A/N: Wow, this has been in need of an update longer than others, its far too easy to fall behind I find! Real life can sure be interesting, giving one a lot more things to worry enough to. Still, this story is alive and well and its time to show that. As we move onto the next chapter in this tale, with a test for Sonic and his friends from the Drakehedge Queen coming underway. We will now come to see the degree of this magical prowess will amount to, how will they all respond to the test of lure by magic? Let's find out together, as we delve into the chapter!

(End A/N)

Chapter XIV: Temptation & Regret

The test itself was not meant to be more than something to gauge the group and for the Queen to get an idea on how well they could resist. She'd heard nothing but good from her son and daughter on their assistance so far. She had paid little mind to anything of the potential romance that she was certain that she found traces of. With the pink hedgehog looking in on her son Wushan and there being some unspoken tension between the two. While curious, the Queen had no ways of assessing just what it amounted to, if anything at all.

It just meant there was a matter of tradition to consider and whether or not she'd find the emotional bond between the two worth considering when her judgment came into play. Naturally she was not letting herself focus on such mundane things as of yet, especially since she was presently gathering the magical energies necessary to test Sonic and his friends. They were stalwart, brave, and intent in saving the world: that was all she needed to see in terms of valor. They had the quality of Knights from an age long past, such traits were rare to see. This reason also helped her decide to stay her judgment of people in this present age, for if those of such rare caliber could be born, then things were not so different than when the Drakehedge Clan had last been active.

"So when is this test?" the question from the Azure hero seemed eager, as he was naturally, looking forward to it in general.

Already stretching his legs out and propping up, as he imagined that it was going to be something involving physical matter or something that he could face head on. Though the answer from the sitting Queen was one that might throw anyone off who did not know her: granted none present knew her well except for her own children. It was something that was apparent across the faces of all present of the allies to the Drakehedge Clan. Sonic himself, Shadow, Knuckles, Tails, and Amy were all sitting about stunned, how had it started? Everything seemed normal, it was less troubled emotions and more confusion with the moment of trying to sort things out.

They were each subject to a sudden change in the surrounding space, as the air around each of those present seemed to crackle with a soft hum in the air. Just what was going on here? The view darkened and took each of the participants to a field of their own, the mysterious energy was used to teleport both their mind and mental imagines to a separate location of their own minds, while they never actually left the area physically. The Queen had used just the finest of her magic to alter the landscapes within their own mental perceptions of reality in order to use their minds own desires to enact the test. As there was nothing better than tempting someone with what they deeply desired from within, she knew this all too well.

-With Sonic-

The field that Sonic stood in was one he knew all too well, a freely open field that had stretched out for all infinity. Green grass standing tall, animals dancing and simply attending to life in the open, it was a place Sonic frequented and yet...there was no sign of any danger here. No threat that he could witness, it was a strange thing to know it in his bones: this was peace. He started running without warning, just darting off straight ahead and looking out across the open of the landscape as he raced towards the sun on the edge of the horizon with building speed. The air was fresh, crisp, inviting to his nose, he wanted to see more of it and wander into this feeling more. He turned and took off to the rest, racing carefree with a sight of the Tornado overhead.

"Tails!" Sonic's voice called out to his longtime free in glee, leaping up from the ground with a good bit of effort as he twisted in midair and landed on the wing.

While Tails laughed and waved back at him, the azure hedgehog held onto the plane's arm as it started flying for the sky, into the freedom of the blue skies. Without an Eggman Flagship in sight, something began to relay to Sonic a thing that he was suddenly very aware of. He could feel that some things were off and he had no words for it, none of this could be as it seemed right? He could vaguely remember the words from before, a female voice speaking them as an echo in his mind.

'A test for you...' were the words that were whispered somewhere in his mind.

If anything the means of the test for him began to define themselves before the blue hero quickly, even hearing Tails speak to him in that voice he knew so well: it felt wrong to him. Something about this was making him feel a little more anxious as it felt more real than anything he'd sensed before. A perfect concoction of the fresh air, the rush of wind in the face, the sensation of being on the wing of the Tornado? Not one aspect of it felt all that weird to him. That was the problem, as he still remembered something, though with a bit of a muddled difficulty running through his mind.

"So Tails, what's the plan ahead?" Sonic asked, as he decided to change things and in this degree was trying to continue as if all was normal.

This was the hardest thing to resist, some kind of means of settling down. To no longer need to run that way, it was a bad idea, at least now it was nothing that he could afford to do. Not truly capable of letting things tempt him into submission. He faced down the center of his gains, here a chance to just sleep, laze under a tree, and yet it was the realization that too much of that...just wasn't for him. He did want his friends to be happy and never have to worry, but that didn't mean closing an eye to future dangers just because all seemed well.

It wasn't even his fondest wish in some pure form, this was a blend of so many things that he wanted at once. Even knowing that he'd come to a good understanding in such a short time of what it felt like? The next moment as he was being hugged by Amy, Tails, and Knuckles suddenly there patting him on the back: the ease he felt again, tugged him back towards the sensation that 'this might be okay'. It was something that he had to shake off, despite the great wish to embrace it. There was a strange stifling effect about the magic's touch, now that Sonic knew it was there, he actually expected it to let him go.

Certainly the spell flaunted the fact that the hero's struggle was not strong enough to stop it. Instead of easing up, it seemed to double its effort and suddenly Sonic stumbled physically, feeling a little faint, tired, as if he'd been winded by some great effort. The effects of this...reality were suddenly oppressive, even though not in the most negative manner of all, it held him flat.

"Is something wrong, Sonic? Your head feels a little hot, maybe you should lay down." Tails said this while reaching up and gently touching his best friend's forehead.

"Yeah, Sonic you don't seem like yourself." Amy said softly as she drew closer. "Maybe some of my love can heal you!" the way she said so energetically only left him shuddering.

"I'll be fine, just too much air I guess." he said as he hugged Amy and Tails, deciding that the direct approach was likely not going to work in this case.

Sonic settled back into the embrace and had of course by now, looked into the distance of the sky as he was trying to make a connection between his knowledge that this was the 'test' and that this world was false. As Sonic's eyes rested closed, he bit his tongue hard and as the pain washed over him, his vision grew blurry. Was pain what he needed? He again wondered if it was that simple, as knowing alone was just the smallest stepping stone. He could feel that he was on the way to something, the right path out of this mental coliseum was something that he was still working on. At least while he considered what he might have to do in order to bring himself to face this thing down, a strange voice spoke up in the distance, it was one that he did not know.

"There we are...hero, savior, the vast blue azure sky and sea, before my very eyes." the voice off, distorted beyond simple words.

"Who are you?" Sonic asked calmly enough, though he could not keep the concerned look off of his face.

"Saupir, don't you remember your partner?" the crystal-blue colored hedgehog stood out against the sky, as literal light ran through his translucent skin and refracted along his body.

"Partner..? How in...alright pal, what are you going on about?" Sonic asked this while drawing away from Tails and Amy.

"We've been fighting together, from South Island, vowing to bring down Dr. Eggman, remember?" this would-be Saupir smiled, asking him this while offering his hand to the side, as if to help jog Sonic's memory.

Sonic groaned a moment as he felt the pain within his temple, a foggy memory popped up of this strange hedgehog appearing within his memory. He could barely believe that this was his test, he could feel that this creature was the source of his distortion. All that he had to do was beat this guy up right? Sonic felt an anxiousness around him, an unease that was growing within him. As his left foot ground into the Earth, the azure hero all geared up for his next move, he could hear the soft voice of the crystalline hedgehog speaking.

"Do you know if beating me will stop me test..? Do you even think you can defeat me? I wonder what will crumble first, your illusion of ending this so easily or even beating me..." Saupir's words dripped with sinister intent, as did the show of his sharp fangs.

"I'll show you!" he said with a snarl as he tucked into spin dash and revved a few times, before he shot off towards the knock-off hedgehog.

At least the degree building up within the eager hero could not have prepared him for the ease of his opponent's dodge. He'd found few were ever able to dodge him and yet, Saupir did so with relative ease. The crystalline hedgehog's form darted towards Sonic with great speed, though something seemed off about his movement. As if he were not entirely there, the azure hedgehog was already leaping back to avoid the strike. But a familiar pain in is stomach and the sight of a crystal clad fist forced Sonic back to the ground hard.

He was without words for the strike impact on him, it caused so much pain in his ribs that he was forced to double over even before hitting the ground. With a loud thud, Sonic rolled a few times and managed to bring himself back up to a hand and knee quickly. Pain was not new to Sonic, but it was rare that he felt something that hit this hard, with this kind of force that rivaled even the like of Metal Sonic. The biggest difference was that Saupir sauntered over to him and kicked him onto his back, with a foot resting on his chest. The pressure of the heel took Sonic's breath and made him grunt from the force pressing down on him.

"Come on Sonic, this isn't all you've got right? You're a hero...right?" the crystalline hedgehog's form began to shift, growing wider with both arms lingering down as he looked at him and grinned.

The growth of the former 'hedgehog's now grotesque form did not impact Tails or Amy. Both looked on him as if he were normal and while Sonic pushed the foot from his chest, the azure hero managed to get back to his feet and he began to rally. This was nothing too new, none of it was! He wasn't about to let the creature get another leg up on him, both figurative and literally.

"I've had worse than you, pal!" Sonic said this as his feet whipped up in a blur and slammed into the back of the knee that was on his chest. He'd already aimed both feet straight up and kicked Saupir's chest violently to force him back, before rolling on his right and to his hands and knees.

The crystalline hedgehog creature rose to his feet quickly, though feeling the strength of the kick was staggering, it was not enough to slow him too much. He had a single mission, it was to conquer the hedgehog's resistance to his power and then force him into a mental lull. It was a simple job really: to ensure that the hero knew the sway of magical allure, that in itself, an intoxicating sensation to be exposed to. He was determined to complete the job and Sonic's hit and go nature wasn't going to stop him. He was built of a body that spread force impact along a smooth surface, is exactly what made it hard to strike him with enough to cause any real damage.

As Sonic stood tall, he darted towards the crystalline creature's lanky form, spying a point in his right side that he'd choose to hit. The blue blur's speed echoed across the grassy field and as he closed the distance between them in a few milliseconds, Saupir's left hand attempted to sweep the hedgehog off his feet. The hand came within inches of Sonic's feet, before just missing him, as the hero was already in mid leap. Though he'd had to wrench his body into the action, his reflexes made such a feat possible for him without much notable slowdown in his movements.

Sonic lost little movement speed as he slammed his feet forward in a leaping jump kick to the crystalline form's chest with a rough blow. Saupir's right hand rose quickly in order to block a second kick aimed by Sonic, whilst he steadied himself out. The pair traded a few quick blows, and as it seemed strike for strike, Saupir was matching Sonic somehow. The azure hero had no words for why this much slower foe was blocking his kicks and punches as they came. Though Sonic was surprised, his foe was anything but happy with the fact he'd been hit as he had.

Naturally Saupir was not Sonic's match in speed, but as he was in his psyche, he simply read the moves that the young hedgehog attempted with him. However, despite the advantage he had in terms of reading his moves, he should have been able to take point against Sonic. But he found himself simply outpaced, the speed only made things harder for him to keep up with. At least when it came to the raw pace that was set by the hedgehog's breakneck speeds. Still Saupir blocked most of Sonic's attacks, a normal impossibility for one who lacked the speed to keep up.

But every single movement of the crystalline being had been accurate, and timed just about perfectly as he blocked almost each of the strikes. There Sonic certainly rained down blow upon blow against a sturdy body. The blue blur's incredible pace was the only thing going for him and he had few words to describe how frustrating it was for him to miss or be blocked so casually. His right knee rising in a rapid blurred motion, slamming up with authority into the grotesque form's stomach, though he heard a grunt from the impact there was no physical response. Saupir attempted to slice the hedgehog's face and yet all he found was a blade passing through an after image of the blue hero.

"Ha! That all you got man? Come on! It's getting a little old, you reading me and trying to strike me during the vulnerable moments. How weak!" Sonic said with a smirk, though there was some sweat on his cheek, being pressured was something that he was actually enjoying. He was having to work harder, though as his words indicated: he figured out the basics of how Saupir was keeping pace with him and even catching him off guard now and again. In fact, it just led the hedgehog to gauge his pace and to use last minute speed ups to catch the crystalline beast with the force of his blows.

A rising heel struck hard into the base of the light blue chin on the taller brute, and as the blow staggered him, Sonic's right foot lowered down over the crest of Saupir's forehead and kicked his head down towards the ground. Upon the impact, a loud 'thunk!' sounded off, and while Sonic skid backwards, due to his carrying the momentum; he looked on to check the result of his connecting blow. He felt that he was finally getting somewhere since this fight began. 'friggen finally!' the thought ran through his mind as he watched the crystal beast's head raise slowly.

The kick itself had done nothing spectacular, though it had been one of Sonic's full force kicks, it had staggered the brute. Even leaving a small crack at the base of his chin from the raw force, ruining that perfect smooth surface that had been evening out the force projected through Saupir's body. Saupir's snarl rose as he yelled at the hedgehog.

"You rotten little bastard! Do you know what you've done?!" the growl coming showed the malcontent brewing due to Sonic's actions, even enough that the space around the monster shivered visibly.

"Gave you a new way to harmonize sound?" Sonic joked, smirking at the crack he caused, as by now he was pleased to see a reaction that wasn't a smirk from the annoying crystal beast.

The joke was not funny to the beast who let off a snarl and then punched the ground, as his body's visible cracks began to affect the surrounding illusion. The very sky and world began to warp and shift beneath the effects of the impact, as if a tuning fork had been hit. For all of it, as the ground trembled and the crystalline beast flickered out of existence for a moment, Sonic felt himself a bit concerned. At least enough that when Saupir was practically upon him, he was already dodging backwards to try and avoid the next blow.

It was something of a success for the angry creature, as the blow grazed Sonic's abdomen, it marked the effect of the world's fading still gave the 'test' beast itself a chance to finish the Hero and prove him a failure. The wavering world around the two had been something that Sonic almost contemplated for a moment, at least before pulling back a second time. Within the split seconds of thoughts of how to finish it, he came to a point and rushed in; setting himself up to be blocked on a spin dash. At least that was what he expected from Saupir at this point in this part of it.

"We're done..playing!" Saupir bellowed out as he clashed with Sonic.

Bringing both claws towards the attacking hedgehog, his claw grip snagging the barreling hedgehog in that moment. Though the moment he had, the spinning hero's momentum began to force his crystalline form to stress more, spreading the cracks from earlier about them. The 'test' beast couldn't keep himself together, and after Sonic broke through his guard, the spin dash hammered the body over and sent him onto his back. The blue hedgehog uncurled and grunted at the pain he felt shoot through him, just how strong was that grip? He was already reeling from a few earlier assaults on him, even though he'd powered through most of it.

"...The nightmare ends, hedgehog. But you almost succumbed, your soul is weak...you win, but only barely." Saupir's voice crackled, as the light was flimsy, it faded and then crackled away. Leaving Sonic in a dark void, with nothing surrounding him. Was this...the battle's end?

With the ground being covered in the crystalline form, a soft voice spoke to Sonic, as he felt the ground shaking beneath him.

"A battle was won hedgehog, but you struggled hard, this victory shall reveal thine own weaknesses in part. A mask of deceit is your flow and weakness." though that voice was gentle in tone, the words seemed to be apathetic. The words spoken were for Sonic himself to learn, to note of his own weaknesses that were shown. And despite them being that: no weakness was not without a merit to itself, a positive point from the strength of it. The key was to find the balance and keep that very thing from overpowering one and leaving them vulnerable.

His friends were his greatest strength, but here supplied the weakness to his being uncertain at first. He could have trusted his instincts, but was this suddenly a moment to doubt himself? Sonic waved off the voice and grinned at this. "Yeah yeah, I suppose so. But you know what? There's knowing its a weakness and moving forward with it. I'll keep fighting and running until I can't anymore. Ya get my drift? I don't stop when knowing a weakness is about. It's something to spice things in life up."

The answer was something that worked for him, it was a means of affirming himself before the judgment of the spirit. His heart was in sound, though Sonic had moments that would make him weak, he certainly had no intent of being too weak when it counted. It was in that fact when the moment turned against him, that adversity proved to be one of Sonic's greatest strengths. It was a double edged weapon and often enough the blue hedgehog always made it suit his purposes. Of course, as Sonic finally felt the sleepy sensations fading from him, he slowly came to wake.

-Within the guest area-

He was the first to complete the test and to find himself resting on a bed, laid out on a small cot with a blanket over him. Though he came to, he felt very weak, as if he hadn't slept enough at this time. He felt bruises on his body, weakness and other things as a result of what he'd been subjected to. He could not help but wonder, was this what the others were exposed to as well? It was only in the fact that a soothing voice spoke, a female voice that drew his attention.

"Glad to see you awake Sonic, you are the first to pass the test of my mother's. She is rather abrupt in deciding when to administer these things. I'd...wish she gave more warning to you, for that I apologize for her conduct." the voice coming from Lana, shortly after explained that her mother had sent them all under without much warning.

"Ugh...your mom sure a way with a test...that was something else. But it wasn't too bad, she sure gave me a workout. I feel terrible." he said as he mentioned to his physical aches. Briefly moving his body, he felt a set of bruised ribs, which were wrapped, and other varying damage to his body during this time.

"A side effect of the realistic situation that my mother has set for you and your friends." Lana said as she patted his shoulder gently. "You really are a hero in the face of adversity. I hope the others share your ability in that light." she said as she responded in some hope.

The blue hero gave her a thumbs up and grinned at that, it was a fact to him that they could. There was no difficulty here, it was simply a matter of them finding their way once they broke the illusion. Lana found herself reassured by his words, even more by the assured grin on his face. The Drakehedge princess was just glad to see the spirit did not leave him despite the situation they were in. Even though not grim, things were still fairly bad with the source of the arcane still around after surviving a battle with their group and the youngest of them.

"Hey Lana, don't let it get you down, we'll save the day, its what we do! And besides, this has been one heck of an adventure so far." he said with a laugh at that, as he felt that it was simply the truth. No amount of offering from this source of power was going to sway him. He knew that Shadow and Knuckles were like minded in this as well, there was no way they'd be swayed by false wishes.

It was simply a measure of time that would be telling here. As Sonic looked on, he eyed the downed Knuckles, Shadow, and Tails in bed, when did he get here? Was he put under at some point? It was one of many questions he wanted to ask, but for now he had to wait to see if he could get any answers. For the moment, he was absolutely worn down by the struggle with the encounter he'd had. He felt troubled deep down over part of what he was presented with, as even though he overcame it? He had to admit that for a time even he was tempted by it. And while he had faith, he knew that Shadow and Knuckles might next have the worst temptation brought before them.

(End Chapter)

We have a long overdo chapter finally done! I am not dead yet at least, and certainly not done. My fanfics each mean a ton to me and have waaay more to go. Here we have Sonic as the first to finish his trial. It was rough, but what does this mean for his friends? We will find out, soon as I manage the next chapter!

Please stay tuned, thanks for your patience!

-Quentix