"So, THE Bulk Biceps himself says I'm taking too long, right? He asks me to hurry up with my order, so I turn to look him in the eye. Big guys like him don't scare me! Anyways, he asks if there's a problem. I say no. But little does he know in that split-second of time before I answered, BAM! Silly face with the marker used to put your names on the cups! Glasses, mustache, even a new nose! Ha! It took all my willpower to not crack up or smile in the slightest! He just said 'There better not be.'. Lemme tell ya, I was snickering a little bit when I walked outta line. The girl at the counter even asked if they were prescription or if he was trying to look smart! Oh, that was hilarious!"
Rainbow Dash threw her head back in laughter at Sonic's story. "Why didn't I think of that?! That would've been so awesome- ha, ha, ha!"
Applejack couldn't help but smile at that herself. Her jade eyes rested on the long stretch of highway road that went as far as the eye could see. According to Twilight when they got on, it would take them right to Manehattan. As for good news, it wouldn't be a boring trip with Sonic as entertainment.
"Yes, that… that actually sounds pretty funny," Fluttershy added. "At least you didn't hurt him."
"Pft! As if he could hurt Bulk Biceps!" Sunset brushed off. "Anyway, you've certainly been through a lot, have you?"
"You know it, Shim! Wouldn't have it any other way!"
"Wait, wait!" Twilight interrupted. "Everyone, quiet!" The truck fell silent, save for the rumbling engine and the faint voice of-
"AJ, turn that up."
The cowgirl turned the knob on the radio, allowing the voice to flow into the cabin. It was a news station, and if it was any other day, someone would get bored quickly and Rainbow would request some tunes. But today, everyone listened closely while Sonic, AJ, Rainbow, and Twilight leaned forward a little bit.
"For those of you just joining us, a government investigation into the roadside tavern known as the Piston Pit has been underway since seven o'clock this morning."
"The Piston Pit?" Rarity piped up. "Isn't that where you four had a little tussle last night?"
"Only a few injuries were accounted for, and possible culprits are considered to be at large. Lead specialist Kintobor is leading the investigation and currently tracking down said culprits. He assures the public has nothing to worry about."
"Kintobor?" Applejack questioned, slightly turning the radio back down. "Hmm… call me crazy, but something about that name doesn't feel right."
"You said it," Sonic replied, hand brushing his chin in thought. "Kintobor, Kintobor, Kin… to… bor… oh, crud!"
"Don't tell me…" Rainbow cut in. "That's Robotnik spelled backward, isn't it?"
"Absolutely. Guys, I think he's onto us."
"Oh, no…" Twilight mumbled.
"Relax!" AJ chuckled. "We're miles away from that place! The only thing he'll be onto is a long, empty road!"
"Well…" Twilight rebutted, starting to count on her fingers. "Judging by the advanced technology at his disposal, he could be calculating the quickest route to Manehattan, determining the speed of this vehicle, and checking local weather conditions, he could be catching up to us right… now?"
She quickly peeked out her window. To her relief, there was no truck or car behind them for miles. She exhaled lightly, adjusted her glasses, and got back into her seat.
"Why would weather conditions be a factor?" Rainbow commented, a highway on-ramp shooting past the truck. "Is he too afraid he'll get his drones wet? Maybe scratch up the truck's paint job?"
"Or perhaps hydroplaning?" Twilight suggested. Sonic just brushed her off.
"You worry too much, Twi! If he sends some drones over here, I'll just bash 'em all like they're RC planes!"
"Uh… guys?" Fluttershy squeaked from the back.
"The point is, this should be nothing to you girls! You've faced all kinds of crazy magic, so some guy with a bunch of robots at his disposal? Piece of cake!"
"Cake sounds nice and all…" Pinkie whimpered. "But-"
"All in all, I won't be surprised if he catches us sooner or later. This truck can outrun that big lug of a trailer, right, AJ?"
"I… I guess so," the cowgirl replied.
"Girls, we should-" Rarity piped up.
"Personally, I think it's enough I'm dealing with one genius right now. Who's actually pretty cool." Sonic threw a wink in Twilight's direction, who just sheepishly smiled and rubbed an arm. "I, um, I appreciate that, but Sunset's just as smart as I am, FYI."
"And I appreciate that," the red-orange haired girl called from the back in an alarmed tone. "But I really think we need to-"
"Hold on, Sun. Lemme wrap this up. When that jerk comes, we'll be ready for him. After all, your new best friend is a magnet for danger!"
KRACK!
"WHOA!" Sonic jolted up in his seat while everyone else shouted in alarm. Right between him and the startled Applejack was a huge metal harpoon that had dug clean into the dashboard! Sparks flickered in and out of sight, all four pairs of eyes tracing the line to its source.
And right behind Applejack's pickup truck was a large, black tank-like vehicle! Along with tearing up part of the backseat, the harpoon had shattered the back window. Everyone else in the back had their heads turned to the sudden arrival.
"Uh, sorta just like that!" Sonic gasped out, staring at the harpoon that would've impaled him if he wasn't careful enough.
"Don't say we didn't warn you!" Pinkie yelled.
Applejack sharply turned the wheel, sending the truck swerving into the left lane. The harpoon was wedged in tight, the line now nearly touching Rainbow Dash. Clenching her teeth, she swerved back into the right lane. The harpoon still didn't budge, and everyone in the back had to try their best to not fall out of the truck.
"I can't get it loose! This thing's stubborn as a mule!"
"I got it!" Sonic called, unbuckling his seatbelt and grabbing into the harpoon with both hands. Squeezing his eyes shut, he pulled as hard as he could. "Hnnngh! Hrrrgh! Come ooon!" He tried jiggling it to loosen it up. "Stupid… thing… won't… budge! Nnngh!"
"Uh, guys?" Rainbow questioned. "Is it just me… or are we starting to slow down?"
Twilight looked back at the tank. "If I had to guess…" She hypothesized. "I think it's...pulling us in!"
"FLOOR IT, AJ!" yelled Rainbow. The cowgirl didn't need to be told twice; she stomped down hard on the gas. The truck's engine roared, catching everyone in the back by surprise. All this did was wiggle the harpoon and produce some sparks from the busted radio.
"Argh!" Applejack cried, once again steering sharply to the right. The harpoon still didn't break free… but the truck shuddered violently, AJ realizing too late that she had hit a barrier on the side of the road. Everyone rocked in their seats from the impact.
Everyone but Sonic.
The boy was sent flying out the window with a surprised yell. He grabbed the passenger-side mirror just in time… but instead of hanging on to the truck, this redirected his momentum and sent him tumbling right onto the hood.
"Ugh… close one." he groaned.
"Sonic! You okay?!"
"Don't worry about me, Dashie! AJ! MOVE this piece of tin!"
"Whattaya THINK I'm doin'?!"
Sonic's gaze redirected to the tank. If the harpoon couldn't be wrenched free, he'd have to take out the tank. But… how? He'd never tangled with something this big before! Would he even dent it?
"No," he whispered to himself. "Don't think, Sonic. Just go, go, go like you've always done. You got this. You can do this. Just focus. Let the magic build."
The boy stared down the tank with a determined expression, slowly feeling the energy and magic billow up inside of him. His bodily functions began to kick into overdrive, azure lightning sparkled off of him, and his cheerful jade eyes turned into ferocious blue orbs.
From his peripheral vision, he noticed Rainbow and Twilight both react to his change in appearance. The genius was wide-eyed and looked as if she was about to faint, while the tomboy had a hand over her open mouth. Sonic could almost see his own reflection in her magenta eyes…
"Hold on, y'all!" AJ shouted, stomping down hard somewhere Sonic couldn't see. Immediately, the car lurched from its sudden acceleration… and Sonic was flung from the truck like a boulder in a catapult.
In the brief moment in which the boy was airborne, he could see the stunned and awestruck reactions of Pinkie Pie, Sunset, Rarity, and Fluttershy. The girls looked like they were seeing new, unfamiliar magic they had no idea what to do about… and they were right.
The harpoon was flying out from the car; AJ suddenly slamming on the brakes was enough to pop it from the dashboard. It was sailing back to the tank, which was now detecting Sonic.
Sonic closed his eyes, calming himself for a maneuver he'd barely done for so long. He exhaled slowly, allowed time to resume its normal pace… and he curled up just before he could hit the road.
…
The Equestria Girls could barely keep up with what was happening. Sonic sliding out onto the hood, his body becoming a living light show, AJ braking and launching him skyward…
...and now, the boy hit the highway in a blue spinning ball of light. It rolled away at breakneck speed, emitting a high-pitched whirring noise as it raced right for the tank. In all but a few seconds, the sapphire sphere smashed against the tank's front wheel with a loud shattering crash.
The massive vehicle was flung into the air, surrounded by sapphire lightning. Smoke and flames flew from where it was hit, metallic debris clattering to the ground. The tank suddenly slammed into the asphalt, digging it up as the metal screeched in agony. Toppled onto its side, the machine came to a complete stop.
"Go back! GO BACK!" Sunset yelled, slapping the top of the cabin with one palm. The screeching of tires and sudden turn of the vehicle suggested her reply went answered. Applejack sped back to the smoking wreckage of the tank, coming to a stop just in front of it.
"Sonic?" Rainbow called. "Sonic!" Twilight's eyes were wide in amazement- as if she had just made a scientific breakthrough- while Pinkie had her jaw popped open.
"I-I don't see him!" Fluttershy squeaked.
"What was he thinking?!" Rarity yelled. "He could've gotten hurt!"
"Wait, there!" Sunset shouted, pointing to something in the smoke. Everyone focused their eyes on the cloud… and made out a figure stumbling through. That figure was none other than Sonic, groaning and clutching his head.
"Guess I had a bonus life…" he slumped against the wrecked tank, holding himself with one hand. His eyes perked open, realizing he was touching something. When he looked up and identified what the surface was… all grogginess was replaced by sudden happiness.
"Ah, ha, ha, ha! Oh, yeah, baby!" he cheered, breaking into a victory dance. "Sonic: one, a big tank: zero! I'm sorry, did we get that on camera?!"
"Aww…" moaned Pinkie. "Now I wish I did."
"Did… did we know he could do that?" Fluttershy asked. Rarity just shook her head while Applejack cracked a smile at the boy's moves. "How are you not dead?!"
"I have no idea!" Sonic called back, swaying from side to side. "Do you see me dancing?"
"Yeah, yeah, we see you dancing, kid," Rainbow replied with a smirk of her own. Sonic turned back to the tank with a challenging gesture. "Hey, Robuttnik! Is that all you got?!"
…
"Hey, Robuttnik! Is that all you got?!"
From the safety of his mobile lab, Robotnik just smirked at the boy's confidence. "No…" he answered, going through a holographic selection. "But thank you for asking."
…
Just as Sonic said that, Twilight noticed something odd happening to the tank. Its interior was shifting around… and its main optic sensor was shrinking. And judging from Sonic's reaction, that meant nothing good.
"Uh oh!"
"Sonic!" Applejack called. "I think it's time for you to get back in the truck!"
"You go!" he answered, pointing down the highway. "I'll catch up!"
AJ stepped on the gas, steering the truck back onto the road and driving off. A few seconds later, a bolt of blue light flashed to the side of the vehicle. Sonic pried open the door, swung his way inside, and shut the door behind him. Everyone turned back to the wrecked vehicle…
...and witnessed a smaller robotic vehicle pop out, hitting the ground rolling.
"I think that tank just had a baby," Sonic commented. This earned some uneasy expressions from Sunset and Twilight.
The smaller vehicle's engine whined like a race car's as it chased after AJ's truck. "Well, at least this doesn't have a harpoon, right?"
"INCOMING!" Sonic screamed, prompting AJ to instinctively swerve to the left lane. But this time, no harpoon sailed past. Instead, a small disc slid down the asphalt. Twilight gulped when she saw it. "Wh-what is that? A bomb? Is… is he trying to blow us up?!"
The disc attached itself to another car up ahead… and the vehicle surged with electric currents. The tires squealed as the car skidded off-road. While everyone else watched the spinout, Twilight just sighed in relief. "Whew… EMP mine. Better… but still bad."
Something moved past the young genius and into the back cab. Twilight and Rainbow turned to see Sonic's face among the ones in the back. "Hey, where ya going?" AJ called quizzically.
"Just drive the car!" Sonic shouted back, making his way to the edge of the truck. "I'll take care of this! And if I don't make it, just ditch me!" He hopped onto the edge, clinging to the truck with one hand. "You're getting good at that."
More mines launched from the robot, speeding towards the truck. Ignoring the looks of the other four girls in the cab, the boy jumped from the truck and onto the road. Down the highway he ran, catching one of the mines in a dive. He threw it at another mine, landing on two others and riding them. He snatched up one more mine from the road, then jumped high and flipped around in the air…
...successfully landing on the vehicle. Sonic bent over, staring it in the optic from upside-down. "Hey, everyone! Welcome back to my livestream!" he shouted. "Today, we're destroying robots! Step one…"
He slapped the mine over the robot's optical sensor, short-circuiting the entire vehicle. He jumped off and sped back to the truck, leaving the robot to flip, crash, and burn off to the side of the road.
"Yes, we did it!"
A third, smaller robot with one wheel raced out from the wreckage.
"We did not do it."
"Just who is this guy?" Rainbow asked in an annoyed tone. "And why does he want to get you so badly?"
Sonic shrugged and swung into the backseat. "Guess I have that certain effect on people."
"Alright, that does it!" AJ shouted. "Someone else take the wheel!"
Sonic sprouted to attention. "Oh, oh! Me, me, me! I'll drive!"
"Wha- you?!" Twilight gasped.
"You're thirteen, for Pete's sake!" Rainbow gawked in disbelief.
"True, but I've done some racing video games with a steering wheel controller! I know what I'm doing!"
"That's not the same-" Twilight objected.
"Any day now, guys!" AJ called, impatient. Sonic immediately bolted to the driver's seat, getting himself comfortable while AJ climbed into the back. "Just keep it going straight! I put it in cruise control!"
"Oh, ho, ho, ho! Let's go, baby!" Sonic shouted gleefully. He nearly had to resist the urge to floor it. Applejack pushed open Twilight's door, a sledgehammer in hand. The robot was approaching fast, extending two tire-shredding spikes on its wheels. AJ held the hammer steady, preparing to bash the machine in.
The car veered to the right, and she had to fight to keep herself steady. So much for keeping the car straight. "Gah! Where'd you learn how to drive?!"
While Rainbow and Twilight shared a nervous look, everyone else in the back was trying to keep themselves in the cab. "Here! In this truck!" Sonic answered from out of view. "It's happening as we speak!"
Now, Applejack was starting to have second thoughts. The truck swerved from side to side, making her swings with the hammer harder to land. The robot matched pace with the truck, unwilling to lose its target. AJ gritted her teeth as if she was dealing with a stubborn animal instead of a machine.
"I can't reach it! Bring it in closer!"
"What?"
"Bring it in closer! Hit the brakes!"
"Oh! You mean this one?"
The truck's engine roared, and AJ slightly tipped. Twilight reached out to catch her, and the two shared a grateful look. Rainbow Dash just cringed and facepalmed. "The other brakes!" she cried.
Now, the truck suddenly jolted back, nearly throwing everyone forward. Sunset almost went headfirst through the window while everyone else in the back toppled over. The robot, having unpredicted the move, rammed into the open door. Applejack grinned to herself… and swung the hammer upward. A satisfying smack rang in her ears, and the robot lost balance, smashing into the road. "Yee-haw!"
Everyone cheered, save for the woozy Rainbow and the stunned Sunset. AJ got back in the driver's seat, although Sonic looked a little disappointed that he was no longer behind the wheel. "Over already?" he commented. "You think a mega genius like him would have more in store."
…
"OOOH!" Robotnik howled in frustration. "GIVE ME A BIG! FAT! BREAK!"
…
Unbeknownst to Sonic, he would be proven right. Robotnik wasn't finished with them yet… and his last toy was inbound right for them. The boy in blue stared down the road in boredom. If he was still driving, they'd have gotten there much faster.
Something just outside his window caught his eye. After a quick look in the back, he noticed Pinkie, Sunset, Fluttershy, and Rarity had also taken notice. He looked out his window…
...and saw a tiny helicopter-like drone.
"Aww, this one is cute!" he said to the others. "Let's keep him!"
"Yeah!" Pinkie cheered. "Can we, can we, pleeeease?"
"I don't know," Twilight replied. "As much as I prefer robot pets myself, I wouldn't want Spike to get a little-"
BZZZZZZZZ!
His face dropped, Sonic turned to look out the window again to investigate the strange sound. This time, he saw the drone cutting a laser right through the door!
"AH!" Everyone yelled out. There wasn't much any of them could do against this.
"Oh, come on!" Rainbow cried in frustration.
"How can something so adorable be so terrible?!" Sonic asked in a panic.
"Not cute anymore! NOT CUTE ANYMORE!" Pinkie screamed.
Applejack desperately tried to shoo the drone away like a fly, but the machine persisted. It continued along the truck's front cabin, its laser piercing through the workings of the top half. Fluttershy backed away from it nervously, and its spinning rotors prevented Sunset from grabbing it. Even Rarity's diamond barrier, placed with hopes of barring its path, was useless as the high-powered laser cut right through it.
"Uh, AJ?" Sonic gulped.
"What?!"
"You've got car insurance, right?"
Rainbow spun around to face the back. "Everyone, get down!"
The other four girls dropped just as the drone reached its starting point. The top part of the car flew off, leaving the truck as a convertible.
"AAAAAAAH!"
Everyone screamed as the top part of the truck hit the road. Its target now exposed, the drone flew towards a very annoyed Sonic. The boy snatched it from the air. "Buzz off!" he snapped, breaking the drone in half. "Ha! And that takes care of-"
Now, he heard a different sound. A short beeping noise. Curious, he opened his hand… and saw the white chassis of the drone attached to his glove.
"That doesn't sound good."
Twilight's eyes went wide. "No, beeping is bad! Beeping is REALLY bad!"
Sonic flew into a panicked state with a gasp of realization. He furiously shook his arm, but the beeping continued.
"Get rid of it! Get rid of it!" Rainbow yelled.
"I'm trying!" Sonic grunted.
"Maybe if you took the glove off…" Fluttershy suggested. Instead, Sonic continued to shake his arm, Fluttershy's words failing to reach his ears. He tried throwing it into the open air, but the bomb remained glued to his glove.
"Throw it out the wind-" AJ began before stopping herself. "Throw it ANYWHERE!"
"I-I can't get it off!"
"AJ, pull over!" Twilight shouted. Not willing to argue with her here, the cowgirl did so. The surface beneath the tires turned from slick asphalt to rough, coarse dirt. And before it even came to a stop, Sonic bolted out.
Everyone scrambled out, a rag in Twilight's hands. Sonic was zipping all over the place, trying various methods to remove the bomb: pulling it off, banging it against a rock, even prying it off with his teeth. Until finally, the bomb was no longer lodged on his hand. In fact, it was nowhere to be seen.
"Did I get it?"
"Nope!" Twilight called, rushing over. Sonic looked up, now hearing the beeping coming from his forehead. He yelped, wiping at his face.
"Hold still!" Twilight ushered, taking the bomb in the rag, popping it off his head, and throwing it as hard as she could into the trees.
"Nice!" Rainbow shouted.
"It's going, it's going…" Sonic said… before his eyes dangled to Twilight's arm. "It's still here."
"Huh? AAAAH!" Twilight screamed, shaking her own arm to remove the bomb, which had now transferred to her own hand. Sonic zipped up, snatched the bomb, then grabbed a stick. Running over to a rock, he pried it loose and onto the small boulder.
"Ha, ha! Nailed it!" he whooped, holding up a hand for a high-five. With a bright smile, Rainbow moved in with a raised arm...
BOOM!
…
Her ears were ringing. She couldn't see a thing. And most importantly, everything ached. The only sound she could hear was her own breathing as if she'd run a full marathon with no super speed.
Another sound. This one a series of coughs. Rainbow Dash cracked open an eye… and saw blurs of unfocused sight. Her sight adjusted momentarily, making out the sight of a hunched-over figure coughing into an arm.
Other figures lying on the ground were stirring. A figure with a hat rose to a sitting position, another picked up some glasses, and another ruffled its hair. "Is… is everyone okay?"
"Sun…" Rainbow croaked, the voice triggering something familiar. "Barely…"
"Ouch…" came a calm, quiet voice.
"Oooh… I don't think… I can move…" groaned the figure with the glasses.
The standing figure limped over and held out a hand. "Come on, Twi. On your feet." The other figure took it and the former grunted in the effort.
Rainbow planted her arms into the ground, moaning as she lifted herself off the ground. She felt sore all over like she had worked out too long. The minute she stood on wobbly legs, she groaned and clutched her forehead. The last thing she remembered was… some quick thinking? No, ticking. Yeah, that was it. Sonic was there, totally freaking out. He managed to get it away, but then…
Wait, where was he?
Now Rainbow was the one who coughed, batting at the smoke with one arm. It faded away into nothing, giving her a good look at her battered and bruised friends. Applejack adjusted her shoulder, Rarity brushed some twigs and dirt off of her sleeve, Fluttershy looked at her dress in shame, and Pinkie looked like she had fallen victim to a burned recipe with soot on her face. She comically shook her head, instantly ridding herself of it.
Sunset was helping Twilight stand, the egghead adjusting her specs. But… Rainbow noticed something… no, someone was missing.
And that someone was lying on the ground a short distance away.
Rainbow's eyes flashed open. "Sonic!"
She rushed over to the unmoving boy, sliding to a stop and taking the back of his head in one arm. "Sonic? Come on, Sonic, wake up!" Everyone else gathered around, each of them with worried looks.
"Dude, you are not quitting on me now!" Rainbow determinately shouted, smacking the boy across the face with a palm. Aside from a jerk to the side… the boy still didn't stir.
"Oh, dear…" Fluttershy whispered. "Do you think he's…"
"He turned himself into a spinning blue ball, smashed into a heavy tank thing… and made it!" Applejack countered. "Need I say more?"
"Check his pulse!" Twilight blurted. Rainbow complied, pressing two fingers to the boy's neck. The results came fast… and her face distorted in part-uncertainty and part-nervousness.
"Uh…"
"What is it?"
"His pulse is… is really, really fast," Rainbow commented. "Is… is that normal? It's normal for him, right? Please tell me it's normal."
"Coming from a kid who can go supersonic in no time at all?" AJ spoke. "Yeah, I reckon it's normal."
"Phew," said Fluttershy.
"So now what do we do?" Pinkie asked.
"We keep going," answered Sunset. "To Manehattan. Sure, the truck's busted- sorry for your loss, AJ- but it still runs. Let's get him in and hit the road."
Everyone turned back to the truck. Rainbow scooped up the unconscious Sonic, carrying him back to the vehicle. As she did so… she looked at the boy's face with a worried expression.
Hang in there, bud. We'll have you up and running in no time… pun intended.