Sonic was knocking on the door to Tails and Tex's room "Tails. Tails, you in there?". The door opened revealing a yawning Tex "Nope. No Tails in here" he immediately closed the door. Sonic went back to his room and sat on his bed. He opened the chaos drive which showed a strange shape. After a short time he closed the chaos drive just as Tails ran in "Sorry I'm late, Sonic. I was with Wave". Sonic didn't move "You also didn't knock" "Oh… yeah. Sorry" Tails said nervously. Sonic sighed and stood up "Tails, when we were on that asteroid, you made a dangerous connection through the Force", Tails didn't like being reminded of this, it always made him feel cold. Sonic continued "Now we have to know if you're ready" "I am ready. Wait. Ready for what?" "For a test, a real challenge, one that could determine if you're meant to be a Shinobi or not". Tails was surprised by this "You mean, if I fail then that's it" "I don't know. It might be. You lack discipline, focus. The test will see if you can overcome them". This scared Tails but he put on a determined face "I won't fail you, Master. I want to become the Shinobi you see in me". Sonic smiled "You're lucky I'm not my Master. She'd never let you get away with-" "All the things you tried to get away with" Tails joked. Sonic nodded before turning serious "Now go prep the Sneak" "Yes, Master" Tails surprisingly bowed respectfully before running out of the room. Sonic watched him leave and sighed "I might regret this" "You have to do this Sonic". He looked up and saw Sally at the door who walked up to him "After what happened on the asteroid you have to help him". Sonic doubted himself "I hope I can" "I know you can".
The Sneak took off with Sonic piloting and Tails standing nervously behind him "So, where are we headed for this test?". Sonic then got up from his seat "That's what you're gonna tell me". They both sat at the back of the Sneak opposite one another "So, did you take this test at my age" "It was different for me, Tails. Everything was different back then. When I was your age there were around 10,000 Shinobi Knights defending the galaxy. Now, we are few. But in those days. We had small outposts; temples spread throughout the stars. Empire searched for these temples and destroyed most of them, but not all. I want you to meditate, let the Force guide you to one of them". Tails tried not to look worried "What if I can' find one?" "That's part of the test. Trust yourself. Trust the Force". Tails took a breath and closed his eyes, "Remember, all that remains is the Force" "And only my connection to the Force can lead me to the Temple". Sonic chuckled "He can be taught".
The two sat for half an hour in silence as Tails did his best to focus when "There's a massive stone, with a tunnel, I think, and a bright star inside of it… It's here, on Emerald Hill" "You sure?" "I can't give you the coordinates, but I can direct us there. I know I can". Sonic got on the pilot's seat and almost immediately flew towards a large rock formation "You already knew, didn't you?" Tails asked. Sonic landed and smiled "Yeah. I checked the chaos drive" "And it told you there was a Shinobi temple on Emerald Hill?" "The drive holds extensive star maps, but I was surprised as you that there was a temple here". They left the shuttle "Course, I couldn't be sure this is where you were meant to be, but it makes sense. This is you home". Sonic then stared at the large formation "You better figure out how we get inside. And don't take too long. Remember, the Empire has access to all the old Shinobi records. They may know about this temple and have it under surveillance" he sat down and started meditating. Tails went up to the formation and started walking around it, he couldn't find anything but knew this was the place "Any chance of a hint!?" he yelled at Sonic, "Don't look. Listen. Use the Force to hear the stone and its story". Tails paced his hands on the stone and could have sworn it was talking to him "The stone. It wants to admit me. Wait, not me. Us. Master and apprentice. Together". Sonic stood up "Then together it shall be".
Tails walked back to him and they both raised their hands to the stone which began to spin and rise out of the ground "Don't lose focus. We don't want this thing crashing down on us". They walked through a small tunnel and entered a large room being held up with columns with the floor being covered in a mist. Tails then saw a skeleton wearing a robe kneeling against one of the columns "AH!". The temple suddenly shook, Sonic crossed his arms "You lost your focus" "Sorry" "In here, you'll have to face your worst fears and overcome them. And there's no guarantee of success". Tails nervously nodded and headed for the door "Okay, let's go" "I'm not going with you". Tails turned to him "What? Where are you gonna be?" "Right here, with them, masters whose apprentices never returned". Tails stared at the dead bodies "You're putting your life in my hands?" "You put your training in mine". Tails slowly turned back to the door and cautiously went through "Good luck" Sonic told him. As Tails went through the door began to close "Wait, what am I looking for?", Sonic ducked down "Nothing and everything" "That doesn't help" Tails said back. "I know" Sonic said right before the door closed "But that's what my Master told me". Tails slowly walked through the tunnel and until coming across a round room with three paths. Tails sighed and not knowing what to do decided to cover his eyes and hold out his finger. He was about to spin to pick a path at random when "Really? That's how you're choosing? What happened to using the Force?" Tails turned to see Sonic "What happened to having faith in me?".
Sonic went down one of the paths "Second thoughts, fortunately. Come on". Tails was hurt by this but at the same time felt like he needed help and followed Sonic. Sonic started running and Tails had trouble keeping up "Sonic! Slow down" "I told you. We might not have much time. The Empire could-". Sonic ran a corner and Tails suddenly heard a lightsaber ignite before hearing a bloodcurdling scream "Sonic!? Sonic!?". Tails ran around the corner but was suddenly at a cliff edge. He turned back around and saw Zik standing over a kneeling wounded Sonic "I felt a disturbance in the Force, the moment the Shinobi decided to bring you here, apprentice. Now who dies first". Zik stepped closer to a horrified Tails but Sonic stood back up "No! I'll die before I let you harm the boy" he ignited his lightsaber". Zik grinned "How reasonable", Sonic tried to attack Zik but with his injured arm Zik managed to easily disarm him and stab him through the chest. "NO!" Tails yelled as tears formed in his eyes, Zik threw Sonic's body down the cliff and then turned to Tails "So he called himself Sonic, did he? Well, it hardly matters now. Your turn". Tails' eyes suddenly filled with rage "I swear you'll pay" he grabbed Sonic's lightsaber, but it didn't ignite. Zik chuckled "Apparently someone's not quite ready to become a Shinobi, and never will be". Tails backed away in absolute terror and fell off the cliff. Tails screamed all the way down until he suddenly landed softly on what felt like a metal surface. Tails looked up and realised he was in his room on the Hurst, it even had the painting Wave made on the wall.
Tails strangely didn't see how this was impossible, he acted as if him ending up on the ship was normal as if something were blocking that thought from his mind. He walked out and heard a voice "How do you think the kid's doing?" it was Tex and it was coming from the common room. He got closer and heard G-merl beep before he could hear Sally's voice "I gotta agree with Gem. I don't think Tails was ready". Tail opened the door but stayed out of sight as Sally continued "I don't think we'll be seeing him again, which is too bad" "Really? Cause I'll be happy just to get my cabin back to myself". Sally shook her head "It's too bad because he had skills that were useful to our cause". Tails couldn't believe what he was hearing, then Wave said "That's pretty cold, guys. After all, he's just a little kid, scared, alone. Me, I pity him". That especially hurt Tails and he leaned against the wall when Tex suddenly grabbed his shoulder and pulled him inside "Well, look who's here" "How long do you think he was listening?" Wave asked as if Tails wasn't there. Tails couldn't look at them and instead stared at the floor "Long enough" "Nothing personal, kid" Tex said. A thought suddenly hit Tails "No. This isn't you talking. I'm not back on the Hurst. I couldn't be" "Well, that's just crazy talk. You're standing here, aren't you?". Tails' head hurt "No this isn't-" to his horror Zik suddenly appeared and stabbed Tex right through the chest killing him. Tails backed away "No. I-" Zik then turned to Sally and slashed her across the stomach causing her to scream. Wave took out her wispon and fired on Zik, but it did nothing "Tails. Help us! We-AH!" Zik stabbed her before turning to Tails. Tails froze in place not knowing what to do when the wall behind him suddenly disappeared and he fell through a black void.
Tails eventually landed back in the Temple in the first room where Sonic was waiting. But he wasn't there, of course he wasn't there, Zik killed him or was that an illusion too. These thoughts raced through Tail's head, then the fact that he was trapped. But then he realised if it weren't an illusion then Sonic might still be alive and would need his help. He went toward the entrance when it suddenly opened revealing Zik "How perceptive". Tails back away but then stopped with a defiant look on his face. Zik smirked "Oh, finally given up?" "No. You're not real. You were on the Hurst". Zik tilted his head and saw that Tails was trembling "Afraid to face your demise, boy?". Tails still didn't move "Yeah. And I'm afraid of being alone. I'm afraid of disappointing my Master. But I'm not afraid of an illusion". He closed his eyes and Zik threw the lightsaber down at him, but it went right through and Zik disappeared. Tails fell back onto one of the columns taking a large breath. Tails suddenly heard a female voice "You have faced great fears, young one. But are you ready for what lies ahead?". Tails stared upward curiously "I am" he answered the voice. "Come. See more clearly what you cold not see before" "Who are you?" Tails asked the voice "A guide". Tails looked up and saw a group of shining yellow orbs fly in front of him before leading him further into the temple. The door closed behind him and suddenly Sonic reappeared in the room meditating. He sighed in frustration "Kid's taking to long". He stood up when "Patience. Do you remember nothing of your own training?". Sonic looked around however unlike Tails he recognised the voice "Master Blaze. Huh, it can't be. I'm losing it" "Losing. No. Lost. Yes. But what loss, hmm? That is the question". Sonic fell to his hands and knees "Master? How… How can this be?" "Don't be concerned with how. Know I am here because you are here". Sonic sat up, smile and bowed his head "Thank you, Master" "Thank you? Hmm. I haven't done anything. I can see you. I couldn't before. Something has changed". Sonic nodded "I've taken on an apprentice" "An apprentice? And now you are a Master? On this decision you must be honest". Sonic sighed "It's true. I'm not sure of my decision to train Tails. Not because of him and his abilities, because of me, because of who I am".
Tails was led back to the room with three paths "Which way is the right way?" "That is the wrong question". Tails sighed "I'm sorry. I don't understand. To be honest, I don't even know what I'm doing here". Blaze chuckled "That is a better question" "Sonic said I was going to be tested, but he never said what for or why". The orbs moved him to one of the paths "And your master should tell you everything?" "Well… No" "You must decide your path". Tails instead of going the path the orbs were leading him went to the path on his right.
Sonic was still waiting "This is a dangerous time for your apprentice and for you" "I know. I can sense it. I feel as if his abilities growing faster than I can teach him" "You sense, or you fear?". Sonic sighed "I lost my way for a long time, but now I have a chance to change things" "Last chance" "I won't let him lose his way, not like I did".
Tails entered a large empty room with blue patterns on the ceiling "Tell me. Why must you become a Shinobi?" "Because Sonic believes I can" "Ah. Sonic thinks you can. Hmm. And you?". Tails thought about all the amazing things he's heard about the Shinobi "I'll become stronger, powerful" "Ah. You seek power". Bad memories entered Tails' head "I'd make the Empire suffer for everything it did, for everything it took, for my parents. I…. I wouldn't be helpless anymore!" "Is this what your master has taught you? That the way of a Shinobi is revenge?". Tails shook his head "No. Sonic would never. He's a good Master, a great Master" "Then why do you seek revenge? I sense much anger in you, much fear". Tails didn't understand "I just want to protect my friends" "And this is why you must be a Shinobi?" "Yes. And not just them. Everyone. I'll protect everyone. Before I met Sonic, I only ever thought of myself, but Sonic and the rest, they don't think like that. They help people, they give everything away, and I see it. I see how it makes people feel". Blaze sounded pleased "How do they feel?" "Alive. They feel alive, like I do now" "Good. Good. There is a difficult path ahead of you, young one. A Shinobi you may be yet". The entire room went dark as if Tails was in space. One of the stars turned blue and flew towards Tails revealing it to be a chaos shard.
Sonic was patiently waiting when the door suddenly opened. Sonic smiled and opened his eyes only for "Sonic!" Tails suddenly hugged him, confusing Sonic. Tails already knew Sonic dying was an illusion, but he still needed that. Sonic awkwardly patted his back "How are you?". Tails let go "Different, but the same". Sonic smirked "I know what you mean" he then realised what Tails was holding "I don't believe it" "What is it? It's good right?". Sonic was amazed "Tails, that's a chaos shard. Those are used to power lightsabers". Tails' looked down at the shard lost for words.
The two were leaving the Temple "I have to admit, when I brought you here, I didn't see this happening. Getting a shard is a big step". They then saw the temple close "It should stay hidden" Sonic said reassuringly, "I was thinking, shouldn't we use it as a base or something? Who knows what else is in there?". Sonic smiled "I know what's in there. The past".
Everyone except Tails were now in the common room waiting and looking impatient "He's been working on that thing for weeks. What kind of lightsaber could he possibly build with the junk we have lying around?" Tex said. Sonic shrugged "Well, I had a few spare parts I found over the years". Wave nodded "And I had some bits and pieces that might work, modulation circuits, an energy gate. G-merl even donated a power cell". Sally nodded "I gave him some additional tech. He was pretty specific about what he was looking for". Tails suddenly entered holding a strange device "I thought I' let you check it first" he handed it to Sonic. He examined it, it had an ordinary lightsaber handle but attached to it was a second device. Sonic seemed to think the design was strange "Well, it's different. But that seems about right for you. Go for it" he handed it back to Tails. Tails held it up and ignited it revealing a blue bade. The others started at the blade impressed.