Let me fly you! You'll forget all about that argument!)) Aeliran called to the tiny speck that was nearly under his shadow.

((...)) the tiny yellow speck below kicked some sand, and continued on its path.

((Listen to me. I know she was wrong but you didn't have to push it.)) after being ignored the billionth time, Aeliran shrugged and decided to concentrate on his flying.

Mylin looked up at the wild loops and twists that his friend was making in the air, and finally could not take it anymore,

((You're right, I WOULD forget about the argument!! I'd be too busy trying to make sure that gravity wouldn't take me or my stomach out of your grasp!!))

((I didn't say HOW you'd forget the argument!)) Aeliran's mind voice was giddy--he LOVED the sensation of flight! He snapped his wings closed and held them tightly to his body, not changing course. Almost...almost...nearly...THERE!

He had completely stopped in the sky, his forward thrust diminished.

A tiny smile touched his lips, as gravity began to take back over.

The ground began to come closer to him, welcoming him with rocky hands and dirt palms.

Just before he met the earth with velocity enough to kill him, he snapped his flame like wings open and glided near the ground a second and then tilted them just a touch.

Instantly he was airborne again, higher than any falcon could dream to go.

Mylin just watched this insanity and shook his head,

((You're gonna kill yourself one of these days!! And where did you have the permit to grow wings? Hedgehogs are ground creatures, not birds!))

((That's your problem,)) Aeliran's mind voice held a note of excitement, ((You're doomed to a life on the ground. In a way, I pity you, mortal creature. You'll never know the truths of freedom.))

((Aeliran, I'm more than happy to be on the ground. I've seen your sky battles,)) the yellow hedgehog tapped his fighting staff on the ground twice, and could almost make out the gold sheen of his friend above, ((They're worse than the ones on the ground! At least here you know where you'll end up!))

((You're right. I don't know if I'll be headed into rocks or mountians or even a spiral dive that's out of my control. Then again, neither does my opponent.)) Aeliran replied, ((And as far as I'm concerned, I need someone on the ground to be dealing with whatever's waiting on me.)) he executed a barrel roll.

Mylin was shocked into silence.

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Super Sonic woke with a start. He looked around and growled as he noticed that the barrier was still up.

"Ok...I guess that beating the barrier won't work. And I know I can't use powers on it," he absently rubbed the back of his left thigh where the power-whip had backfired, "And I'm not gonna get outta here whining about it!!"

He suddenly winced as his long claws poked into the already sore flesh of his thigh and cursed.

"Waitaminute..." he looked at said claws and the barrier.