Black. Black everywhere in each direction.
And silence. It was awfully quiet. Not a sound.
Was this all there was? Was that it? He could barely think straight.
If he was conscious enough, he'd grow to hate it this fast. Wait, why did he even say that? He did everything fast. Fast like the blood and magic flowing inside him. Fast like the life and breath quickly returning to him…
Life.
"GOTTA GO FAST!"
Everything slammed into overdrive. A blue whirlwind rushed through and around the surrounding area, knocking several objects he didn't really stop to identify from their perches. It was only five seconds before he came to a complete stop, but to Sonic it felt like a full minute. He felt like he had just taken a huge breath of air after nearly drowning in a big ocean. He felt relieved. He felt great. He felt alive.
"Where am I? What year is it? Did Crystal Prep get their butts kicked again?"
"Whoa, whoa, hey! Easy, Sonic! Easy! You're okay!" stammered Twilight. Sunset was looking at the boy in awe. "Wow, not even awake for a minute and he's already back on his feet."
"And even though no game's coming up anytime soon," added Rainbow. "Yeah, I can guarantee the outcome."
Sonic noticed his surroundings. He was standing with the girls in the living room of a house, with the couch just behind him. Strangely, it didn't look like any house he was familiar with. "Okay, seriously, where am I?" he asked, sitting down on the couch.
"We're just about at Manehattan," answered Applejack. "Just making a quick stop at my family's old house outside city limits. The truck's totally… uh, totaled and you can thank Fluttershy for fixing you up." The pink-haired girl was holding a first-aid kit in her hands. "I prefer to help out animals, but you're welcome," she said in a quiet voice.
"No prob," replied the blue-haired boy. He looked out at his new friends, each of them relieved to see him okay. Six smiling faces out of seven.
"Uh, has anyone seen Pinkie?"
"She went upstairs for some reason," answered Rarity. "Never really questioned why…"
"Oh, goody! You're up!" shouted Pinkie, popping up behind and surprising both Rarity and Fluttershy. "I've got something for you! Ta-da!" From behind her back, she presented a pair of red white-laced shoes with white soles and straps. A tiny yellow stripe ran from the opening of the shoe to the laces. And inside the shoes were a pair of white socks. "I found them in a closet. Hope they don't hurt your feet anymore!"
Sonic glanced at the leg of a nearby coffee table. There, his old beaten-down shoes and socks rested with the holes in plain view. One of the holes had gotten larger than when Sonic last checked it, and there was a new one even he wasn't aware of. He turned his head back to the red shoes in Pinkie's hands… and slowly took them into his own.
Even for someone as happy as she constantly is, Pinkie's smile faded when she saw that Sonic's had done the same. "What's wrong?"
"It… it's just… no one's ever given me a gift before," Sonic replied. His mind told him those words would have the girls scrambling to find words of their own to cheer him up. "I've gotta check that off my bucket list."
That earned him some relieved faces from the girls. He slipped the new footwear on, tied the laces in a blur, and stood up from the couch. He slowly ran in place, seeing how they worked out. He finished off with a quick spin, admiring them. "Alright, looking good!"
"Okay, great. Awesome," said Rainbow Dash. "So, now that that's outta the way… what now?"
"The city's not that far from here," Twilight answered. "Let's get what we need and then head out." The girl in glasses headed off for the kitchen with the others following her. Sonic soon found himself alone in the living room, watching the girls as they vanished from view. Before long, his eyes darted up and he sped away.
He came to a stop atop the house's roof, leaning against the bricked chimney. Off in the distance, buildings reached into the sky. One of them stood out among the rest: one with a horse head sculpture at the top. The sky was bright cloudless blue with the sun like a big ball of light shining down on his face.
It reminded Sonic of the many days he spent lying against the trunk of a tree or on the sandy beaches when he wasn't running around. Even he liked enjoying the quiet moment and the calm before storms. In fact, the sun and the sky were the two things he liked about the world. One was bright and attention-drawing and the other was big, blue, and vast.
But there was another thing that he was reminded of.
He reached into his pocket and took out a small worn photo. He smiled when he saw his own smirking face in the picture… among three other faces. A grinning boy with yellow-dyed hair and a bright orange vest was locking an arm with Sonic, holding two gloved fingers up with the other. A pink-haired girl in a similarly-colored outfit held a hammer over her shoulder with a courageous expression. And a big boy in red locked a muscular sports-taped arm around Sonic's neck, his face in the middle of laughing.
"Hey, guys," Sonic heard himself saying. "Just wanted to check in after a while. I've… got a lot to explain, probably. I've made some new friends, fought off killer robots built by someone with an old-timey mustache… and about to get my lost gem back and work on saving you all. Just… just wish I had the old crew here with me. Anyways, just dropped by to say hi. I gotta go now… see you guys later."
He tucked the photo away, staring out at the horizon with crossed arms. The sound of a starting engine drew his attention, making him glance down to the street. A bright red SUV moved out onto the road, Sunset Shimmer behind the wheel. The fiery-haired girl glanced up to Sonic on the roof, gesturing her head to the city.
The boy nodded back, jumping to the grassy yard below. He watched the car drive off and tapped his shoe on the pavement. He tightened his glove and stretched out a little… and took off at a fast jog to keep pace with the moving vehicle.
But just after he left, a white egg-shaped drone observed their departure and flew off…
…
Sonic whistled impressively. "Fancy tourist destination they got here."
"For good reason!" Rarity backed up to everyone walking down the city's sidewalk. "Manehattan is home to a very large fashion-driven community and theatrical works! It's sure to draw the eyes of anyone who visits!"
"We should stop by again sometime!" added Twilight. "You know, when we're not on a diamond hunt."
"Speaking of…" Sonic paced ahead of the others. "There! That's where I saw it land before I passed out." He pointed to the large horse-headed building that towered over all the others. "Wow, look at that thing."
"The Crystaller Building?" Sunset spoke up. "That… makes sense. It is the most well-known building in the whole ci-"
ZOOM!
"Aaaand he's gone. Typical."
Rainbow watched a blue streak spiral up the building and stop at a flat platform below the front of the head. "Uh… should he be doing that? Twilight, you said something about this place being… magically rare?"
"That's right. There aren't many signs of magic here," replied the nerd. "But I think I read something about this area once being abundant in magic before-"
ZIP! Sonic reappeared in front of the group with a stern face. "Wellll?"
"Okay, okay!" scoffed Rainbow. "Just wait for us!"
"Sure, if you wanna take it the nice and slow way…"
…
A blue and rainbow flash stopped at the building's roof. Behind them, Twilight rose into the air surrounded by an amethyst aura… with the rest of her friends in a similar field. She gently touched down, releasing the magical energy and earning relieved sighs from everyone but Rainbow and Sonic.
"So… what exactly are we looking for?" asked the athlete, magenta eyes darting around the rooftop. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary… save for a blue diamond lying on the roof.
Sonic zipped up to it, snatched it in his hand, and raced back. He held the gem triumphantly, sunlight glinting off its sapphire edges. "This!"
"It's… it's beautiful," gasped Rarity.
"Shiny!" added Pinkie.
Twilight and Rainbow approached Sonic, their eyes on the gem. "That's it? We did it?" asked Twilight. The blue boy nodded at her. "Yeah... but also no. Six more to-" He held up five fingers on one hand and one on the hand he held the gem in… but cut himself off. "Whoa…"
"You can say that again," whispered a stunned Rainbow. The blue jewel was giving off a bright glow, radiating a sapphire color.
"Whoa, look at this!" Sonic spoke hurriedly, showing the jewel to Twilight. "It's never glowed be-"
The glow suddenly stopped. The jewel regained its normal appearance.
"Huh?" Sonic stared at the gem curiously, shaking it like a snowglobe and tapping it with one knuckle. "What's going on?"
"Here, lemme see that," said Rainbow, moving the gem back to her for a better look. But just when she did, the gem lit up again, surprising the trio. Sonic's expression changed from shock… to curiosity. "Hmm…"
He held the gem in front of Twilight. The glow faded. He turned it back to Rainbow. The glow returned. Back and forth he went, examining the gem's reaction to each of the girls. After a few more passes, he held it close to himself. "It's reacting to you, Dashie," he realized, looking at the blue jewel. "Why's it reacting to you?"
"Don't tell me… because of how awesome I am?" she pointed to herself with a thumb. Sonic just smiled at her. "Yeah, probably…"
"Aw, you guys are so cute!"
"What?! No!" the two speedsters shouted in unison at a grinning Pinkie. "Nuh-uh! Absolutely not! No way, Pinkie!" Rainbow stammered, waving her hands in denial. "We're not 'cute'!"
"What we are," added Sonic with a raised finger. "...are a couple of loose cannons just living by our own rules at our own speed."
"Exactly! What he said!"
"And do those rules include expressing heartfelt emotions?" asked Pinkie with another smile. Fluttershy stifled a laugh while Rainbow and Sonic turned stiff and their faces slowly turned pink.
"N-no!"
"Probably not! But, uh, kinda? Maybe? Just a teeny tiny smidge?"
"But definitely not!"
"Okay! If you say so!" Pinkie finished.
"Wait," realized Twilight. "If it glowed in Rainbow's presence… would it be the same for the other six gems?"
Sonic raised an interested brow. "Seven Gems of Miracles… seven of you girls… oh. Oh! Oh, yeah! That could work! Why didn't I see it before?! Your magic combined with the gems' power-"
"We'll have to see for ourselves what'll happen!" Applejack finished. "Why don't we head back home and look for the rest of them?"
"Good plan!" Sonic nodded, taking a ring from his pouch. "I could use some time at my home-away-from-home!" With a smile, he tucked the gem under his arm and threw the ring. His ears were treated to that familiar ringing sound as the ring flew through the air…
...and the sound of the ring plinking off something. And that something was a floating white drone!
"AH!" cried the girls. Sonic stumbled back, noticing more drones hover into position from above. Bipedal robots rocketed up into view, their claw-like feet digging into the roof. Arm-mounted guns took aim and shoulder missile launchers opened up.
"Okay, did someone leave their 'find-my-phone' on?"
"This… this looks bad," muttered Sunset. "Really, really bad."
"I think I'm gonna freak out," whispered Fluttershy, hiding her mouth with her hair.
"Those… those robots!" gasped Twilight as Rainbow raised her fists. "They look like the same ones I saw at the soccer field!"
"Twi… tell me you saw that at the field as well?" asked Sonic, tucking the gem into his pocket.
"Saw what?"
Her answer came in the form of an approaching white hovercraft with rings on the wings. A red light emitted from the rings and rear thrusters while the vehicle hummed as it came to a floating stop. The cockpit canopy retracted… revealing a man in a red suit and goggles.
"Welcome to Manehattan, boy and girls. Enjoying your little sightseeing trip?"
"Robotnik!" gasped Twilight. Rainbow just rolled her eyes. "Aw, great. Aka the guy who keeps trying to kill us. Unsuccessfully!" She spoke the last word loudly to the doctor. "Nice of you to swing by on your way to the science fair!"
"Ugh!" gagged Rarity. "And what is that horrid thing you are wearing?!"
Robotnik looked over himself before turning an eye back to the teens. "It's a flight suit! Designed to modulate my body temperature and reduce drag!"
"And yet you still are one!" Sonic shot back with hands cupped over his mouth, earning him a high-five from Rainbow. "Nice!" she whispered to him.
"Ah, the young," replied Robotnik. "So cocky. So arrogant. So confident in themselves. And so susceptible in getting blown to bits for being so irritatingly annoying."
"Hey! Watch your mouth!" Rainbow snapped. "Unless you want a little more of what I gave you earlier!" She noticed Twilight's confused expression. "I punched him in the face."
"Oh, you punched him right in the face! It was awesome!" Sonic laughed.
"The time for talking is over!" bellowed the doctor, making Pinkie and Fluttershy jump. "It's time to push buttons…"
"Your flying eggs are pretty impressive, Mister Eggman," quipped Sonic. "But let's face it: you'll never catch me! Your walking toolboxes didn't catch me at the base when I snagged the precious diamond, you didn't catch me at AJ's, and you didn't catch me on the highway with all your fancy tech! Aren't you supposed to be the smart one?"
"Um… egg man?" asked a confused Rarity.
Sonic chuckled, turning to the fashionista. "Get it? Because the drones look like flying eggs?" Pinkie looked at one of the drones, her face soon lighting up in realization. But while she just started giggling, Rarity just shrugged.
"What, I can't make a joke in the middle of the craziest thing ever?" Sonic told her. "That's how I cope!"
"You know what I say about confidence, my little blue thief?" Robotnik asked, turning the boy's attention back to him. "It's a fool substitute for intelligence." He reached down to the vehicle's control panel, flipping something Sonic couldn't clearly see. The drones opened up, revealing their guns and missiles pointed right at the group.
Rainbow looked worried, staring one drone right in the optic while keeping her fists raised. Pinkie grabbed a sugar packet from her hair, looking at what robot to chuck it at. Rarity summoned a diamond shield between her hands and Twilight lit up her palms with purple magic. Sunset just brushed her hair back. "Uh… guys? I know you've got the super speed, telekinesis, strength, sprinkles, and shields, but Fluttershy and I-"
"Totally defenseless? Probably gonna get blown up?"
"I would not like that, thank you," replied Fluttershy. Sunset just shrugged. "Pretty much. Our magic's not for fighting."
Sonic shot Rainbow a knowing look. "Hey, Dash?" he whispered. "Remember the Pit?"
The athlete's magenta eyes went wide with remembrance. "Oooh. Yeah…"
"Don't worry, Sun," said Sonic, locking eyes with Rainbow. "We know exactly what to do."
SHOOM! Colors streaked across the roof, circling around Sunset and Fluttershy. Rainbow snatched the kind girl in her arms and rushed down the side of the building… while a strong kick from Sonic sent Sunset tumbling off the side. "Get 'em down!" he called to the racing Rainbow.
"SUNSET!" Twilight yelled.
"What on Earth did you do THAT for?!" shrieked Rarity.
"I was not expecting that…" breathed a stunned Robotnik. "...but I was expecting not to expect something, so it doesn't count."
Missiles flew from their sockets. Bullets screamed for rattling guns. Rarity held her shield to block the projectiles sent her way, Pinkie ducked and tossed the sugar packet, and Twilight used her magic to redirect the missiles.
But everything slowed to a halt before a single missile or bullet could hit anyone's skin. And from the stillness, Sonic held his wrist up to his face. "Look at this!" he said happily. "I took nine million steps today!"
No one laughed at his joke. Not that anyone could. And since no one could do anything at all, it was the perfect time to get them to safety.
Sonic took Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie one after the other, positioning them by the edge of the roof. Rainbow raced by, snagging Twilight first and running back down the tall building. The blue boy turned his attention back to the missile and bullet-filled air, brushing some aside nonchalantly. He took two missiles from the air, he banged them against immobile bullets as if playing the xylophone, knocking another missile away at the end.
Next, he ran to the robots as Rainbow grabbed Rarity and rushed off with her. He kicked one in the midsection, sending it on a course for the ground. He positioned mechanical arms to shoot at other robots… or to shoot themselves in the face. He repositioned missiles and bullets to hit the robots and drones, making sure every standing machine would be down for the count.
Next, he grabbed two missiles from the air after jumping off a robot's head, jamming them into a drone and causing a small, barely-audible explosion. He repeated this process with other drones, taking a missile from the air and driving it through the metal. He jumped onto a drone hovering off the roof, bending its wing and ripping off the wing of another nearby drone. He slid down onto the side of the roof with arms raised victoriously, making another drone go up in flames and smoke.
Sonic was having too much fun. He ran past some more drones, batting them aside. As he did so, he noticed Rainbow positioning Pinkie near the other girls… who were still floating in the air. She started to take Fluttershy in her arms, moving to run down to the ground with her.
Sonic smiled at her, turning two drones towards each other as more bullets emerged from their guns. He chuckled, mimicking finger guns and pretending to shoot at them. "Pew pew pew pew! Pew pew pew p-"
He stopped. Something didn't look right. Something was… moving. Beyond the drones and robots. Something… that was flying fast and right towards him! His green eyes went wide with terror.
Stopping in her tracks at the sound of whirring engines, Rainbow saw it, too. "SONIC!"
The hovercraft blasted out a beam of red energy. In a panic, Sonic turned to run… but too late. The beam struck the surface beneath him, sending him in freefall.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"