"What?!" the boy gasped. "Chaos… no, you've gotta be lying! The Gems can't be used solely for the bad stuff!"
"In all their years, the Chaos Emeralds have only been combined once," continued Stygian. "By a small tribe native to your home of South Island. But whatever intentions they had for the jewels was for naught. Once the power of the Emeralds was unlocked, it was so tremendous and great that it decimated the tribe from hundreds to a handful. The survivors grew terrified of the gems, giving them their true name, throwing away the curtain that promised fortune, reformation, and cleanse. The leftovers of the tribe were forever scarred, fearful of power and magic that appeared to be disastrous from that point on."
Rainbow turned to the boy with a worried expression. "Sonic, don't listen to him…"
Sonic clenched his teeth, balling up a fist. "Don't you pull this stunt on me! If you really expect me to think that I've been looking for disaster gems this whole time instead of solution gems, then you're terribly mistaken!"
"Poor boy… in gathering all seven Chaos Emeralds, you're dooming your homeland further instead of purifying it. Do you not understand that, even as I tell you the unseen truth?"
"NO! And I don't want to!"
Sonic dashed forward in a blue flash, curling up into a whirling blue ball of lightning and energy. He homed in right at the observing Stygian, whose only course of action was a raise of his hand.
Sonic connected right into a purple magical shield, blocking him from hitting Stygian directly. Stygian thrust his palm forward, knocking Sonic back. The blue boy skidded against the asphalt hard enough to crack some of it up. He slid to a stop before the shocked Mane Seven, groaning in pain and disbelief. "No way…!"
"It is no use, my child. You've been running after the wrong solution this whole time. The Chaos Emeralds won't help you… they've never helped anyone."
"Urgh!" Sonic jumped back up, rushing for Stygian again. The man surrounded by shadows lifted a corner of his lips in amusement. The boy somersaulted into the air, swinging a leg at the man's head. Without even moving his hands from his back, Stygian weaved and leaned away from each punch, kick, and spinning strike sent his way. At each blow he failed to land, Sonic grew more and more frustrated. If the only thing his people could rely on was really going to make things worse… no. He wouldn't buy it. This guy was just messing with him.
Stygian continued to evade as if it was the easiest thing to do. "Your efforts…"
Sonic concentrated his magic, charging up a fist with blue lightning and thrusting it forward. "Rrraaaah!"
Stygian casually grabbed his wrist, intercepting the electric fist just before it could hit him in the face. Sonic's expression dropped into shock, a gasp of surprise escaping his mouth.
"...are futile."
"AAAAAAAAAH!" Sonic screamed out when Stygian's grip on him turned into the most burning and stinging sensation he'd ever endured. He could barely think straight through all the pain. He felt his strength and energy dropping by the second… did the girls just cry out his name?
When he glanced back at Stygian, Sonic saw the man's other arm encased in violet electricity. The malevolent eyes gazed upon it in wonder while Sonic fought for breath. A smile crossed his face… and his eyes glanced to the sound of a third voice.
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HIM, YOU JERK!" Rainbow Dash cried, running full-speed towards Stygian. She drew her own fist back, ready to plow it right through his head. Without even glancing directly at her, Stygian raised a hand.
Rainbow Dash froze in place, struggling against an invisible force holding her back. Stygian made a finger-flicking motion, flinging away the athlete like a bug.
"Astounding… this is what the crystal granted you? No wonder Robotnik wished to wield it for himself." He spoke in awe as if Rainbow's failed intervention never occurred. He clenched his fist, feeling the surge of purple electricity coursing through.
KAPOW! A single electric-imbued punch from Stygian hit Sonic with his own magic, sending him sailing right back to the girls. Twilight and Sunset caught the exhausted boy in their arms, steadying him. Twilight focused on her own magic, firing an amethyst bolt of light in his direction.
Stygian batted the projectile away, leaving it to explode in the sky as a bright purple firework. Sunset gulped while the others grew nervous. "This doesn't bode well…"
"You are a stubborn one, Sonic," gestured Stygian. "But this mere sample of your magic is just a taste of things to come. Stand down, or risk being drained entirely."
"You'd… do that… anyway…" croaked a weary Sonic.
"Clever, also. But honestly, there is no point. Once I'm finished with you, these seven shall be next in line. Face it, boy… the jewels before you are worthless. You cannot hope to wield them and expect fantastic results. And even without them, all eight of you are powerless against the magic-feeding Man of Shadows. Your fates are all but sealed."
Sonic opened his mouth to retort with Rainbow and Twilight standing firm by his side. But something else caught the trio's attention. Seven shining lights of color… from seven gathered jewels.
The Gems of Miracles… Sonic realized. I mean, Chaos Emeralds… whatever they are! Stygian said their sole purpose is… well, chaos. But I don't believe it. Because I think… I think I'm feeling something from them.
"Twilight…" whispered Rainbow. "Why am I getting a warm feeling right now?" The other girl didn't reply, as she and the others kept their transfixed eyes on the glowing rainbow gems.
Looks like I'm not the only one, then.
Sonic slowly reached out, taking the blue jewel in his hand. The instant he touched it, he could feel something… strong. Powerful. Extraordinary. It didn't feel evil or destructive in any way. Sonic noticed something else, too. He wasn't feeling hatred or anger, and yet the gem wasn't responding with equal force.
That's it! I understand now!
"You're wrong, Stygian!" Sonic shouted, rising to his feet with all seven Chaos Emeralds in hand. "I'm feeling something from these gems, and it doesn't have anything to do with destruction and chaos! Instead, I feel incredible! The magic you took from me doesn't matter anymore, because I feel totally fresh and renewed! And you know what? I think I know what happened to the guys who found these last time!"
"Oh?"
"The tribesmen unlocked the gems' potential through hate, rage, and anger! That's what did them all in! But now, I see the real way to harness them: through my friends!"
The Mane Seven walked up to Sonic, each of them looking at him with smiles on their face. Sonic looked to each of them in turn, smiling back. "Our hearts together form awesome power," he continued. "Sure, negative emotions can bring about something huge and catastrophic. But our positive feelings towards each other can create something even greater! Through kindness…"
The turquoise Chaos Emerald floated away from his arm, moving up to an intrigued Fluttershy.
"Generosity…" The white Chaos Emerald moved closer to Rarity, who observed the gem spectacularly.
"Laughter…" The red Chaos Emerald hovered to Pinkie Pie. "Oooh, shiny!" she giggled.
"Honesty…" The green Chaos Emerald floated to an awaiting Applejack.
"Forgiveness…" The yellow Chaos Emerald floated until it hovered over the outstretched palm of Sunset Shimmer.
"Loyalty…" The blue Chaos Emerald moved directly over Rainbow Dash's heart.
"And the magic that keeps it all together!" The violet Chaos Emerald positioned itself close to Twilight Sparkle, earning it another smile. Sonic turned to face everyone with crossed arms, barely noticing that their geode necklaces were also aglow. "And that is the true potential of the 'Chaos' Emeralds! Through the magic of friendship!"
In a simultaneous move, the gems streaked right into the chests of the girls. The air erupted in a bright flash of light, forcing Sonic to shield his eyes. And inside the light, a remarkable transformation to behold went underway. The girls' hair grew longer, horse-like ears sprouted, wings unfolded on three figures… and colored flashes shone forth on their chests.
Violet. Yellow. Blue. Turquoise. Red. Green. White.
The light faded. Sonic lowered his arm and cracked open an eye. "Whoa…"
The Mane Seven stood in their Friendship Power forms- unlocked after a confrontation with someone named Wallflower, if Sonic was correct- but with one major difference. Their respective Chaos Emerald had fused with each of the girls, sticking out as a colored hexagonal shape on their torsos. They looked down at themselves in awe and amazement.
"You. Guys. Look. AWESOME!" Sonic cheered.
"I feel… incredible!" gasped Sunset. "Is that what the gem's doing?"
"Whee!" cried Pinkie. "I feel like I could fly around the whole world five- no, ten times!"
"I feel like running around it a HUNDRED times!" emphasized Rainbow. "And never get tired!"
"There's something else…" Twilight spoke up, seeing her two hands beginning to glow with violet magic. "Like there's something I need to do."
"I feel it, too," answered Applejack.
"I can't think of anything else!" added Rarity.
"Um, what are we supposed to do with it, exactly?" muttered Fluttershy.
"I think I know…" replied Twilight. "Everyone, follow my lead." She drew her arms back, eyes focusing on Sonic.
The boy's face fell. "Uh, are you sure that's a good id-"
Twilight unleashed the magic, a purple stream of shining energy striking Sonic in the chest. The boy cringed at first… until he opened his eyes and felt something amazing growing inside him. "No, no! I take it back!" he called. "Great idea! Come on, hit me!"
One by one, the rest of the girls directed their own colored streams that struck Sonic right in the heart. The blue boy closed his eyes, letting the magic within him build up and grow to its limit. The Mane Seven ceased, allowing the last of their magic transfer seep into Sonic. "Whoa, what's happening to him?!" Rainbow gasped.
Sonic's whole body began to glow with light until it was fully enveloped. His blue hair stood straight up and changed color into something bright. From inside the light, his eyes shot open… to reveal blazing red irises.
BAWOOOM!
A glimmering golden explosion rocked the Equestria Girls' visions, making them cry out in surprise. The light faded, revealing a shining golden aura around Sonic… a changed Sonic. His hair had turned from blue to gold, pointing straight upwards instead of its standard spike-ball shape. His green eyes had turned red and his clothes had also changed color to white and yellow. Only his shoes remained unchanged.
"Oh, wow!" he laughed to himself. "This… this is incredible! I feel amazing! I feel so! Pumped! Up!"
Rainbow let out an amused laugh of her own. "So, since you're basically saying you're even better than before… I suppose this means you've gone from going sonic to supersonic!"
The transformed Sonic paused at his friend's words, contemplating on them with a shimmering golden aura around him. Rainbow caught his gaze. "What?"
"Super Sonic… I LOVE it!" he flashed Rainbow a thumbs-up. The girl just smiled back at him.
"That's it?" spoke an unamused Stygian. "This is the so-called true power of the Chaos Emeralds? A simple change of clothing and color? Hmph. No matter. You will at least provide a great source of entertainment before I drain you all."
"I'll have you know there's more to it than that!" answered Super Sonic, turning to face the blackened man. "Alright, Stygian! Prepare to get your black butt kicked, Super Sonic style!"
In a golden flash of light, he took off running at rocket speed. The Mane Seven followed up, drawing ever closer to the Man of Shadows. Stygian drew apart his arms, conjuring purple lightning between his hands. With a cry of rage, he directed it towards the eight heroes. Super Sonic weaved between the streams- some of them flying past his face at slow motion- and closed the distance, landing a solid kick at Stygian's face.
"HA!" he shouted, making the Man of Shadows stumble back. "How do ya like that?!"
"Grr! I like it just fine!" he blasted another arc at Super Sonic, who jumped high into the air. His friends moved in to attack in his place… while he remained airborne.
"Whoa! I can fly? Way past cool!"
Super Sonic broke into a dive, curling up into a spinning gold ball. On the street below, Rainbow Dash threw a swinging kick at Stygian. "Hi-yah!" She nailed him across the head, following up with a one-two and a knee to the gut. Stygian snagged her leg, throwing her to the ground and lobbing a purple fireball at the athlete. A rainbow blur sped away, and the fireball hit nothing but the road. Super Sonic dove past, Stygian barely avoiding the gold streak.
Applejack plowed a fist across Stygian's exposed torso, following with an uppercut to the chin. "Left yourself open!" Annoyed, Stygian blasted the farmgirl away with another lightning blast, to which she shrugged off. He sent another fireball her way… to which Rarity jumped into its path and blocked it with a diamond shield.
Again, Stygian turned his attention to the sky, conjuring another lightning storm at Super Sonic and Fluttershy. The kind-hearted girl yelped and flew away… but a bolt struck Super Sonic in the chest, sending him reeling. The supercharged boy clutched his chest, expecting pain… but he felt nothing instead.
"Whoa again!" he gasped. "Not even a scratch? Oh, I love this look!" He flew through the dark-clouded air again, dodging more lightning bolts sent his way. "You know, you'd be more dark and powerful if you could actually hit me!"
Magical sprinkles burst in Stygian's face, blinding him and forcing an annoyed shout from his mouth. A giggling Pinkie Pie floated past… but not fast enough. Stygian snagged her by the hair, throwing her toward a building. Thinking fast, Twilight telekinetically grabbed her and placed her on the ground.
Sunset ran in from behind to land a hit, but Stygian was ready for her. Using his own telekinesis, the Man of Shadows pinned her in place and flung her aside with an enraged cry. He turned back in front of himself… and his purple eyes widened at the sight of two gold and rainbow streaks.
Super Sonic and Rainbow Dash tag-teamed Stygian, swinging wildly at their enemy. The two of them slowed time to land their final blow… but Stygian grabbed each of their legs, resulting in shocked expressions from each of them.
"GRAAAH!" Stygian threw them both into buildings, shattering windows. Super Sonic shook his head in a dazed manner while Rainbow struggled to get up. "Sucker packs a wallop! But… how can he be faster than the two of us?"
Stygian slammed with the ground hard with two fists, creating a small quake that sent pieces of asphalt and cars into the air. Applejack punched away the debris, only for a car to slam right into her and knock her to the ground. Twilight held up several pieces aimed for her… leaving her wide open for Stygian, who dashed in the form of a black mist and punched her with a magic-imbued fist.
Stygian threw purple fire from his hands, burning away Pinkie's thrown sprinkles and forcing her to back off. A strong kick sent Sunset into the air, where he jumped after her, grabbed her by the hair, and slammed her to the road with a roar. Stygian landed, fuming as he searched for his next target. His hate-filled eyes turned to a frozen Fluttershy, who caught his gaze and whimpered. With another scream, he blasted more lightning at her. Fluttershy ducked for cover, the lightning hitting Rarity's shield instead.
The Man of Shadows intensified his power with a snarl. Rarity squeezed her eyes shut and strained under the sudden pressure. Cracks appeared from the relentless bolts… and the shield shattered, leaving Rarity prone for electrocution and blowing her back.
Super Sonic darted back into the fray, smashing Stygian with some more rapid Spin Dashes. Stygian gave a high kick, popping Sonic into the air. The boy righted himself but failed to block a strong punch that sent him crashing to the road.
He hopped back and trained his eyes on his opponent. The Mane Seven gathered around him… each of them looking weary and bruised, yet not hopeless.
"It's eight on one!" Sonic cried in disbelief. "How is this not working?!"
"THE DARKNESS WILL NOT BE STOPPED!" screamed Stygian. "YOU WILL ALL BE MINE!"
More streaks of angry violet lightning zipped towards the group. Eyes quickly going wide, Sonic squeezed them shut and threw up his arms…
Again, he felt nothing. But not just from the invulnerability. This time, he didn't feel the electricity at all. He opened his eyes, terribly confused at what the heck was happening. "Huh?"
Aside from the aura surrounding him, Super Sonic took in the sight of a circular yellow shield with diamond patterns protecting him from the lightning as long as he kept his arms crossed in a blocking pose. Behind him, the Equestria Girls floated overhead with equally shocked expressions.
"What in the hey is going on here?" asked a baffled Applejack.
"Those diamonds!" gasped Rarity. "That's my magic!"
"I think when we triggered his change with the Emeralds," replied Sunset. "We gave him a little something extra. Our magic must've gotten into the mix!"
"You mean he has our powers now?" Rainbow repeated.
"Pretty much!"
Super Sonic turned to the struggling Stygian with a confident smirk. "Aw, sweet!" He spread his arms out, the shield bursting apart and stunning the Man of Shadows. "Thanks, ladies!" He blasted towards Stygian, who met him with crackling hands.
Super Sonic zipped around and landed a flurry of blows on the Man of Shadows. Stygian lashed out with more lightning, but Super Sonic dodged so fast he appeared to have teleported away.
"Cool, right?!" He landed a solid spinning kick to the back of Stygian's head, sending him reeling and growling angrily. "Hey, watch that temper!"
"SILENCE!" roared Stygian, unleashing a rapid volley of fireballs at Super Sonic. Instead of evading them, Super Sonic flew right in front of their path and extended his arms. The projectiles froze, surrounded by a golden aura.
"Nope!" Super Sonic flung his arms to the sides, redirecting the fireballs to the ground below. "Impressive!" commented Twilight.
Super Sonic blasted for Stygian again, weaving right past him instead of slamming into him. "What?!" gasped an off-guard Stygian.
"Hey, blackie! Present for ya!" Super Sonic tossed out some golden sparkles, which blew in bright flashes right in Stygian's face. "AGH!"
"Wow! My sprinkles!" gasped Pinkie. "Although they're not exactly sprinkles…"
Grabbing a car without even touching it, Stygian hurled it out at Super Sonic with a cry. Super Sonic drew back a fist, uppercutting the car and punching it back at the Man of Shadows. The vehicle slammed into his body and forced him to the ground.
"That's showing him! Woo!" cheered Applejack.
"I… will not… be defeated…!" grunted the Man of Shadows.
"Doesn't look that way to me," Super Sonic noted. Another lightning strike was desperately unleashed in his direction, utter frustration on Stygian's face. "Do not TEST MY PATIENCE, YOU-!"
Super Sonic was gone when the attack dissipated. Confused, Stygian looked around wildly in a desperate search. While he found nothing, a finger tapped on his shoulder twice.
"What's up?"
Super Sonic delivered a strong uppercut, following with a flip kick that knocked Stygian into the air. Grabbing him by the arm, Super Sonic took off skyward in a gold streak. Breaking free when high enough, Stygian blasted Super Sonic away with a fireball that met his shield.
"Alright, this is getting old. How about giving you something I've saved just for last?"
"I'm not through with you yet, child! Your magic will be mine, and it shall sustain me for-"
"Okay, okay! Sheesh, you bad guys never know when to shut up."
"YOU DARE-"
"Case in point."
Super Sonic balled up, spinning rapidly in place. As his golden form whirred like a turbocharged engine, he became flooded with all the colors of the rainbow until he resembled a swirling whirlpool of paint.
"Oh, so awesome!" whispered Rainbow Dash.
Stygian threw up a shield of his own, but Super Sonic plowed through with a rainbow streak. In seconds, they crashed down onto the street in a cloud of dust. While the girls watched on, a golden figure floated out and joined them.
"Okay, we're done here. Care to surrender?"
Stygian coughed through the dissipating smoke. "I… I can't… I will not lose… to… to children…"
Super Sonic shrugged with a sigh. "Shoulda knew better." He glanced over his shoulder to the girls. "Well, looks like he's finished."
"NEVER!" screamed Stygian, throwing out another lightning bolt. Effortlessly, Super Sonic raised a hand to absorb it in a smaller version of his shield. "Like I said, finished. Now, mind if I join in on your usual?"
Twilight nodded. "By all means." She closed her eyes, linking hands with her friends as they did the same. All eight of them floated into the air, Super Sonic clenching his fists to trigger a flash of his golden aura.
Magic streams floated from the Equestria Girls to Super Sonic, who initiated another supercharged Spin Dash. He shot off in a brilliant bolt of light, surrounded by rainbow colors.
"NOOOOOOOOO!"
BOOOOM! Super Sonic collided with the weakened Stygian, erupting in a sonic rainboom that traveled beyond Canterlot City's borders. A magnificent glow flooded the city for five seconds, parting the black clouds above. The light of a blue sky revealed itself and the rays of the sun shone through.
Down below, Super Sonic and the Equestria Girls floated close to street level, staring at the small crater before them. All eight of them watched the dust rise and listened to everything around them settle down.
Super Sonic turned to the sky. The only clouds up there now were fluffy and white… just as they should be. "It's quiet…"
"Hey," he turned to see Twilight smiling at him. "Thanks for everything you've done for us."
"Nah," Super Sonic responded. "Thank you girls for everything you've done for me. Without all of you, I'd probably be still stuck with one Emerald."
Rainbow chuckled. "Hey, it's what we do. But a question… I know I'm not really into gems, but why call them emeralds when they're not all green?"
Super Sonic just shrugged. "Take it up with him. Also, have I mentioned you guys look amazing like that?"
The athlete smiled warmly at him. "Not looking too bad yourself, blue dude… wait, or should it be gold dude? Uh, I'll work on that."
Everyone else laughed at her words… until Super Sonic's body brightly flashed. The light came and went, revealing Sonic back in his normal blue self. The girls quickly followed with colored flashes of their own, reverting to their everyday appearances with the Chaos Emeralds at their feet. The seven jewels glowed with color, rising into the air and spinning in a circle.
The gems whirled in a colorful wheel, ascending higher and higher into the sky. Another bright flash filled everyone's vision… and seven streaks of light flew away in separate directions, scattering the gems once again.
Sonic sighed happily. "Y'know… they really are seven gems of miracles."
"Ungh…"
"Hm?" Sonic turned to the small crater in the middle of the road. Inside it, something was slightly moving. Something human. Everyone made their way over to the rim, peering down and catching a glimpse of whoever was inside.
"What… where… where am I? I remember… nothing?"
"Hey!" called Sonic. "You okay? Nothing was broken and all that?"
The dust settled. The figure inside rose to his feet and turned, a confused expression on his face. He wore a grey shirt and brown pants, had azure eyes and dark cerulean eyes. Eyes that stared at the eight teenagers in uncertainty and bafflement alike. "Um… I am fine?"
"Stygian is… back to normal," Twilight realized. "We must've purged the darkness from him!"
"Stygian?" repeated the man, confusion on his face. "Stygian… yes. That's my name. It's… coming back. The… the misery. The pain. And the darkness… then black."
"Yeah, you did some pretty messed up stuff," Rainbow said. "Consuming magic for eternal life or something like that."
"How… how long was I cursed?"
"Years," answered Sunset. "You traveled to many places and sucked the magic from a lot of people."
"And you have us to thank for putting an end to it!" Sonic finished. "You're welcome, by the way."
Stygian blinked. "I'm sorry… but, who are you?"
The boy in blue paused, soaking in those words. The Mane Seven turned to him with smiles on their faces. Smiling back at his new friends, Sonic looked back to Stygian… and pointed at himself with a thumb.
"The name's Sonic!" he boldly stated. "And I'm just a kid that loves adventure!"
"Is that true?"
"Whatcha see is whatcha get, pal!"
"I see… I, um, I am sorry for the trouble I have caused you."
"Nah!" Sonic dismissed, waving his hand. "Don't worry about it! It was that Man of Shadows guy, not you!"
"Still… there is the matter of returning to my home village."
"I got just the thing for that." Sonic reached into his pouch and offered a golden ring to Stygian, who looked at the decoration in confusion. "A ring?"
"A magic ring," the boy corrected. "Just think of where you want the other end to appear, then throw it. The rest takes care of itself."
"All right…" Stygian took the ring, turned around, and tossed it in front of him. Instantly, the ring expanded and revealed a humble village in the countryside. He looked back to Sonic and the girls with a grateful smile.
"Thank you. All of you."
He stepped through the ring, leaving it to vanish with a dinging sound behind him. Now alone, the group sighed in relief. "It's really over," Sunset whispered.
"Celebration party time?" Pinkie pleaded.
"I do believe that is in order, darling," Rarity answered.
"YES!"
"After that wild ride," Sunset added. "I could use a moment to unwind."
"Okay, everyone!" Twilight spoke up. "Time to head home!" Everyone cheered in celebration and started to move out with Twilight… everyone but one. Rainbow noticed the state of the group, pausing in her tracks with curious eyes. The multi-color haired girl turned behind her…
...and saw Sonic with a stricken, heartbroken look on his face.
Rainbow immediately ran up to him, crouching down on one knee and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Sonic?" she whispered. "What's wrong?"
The boy just lowered his head. "Home…"
Rainbow heard a gasp leave her throat. Her own heart snapped at his only spoken word. Everything came back to her in an instant. Sonic may have been in Canterlot City for a while… but he wasn't raised here.
"You… you should get going, shouldn't you?"
"Mm," came the kid's reply. He dipped a hand into his pouch and held a ring between two fingers. His eyes were full of hesitation as he stared at it.
Rainbow gathered herself. "But you don't want to…"
"No. But if I stay here, crazier, possibly power-hungry bad guys are gonna show up and threaten this city," Sonic whispered, turning his eyes to Rainbow. "I can't just endanger you like that."
"It's okay, Sonic… me and the girls can handle ourselves just fine both with and without you," Rainbow told him in a calming tone. "You have your own friends on South Island who've been missing you, right?"
"Y-yeah…"
"Hey… you can come back any time," Rainbow said soothingly. "Okay?"
Sonic looked to her with green eyes resembling grassy fields. "Okay… I'll be sure to." He moved closer to Rainbow…
...and wrapped his arms around her in a hug.
"Thanks, Dashie."
The athlete returned the hug with a warm smile. "No prob, BFFF."
The boy drew back in confusion. "Uh…"
"Best Fast Friend Forever," Dash clarified. "I thought of it just after you sent Robotnik… uh, or Eggman, whatever, packing. Catchy, don't ya think?"
Sonic giggled. "Yeah, totally." He paused, looking at the ring in his hand once again. He inhaled deeply, releasing it in a breath of readiness. He locked eyes with Rainbow, who nodded warmly at him… before her eyes lit up in remembrance.
"Here," she said, handing the boy a piece of paper. "This fell out when we were laying the smackdown on Stygian."
Sonic took it from her. "My bucket list," he whispered, placing it in his pocket. "Thanks for that, Colors."
"Nah," Rainbow replied with a shake of her head. "I've got you to thank, kiddo. This was pretty much the craziest adventure I've ever been on. And considering everything else I've done, that's saying something."
Sonic smirked. "It sure is."
The boy in blue turned around, facing the open road that stretched down ahead of him. Raising one leg and drawing his arms back, Sonic tossed the ring like a baseball player, sending it flying through the air with a golden trail…
...and when it grew in size, Rainbow was treated to the sight of a grassy path with wooden fences on both sides of it. Sunflowers, totem poles, cliffsides, and a beautiful waterfall awaited on the other end of the ring. The grassy path sloped downwards, leading into a loop carved from the checkerboard-style ground.
And the sky was clear; a bright blue matching the color of the boy's hair instead of the dark, angry clouds that she remembered looming overhead. Rays of the sun beamed down onto the surface of the nearby ocean. The teen approached the ring, adjusting the straps of his bag. He came to a stop in front of the swirling golden gateway… and turned to Rainbow.
"One more thing, Dash…"
"Yeah?"
The boy was quiet for a moment, casting his eyes to the ground. He bit his lip before his mind came to a conclusion…
"Skyler."
Rainbow raised a brow. "What?"
The boy smiled at her sudden confusion. "Skyler," he repeated. "That's my name."
Rainbow Dash couldn't find the words to reply to that.
"Before I found the crystal, got my magic, and got my cool nickname. You, uh, you said you wanted to know earlier, so there you have it."
"That's… that's a pretty good name."
"Just…" Sonic held up a hand. "Don't tell this to any of the girls, okay? Speedster's word?"
Rainbow chuckled, placing her own hand over her heart. "Speedster's word."
"Cool."
Sonic turned back to the ring, hopping through onto the grassy path. Immediately, a cyan bird flew past his face. The boy in blue turned back to Canterlot City… and back to the rainbow-haired girl. The athlete was waving at him, a smile on her face.
"So long, Sonic!"
Sonic gave a warm smile of his own, taking one last look at Rainbow Dash… and gave her a thumbs-up.
"I'll be seeing ya!"
The ring shrank and vanished with a ding, cutting off the bridge between city and island. Now alone, Sonic listened to the sounds of his old home. The sounds of the rushing waterfall… the sound of chirping birds… and the sound of the ocean.
He turned to the blue, nearly-cloudless sky. It seemed like a lifetime ago that the Man of Shadows arrived and plunged South Island into darkness, and with his defeat, the clouds had dissipated.
And now, the only thing noticeable in the sky was a rainbow. A rainbow shining with all of its colors to behold. Sonic thought back to the fellow speedster in Canterlot and sighed happily.
"One more thing to check off the list," he muttered, reaching into his pocket and unfurling the small piece of paper. He looked down his bucket list, searching for a particular entry…
He stopped when he found what he was looking for. The words "make a new friend" with a circle around it was already crossed out. Crossed out not in black… but in a multicolored line of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
Sonic's heartstrings nearly tugged at that moment and he let out a gasp of disbelief. The longer he looked at that line, the warmer he felt inside. After a moment of silence, he tucked the list back into his pocket… and looked to the sky.
"Thank you, Rainbow Dash."
He turned to the path before him, took a runner's stance… and blasted off into the loop in a blue streak, leaving blades of grass flying behind him.
Back in Canterlot City, Rainbow Dash stared at where the ring rested, moving to the sidewalk. She slowly walked down the street, turning her eyes to the sky. It was blue, with barely any clouds in sight.
And the color reminded her of her new friend.
She barely noticed she was starting to pick up speed. When she did, she just narrowed her eyes and picked up the pace. Faster and faster she ran, seeing whole blocks speed past her sight. She boldly smiled… as her eyes shifted from their normal magenta to a whirlpool of color.
Rainbow Dash blasted off with a shout, leaving a trail of her namesake behind as she raced for home…