Marble Zone, Sonic's world
Sonic sped to a halt near the Marble Zone ruins, watching as magma rushed to the surface and coated grass in red-hot lava. Given the location, it was an ordinary situation, but magma deposits here were never this volatile.
I can think of one thing that's making them act up, thought the Blue Blur, glancing to the shattered sky. And I'm still not close enough to figuring out what that is, or where Tails ended up to!
The hedgehog raced down hills and across grassy slopes, speeding past cracked marble columns. Up ahead, his emerald eyes spotted something suspicious: a Badnik convoy hauling a capsule. As if I didn't have enough on my plate already! Is Egghead seizing the opportunity to take over the world again? Well, he's got another thing coming!
Sonic blasted right for the Badniks from behind, the machines unaware of his presence until it was too late. With a Spin Dash, Sonic tore a hole clean through an Egg Pawn and busted up a Motobug. Buzz Bombers opened fire on him, prompting Sonic to jump atop one and wrestle control of it. Sonic turned the Buzz Bomber's blaster on some Crabmeats and a Caterkiller before kicking it away, sending it flying into the other Buzz Bomber with a crash.
It was over in ten seconds flat. Not that it surprised him.
"Alright, little guys, now scatter!" he called to the newly-freed animals. "Find somewhere to lay low while I bust the rest of your pals outta this!" As the animals compiled and fled from the scene, Sonic turned to the capsule: one ready to be added to the list he'd already opened. From the small viewport that looked inside, Sonic swore he saw purple flashes accompanied by what sounded like a laser. He raised a brow at this… but dismissed it. Rescue now, meet the animal later.
I'd rather use these things to hold my rings! Sonic thought as he jumped on top of the switch that served as the release mechanism. The switch pressed down, followed by the sides of the capsule opening up from the top down. From inside, Sonic could hear the prisoner emit a confused noise.
"Never fear, your savior is here!" he called, leaping off the switch to the ground below. "No need to thank me, this has been my thing for a long time. Now, what say we blow this-"
Sonic froze mid-sentence. There was only one animal in the entire capsule. And it didn't look like a pig, a bird, a rabbit, or even a walrus. It was… a horse.
And not just any horse. It had bright purple fur, a strange horn right between its violet eyes, and a pair of violet-feathered wings tucked in towards its body. And by its tail was some kind of symbol that looked like a six-pointed star surrounded by smaller twinkling stars.
"Whoa…" Sonic breathed. "Looks like I intercepted a special delivery. What kind of critter are you?"
The horse thing gave no reply. It stared at Sonic with wide eyes, unsure of how to react. It looked… frightened.
"Hey, it's okay," Sonic said calmly. "You can come on out. I promise I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm the guy who opened the door for you."
Again, the animal said nothing. It continued to stare at the hedgehog with curious eyes that now had a hint of fascination in them. Slowly, the creature stood and trotted towards the edge of the capsule. It carefully exited the container and approached the hedgehog, continuing to inspect with unblinking eyes.
"Um… this a staring contest or something? Cuz I didn't get the memo…"
"What… What in Equestria are you?"
Sonic paused. "Y'know, I was just thinking the same thing about you. What makes you so special that the Badniks had a capsule just for you?"
The creature paused. She- Sonic could tell by her voice that she was female- looked like she didn't have a clue what Sonic was talking about, which was odd. Very odd. "I… I don't know for sure, but if I had to guess… maybe my magic?"
Sonic stared at her. "Your what now?"
The horse thing looked at him with bewildered eyes. "You don't know what magic is? Wait… where am I?"
"The Marble Zone," Sonic replied immediately. "Home to ancient ruins and lots of lava."
The horse-thing tilted her head. "Uh… zone?"
"Wow. Out of town much?"
She gave no reply. The creature looked around the area as if seeing it for the first time- or maybe she was seeing this for the first time, due to how strange she looked to Sonic- before turning her gaze to the sky. That's when her body froze in sheer horror and a startled gasp left her throat.
Sonic looked up nonchalantly. "Yeah, I know. All of a sudden, those cracks split open the sky and I've been trying to get to the bottom of it ever since. All kinds of weird stuff have been coming out; strange architecture, odd monsters, you name it."
"These cracks…" she whispered. "They're just like the ones back at Equestria!"
"I'm sorry, you're gonna have to bring me up to speed on- eugh!" Sonic's eyes caught something standing on top of the capsule, making the horse thing turn around. Standing on top of the switch was a big frog… with six eyes.
"Oh, what in Tikal's name is that?!" Sonic gagged. "It looks so disgusting that even Big wouldn't want it as a pet!"
"A bufogren?" the creature asked. "Here?"
"Barf is a more subtle name…" Sonic muttered as it hopped away. "Then again, it's not as ugly as those wood-wolves I fought back in Green Hill…"
The horse thing spun back to face him. "You fought a pack of timberwolves?!"
Sonic blinked. "Well, I made them go timber, all right. Then there were those weird tiny horse-things with wings that spoke nothing but gibberish…"
"Breezies?"
Now Sonic was getting suspicious. How could this creature know all about the ones he had encountered. That settled it, it was time to bring out the one question he was mentally asking himself this whole time.
"Okay…" he crossed his arms. "Who are you?"
She blinked. "How could you not know who I am? Wait… am I past Equestria's borders again?"
"I don't even know what an 'Equestria' is," Sonic answered. "And I've been around the whole world, so I would know about a place like that."
The horse thing seemed to think this over. "Been around the whole world, but never heard of Equestria? What-" She shook her head, driving her confusion away. "Alright, I probably have as many questions as you do, but I'll get to the point. Hi, I'm Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Equestria."
"Princess?" the hedgehog repeated. "The only princess I know is the one in Soleanna. And no offense, but you certainly don't look like the royalty type."
"A crown and all would be more fitting, wouldn't it?" replied the creature. "Now, I don't suppose you have a name… uh, strange, blue, spiky creature?"
Sonic resisted the urge to roll his eyes, crossing his arms with a smirk instead. "Of course I have a name!" he said triumphantly. "My name is Sonic the Hedgehog!"
…
"Ugh… so dizzy…"
"Ooh! Angel, look! Our guest is waking up!"
Tails clenched his teeth and brought a hand to his aching head. A cheerful voice rang through his ears as he sat up. "Good morning! Did you have a nice rest? I found you out cold in the Everfree Forest, so I thought-"
"Not so loud, please…"
"Oh. My mistake."
Tails groaned again and cracked open his blue eyes. His vision was a little blurry, but he could make out his current location. He appeared to be in some sort of hut, lying down on a couch of some kind. He blinked several times, clearing up his field of sight. Now he could see several small animals throughout the room…
When he turned to his right, he saw a yellow horse creature with a pink mane right in front of his face.
"GAH!"
"EEP!"
Both the fox and the horse jumped in place, wide eyes locked on each other. Tails was the first to calm down with a sharp exhale. "Sorry. It's just… do me a favor and don't get right in my face?"
"Okay," it peeped.
Tails looked around the room. "Where in the world am I?"
"You're in my cottage," replied the creature. "Along with all the other animals I take care of. And out of all of them, you're definitely the strangest one. Would you like some water?"
Tails blinked. "Uh, sure…" Within seconds, the creature handed him a cup- with her hooves, surprisingly- that he gently took out of her grip. As he brought it to his mouth to drink, the creature continued to talk.
"My name is Fluttershy, the kindest pony this side of Canterlot."
"Mm?"
"You must be from one of the lands beyond Equestria. I may not have seen an animal like you before, but trust me, taking care of animals is my specialty… no matter how strange they may appear. Anyway, what's your name?"
Tails set the cup down before cautiously answering. "Miles. Miles Prower."
"Miles?" Fluttershy repeated. "That's an odd name for a fox."
"Well, my friends call me Tails, if that's any better."
"Oh!" the pony perked up. "Because of… ah, those, I presume?" She pointed with a hoof. Tails looked over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of his two foxtails lying beside him. "How in Celestia's name did you even get a second tail, anyway?"
"A genetic anomaly, I'd have to say."
Fluttershy tilted her head in confusion. "Um…"
Tails shrugged. "I was born with them."
"Oh. Okay," Fluttershy answered. "Well, I hope you're comfortable. I'm not sure how any critter can take all this nasty weather we're having…"
Tails perked up. "Nasty weather? What nasty weather?"
She pointed out the window where the couch was near. "Take a look for yourself. I'm afraid the pegasi can't do anything about this mess…" Tails adjusted himself, peering through the glass and into the sky above. Aside from the occasional cloud and the sea of blue, strange ethereal cracks were splitting the sky wide open. It was a sight too familiar for the fox.
"Whoa… those cracks…" They look like the same ones Sonic and I were investigating!
"Spooky, isn't it? Don't worry! My best friends are working to fix this! Oh, and speaking of friends, I believe you have some that would want to see you're awake."
"Huh?" Tails asked. "What friends?"
"Chao chao chao!" A small blue creature with a red bowtie flew into sight, vocalizing happily. It was followed by several creatures like it, which made Fluttershy smile.
"Wait… Cheese?" Tails realized, focusing on the one with the red bowtie. "What are you doing here? And… and if you're here, where's Cream?"
"Huh? Who's Cream?"
"She's the owner of this Chao," Tails replied. "Speaking of, where did you find all of these Chao?"
"Is that what they're called?" Fluttershy asked. "They do seem to say that word a lot…"
"Chao chao!"
"Anyway, I found them in the Everfree Forest with you. I have no clue as to how they got there, though. They seem to get along quite well with the Breezies."
"Breezies?" Tails asked. His eyes immediately caught something behind Fluttershy. A Chao was playing with small creatures with wings; creatures that seemed somewhat familiar.
"Hey!" The memory came back in an instant. "Those look like the same creatures I saw at Emerald Hill!"
"Um… where?"
"And those cracks in the sky? They're like the same ones I saw back where I came from!"
"And… where do you come from, exactly?" Fluttershy asked him.
The fox was silent for a moment. "Westside Island, why?"
The pony tilted her head. "I've never heard of that place."
Tails realized something else. "And I've never heard of an Everfree Forest before… wait a second, am I in-"
Knock knock knock!
"Oh! Excuse me for a second!" Fluttershy said as she turned and trotted to the door. She moved a hoof to open it… before she could even touch the knob, the door flew open and a colored blur raced inside, knocking over the pony with a startled yelp.
"Fluttershy! Come quick! Ponyville is under atta-"
The newcomer abruptly stopped in front of the dumbfounded Tails, beating its wings to hover in place. Unlike Fluttershy, this creature had blue fur, magenta eyes, and a rainbow-colored mane and tail. Both of them stared awkwardly at each other in complete silence.
"Uh…"
"I hope you don't mind," Fluttershy piped up, moving between the two of them. "I found him in the forest. Ahem! Rainbow Dash, Tails. Tails, Rainbow Dash."
The newcomer, still unsure of how to react, held out her front hoof hesitantly. "Nice to… meet you?"
"Likewise," Tails answered, taking her hoof and shaking it. "Now, what were you saying just now?"
The newcomer- Rainbow Dash, was it?- snapped out of her trance at the fox's words. "Oh! Right! You gotta come quick, Flutters! Rarity just told me that Ponyville is under attack!"
"Oh no!" she gasped. "By more of those metal monsters with the poor animals inside?"
A pang of deja vu struck Tails. "Wait, by what?"
"I don't know, but with Twilight gone, we'll need to clean up the little infestation! Come on!" She didn't give either Tails or Fluttershy a chance to respond before she ran out the door.
"Um… you better stay here, Tails. I wouldn't want to see you get hurt."
Tails stood up from the couch. "If this Ponyville place is under attack by what I think it is, you don't need to worry. I've got a friend whose job is smashing machines with trapped animals inside. And I've learned a lot from him, so I'm coming, too!"
"Okay… if you say so," Fluttershy replied before she turned and followed Rainbow out the door. Tails moved to follow them… but he caught a glimpse of something yellow and rectangular on the neighboring table.
"Hey! My handheld!" he exclaimed, picking up the inactive Miles Electric and securing it to his back. "Better make sure I keep this safe. Now, time to tackle some trouble!" He spun up his two tails like helicopter rotors, lifting him off the floor. The door of the cottage was still open, allowing Tails to shoot out into the open in an orange streak. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were already flying ahead… until Tails caught up to them in seconds.
"Whoa!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she felt a rush of wind through her mane. Slowing himself down, Tails turned around to face the airborne pegasi. "Alright, so which way is this 'Ponyville'?"
Neither of the pegasi gave him an audible reply. Instead, Fluttershy stared at him with wide eyes while Rainbow's mouth was hanging open. All three of them hung in the air for a short while before a confused Tails broke the silence.
"What?"
"You can fly," stuttered Rainbow. "You're a fox, and you can fly?!"
"Huh?" Tails wondered before he looked behind him. "Oh, yeah! Sorry! It's a thing I do to get around quickly."
"But how is that even possible?" asked Fluttershy. "No creature I know can spin their tail to fly!"
"Eh, I don't really question it," Tails replied. "So, where to?"
"Uh, Ponyville would be that way," Rainbow pointed towards a bustling town in the distance. "I can't believe I'm about to say this to a flying fox, but… race you there?"
"Ha! Gotta warn you, I've been in a lot of races!"
The two pegasi and the fox took off through the sky, racing towards the town at top speed. As they flew, questions swarmed Tails' mind. Questions he constantly shoved back. He'd deal with them later.
…
Angel Island, Sonic's world
The Altar of the Emeralds
"AAAAH!" Spike wailed, weaving around the furious strikes of the red creature as fast as he could. The stranger was swinging his forelimbs with strong strokes and hard hits. Stray misses smashed holes in a pillar, crumbling it further. "Get BACK here, you little gnat!"
In a panic, Spike zigzagged around the place while the figure ran after him with incredible speed. "Stop!" he gasped. "You don't want to do this!"
"No!" the stranger snapped back. "I HAVE to do this! RAAH!" He slammed the ground with one fist, rupturing the very ground. Gasping frantically, Spike flew over the newly-formed cracks and rolled around in the air, evading rocks and pebbles kicked up from the force. The attacker was close behind, jumping over the cracks with ease. After he cleared them, he launched himself high into the air towards Spike…
"AUGH!" the dragon cried out in terror before his form was snatched up. When the stranger touched down, he held the dragon firmly in its grip with a furious snarl. Spike struggled and squirmed to break free, but the hold was too strong.
"P-please!" Spike gasped. "Th-this is a mistake!"
"Oh, so you laughing happily as you frolicked on top of the Master Emerald was a mistake, huh?" he shot back angrily. "Well, in that case…"
He punched Spike hard, sending him flying through the air screaming. "Oops!"
Spike managed to right himself in mid-air, beating his wings and regathering his senses. He shook his head rapidly…
"GRRRRAH!"
And when he did, he saw the red creature throw an entire boulder right for him!
"AH!" Spike flew out of the rock's way and launched himself through the sky, evading several other large rocks the creature chucked his way. "Please, stop! I don't want to fight you!"
"Yeah? Maybe you should've thought of that BEFORE you ticked me off!"
"I-I didn't mean to! I was just-WHOA!" He dodged another boulder that nearly knocked him out of the sky. "Okay… I'm sorry, but you leave me no other choice!" Spike tucked in his wings and dove towards the ground, right for the red stranger who was running in to meet him. He yelled out, throwing a fist forward to slam into Spike's little body…
And the dragon proceeded to swoop all around the creature, taking it completely by surprise. "Huh?! What the-?!" Around and around Spike flew until he appeared as a purple blur to the creature's eyes. The creature whipped his head around in a crazed frenzy, trying to track the dragon down.
"HEY! Cut that out!"
Woohoo! Now I know how Rainbow Dash feels!
"I'm serious! Stop that! Charmy's the one who's supposed to bug me like that! And the guy's a bee!" the creature snarled, beginning to lash out with his fists in every direction. He swung wildly and grunted in effort, hoping to score a lucky hit on the dragon. "Why! Won't! You! Hold! Still!"
Spike flew off from the creature, leaving him utterly dizzy and exhausted from his failed attempts. The dragon closed his eyes, breathed in as hard as he could… and unleashed a wave of emerald flames from his maw. The creature's violet eyes could only widen in shock… before he was consumed by the flames.
"AAAAAAAH!"
Spike cut off his fire breath flow, panting in exhaustion while he stared at the crackling jade flames. I'm so sorry… he thought mournfully. I didn't want to do this, but you left me no choice.
The dragon turned to the large emerald. And as much as I hate to admit it, this big gem isn't worth it. No way can I move it. Plus, I don't feel really hungry anymore thanks to that guy. Maybe I can find something smaller to eat later…"
The ground beneath his feet suddenly startled to tremble, making him partially lose his balance. "Wh-what the hey?"
The earth suddenly burst apart with no warning, sending the little dragon careening through the air. Using his wings to catch himself, Spike turned and stared at the spot where he once stood… and saw a massive hole. A hole that the red stranger emerged from, all dirty and soot-covered from the flames.
Spike gasped in horror. "Oh, sweet Celestia, have mercy!"
"I…" breathed the creature in exhaustion. "...am Knuckles the Echidna. I am the sole survivor of the Knuckles Clan. It is my sole duty to protect the Master Emerald from anyone who tries to abuse its power. This is my one true oath, and I will uphold it with my dying breath!"
With fury in his eyes and an animalistic growl in his throat, he charged for Spike as fast as he could. With a yelp, Spike instinctively flew backward and away from a lunging fist. The creature threw punch after punch after punch at the dragon, all of them missing his face and chest by meters.
I don't have time for this! I gotta get outta here and find Twilight! Spike flew off as fast as he could, hearing the creature's huffs and grunts close behind him. His jade eyes spotted a cliff, the sight of it filling his heart with relief. Finally, salvation!
Spike flew up the cliff as fast his wings could allow, scaling half the distance in mere seconds. He stopped halfway up and kept himself afloat with steady wingbeats, breaking out into victorious laughter.
"Ha ha ha!" he taunted the creature way down below. "Close, but no jewel cake! Phhhhht!" He stuck out his tongue with closed eyes and laughed again, finally relieved to be free from that thing's wrath. Suddenly, a series of sharp sounds from far down below made him stop. Curious, the dragon looked down the cliff…
...where the red creature was gaining on him! He dug his spiked hands into the rocky surface of the cliff, climbing towards Spike at an incredible speed. All the while, he huffed and grunted in effort while his eyes burned with unrelenting fury.
"YAAAAH!" Spike shrieked before he took off flying. With frantic gasps, he sped towards the top of the cliff as fast as he could. Behind him, the creature grunted and growled as he climbed after the dragon with great speed. The top of the cliff drew closer… and closer… and closer…
Spike zoomed over the top of the cliff with a desperate yell and touched down on the other side. Not wasting a breath, he peeked over the edge with dread in his heart. The dragon pleaded for the creature to be gone…
And surprisingly enough, he was! He was nowhere to be seen on the cliff face. "Huh? Oh, phew!" Spike wiped his brow and chuckled happily. "Finally! Now I can finally get back to-urk!"
Something snagged him by the neck, taking Spike by surprise. He was lifted into the air, spun around, and met with the grisly image of the red brawler; who looked angrier than before if that was even possible.
"H-h-how…?"
"I've lived on Angel Island my whole life," he spat. "I know every inch of this place like the back of my hand. There's nowhere you can hide here that I can't find you! Now, who are you?! And who sent you here?!"
"W-what?!"
"TALK!" growled the red one. "Before I serve you a fresh heap of knuckle sandwiches!" He drew back a clenched fist, ready to plow it into Spike's head at a moment's notice.
"GYEEP!" Spike yelled as he tried to find his voice. "M-m-my name is Spike! A-Assistant and advisor to P-P-Princess Twilight S-Sparkle of Equestria!"
"What do you want with the Master Emerald?!"
"N-nothing! Nothing at all!"
"LIAR!" growled the red one, tightening his grip around Spike's form. "You better give me a straight answer or I will pound you into dust!"
"I-I-I swear!" choked Spike. "I was looking for my friend and I got distracted, that's all! You wouldn't have happened to see a purple alicorn pony with a starry cutie mark, would you?"
"Don't you DARE change the subject, you runt!"
"I'm telling you, there's no way I was gonna steal that big emerald!" Spike stammered, feeling like he was practically begging for his life at this point. "Look at it! It's huge! Do you possibly believe a little dragon like me could even get it out of its pedestal?"
The red one stopped. His eyes looked to the large emerald, then to Spike, then back to the emerald. "Hmm…"
"I'm sorry," Spike whispered. "I didn't mean to cause you all this trouble. Really, I didn't."
The red one said nothing. He just stared at Spike, who gave the best innocent smile he could while his heart pounded in his chest.
"You swear you weren't going to do anything with the Master Emerald?"
"I swear! I only want to find my friend! Nothing more!"
More silence. It was almost excruciating for the dragon. It felt like the red one was holding him for hours. He looked deep in thought…
...and then he let go.
"Oof!" Spike collapsed to the ground and looked up at the red one. He had his arms lowered and his violet eyes locked on the dragon. "Go. Leave this island, find your friend or whatever. But if I ever see you near the Master Emerald again, I'll make sure you regret it. Got it?"
Spike only nodded frantically.
"Good. Now-"
CRACK-A-BOOOOM! The sky howled and split open with a thunderous crackle, catching both of them by surprise. Spike looked skyward, witnessing a large hole open up in the heavens.
"Oh, no! The cracks! From Equestria!"
"Wh-what the heck?! What's going on?!"
"I don't have time to explain!" Spike answered. "But things are about to get really freaky!" Just as the dragon said that, monsters that resembled bear-bee hybrids started to appear from a rift in the sky and fell towards the surface. The red one jogged to the edge of the cliff, watching them in awe.
"What are those things?"
Spike gasped. "Oh no! Bugbears! They're big, scary, pack a mean sting, and really tough!"
The red one cracked his knuckles. "Yeah? Well, I'm tougher than leather and rougher than the rest of 'em! When I'm through with those punks, they're gonna regret setting foot on my island!"
He jumped off the cliff's edge and caught the wind on his dreadlocks, transitioning into a steady glide towards the altar below. The monsters below spotted him coming in, roaring at his arrival. One flew up to meet him, prompting him to drop out of his glade and freefall right for the bugbear.
"ARRRRGH!" the red one plowed into the bugbear full-force, smashing it into the ground. He sprung up in a spinning red ball, smashing into two more with consecutive attacks. One bugbear swiped a claw at him, making him duck and nail it in the gut with a single punch.
The bugbear staggered, and a rising uppercut to the chin knocked it to the ground. Another one approached from behind, ready to grab a hold. The red one burrowed underground and tunneled under the monsters, popping out from behind one and landing a strong punch to the back.
Several more surrounded him, striking with paws, strong arms, and stingers. He raised his hands to block and absorb most of the damage, grunting in effort. With a yell, he jumped and smashed one over the head. The bugbear howled and collapsed to the ground while the red one rolled and punched another in the gut.
"Must! Protect! Island!" he grunted, walloping one bugbear after another. He spun right into one bugbear's head, jumped off another, and smashed a fist across one's face. A strong punch from one bugbear knocked him to the ground hard, making him land hard with a grunt.
The bugbears advanced with stingers ready, ready to finish him off…
FWOOSH! A wall of green flame engulfed them, making them roar and howl in pain. Spike flew in from overhead, circling the red creature and laying a defensive circle of green fire around him. Once he finished, he swooped in front of the red one, who stared at the dragon dumbfoundedly. Turning to the brawler, Spike flashed him a thumbs-up.
"You saved me… why, scale-brain?"
"Like I said, I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused," Spike answered. "Consider this a little favor!"
"But you said you had to find someone!"
"If I know Twilight well- and I do- she'll be alright! She's a strong pony! Plus, the least I could do is help you fend off these bugbears!"
"Hmph. I like your spirit," the red one commented. "Plus, you seem pretty tough for someone so small."
"Thanks! Hey, what did you say your name was?"
The red one stood up. "Knuckles. And you said you were called Spike, right?"
"Yep!"
"Well, then, make sure you take good notes!"
"I always do!"
The bugbears charged with a roar, breaking through Spike's defensive flame wall. Both dragon and echidna rushed them with a battle cry, meeting the horde head-on. Literally, in Knuckles' case.
Spike zipped around the bugbears and smacked them across their faces with his fists and feet. Before they could even strike back, he zipped out of there like an annoying mosquito. Flying up to another, he shot a green fireball that struck it right in the chest.
Knuckles tackled one bugbear and pounded it with lightning-fast punches that knocked it out cold. Another one dove for him stinger-first, only to have it grabbed by the echidna. Knuckles spun the bugbear around like a whirlwind with a loud growl, throwing it into another with a yell.
Spike found himself surrounded by four more bugbears, but only let out a small chuckle. Taking another deep breath, he deeply inhaled and spun around in a circle, roaring out a stream of green flame that forced the bugbears away. "Haha! Take that!"
Spike heard the sound of loud punching followed by the whooshes of flames. When he turned towards Knuckles, he saw that the echidna had his hands lit up in green fire and was laying the smoldering smackdown on the remaining bugbears. The fire matched his fury as he socked one in the chest, hammered one on the head, and plowed another in the back. Finally, Knuckles spun through the air in a red and green whirlwind before landing a powerful hook to a bugbear's head.
Spike huffed. "Show off…"
One bugbear howled and took off, its wings buzzing in the air as it flew away. Howling in pain and agony, the rest went airborne and flew away from the altar, retreating from the laughing echidna. "That's right, you… you… whatever you are! And don't even think about coming back!" He then turned his attention to his hands, shaking them with quick "ooh"s and "aah"s until the jade flames faded.
"You did awesome!" cheered Spike. "You're just as strong as this one earth pony I know!"
"You weren't so bad, yourself, spiky," Knuckles replied. Just then, a thought crossed his mind and he stared out into the horizon. "Speaking of spikes… maybe I should head out and tell Sonic about this."
Spike blinked. "Who?"
"He's a friend. Although we didn't really start that way," Knuckles replied. "Maybe we can look for your friend as well. But first I'll need to hide the-"
The air split once again, causing the entire island to tremble. Another breach burst into existence, but not in the sky. Instead, it opened up right at the top of the altar. Both pairs of eyes spun towards the altar… and gasped at the sight of the large green gemstone plummeting through.
"The Master Emerald! NOOO!" Knuckles took off running towards the breach as the island started to rumble and quake.
"Knuckles! Wait up!" Spike called, flying after the echidna. Knuckles jumped up the altar steps ten at a time, reaching the top in seconds. He dove through the breach after the enormous emerald while Spike followed him through, leaving the island behind as it started to plummet out of the sky.
…
Miles from the Scrap Brain Zone, Sonic's world
"So lemme get this straight," spoke the sprinting Sonic. "You say these freaky cracks and holes in the sky have been happening in your home, too?"
"Yes!" answered Twilight, who was flying alongside him. "Ever since it started right before my coronation, me and my friends have been trying to determine the cause!"
"Ditto! But I've got nothing so far. Well… almost nothing."
"What did you find out?" she asked.
"Well, it all started when me and my best buddy Tails were looking into these breaches. All of a sudden, one appeared right in front of us and I ran headfirst into it! That's when I saw this weird black space with nothing as far as I could see. Then, I saw the Chaos Emeralds."
"The what?"
"Seven gems with crazy amounts of power. I've used them several times throughout my adventures. They came into contact with six other jewels that I didn't recognize in the slightest. And when they touched, boom! Big explosion! I don't if that's anything worthy of going off of, but-"
Sonic looked to Twilight, only to see that she was no longer there. She had fallen behind and her eyes were wide as Motobug shells. Spinning on his heel, Sonic sprinted back towards her. "Something wrong, your highness?"
"Sonic…" she whispered. "What did these six jewels look like?"
"Umm…" Sonic scratched his head with a finger. "Let's see… an apple, a butterfly, a diamond, a balloon, a lightning bolt, and a star. Why?"
"Oh my gosh… it- it can't be…"
Sonic put two and two together. "Do you know them?"
"The Elements of Harmony?" Twilight whispered. "But… no. No, that's impossible! Sombra smashed them to pieces! And most of their magic is-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Sonic made a time-out gesture with his hands. "I hate to say this, but slow down! What are these Element thingies?"
"The greatest artifacts in all of Equestria," Twilight replied. "They held large amounts of magic that they transferred into me and my friends, giving us the true magic of friendship. Recently, a pony who wanted to dethrone my family from their kingdom destroyed them. I know now that the Elements were just symbols, but… why are they still-?"
"Maybe they had some magic left in them?" Sonic guessed. "Cuz I don't see how ordinary trinkets could still be around after they got smashed."
"Probably," Twilight said. "Sonic, I need to get back to Equestria as soon as I can. My friends are probably worried about me, and I need to tell them what you just told me."
"Hold on a second," Sonic interrupted. "There's one thing that's been bugging me. Just how did you get here, exactly?"
"Um… I ended up flying into a breach?"
"So did Tails!" Sonic realized. "If flying through a breach made you end up here, that must mean Tails in that Equestria place! I'm coming with you so I can find my friend!"
"That's fine with me," Twilight replied. "Now we just need to-"
"Sh!" Sonic suddenly pressed a finger to her mouth. "You hear that?" Both hedgehog and alicorn stayed silent, keeping their ears open…
A series of mechanical sounds echoed just over a hill in a steady rhythm: the sound of marching. Sonic eagerly clenched a fist. "Badniks!" He jogged over to the hill and plopped flat on his stomach, peering down on the path just down the slope. Twilight fluttered over and touched down next to the hedgehog.
"More of those things?" she asked, eying the mean machines marching alongside two large capsules with repulsorlifts carrying them along. "What is it they have with them?"
"Whoa!" Sonic whispered. "Are those E-1000s and Egg Fighters? I haven't seen those guys in a while! It'd be fun to smash them up again! And since they're here, this must be a more special delivery than you, Twilight!"
"I suppose. What do you think we should do, Sonic?"
The hedgehog gave no reply, which made Twilight suspicious. "Uh, Sonic?" She turned to the hedgehog's position… and saw that he was gone.
"Huh?"
"Ha! Hyah! Take this! And that!"
She spun her head to the bottom of the slope, where a spinning blue ball was bouncing off of machines while avoiding laser fire. As Sonic continued to plow his way through the robots, the alicorn princess sighed and rolled her eyes.
Great. I'm stuck with the ground version of Rainbow Dash. Unfurling her wings, she glided down the hill and touched down onto the path just as Sonic punted away the head of an Egg Fighter. "Ha, ha! I never get tired of that!"
"You never get tired at all, do you?" asked Twilight.
"Nah. It's part of what makes me so cool."
Twilight narrowed her eyes. "You know, you're starting to remind me of somepony..."
"Less chat, more rescuing!" Sonic jumped on top of each of the capsules, stomping on the switches and popping them open. He landed next to Twilight with a confident smirk, waiting to see what awaited inside.
For the second time that day, it was nothing like the hedgehog expected. "What the-?"
Two large horses with wings and horns emerged from the capsules, earning startled gasps from Twilight. One was as radiant as day, the other black as night. Shimmering manes and tails drifted behind their gleaming forms and they basked themselves in the fresh air.
"Whoa…" Sonic was left utterly speechless. "Who in Tikal's name are they?" Twilight galloped up to the larger equines with an ecstatic expression while they turned their attention to the little pony approaching them.
"Princess Celestia! Princess Luna! What in Equestria are you doing here?"
"Wait, princesses?" Sonic asked. "Them? They look more like queens!"
"Ah, it feels good to see you again, my faithful student," said the one as bright as the day. "Although I wish it was under better circumstances…"
"But nothing can be more upsetting than a magical crisis interrupting your vacation time," added the black one. "And being abducted by these metallic monstrosities for reasons unknown could be just the start, I'm afraid."
"Well, the good news is that you're safe now, thanks to my new friend," Twilight said, turning her attention back to Sonic. Seeing that all pairs of eyes were now on him, Sonic looked at Twilight. "Uh… should I bow or something?"
Twilight chuckled. "You're good."
"Ah, you are a fascinating little fellow," Celestia spoke as she and her sister approached the hedgehog. "Tell me, what do you call yourself?"
"I'm Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog. The Blue Blur, Knight of the Wind, and others that are too long for me to list here."
"Well, Sonic the Hedgehog…" Celestia spoke, glancing towards the shattered sky. "It appears we share a common danger. Not too long ago, I received a peculiar vision."
"A vision?" said Sonic and Twilight in unison.
"A glimpse at the space between space, if you will," the alicorn continued. "A plane of existence where- after events of a catastrophic level occurred in two dimensions- a great fusion between magic and an unknown energy force took place. Where six and seven became thirteen and great forces of power were unleashed, opening up passageways between our worlds."
"The Elements of Harmony…" Twilight spoke aloud.
"And the Chaos Emeralds…" Sonic added. "I knew what I saw had to be important somehow!"
"The Elements of Harmony were supposedly destroyed during your confrontation with King Sombra, Twilight," Luna explained. "Why they managed to remain intact and get flung to the far corners of reality are unknown to us. But their magic combined with this strange energy could spell doom for all Equestria… and this world as well."
"Sonic…" Celestia spoke. "What can you tell us about these 'Chaos Emeralds'?"
"The Chaos Emeralds are a source of great power fueled by emotions," he replied. "They can be used for both good and evil, and it's been said they can grant miracles. The last time I saw them, I used them to battle this primordial being called the Time Eater, who was trying to erase me from history. I managed to destroy it, but I've never seen the Emeralds since. Maybe that's when they got in touch with these Elements."
"You say they can grant miracles," Luna said. "Does this mean they are magic?"
Sonic shook his head. "Not magical. Chaotic." At his words, Twilight gulped. "Relax! I've used them several times! They've granted me great power and strength due to me unlocking their true potential with my positivity alone."
Twilight gathered herself back up. "Heh. Sorry."
"The Chaos Emeralds hold a source of power called chaos energy," Sonic continued. "Chaos energy allows people to manipulate space and time, transform thoughts into realities, and can even give life to all living things! They're basically unmatched by anything else in the universe!"
"Whoa…" Twilight whispered.
"But thanks to that chaos energy meeting the magic of those Elements, it's just too much energy in one place. That must be what's causing all these cracks and breaches between our worlds! If this goes on for too long, who knows what'll happen!"
"Our worlds may not be able to sustain such raw power," Celestia theorized. "In a matter of weeks or days, they may grow too unstable and explode from a sheer overload of both magic and chaos energy."
Twilight shivered. "Blowing up does not sound like a good way to go out."
"Unless you're a robot," Sonic butted in.
"Twilight," said Celestia. "We must hurry back to Equestria and inform the others of this discovery."
"Yeah, about that…" Sonic added. "Just how are we gonna get-"
FRRZZAAK! The air shuddered and split just close by, separating space itself to open a hole between dimensions. It gave out an amethyst glow and an image of a lush landscape flowed within.
"Well, would you look at that! Ask and you shall receive!" Sonic exclaimed, sprinting right for the breach at top speed. "Follow me, your majesties! No time like the present!"
"Is he always like this?" Luna questioned.
"Unfortunately," Twilight answered with a sigh. "Come on, let's go!" The three alicorns galloped towards the breach just as the hedgehog jumped through with a grunt.
