Chapter 63-

The Three Trials

Soundtrack for this chapter:

* Sonic Colors Drowning theme: watch?v=HMUOMZNEzXw

Planet Meridian

Robotnik and Eggatha arrived on Planet Meridian, finding themselves in a massive city, a sign nearby reading "Welcome to New Tek City." They were about to start asking around, when suddenly they saw two separate groups of people wearing gaudy costumes getting into a massive fight in the middle of town. People ran away before just going back to their business.

"Uh…" Eggatha began, "what's going on here?"

"Eh, it's the Justice Brigade and Discriminators at it again," a citizen nearby said casually.

"What, pray tell, are they fighting about?" Robotnik questioned.

"The Brigade are heroes, the Discriminators are villains," the citizen replied. "Heroes and villains fight all the time. It's as simple as that."

"Do they even know what they're fighting about?" Eggatha asked.

"Does it matter?" the citizen shrugged before walking away, leaving both Robotnik and Eggatha confused.

"It seems the Special Zone is more 'special' than we thought," Robotnik muttered at last.

"Apparently," Eggatha agreed. "How are we gonna find Metal?"

"There has to be someone around here who knows where to find the Little Planet," Robotnik replied.

As they looked around, they spotted what looked like a scientific laboratory up ahead, the sigh declaring it to be Equinox.

"That looks promising," Eggatha said.

They approached, knocking on the door. It was soon answered by a Mobian crocodile in a lab coat.

"Hello, can I help you?" the crocodile asked.

"Yes," Robotnik said politely. "We're trying to find the Little Planet. I understand it floats somewhere around the Special Zone when it's not on Mobius."

"Ah yes, the disappearing planet," the crocodile mused. "It's quite an interesting phenomenon. Please, come in."

They entered, seeing Equinox's staff consisted entirely of Mobian crocodiles.

"Whoa…" Eggatha let out. "So many crocodiles."

The lead crocodile led them to a device, pressing a button and projecting a hologram.

"Here is the disappearing planet's known orbit," he explained. "While it had been suffering from a delay, a recent freak incident set it back on course. It will pass by Meridian within the hour."

"Then all we have to do is wait," Robotnik mused.

"Tell me something," the crocodile requested. "Just out of curiosity, why are you so desperate to get to the disappearing planet?"

"A friend of ours was left stranded on it when it departed Mobius," Eggatha explained. "We... weren't too keen on waiting an entire year for it to come back to see him again."

"Ah, such a noble cause," the crocodile mused. "If there's any way me and mine can help you, you need only name it."

If Robotnik wasn't wearing his shades, the crocodile would have been able to see him rolling his eyes at the thought of anything he does being a "noble" cause.

"All we need is the means to get to the planet once it enters Meridian's orbit," he said out loud.

"Of course," the crocodile said. "We can lend you one of our crafts to get to the planet."

"Thank you, my good sir," Robotnik replied politely.

Lost Labyrinth Zone

Meanwhile, as they departed the ruined Casino Street, Sonic and Tails discussed the source of the former's Chaos lightning.

"I think I've figured it out," Tails declared.

"Really?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah," Tails nodded. "This lightning is Chaos energy, right? That means it's tied to your emotions. Think back. All the times you activated it before, what were you feeling?"

"Well…" Sonic mused. "Anger. Fear for my friends, my family."

"Not anger," Tails clarified. "Righteous fury, a desire to protect. When it started turning black back at Casino Street, I figure it was less a desire to protect and more vengeful rage."

"Yeah, that makes sense," Sonic agreed. "So if I want to call on it at will, I need to channel my... righteous fury?"

"The desire to protect your loved ones and friends, yes," Tails nodded.

"Good to know," Sonic nodded.

Eventually, they came across the entryway for a group of old ruins, looking them over.

"This must be the Lost Labyrinth," Tails realized.

"Not very 'lost' if we can just walk up and find it in the open," Sonic noted.

"I think in this case, 'lost' means lost to time," Tails explained. "As in it's been abandoned."

"Fair enough," Sonic conceded. "Then again, the 'Here-it-is-come-inside-and-have-a-chili-dog Labyrinth' doesn't have the same ring to it."

They both laughed as they approached the entrance. Once they crossed the threshold, there was a click and a massive hologram popped up in front of them. It showed a figure completely cloaked in a brown robe, a hood obscuring their face. Both boys jumped back in alarm, Tails leaping into Sonic's arms. After a minute, they took in the sight, and Tails realized where he was and got down.

"Sorry about that," he said sheepishly. "Spooked me."

"Spooked me too, buddy," Sonic replied. "Think this guy's an Ancient?"

"I'm gonna go ahead and say yes," Tails replied as the figure began to speak.

"To those who seek the treasure of the Labyrinth, know that only those who prove themselves worthy will live to see it."

"Treasure?" Sonic repeated, perking somewhat. "That's gotta be what Snively's after!"

"But, if you believe yourself pure of heart, mind, and soul, you need only pass three trials." The figure held up three fingers. "The Trial of Intelligence, the Trial of Darkness, and the Trial of Water."

"Sounds simple enough-" Sonic cut off as the last trial registered and he stiffened. "Did he say water?

"Complete these trials, and the treasure is yours. Fail them, and you will join all those who have come before and failed."

With that, the hologram flickered off.

"Water…" Sonic grumbled. "Why does it always have to be water?"

"Well, seventy percent of Mobius' surface is water," Tails pointed out.

Sonic sighed. "Let's get this over with."

They entered, unaware of Snively and Brutus watching from the bushes.

"Gotta love it when someone does all the hard work for you," he smirked.

"Now what?" Brutus asked.

"Now we wait," Snively replied. "Sonic and Tails will pass these trials for us. And once they do, we drop in and take that power source."

As Sonic and Tails went along, they continued to discuss things.

"So, wonder what the trial of intelligence will involve?" Sonic wondered. "Puzzle solving? Math?"

They soon came across a fork in the path.

"Alright, which way?" Tails asked.

"Moe," Sonic said simply.

"Moe?"

"Sure. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe."

Tails shrugged before performing the chant, pointing at the left path.

"This way," he said.

They headed down the path, only to hit a dead end. They also heard an ominous clicking sound that was almost like a timer.

"That doesn't sound good." Sonic noted.

Suddenly, a shadow overtook them. Sonic jumped back, bringing Tails with him seconds before a massive boulder slammed down inches from their snouts.

"This is a test of brain power?" Sonic demanded. "Smashing the trial-goers into oblivion with a giant rock? Seriously?!"

"It's a maze," Tails pointed out. "We get something wrong, we die."

"Well, then it's a good thing we've got Sonic speed on our side," Sonic said.

That's when the boulder began slowly moving forward, and the pair realized they were on an incline going down. They exchanged looks before screaming what was on their mind in unison:

"RUN AWAY!"

Sonic grabbed Tails and they bolted, rounding a corner as the boulder threatened to squish them. It went rolling past down the second fork, and a crash was heard. That was when the entire area was filled with ominous ticking.

"Oh, crap…" Sonic let out.

Boulder began dropping down everywhere. They took off running as one came after them. As Sonic looked around, an idea formed in his head. Without warning, he jumped on the still-running Tails' shoulders.

"Sonic, what are you-?!" Tails let out.

Holding his arms up, Sonic grabbed a low hanging bar, spinning himself around while holding Tails with his legs. They flipped up before landing on the boulder.

"Whoa!" Tails exclaimed.

"These things can't smash us if we're on top of them," Sonic pointed out as they ran. "And look! We can see the entire maze!"

"Even better, we can get onto the wall!"

"Exactly! Trial of Intelligence: working smarter, not harder."

They jumped up, pulling themselves atop the wall.

"Alright," Tails declared. "Let's get moving."

They hopped along the wall, occasionally bouncing off of a boulder to get to the next wall. Before long, they reached the end of the maze. Tails spied a torch on the wall next to them, with the hallway ahead being pitch black.

"And now," he announced, "the Trial of Darkness."

Sonic grabbed the torch. "Should've brought a flashlight. This'll have to do."

They walked deeper into the cave, eventually finding themselves standing on a train track.

"Tracks?" Sonic asked.

Tails knelt down, examining them. "Must've been a mine."

"If that's true, then where's the-" Sonic banged his shin against the mine cart before he could even finish his sentence. He let out a pained shout, hopping around as he clutched his shin, letting out incoherent rants as he did.

"There it is," Tails remarked.

"Oh really, Tails?" Sonic said flatly. "I think I figured that out when I shattered my leg like a dinner plate against it."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Tails told him.

Sonic finally stopped hopping, and they looked it over.

"So, what?" Sonic asked. "We ride the cart down the pitch black tunnels, using the torch so we don't crash?"

Tails squinted in the dark, seeing numerous unlit torches on the wall. "And use it to light the torches on the way."

"This thing is a few hundred years old," Sonic remarked. "It's a screaming metal death trap."

After a minute, he shrugged. "Well, we don't have any other options."

The duo hopped in, and the light on the cart's front flickered on as they started going.

"Alright," Sonic decided. "So far, so good."

That was when they went down an incline and screamed down the tracks at an alarming speed.

"One of us had to say something, didn't they?" Tails deadpanned.

"I was against this from the start!" Sonic shot back.

As they continued down the track, they realized there was a ramp ahead.

"Oh, great…" Sonic grumbled.

They braced themselves as they went over the ramp, sailing before landing hard and rattling the two Mobians. Before long, they saw themselves rapidly approaching the end of the track. Sonic scrambled around, looking for anything to stop the crazy cart.

"No brakes?!" he shouted. "Seriously?!"

"Time to bail!" Tails yelled. "On three! One, two-!"

It was at that moment that the cart reached the end of the track, stopping so suddenly that Sonic and Tails went flying out. Tails grabbed Sonic, spinning his tails to slow their descent so the landing wasn't too rough as their torches went flying.

"Y'know, Tails, in the future, let's not waste time with a three-count and just bail," Sonic suggested.

As they got up, the duo looked to see their torches had landed near a red colored rope, and had ignited it. It was slowly burning down as they looked on..

"Tails," Sonic began, totally deadpan and calm. "Is that red rope what I think it is?"

"Are you thinking it's a fuse leading to a stick of dynamite somewhere?" Tails asked, also completely calm as Sonic nodded. "Then yes, it is."

"Okay," Sonic agreed. "So… let's take cover."

They ran behind the mine cart, covering their ears and bracing themselves. Soon, a massive BOOM! shook the area around them. Rock shrapnel pelted the mine cart, and once things settled down, Tails slowly peeked out to see a massive wall that had been blocking their way had been blown to smithereens.

"So... what exactly does dynamite have to do with a trial of darkness?" Sonic questioned.

"Wish I knew," Tails noted.

They saw more red fuses down the hall, each attached to different walls.

"So, apparently we need to set off dynamite to get through this trial," Sonic deadpanned. "Talk about ending things with a bang."

"Let's do it," Tails nodded.

Sonic picked up his torch, and the two continued along, igniting any dynamite fuses they came across while making sure to give them a wide berth.

"Alright, that's all of them," Sonic noted. "Now… duck and cover!"

They dashed back to the minecart, Sonic tipping it over and allowing Tails to crawl under it before doing the same. They covered their ears and braced themselves as a massive blast sounded, followed by the sound of rocks falling.

"Please tell me that's the last explosion we have to deal with," Sonic pleaded.

"Hard to say," Tails admitted.

They headed through the cleared path, the sound of running water soon meeting their ears.

"And now, the Trial of Water," Sonic sighed. "They saved the best for last, eh?"

"You can do it," Tails assured. "I know you can."

Sonic headed to the edge, seeing the water rippling before them.

"Okay, I have an idea how this might go," he said. "Underwater maze that we have to get through before we drown."

"Probably," Tails agreed. "You gonna be okay?"

Sonic sighed. "I'll live. We've made it this far already, so let's just get this over with."

Both of them took deep breaths and dove into the water. Sonic forced himself to focus on happy thoughts as they made their way through the aquatic maze. As they swam, they found several twists and turns, as well as the fact that the tunnels were completely devoid of air pockets. *Before long, Sonic clutched his throat. Tails looked, his eyes widening to see him a much paler shade of blue. The duo looked around frantically for any relief or salvation. It was then that they noticed a stream of bubbles coming from a crack in the floor. Desperate to try anything, and a bit loopy from the lack of oxygen, Sonic darted over to the bubbles just as a particularly large bubble came out. He stuck his head in, taking a deep breath. Shockingly, it worked, and he quickly waved Tails over to do the same. Tails stuck his head in a second bubble, inhaling.* With their oxygen replenished, the duo decided not to question it and continued through the maze. They found several more cracks, placed in opportune places. Finally, the two reached the end of the maze, pulling themselves up and out of the water. Sonic collapsed in relief.

"Oh, sweet dry land…" he sighed.

"Okay, I'll admit that was a bit much," Tails agreed.

Once they got their bearings, Sonic and Tails got up, seeing they were before an altar. On the altar was a football-sized blue gemstone which appeared as a cluster of rugged crystals, giving off a faint glow and sparkles. As they approached, the Ancient hologram appeared again.

"Congratulations, travelers," the hologram greeted. "You have survived the trials of the Labyrinth. You are worthy of the Fregosi Sapphire."

"Fregosi Sapphire?" Sonic repeated.

"The Fregosi Sapphire contains great power, and with it comes great responsibility," the Ancient explained. "Eons ago, we Ancients conducted research into the Chaos Emeralds, working to find a way to harness their Chaos energy within for good. Through this, we created such artifacts as the sapphire before you, hiding it within the labyrinth and arranging the three trials so only the worthy may obtain it."

"Whoa…" Tails went out. "Guess these guys knew it would be sought after."

"Indeed."

The duo stiffened, whirling around to see Snively emerge from the water behind them in a scuba mask with Brutus in tow.

"Thank you for your help, Sonic," Snively gloated. "I never would have been able to find this power source had you and your fox friend not done all the work on the trials for me."

Sonic scowled in disgust. "Just like you, Snively. Why do any hard work for yourself when you can pawn it off on someone else?"

"You did not pass the tests," the Ancient spat. "You are not permitted to touch the Fregosi Sapphire."

Brutus scoffed. "Like we're going to listen to the pre-recorded message of a dead guy."

They made for the Sapphire, only for Sonic to step between them and it.

"You heard the dead guy," the Blue Blur said. "Back off or we'll make you."

"The Fregosi Sapphire is only for the pure of heart," the hologram insisted.

"I'm not leaving without that sapphire!" Brutus snapped. "With it, I'll gain the power I need to crush Dr. Robotnik's enemies!" He pointed at Sonic. "Starting with you!"

"Bring it!" Sonic shot back.

A fight broke out, Sonic, Tails, and Brutus clashing furiously. While they were distracted, Snively made a beeline for the sapphire, grinning.

"Now we'll see whether or not Agatha is better than me, won't we, uncle?"

He grabbed it, picking it up. Suddenly, the hologram appeared once more, looking enraged.

"INFIDEL! You were warned! The Fregosi Sapphire is not meant for you!"

"And what are you going to do about it?!" Snively shot back. "You're a hologram!"

As if in answer, the Sapphire began glowing brighter and brighter.

"Tails…" Sonic began, "now might be a good time to take cover."

The two hit the deck as a massive wave of power surged out, snatching up Snively and Brutus and pushing them back, carrying them away and out of the Labyrinth. As he was dragged off, Snively had one last thing to scream:

"DAMN YOU, SONIIIIIIIC!"

His voice faded away until cutting out completely. Sonic and Tails slowly raised their heads.

"That's what you get!" Tails called after him. "Cheaters never prosper in the long run, Baldy Longnose!"

Sonic cracked up at that, standing up.

"I am so remembering that," he chuckled as he picked up the sapphire. "Y'know, maybe this thing's safer here in the Labyrinth than with us."

"That's what I was thinking," Tails agreed. "I mean, what are the odds Eggman and his goons are gonna try to clear the trials fair and square?"

"My thoughts exactly," Sonic put the sapphire back on the altar. The hologram appeared a second time.

"So, you do not desire the power of the Fregosi Sapphire. I can't say I blame you."

"We're more interested in keeping it out of the wrong hands, honestly," Sonic admitted before leaning over to Tails. "If I look crazy talking to him, just keep in mind that this guy could be a pre-recorded hologram, or an A.I., or some kinda ghost."

"Wasn't gonna say anything," Tails assured.

"Artificial Intelligence is the closest approximation to what I am," the hologram admitted. "You could say I'm alive, in a way. Ultimately, I'm the afterimage of the mind that was the Ancient known as Tempo. An echo."

"A digitized consciousness…" Tails realized. "Wow."

"Indeed," Tempo confirmed. "I am grateful that true, pure souls have found this place."

"Well... you're welcome," Sonic replied. "But we gotta keep going now. Chase Snively and his goons off the island."

Tempo smiled. "Solaran's convictions live on to this day, I see. It's good to see Mobius is not yet out of heroes."

With that, the hologram turned off, leaving Sonic and Tails confused.

"Solaran?" Sonic asked, scratching his head. "Where have I heard that name before…"

"A mystery for another day," Tails decided. "C'mon. We better go track Snively and Brutus down."

Meridian

Back in the Special Zone, Robotnik and Eggatha were on a rocket, preparing to launch as the Little Planet drifted into orbit above Meridian.

"There it is," Eggatha said. "Little Planet."

"Prepare to launch!" Robotnik ordered.

After the ten-count, the rocket launched, rushing toward the Little Planet at breakneck speed.

"Just hang in there a little longer, Metal," Eggatha said softly. "We're coming to take you home."

Author's Note:

Well, that's that. Snively has been prevented from looting the Fregosi Sapphire, and Robotnik and Eggatha are on the verge of finding Metal Sonic.

The Fregosi Sapphire is from Sonic Boom, and is meant to serve as a replacement for the magenta orb that Metal Sonic finds in Episode Metal, the one that lets him shoot energy blasts and lightning and all that in Episode II. Not really much of a spoiler, so I'm not too worried about it. Planet Meridian and everything and everyone one it are from Sonic the Comic, but the idea that the Little Planet goes to the Special Zone when it doesn't appear over Mobius is my own idea.

Tempo is my own creation. For his name, I decided to give any named Ancients in this story music themed names, to go with Lyric's.

Next chapter, Sonic and Tails face off with Snively at the Mad Gear Zone, while Robotnik and Eggatha search Stardust Speedway for Metal Sonic.

Please R&R. Until next time!