Canterlot, Equestria

The terrified eyes of everypony in Canterlot turned to the skies, where an intimidating fleet of mechanical and heavily armed airships floated miles above the ground. One larger than the rest hovered into position as weapon systems were brought online. The ponies shivered in terror and instinctively took one step back, dreading the horror that awaited them.

That horror came in the form of an awful high-pitched screeching sound.

"AAH!" Pony and animal cringed and covered their ears in sheer pain. The loud, amplified sound of something being tapped thrummed in their eardrums.

"TESTING. TESTING. CUBOT, AM I ON?"

"AAAND ACTION!"

The gruff voice cleared his throat… before he spoke down to the city below.

"ATTENTION ALL EQUINES AND OTHER SENTIENT LIFE FORMS OF THIS DIMENSION! LEND ME YOUR EARS AND LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY! MY NAME IS DOCTOR EGGMAN, THE GREATEST MIND YOU HAVE HAD THE HONOR OF EVER ENCOUNTERING."

The Mane Six, Spike, the two former princesses, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy all trained their eyes on the central battleship. The three who knew the mad doctor well had fierce and determined expressions on their faces. Everyone else either looked at the huge warship in fear or stood protectively in front of their friends. Rainbow's narrowed eyes glanced at the menacing robots all around her, silently daring one of them to make a move.

"I COME FROM A WORLD FAR BEYOND YOUR OWN; ONE WHERE I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO CREATE THE GREATEST EMPIRE THAT HAS EVER LIVED. BUT AFTER SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS THAT SHALL NOT BE GONE INTO FURTHER DETAIL HERE, A STROKE OF GENIUS STRUCK ME ONCE I SAW THE MYSTERIOUS CRACKS IN THE SKY YOU SEE ALL AROUND YOU."

All eyes looked past the fleet and looked to the fractures in the open air above.

"AFTER SOME SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS, I DISCOVERED THOSE BREACHES WERE NOT JUST BREACHES, BUT PORTALS. PORTALS INTO THIS WORLD. SO, I REALIZED… IF I CANNOT BUILD MY EMPIRE ON MY WORLD… I WILL BUILD IT ON YOURS!"

Everypony gasped in horror. Dumbfounded, Rainbow's wings fell to her sides. "He… he's gonna WHAT?!"

"I did warn you…" sighed Tails.

"NOW, I KNOW SOME OF YOU WILL HAVE SOME COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS NEW PROCLAMATION. AND YOU ARE FREE TO DELIVER THEM… TO MY ROBOTS!" At these words, the machine legion marched forward a few paces, causing the ponies to cower in terror.

"THIS CITY SHALL BE TRANSFORMED INTO THE MAIN SEAT OF POWER WITHIN THE EGGMAN EMPIRE! A THRONE FROM WHICH I WILL SIT UPON! EMPEROR EGGMAN WILL RULE ALL THAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU! YES, EMPEROR EGGMAN! BECAUSE KING EGGMAN DOESN'T HAVE A VERY GOOD RING TO IT!"

Rarity and Pinkie looked at each other in confusion.

"INCH BY INCH, YOUR TRANQUIL LAND WILL GO FROM GRASSY HILLS AND GLEAMING LAKES TO PUMPING REFINERIES AND MECHANICAL FACTORIES! AND AS FOR ALL OF YOU… WELL, ENJOY THESE MOMENTS OF FREEDOM AND PEACE… BECAUSE THEY ARE YOUR LAST! OHOHOHOHOHOHO!"

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no!" whimpered Fluttershy. "Wh-what will happen to all the animals?!"

"He is officially the worst party-crasher ever…" moaned Pinkie.

"OH, AND ONE MORE THING. I'VE STUDIED WHAT YOUR MAGIC IS CAPABLE OF, ESPECIALLY IN THE HORNED FOLK. SO, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I THINK I'VE JUST FOUND THE NEWEST POWER SOURCE FOR MY MACHINES! THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION."

A robotic arm shot out and nabbed a unicorn by the neck, cutting off its cry of panic. An earth pony tried to scramble away, only to get seized by two Egg Pawns that held it tightly by the back of its neck. A pegasus jumped into the air to avoid getting nabbed by an E-1000 and flew away as fast as it could… before a trio of Buzz Bombers surrounded it.

"AND BY ALL MEANS, DO RESIST," Eggman boomed from high above. "IT'S MUCH MORE ENTERTAINING THAT WAY. MWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Okay… I regret laughing about his name!" Rainbow sheepishly admitted. "Wh-what are we gonna do?!"

"Teach this ludicrous fool that our subjects are not to be slaves to any creature!" Celestia answered with a hint of anger in her voice.

"And that Equestria is not for the taking!" Twilight answered, standing between the two sisters. All three alicorns closed their eyes and concentrated deeply, their horns lighting up with magical energy…

And with the three rulers acting as one, they fired powerful magic beams of yellow, purple, and black light toward the massive battleship. The beams flew towards the battleship as the trio watched on, waiting for the airship to explode in a cloud of red and orange and slowly sink to the ground below…

But instead, the beams struck only a translucent barrier surrounding the battleship! The magic was blocked by the technological defenses and faded away instantly with a crackling sound. The ponies down below all gasped in shock.

"N-no way!" Rainbow gasped.

"I… I can't believe this!" Twilight shouted.

"A shield?" Rarity scoffed. "That's not fair!"

"Uh… don't you have a magic shield?" Applejack asked. The white unicorn froze in her spot… and looked down in realization. "Oh… that's right…"

"HAHAHAHA!" Eggman bellowed. "I THINK THAT TICKLED! IT'S ADORABLE IF YOU THOUGHT THAT WAS GOING TO BRING ME DOWN! NOW, MY GLORIOUS CREATIONS… GET THEM!"

The machines snapped into action and advanced towards the Mane Six, weapons pointed at anypony they detected. Without hesitation, Twilight, Rainbow, and Applejack charged toward a wave of Egg Fighters with a determined yell. The robots lifted their arms… and opened fire with a barrage of laser blasts.

Twilight conjured a violet forcefield around herself and Applejack, allowing the lasers to dissipate on impact. Rainbow blasted ahead, weaving aerodynamically between the shots until she reached the mechanical horde.

With a furious cry, the pegasus smashed into the Egg Fighters and ricocheted off them with rocket speed. She body-slammed one, socked another on the head with her hoof, and rammed into another head-first. She zipped all around the robots as they struggled to lock on, crashing against them one by one and knocking them down.

Applejack smashed an E-1000 aside with a double-hooved kick while Twilight blasted a wave of Motobugs with another magic beam. Rarity summoned a diamond shield that some Buzz Bombers smacked right into, protecting Spike from their attack run while he shot fireballs at Crabmeats.

From the nearby castle, a patrolling royal guard marched over the balcony… before the sounds of battle drew his attention. "Huh?"

When he saw the legions of robots and plumes of smoke rising in the air, he gasped in surprise and rushed off. "Guards! GUARDS! Canterlot is under attack! Defend your princess!"

Pinkie and Fluttershy ducked underneath a stream of laser fire while Celestia and Luna repelled a squad of spear-wielding Egg Pawns with a magical shockwave. Pinkie fired her party cannon at an Egg Fighter… only for it to freeze in place before wiping it off. After it shook its mechanical head and took aim with its wrist blaster, the pink pony gulped.

"Um… hoofshake?"

BAM! An orange ball with two foxtails sticking out bashed against the Egg Fighter, taking it out with one blow. As soon as he landed, Tails clenched his fists and took to the sky with tails spinning. He chased after a squadron of Buzz Bombers and spun around in an orange tornado, busting them all apart with a whirlwind of tails. Without missing a beat, he dropped to the ground and curled up…

VREEEE!

Spinning around in an orange ball, Tails rocketed into several Badniks and Egg Fighters before kicking down an E-1000 unit locking onto him. A Motobug raced for him, which he kicked into an Egg Pawn with a blaster, taking them both out.

"Wow, he's pretty good!" Pinkie shouted with glee. The fox spun his head around, looking for another target… before his blue eyes went wide with a gasp. "Fluttershy, LOOK OUT!"

"Huh? EEEP!" Above the pegasus, a large robot with a hammer held high started to swing down its mighty weapon. With a panicked cry, she squeezed her eyes shut just as a loud bang rang out. Fluttershy stood as still as a stone… before she realized she wasn't squashed flat. She cracked open her eyes, curious as to what was going on.

With her own hammer blocking the robot's, Amy pushed against the force with gritted teeth. "Try THIS on for size!" Batting aside the hammer, the pink hedgehog jumped high into the air and held her Piko Hammer high above her head…

"HI-YAH!" ...and smashed it down onto the robot's head, crushing it with a hard, solid blow. Amy touched down with the grace of an acrobat while the robot crashed down onto its back. Pinkie Pie jumped around in joy, laughing happily. "Again! Again!"

Amy winked. "With pleasure!"

A unified yell drew the attention of those both organic and synthetic. An entire platoon of armored ponies charged into the fray, bashing small Badniks with their heads and trampling one Crabmeat underfoot. They all formed a defensive perimeter around Celestia, Luna, and Twilight and immediately began forcing away weaponized machines.

"Do not worry, my princess!" called the lead guard to Twilight. "We shall ensure no harm comes to you from these wretched invaders!"

The alicorn nodded. "Do your best to protect Canterlot from these things!"

"Yes, your majesty! FOR EQUESTRIA!" The lead guard charged forward while two more did the same, colliding with a squad of shield-bearing Egg Pawns. The guards threw themselves against the robots' shields while one jumped atop a robot, crushing it beneath his hooves.

Applejack slid to a halt and looked all around, finding herself surrounded by marching Egg Fighters. "Huh? Aw, butterscotch!" She adjusted her hat and planted all four hooves on the ground, ready to drive any one of them through a robot's chassis…

...but a spike-knuckled fist beat her to it, bursting clear through a chest plate that took the earth pony by surprise.

Knuckles drew out his fist and grabbed the robot by the legs, swinging it around like a wrestler to wreck other robots with it. He smashed the robot on the ground over and over until he spun around again, throwing it into a charging Egg Pawn.

"Land sakes!" gasped Applejack. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"I studied the scrolls of the ancient echidna tribe," Knuckles answered nonchalantly. He grabbed an Egg Pawn's lance, disarmed it, and speared it through the chest with its own weapon. The machine shut down almost instantly with a gaping hole through its torso. Applejack backed away nervously, the echidna's methods unorthodox to her. An Egg Fighter swung at her from the side, prompting her to duck underneath the whirring arm and kick it away.

Amy knocked a Motobug away with a single swing, making it hit an Egg Pawn in the head and mess up its aim. Instead of hitting a fleeing earth pony, it blew up a Crabmeat snapping its claws at Spike. Another one skittered up to Pinkie Pie… and pinched her on the tail.

"YEEEOOOWCH!" she howled, bouncing around the scene like crazy with the Badnik hanging on for dear life. After frantic jumps and crazy maneuvers, it was flung into the air and collided with a Buzz Bomber that detected it too late. Both Badniks blew apart on impact, allowing two Flickys to fly away.

Tails flew circles around E-1000s to disorient them and leave them wide open to Twilight's magic blasts. "Knuckles!" cried the fox, flying for the echidna at high speed. Noticing the incoming flier, Knuckles kicked away a Motobug and braced himself for contact. "Come at me!" he gestured with a hand.

Tails spun up in a furry ball that Knuckles caught between his hands. Spinning behind him, Knuckles threw the fox right at a charging Egg Hammer with a loud yell. "Take THIS!"

Tails plowed through the Badnik and flew off before it could hit the ground. Knuckles jumped and tunneled his way underground, burrowing between unsuspecting machines. One by one, his fists burst out and nailed each robot that struggled to keep track of him.

Rainbow flew over the city, gazing down at the battle from above. Her friends were doing considerably well against their artificial adversaries. And with three new allies in the mix, they were mopping the floor with them!

Hope surged in the pegasus' heart as she sped towards a group of earth ponies and unicorns. "Everypony!" she called out. "Get outta here while you still can!" The bystanders did not hesitate to comply. With panicked gasps and shouts, they bolted towards the main gates while Rainbow zoomed overhead to cover their escape.

The main gate was sealed shut, but a guard manning it instantly noticed the ponies' approach. He galloped towards a lever as fast as he could…

ZAP! A laser bolt struck him in the side, downing him with a pained cry. Rainbow and the other ponies stopped with wide eyes. "No!"

Egg Fighters with swords and shields dropped down from the sky in a tight formation, blocking off the frightened ponies. One of them with no weapons opened fire on Rainbow Dash, forcing her to perform evasive maneuvers and fly away from the line of fire.

A squadron of Buzz Bombers detected the high-flying pegasus and sped after her in a formation that resembled an angry swarm of bees. Aiming their stingers and acquiring a lock, they blasted at the pegasus with rapid-fire lasers. Rainbow frantically swerved left and right to evade their shots, pushing her agility to its limit.

From the sky above, more drop pods launched from the looming battleships and crashed onto the streets of Canterlot. More Egg Pawns, E-1000s, and Egg Fighters stormed out, replacing their downed brethren by the dozen.

"Ugh! No good!" Amy called. "More of them keep coming in!"

"Grr!" Knuckles cried. "We're not giving up that easily! Tails! Let's show these buckets of bolts what we're-UGH!" An Egg Fighter with a sword whacked Knuckles with the flat end, downing the echidna. At the same time, a lucky shot from an Egg Pawn with a blaster hit Tails right in the chest. With a pained cry, Tails tumbled to the street below.

Egg Fighters with swords and shields knocked aside Canterlot's royal guards like they were nothing. When one tried to get up, an Egg Fighter stomped on its neck to prevent it from standing. An E-1000 grabbed Twilight by the horn and wrestled her to the ground, pinning the alicorn. An Egg Fighter with an electric shield bashed Applejack, giving the earth pony a hard jolt that nearly knocked her out cold.

The remaining ponies huddled together with worry and fear while Celestia and Luna stood between them and the robots. The sight of her friends in trouble made Rainbow's heart sink in dread.

"No… AGH!"

A Buzz Bomber's laser bolt struck her in the wing, making her whole body scream in pain. Rainbow fell to the street screaming and hit the surface with a grunt, tumbling to a stop right near the rest of her friends. Fluttershy and Applejack rushed up to the downed pegasus, whose wing was aching badly. She cracked open a magenta eye, trying to keep her breathing steady.

"I'm… I'm sorry, guys…"

An Egg Hammer bashed Amy to the ground, making the hedgehog drop her hammer. Knuckles tried to make a last stand with a furious cry, but an Egg Fighter with a shield bashed him up into the air… and the echidna crashed down on his back with a groan. With no further choice, Tails lifted his arms to the surrounding Egg Pawns with a scowl on his face.

"HAHAHAHA!" Eggman laughed from aboard his battleship. "NOW THAT WAS ENTERTAINING! IT WAS FUN TO WATCH YOU ALL STRUGGLE, BUT NOW IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO WATCH YOUR CITY BURN TO ASHES! IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE THAT STILL WANTS TO SMASH MY BEAUTIFUL MACHINES? ANYONE? ANYONE AT ALL?"

Rainbow's blurry vision took in the sight of robots nabbing ponies and marching away with them as they struggled to break free. Badniks circled smaller crowds, herding them on as they shambled along on trembling hooves.

It angered the pegasus. She stood on shaky legs, spread her wings wide, bared her teeth, and turned her furious eyes to the battleship above. "EGGMAN!" she yelled in fury. "I don't know how or when, but you! Are going! DOWN!"

The rest of her friends stood back up, weary from their earlier scuffle, but unwilling to let their capital fall to the mad doctor. Twilight stood between the two princesses, her horn glowing bright with magic.

"No matter what, everypony, we're not gonna let this big jerk take over our home! We can beat him, but only if we work together!"

"Right behind you, Twilight!" called Applejack. Everypony else gathered close to Twilight, glaring up at the huge fleet above them with determination in their eyes. Amy, Tails, and Knuckles all looked on at the ponies, astonished by their bravery.

"GOOD!" Eggman chortled through the ship's speakers. "THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT! NOW, MY BEAUTIFUL CREATIONS… DESTROY THEM ALL!"

Egg Pawns raised their weapons. Egg Fighters and E-1000s held out their arms, ready to fire at any given moment. The robots slowly advanced toward the ponies, who stood ready to protect their friends by any means necessary. Rainbow crouched down and spread her wings as best as she could, staring down a stomping Egg Fighter…

...until it suddenly stopped in its tracks. No movement, no weapons firing, nothing. It just stared blankly at the now-confused pegasus. "What the…?"

The rest of the robots were frozen as well, drawing curiosity from everyone they surrounded. "Uh… what's going on?" asked Spike. Pinkie waved a hoof in front of an Egg Pawn but got no response.

"I… I don't have the faintest idea," Rarity whispered. The Egg Fighter in front of her suddenly jolted back to life, making the unicorn yelp in alarm. The robot raised its weapons at the frightened Rarity…

...and turned around. The rest of the robots followed suit, marching away from the ponies. Several of the Egg Pawns beeped an alarm as they ran past the ponies and a confused Twilight watched them in disbelief. "What in Celestia's name are they doing?" she asked.

"You tell me!" Pinkie replied.

...

"What?!" Eggman roared from the battleship's cockpit. He snatched up a microphone and yelled right into it, broadcasting his words to the city below. "What are you nincombots doing?! I command you to get back into position right now and destroy those blasted-"

"Um, boss?" Orbot spoke up. "I think you'll want to see this."

"What is it?!"

"Sensors are detecting an organic lifeform closing in on the city," Cubot replied. "It's about eleven hundred meters from the main gates… no, wait, ten hundred. Nine hundred. Eight hundred. Seven hundred. Man, that thing can move!"

Eggman's face dropped. No… it can't be! His mind screamed. Immediately, he sat back in his seat and forced himself to calm down. No, no. This is to be expected. Of course, wherever I go, he is sure to follow.

Well, he's too late to stop me this time!

"Orbot! Order every ship to turn their weapons towards the main entrance! Now!"

Every cannon on every battleship swiveled towards the main gates. The robot legion formed a defensive line and pointed their weapons toward the portcullis separating Canterlot from the outside lands. Rainbow watched in sheer disbelief as they locked into place.

"Hey! Wh-what's going on?! We're standing right here! Why are they headed towards the main gates?!"

"Because…" Tails had a childish smile forming on his face. "He's here."

Rainbow didn't quite get it. "Who's here?"

BAM! The portcullis smashed to the ground and kicked up a cloud of dust. The robots stood on high alert and held their positions. Through the dust, everyone could see a strange shape silhouetted by the cloud. A bipedal shape with clenched fists and spikes trailing from the back of its head.

The shape didn't move. Instead, it turned its head towards the vast line of machines that awaited it. The battleships hovered in the air with cannons trained on the dust cloud. Everypony had their eyes turned to the newcomer, staring in disbelief and confusion as to what it could be. Then, the figure marched through the smoke and emerged into view, allowing all eyes to have a good look at it. It was a blue-spiked creature with white gloves, red shoes, and stern green eyes that shined like emeralds. The creature stared down the mechanical horde before him... until turning his gaze to the smiling fox and shooting him a sly wink. Turning back to the robots, the creature hopped in place, did a series of stretches, rolled back an arm, and got into a low stance. He hung one arm behind him while the other was curled against his chest, one foot in front of the other.

For a still moment, there was a tense silence. A silence that was almost agonizing to Rainbow Dash. A silence that was broken by a single howling word from the main battleship above the city.

"FIIIREEE!"

As soon as the scream echoed out, cannons blasted explosive rounds down towards the small animal. The robots unleashed a storm of laser fire from their weapons… and the blue creature charged forward. It blasted towards the machines, weaving between the shots with ease while others weren't even close to hitting it.

Now, the thing was moving too fast for Rainbow Dash to make out. All she could see were two clenched fists, trailing spikes, and a pair of red shoes hitting the ground with the speed of a bird's wings. The Egg Fighters, E-1000s, and Egg Pawns let out all the ammunition they had, blasting at the swift-moving streak that effortlessly evaded each shot.

A high-pitched whirring sound rang in Rainbow Dash's ears. The creature had tucked itself in and was spinning rapidly in a ball-like shape. It rocketed for the robots and bashed against them, toppling them like dominoes and smashing smaller Badniks to bits.

Without missing a beat, the creature raced up and around the side of a building as laser shots smacked the walls around it. It bounded off with a wild blue spin and smashed against airborne Buzz Bombers. It was gone before they crashed to the ground. A Motobug charged headfirst at the creature, who sprinted up to meet it with a hard kick as if it was a soccer ball. The robot was sent flying and smacked against an Egg Pawn, knocking the robot to the ground while a squealing piglet fled from the wreckage of the smaller Badnik. The blue creature then shot himself airborne, and the Egg Pawn took aim with its blaster. It didn't get the chance to fire before the animal crashed down on top of it, blowing it to pieces from the impact.

Next, the creature ran for a couple of Egg Hammers that stomped towards it. Stopping short, the creature zipped away from a smashing strike and vanished in the dust it kicked up. Both robots scanned the area, searching for their target somewhere in the streets. But the ponies spotted the blue creature hop from a rooftop and land atop one of the robots' heads, placing two fingers to its mouth and blowing hard. The creature's sharp whistle drew the attention of the second Egg Hammer, who immediately swung its mallet at the pest. The moment before it hit, the creature leaped off and allowed the hammer to completely crush the head of the robot he was just standing on with a loud smash. Airborne, it spun up with another high-pitched whine and cleaved right through the second robot from top to bottom. Landing in a graceful pose, the creature shot away in a blue flash while the still robot crashed to the street in two cleanly-sliced halves. Beside it lay its partner, its dome-like head caved in.

An Egg Pawn was smashed to pieces when a spinning ball spun through it. An Egg Fighter had a hole blown clean through its torso. A sapphire flash tore through several Motobugs and Buzz Bombers like they were nothing. An Egg Hammer charged up and swung its weapon at the blur, only for the object to spin underneath the swing and zoom all around the robot. With its sensors going haywire, the robot fell to the ground as the streak rushed off.

The creature raced for the ponies at full speed, who screamed and covered themselves as best they could. The thing zoomed all around them in a wild circle, taking out more of the robots surrounding them. As a flash of blue came in and out of their sights, everypony gazed on in awe, surprise, and shock.

"No! Not the mane!" Rarity screamed as she clutched the top of her head. "I had it done well this morning!" Applejack grunted as she tried to keep her hat from blowing away in the sudden wind. "Wh-whoa! Look at that thing go! What is it?!"

"Is this how I feel whenever I'm on a sugar rush?!" asked Pinkie over the howling breeze. Fluttershy peeked out from her blowing mane. "Pretty much!"

"S-sweet Celestia!" cried Spike as he tried to keep himself steady from the gales. "W-where did this thing come from?! How is it so fast?!"

"I'm… urgh! I'm still asking that myself!" Twilight shouted over the roaring wind. Only Tails, Amy, and Knuckles looked completely calm and relaxed at the sight of the blue streak.

Rainbow Dash was completely silent, the blue colors reflecting off her magenta irises. The sight of the flash, the rushing wind kicked up whenever it passed, and the way it demolished whole squads of robots in less than five seconds….

It reminded her of herself.

Those countless flights through the skies of Equestria. The roaring wind in her mane and face. The freedom she felt during daring stunts and bursts of speed. The awesomeness of fighting ferocious monsters. This was like all of it combined.

"Oh… my… gosh…"

"HELLLLP!"

Before Rainbow Dash even registered the cry, the creature was racing away from the Mane Six and towards a small group of fillies cornered by Badniks. In quick succession, a spinning sapphire sphere zoomed towards the small robots and ricocheted off them with rapid strikes, obliterating each one in contact with a puff of smoke.

The fillies all gasped in astonishment as the captive animals were released and the blur raced off, the creature giving the group a quick two-fingered salute. The children cheered in delight while the streak sped away, engaging more of the remaining robots.

"Troop numbers are declining in the dozens," reported Orbot. "He'll be standing in a pile of nuts and bolts within the next minute or so, boss."

"Then it's time to pull off the tarp," sneered Eggman as he sat up straight and pointed at the two robots before him. "Orbot! Cubot! Deploy the Big Arm Mark Two! NOW!"

"Right away, boss!" saluted Cubot.

"Land sakes!" gasped Applejack. "That… that blue critter just took out all of those machines?! H-How in Equestria-?"

"It's kind of his thing," Knuckles answered. "Run in, bust some bots, save the day, then run out. He never gets tired of it."

"SONIC!" cried Tails as he waved his arms over his head. "OVER HERE!" The still-moving blue blur immediately looped around in an arc shape and ran full-speed right towards the startled ponies with a glint in its eyes. Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy screamed in terror as if the blur would zoom right by them and blow them over. Rainbow squeezed her eyes and braced herself for contact…

...and the streak leaped away just as a red orb smashed right in front of Rainbow and Tails. As soon as the speedy figure touched the street, his eyes shot for the red orb with eagerness. Rainbow just blinked at the orb, unsure what to make of it.

"Uh…"

BAM! A huge gray robotic arm burst out of the edge with a clenched fist. A second one shot out from the other side, surprising Pinkie and Fluttershy. The remainder of the shape began to shift and transform while jet boosters lifted it into the air. Rainbow and the other ponies looked on with wide eyes while Tails, Knuckles, and Amy took a few steps back.

Spikes emerged from the top of the orb and on the forearms. A visor opened up and red shoulder pads folded into place. The newly-formed robot hovered into the air with clenched fists, making anypony who saw it tremble in fear.

The blue-spiked creature, however, only had a delighted smile on its face. "Woohoohoo!" he hollered in joy while punching the air. "Finally, something exciting!"

"EXCITING?!" screeched Rarity.

"Big Arm Mark Two online," beeped the robot in a low tone. "Awaiting orders."

"BIG ARM!" bellowed Eggman from the central battleship. "BLOW THAT HEINOUS HEDGEHOG INTO A BILLION BLUE BITS!"

"Yes, Lord Eggman," it replied sinisterly, locking its sensors onto the blue creature before it. "Target acquired. Hedgehog: Priority One."

"Aww," he said soothingly. "For me, Eggman?" He immediately drew back his arms with a cheeky sneer. "You shouldn't have! No, seriously, you shouldn't have."

BWOOSH! He blasted towards the robot in a full-force charge. The machine brought its fingers together, reconfiguring them into powerful cannons. Without any hesitation, the machine opened fire with high-powered laser blasts that caused miniaturized explosions on impact.

"Is that little guy out of his darned mind?!" Applejack shouted. "He's gonna get himself hurt! Or worse!"

Amy only smiled. "Not if I know Sonic…"

The blue creature hopped over small explosions and weaved around larger ones. He sped for Big Arm with nothing but a grin on his face, jumping high over a blast that cut off his route.

Big Arm pointed its cannons upward and continued to fire at the spinning blue ball. With a high-pitched whir, the ball touched down and zipped underneath a crushing slam. Untucking, the creature zoomed up the wall of a damaged building.

The spikes on Big Arm's head and forearms suddenly shot out from their compartments and streaked towards the hedgehog. He skillfully maneuvered around the impacts of each missile before racing up the side of the building and jumping off in another spin.

He collided with the robot's blocking stance with a loud bang. As he raced away, Big Arm opened fire on the retreating hedgehog. The creature sped all around the block as lasers exploded all around him.

Rainbow's jaw was practically on the ground at this point, unable to take her eye off the sight. "Um…" Fluttershy piped up. "Are you sure he can beat that scary thing?"

"Don't worry!" Knuckles chuckled. "He's got this!" He then immediately cupped his hands over his mouth. "YOU'VE GOT THIS, RIGHT?!"

"Ha ha ha!" replied the blue blur. "Oh, Knuckles! You're such a kidder!" He raced between buildings to shield himself from laser fire before spinning back towards Big Arm. Detecting the animal's approach, Big Arm quickly reconfigured its cannons into a pair of mechanical hands… and threw a hard punch.

The creature jumped atop an arm and bounded up from the following strike that smashed into the arm he stood upon. Spinning in mid-air, he slammed against the robot's visor. Touching down with a laugh, he zipped away as two pairs of fists smashed the ground where he once was.

"It's been way too long since I played with this kind of toy!" he shouted. "Alright, bolt brain! Let's see what else Eggman programmed you with!" More spike missiles rocketed away from the robot, prompting the creature to sidestep and jump over the explosive projectiles. The creature turned sharply in a drifting move, speeding towards the machine as it opened fire on him with more lasers.

He jumped and spun rapidly, closing in on it faster than a speeding pegasus. Big Arm brought up its arms to block the ball… and it connected with a shower of sapphire sparks.

VWWEEEEEEE! The creature spun and rotated as fast as it could, its spines cutting through the metallic chassis bit by bit. Big Arm held firm, eventually powering through with its defense and knocking the animal back. He skidded to a stop near another building, shaking his head with a smirk.

"Not bad! Seen better, but not bad!" He was off again in a burst of blue light, zigzagging between missiles and laser fire like lightning itself. As she watched, Rainbow Dash found her body flooding with pure adrenaline-fueled awesomeness and heart-pounding action. Whatever this thing was… it was amazing!

The blue blur raced around Big Arm as it repeatedly smashed the ground like a child having a tantrum. He rammed into its center over and over, swinging off poles and jumping off walls all while it thrashed about to knock it away.

The creature landed in a spinning ball and zoomed around as more laser bolts struck the ground in near misses. The ponies that were watching from behind cover had horror in their eyes at the sight of the massive machine. Others watched the blue creature race about with awe and amazement on their faces.

"What in Equestria is that thing?!"

"I've never seen a creature like that!"

"How is it so fast?!"

"Look at it go!"

The creature zoomed around another house and charged for Big Arm, who was now flying at full throttle to meet it with outstretched hands. With a snicker, the creature blasted for it with near-sonic speed and jumped high into the air. He tucked himself in, spinning wildly in a blue sphere, and shot for the robot with the speed of a missile.

WHAM! A pair of robotic hands caught him like a goalie intercepting a soccer ball, stopping the creature from reaching his target. The ponies gasped in horror as Big Arm floated down to the ground…

...with the squirming creature in its grasp. He cracked open an eye, that daredevil grin still present. "Oh, no!" he cried in a dramatic tone. "I have been caught and am about to get squeezed into blue jelly! Whatever am I going to do?"

"Hm," noted Rarity. "Impressive, if he wasn't about to meet a gruesome fate…"

"He's gonna get crushed!" Twilight shouted while Tails, Amy, and Knuckles were wide-eyed with shock. "W-we gotta do-!"

FWOOSH! The alicorn felt a breeze of wind blow by her face. She turned to her left… and saw that Rainbow Dash was gone. "Huh? Rainbow Dash?!"

"Objective: Destroy Sonic the Hedgehog," boomed Big Arm. "Hail Lord Eggman." It closed its hands inward, squeezing against the writhing hedgehog. He grunted and struggled to break free, but the robot's grip was getting tighter and tiger by the second.

Suddenly, a colored whirlwind raced all around the robot and kicked up howling winds, obscuring its view. The hedgehog cracked open an eye and looked in confusion. "Huh?"

The rainbow tornado failed to cease, making Big Arm release its grip on the creature and drop it to the streets. It flailed its arms about, trying to swat the tornado like a mosquito. The blue creature looked at the scene in awe, watching the robot stumble backward and bat at the tornado… which sounded like it had someone crying in determination inside it.

"RRRAAAAAAAH!"

Big Arm swiped its right arm aside, connecting with something organic. Instantly, the whirlwind ceased as the source's breath left it with a loud "OOF!". The flying figure was sent careening aside, where it crashed into a wall and cracked it. Now with that little nuisance out of the way, Big Arm returned to its primary objective…

KRAPOW!

A blue ball shot right through it from front to back, completely shredding it like scissors through paper. Everypony looked on in awe as the creature unfurled, touched down with one hand on the ground… and stood up as the robot exploded in a shower of fire, smoke, and scrapped parts behind him.

Ponies broke out into cheers and celebrations, finally coming out of hiding to applaud their savior. The two princesses, the Mane Six, Spike, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy all rushed over to the victorious creature in complete awe and happiness.

"YAY! You did it!" cried Pinkie Pie. "I have no idea how, but you did it! Yippee!"

"You… you freed all those poor, helpless animals," Fluttershy said as she looked on at the confused critters around her. "Thank you…"

"Hey, that's what I do," he replied. His emerald eyes turned to a familiar sight. "Hey, guys! What's going on?"

"Glad you could make it to the party, true blue!" Knuckles said, giving him a fist bump. Amy rushed up and tackled him in a hug, nearly knocking both of them to the ground. "Oh, Sonic! I'm so glad you could make it!"

"Amy! Off! Now!"

"Oh!" she retreated with a sheepish expression on her face. "Sorry!"

Tails jogged up to the creature with a happy smile. "Sonic! You came just in time!"

"Ha! Not a second too late, too!" he added, turning his eyes to the still-present fleet. "I'll bet you a hundred rings that Egghead's pulling at his mustache right now! Ptth!" He stuck out his tongue and made a silly face towards the battleship.

"I don't think I can thank you enough," Twilight announced as she stepped forward. "You helped save my kingdom."

"No problem, your majest-" The creature started to do a short bow before he cut himself off in realization. "Hey! How did you beat me here?"

Twilight only smiled… before she blinked away in a flash of violet light. A second later, she reappeared off to his right, surprising him. She vanished again soon after, popping into view near the other ponies.

"Wha… you can teleport?" he shouted. "Oh, that is so not fair!"

"Neither is taking off in the middle of hearing a simpler way."

"Touche. But I prefer to do things the supersonic way!" He replied with a wag of his finger. "So, who are these girls? Friends of yours?"

"Sonic," Twilight began. "These are indeed great friends of mine. This is Spike, my trusted advisor."

The little dragon gave a wave.

"Applejack, a down-to-earth pony who's honest to the end."

"Howdy, partner!" she greeted him with a tip of her hat.

"Pinkie Pie, a pony filled with nothing but pure positivity and laughter… and then some."

"Ooh!" she gasped. "Are your spikes sharp! Can I touch them? What kinda magic do you have?"

"Fluttershy, a kind and gentle soul who's great with all kinds of animals."

"Hello," she whispered with a meek smile.

"Rarity, a pony whose generosity impresses anypony she meets."

"Charmed!" greeted the unicorn.

"And-"

"Uuuugh…"

Everyone turned their eyes towards a house with a cracked wall, where a winged pegasus with light blue fur was coming back to consciousness. Pebbles and dust fell from her flowing, colored mane as her breath came back raggedly. In a flash, the hedgehog sped over to the pegasus… and held out a hand.

"Hey, Colors. You okay?"

She blinked open her magenta eyes and realized where she was. The bright orbs traced up the figure before her until she was greeted with kind eyes and a warm smile. After a moment, she gathered up her voice.

"Y-y-yeah. Thanks for that…" She held out a hoof.

"Are you kidding?" he asked as he grabbed it and pulled the pegasus to her wobbly feet. "I'm the one who should be thanking you! You both saved my skin and took a hit from a really tough robot! And believe me, I know how those feel!"

The pegasus shook her head and blinked her eyes open. "You… you saved Canterlot."

"Mm-hm," he nodded with crossed arms. "Looks like you guys were doing a mighty fine job yourself."

"You smashed all those things up like they were nothing."

"It's pretty much my job at this point."

"You were so freaking fast even Spitfire would be impressed," she said as her senses came back to her. "You. Are. So. AWESOOOME!" She raised her front hooves into the air before she took flight and zipped all around.

"First you were all WHAM! And then you were like CRASH! POW! BOOM! And then you went KABLAM! ZOOM!" she jabbed her hooves in the air and flew all around in short bursts of speed. "And then you ZEEEE-" She landed on the ground and tucked herself in, rolling on the ground in her best impression of the move she had repeatedly seen.

She stumbled and fell flat on her face. He let out an amused chuckle. "Uh, it's not as easy as I make it look, kid."

She bounded up with wide-spread wings and astonishment on her face. "Point is, you were oh-my-Celestia AWESOMAZING!"

He raised an eye. "Awesome what now?"

"Hi! I'm Rainbow Dash!" she shouted eagerly, trying her best to calm herself down. "High-flying Wonderbolt, super stunt performer, loyal pegasus to all of my friends, and all-around aerial ace! I don't believe I caught your name?"

Behind the blue creature, Tails made a dumbfounded expression. "Seriously?"

"She tends to forget things when she's excited," Pinkie spoke up. "Like, really excited."

With a smirk, the blue spiky creature met the cyan pegasus' gaze with a hand on his side and a wagging finger. "The name's Sonic!" he exclaimed proudly. "Sonic the Hedgehog!"

"Wow!" the pegasus exclaimed. "I've heard about you! You're the one who beats this Eggman guy all the time and saves your world from him! Although…" she cocked her head at him. "Aren't you a little too big to be a hedgehog?"

"Um… I don't think so," Sonic scratched his head, baffled at her question. "Anyway, nice to meet you, Rainbow Dash."

"Good to meet you too, Sonic the Hedgehog!" she replied enthusiastically. "Uh, you are cool with just Sonic, right?"

"Way past."

"Ha ha! Awesome!"

A slow clapping sound echoed across all of Canterlot. All eyes turned to the source of the noise: the central battleship. The Mane Six narrowed their eyes and Sonic's friends clenched their fists, awaiting the coming threat.

"NOT BAD, SONIC. NOT BAD AT ALL." boomed Eggman's voice. "I MUST ADMIT, I WAS NOT SURPRISED AT ALL TO SEE YOU HERE. AFTER ALL, WHEREVER I GO, YOU ARE BOUND TO FOLLOW."

"UH, BOSS?" rang Cubot's voice. "WHEN I SAID HE WAS COMING, YOUR FACE WENT AS WHITE AS A-"

"SHUT UP, YOU TRANSISTORIZED TWIT!" came the roaring response. "AHEM. ANYWAY, I SEE YOU'VE ALREADY MADE AN ACQUAINTANCE WITH THE LOCALS. WELL, ENJOY THEIR COMPANY WHILE IT LASTS, SONIC. BECAUSE THE MAGNIFICENT ENERGY INSIDE THEM WILL BE YOUR ULTIMATE UNDOING!"

"WAIT A MINUTE, BOSS," spoke Orbot. "ARE YOU SURE YOU SHOULD BE TELLING YOUR PLAN TO YOUR MOST HATED ENEMY?"

"OF COURSE I'M SURE! THAT MEDDLESOME HEDGEHOG DOESN'T HAVE MANY EXPERIENCES WITH MAGIC, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! MY TECHNOLOGY ISN'T ENOUGH TO BEAT HIM, SO I'M GOING TO TRY A DIFFERENT APPROACH. THERE'S NO WAY HE CAN STOP THIS PLAN!"

"Magic, huh?" Sonic smirked. "What are you gonna do, turn me into a frog?"

"I'LL BE BACK, SONIC. AND WHEN I DO, THIS LITTLE FEUD BETWEEN US WILL BE SETTLED ONCE AND FOR ALL! ALL SHIPS PULL BACK! WE'LL DEAL WITH THAT BOTHERSOME BLUE BRAT LATER."

All of the gathered airships slowly rotated around in the sky and boosted up their engines to full power, propelling them away from Canterlot. As the central battleship withdrew, Sonic took a step forward. "Yeah, that's right, Egghead! You better run, 'cause it won't do you any good! I mean, running from me is the last thing you wanna do!"

"Don't think this is the end of our problems," Twilight spoke up. "I don't know what he wants our magic for, but it can't be for anything good."

"Aw, quit worrying, Twi!" Rainbow flew up to the alicorn with pride on her face. "Focus on the now! We beat that jerk and sent him packing with his tail between his legs! Uh, if he has a tail, that is."

"And now that that's over with," Knuckles added as he and the rest of his friends gathered around the ponies. "I believe you had some explaining to do."

"You are correct," said Celestia. "Come, all of you. It is time you review everything that has happened… from both perspectives."

Inside Canterlot Castle's throne room, the three alicorn princesses faced the assembled group of ponies and anthropomorphic animals. Spike stood by Twilight's side with hands behind his back as the newly-crowned ruler cleared her throat.

"So, allow me to ask the question we're all thinking about right now," Rainbow began. "What the heck is going on?"

"I'll start with what you girls remember well," Twilight began. She closed her violet eyes as her horn lit up with magical energy. "I've been meaning to try out this spell." The magic shot from her horn and expanded in the air above her, forming into a rectangular shape.

Something shifted and distorted inside the rectangle until it formed a scenario the ponies and Spike knew well: a cave surrounded by black smoke and the six ponies in shock.

"Whoa! What's that?" Sonic spoke up in alarm.

"That," Rainbow Dash said softly. "Is the Tree of Harmony. Or should I say…"

A gigantic black crystal emerged from underground, shattering the tree in one fell swoop. "It was the Tree of Harmony."

"As we well know," Twilight continued as the footage went on. "After we supposedly defeated King Sombra after he attempted to take over the Crystal Empire, he returned and attacked us when we had our guards down. Just as we were returning the Elements of Harmony to the Tree…"

Each of the six jewels flew through the air and shattered on the ground, making the Mane Six rear back in horror. A black pony materialized from the smoke, cackling victoriously.

"They were destroyed."

"Quick question," Amy piped up. "What are these Elements?"

"They're six jewels containing the key components that make up friendship," Spike explained. "Honesty, laughter, generosity, loyalty, kindness, and magic. When Sombra destroyed them, he thought he left the ponies powerless."

"But it turns out we had the real magic inside us all along," Applejack continued. "But the question is… how are they a part of this?"

"Because I saw them," Sonic answered. "When I ran right into a breach, I saw some sort of vision involving them. Apparently, this Sombra guy didn't just destroy the shells holding the magic, he sent it flying across space-time until it ended up in a plane between dimensions."

"I'm… hopelessly confused," Rainbow said. "Aren't we supposed to be the Elements now? Since we have their magic?"

"I'll admit, I was baffled as you to hear the symbols representing the magic had somehow survived," Twilight said as her magic showed everyone a new sight: the Elements of Harmony floating through space. "But they were sent far, far away from Equestria, beyond even limbo, where they retained a small portion of their magic. Unfortunately, a small portion was all that was needed for what came next."

"So what came next?" asked Rarity.

"To answer that," Twilight answered. "It's time for us to look at the other side of the story. I've read about Star Swirl's research on other dimensions, but I don't think he ever came across any quite like this one. Still, I'll try to piece something together."

She squeezed her eyes closed and concentrated deeply. "If… I'm right… then the moment of importance should be… right about… here!"

The image came into focus… revealing a dark, murky creature with a purple core and four arms! Everypony jumped back in surprise before it launched a barrage of violet orbs at…

Rainbow Dash squinted at the footage. "Are… are there two of you?"

Sonic shrugged. "Long story short, he's my past self. That big baddie's called the Time Eater. I was banished to a white void and was nearly wiped out of existence because of it."

"Ooh, I always wondered what it would be like having another me around!" Pinkie exclaimed before Applejack clasped a hoof over her mouth. "Don't. We put up with one of you just fine."

The two Sonics jumped into the air in a pair of spinning balls and launched themselves towards the monster… who swat them aside as if they were nothing but bugs. At the sight of the hedgehogs skidding along the floor, Fluttershy cringed.

"Ow… that must've left a mark."

They stood up in a dazed manner, unaware of a portal opening above them. By the time the hedgehogs turned around, it was too late. A giant arm squashed them both on the spot with a loud boom.

Rainbow Dash was the one to cringe this time as the hand lifted to reveal both hedgehogs unconscious. "Oooh! Ouch! How did you come back from that?!"

"No matter how many times I get hit," Sonic said boldly. "I always get back up. That, and all the rings I collected."

"Rings?" Rarity perked up. "What kind of rings? Diamond? Platinum?"

"Gold," he answered. "And they're not as fashionable as you might think, Rares. Sorry, but no jewels on these rings."

Twilight slightly advanced through the footage that consisted of other beings like Sonic and his friends cheering them on. Then, seven colored diamonds began to rise into the air and spin around the hedgehogs, lifting them into the air.

"Oh my goodness!" Rarity gasped. "What in the name of Celestia are those fascinating jewels?"

"Hey, I know those things!" Rainbow realized. "I flew right into one of those cracks earlier and saw those gems in a freaky vision! What are they?"

"Those?" Sonic chuckled. "Those, my little ponies, are the Chaos Emeralds."

"You called?"

"GYAH!" Sonic leaped to the side when he noticed something standing there. Something he could've sworn wasn't there a second ago. Twilight's concentration broke and her eyes snapped open, making the magic footage fade away.

"Aw…" Pinkie moaned. "And right at the good part!"

Sonic blinked in bewilderment at the creature that stood before him. A dragon mixed with various animal parts was staring at him curiously. "Wha… how did… who… what in Tikal's name are you?"

"Mmm. New guests in town, I see," he spoke nonchalantly, snapping his fingers to summon a teacup out of thin air. "No doubt you're here because of those mysterious cracks in the glass pane we call the sky. But where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself. The name is Discord, lord of lawlessness, purveyor of pandemonium, and bringer of bedlam. Overall, I'm pretty much the embodiment of chaos in all of Equestria, and hardly anything about chaos goes unheard by me. And you are…?" He took a sip from his cup, awaiting an answer.

Sonic blinked in disbelief before he shook his head and cleared his throat. "Uh, Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog."

"Hedgehog, hm?" Discord leaned in uncomfortably close to the Blue Blur, which made him chuckle nervously. "Looks a little overgrown, but who am I to judge? Oh! And does that fox have two tails? Wherever you come from, it must be truly fascinating!"

Discord tossed the empty cup behind him, where it disintegrated into powdered sugar. Amy took a nervous step back. "Okaaaay…"

"Now," Discord summoned a pencil and a clipboard with another snap of his fingers. "I believe you mentioned something in your world called 'Chaos Emeralds'?"

Sonic blinked again. "Um… one second!" He zipped towards Spike with concern on his face. "Hey, uh, it is okay if I tell him this, right?" he whispered nervously. "If he's as much of an embodiment of chaos as he claims he is…"

"Relax!" Spike replied. "Discord may not have gotten off to a good start in the past, but Twilight and her friends got him to see that friendship is magic. He uses his chaotic magic for good now… most of the time."

"Well, that's reassuring."

"I'm saying you can trust him. Discord knows what he's doing, even if it makes no sense at all."

"Okay then…" Sonic turned back to Discord, who was patiently staring at the hedgehog. "Ah! Made up your mind? Well then, hedgehog, I'm all ears!" At these words, Discord sprouted multiple ears all over his body.

"AUGH!" Sonic screamed as his hands flew to his eyes. Tails, Amy, and Knuckles recoiled in disgust while the ponies looked merely uneased. "Agh! Okay, okay! I'll talk! Just cut that weird thing out!"

Discord sighed as he returned to normal. "Oh, beings from another dimension are no fun. Carry on, oh spiky one."

Sonic gasped for breath and wiped his brow. "Ugh, I'm gonna have nightmares for weeks… okay, anyway, the Chaos Emeralds are seven ancient and powerful gems capable of doing anything you can imagine."

Discord raised a brow. "Anything one can imagine, you say?" He scribbled down on his clipboard. "Um… yeah, anything," Sonic replied.

"Hold on just a moment!" Rarity piped up. "Why are they all called Chaos Emeralds if only one of them is an emerald?"

Amy blinked in confusion. "That… is a good question."

"I've never really questioned it," said Tails. "And besides, their color doesn't really matter when they-"

"Doesn't matter?!" Rarity shouted in his startled face. "Whoever named those things is clearly uneducated in geology! Seven emeralds when only one of them is a proper emerald?! Oh, the insolence! Why not designate each one individually?! The Chaos Sapphire?! The Chaos Ruby?! The Chaos Amethyst?! The Chaos Turquoise?!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Sonic sped in between the fox and the unicorn. "Hold your horses, Rarity! And I mean that literally… does she always act this way when it comes to gems?"

"You should see her reaction to outdated outfits…" Rainbow muttered. "Okay, gem-naming aside, what's the deal with these emerald thingies? Are they magic?"

"Not magic," Sonic answered. "Chaotic."

The ponies- save for Twilight- and Spike all gasped in horror. "Nonononono! Not that kind of chaotic!" Sonic quickly shouted. "Well, kinda, but I'll get to that in a bit!"

"The Chaos Emeralds hold a source of power called chaos energy," said Knuckles. "As Sonic said earlier, the Emeralds can do anything imaginable, from warping space-time to moving pieces of the planet to making dreams become reality. It's that chaos energy that allows them to do so."

"But why call it 'chaos' energy if it's not used for… well, chaos?" Applejack asked.

"Sounds like a waste of a name, if you ask me," muttered Discord as he continued to jot.

"Each Emerald holds a significant portion of power on its own," Tails continued. "But when all seven of them are collected, unimaginable power is granted to the one who brings them all together."

"Which can be both good and bad," Sonic said. "If someone- namely someone with a long mustache and a round body- wishes to take over the world or convert every living thing into a robotic slave, the Emeralds will allow him to do just that."

Fluttershy gulped. "That must be the 'chaos' part of the name…"

"But," Tails spoke up. "If someone with good intentions and hopes finds them all, they can do something extremely incredible!"

Seeing where his buddy was going, Sonic excitedly pointed to Twilight. "Two! Roll tape!"

The alicorn just blinked in confusion. "Um… what?"

"Ugh, seriously?!" the hedgehog groaned with a facepalm. "You guys don't have- okay, I meant do that magic thing you did earlier."

"Oh! Okay!" Twilight concentrated again and focused her magic back into a rectangular shape. "Just got to… focus on the proper moment…"

The image of the two Sonics surrounded by the rotating Chaos Emeralds came back into view. They both came back to, with the taller Sonic pointing a finger and shouting.

"Time to scramble some Eggmen, SUPER SONIC STYLE!"

Rainbow's eyes went wide. "Wait, super-"

BAWOOSH! A golden flash erupted across the rectangle. When it faded, the Chaos Emeralds were gone. All that remained were the two Sonics… who were now glowing golden with spikes standing upward. They shot into the air at high speed and looped around towards the Time Eater, who roared loud enough to shake the stars.

"So… shiny!" Pinkie squealed with wide eyes. Applejack slowly took off her hat with a dropped jaw, Rarity let out a long dramatic gasp, Discord had his full attention on the magic footage, and Fluttershy and Spike were both wide-eyed…

...and Rainbow Dash was freaking out.

"Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, OHMYGOSH!" she shrieked, swooping up to Sonic with eyes wide as dinner plates. "How! Did! You! DO THAT?!"

Celestia cracked a smile at the transformed hedgehogs as they flew through the air and evaded homing missile-like projectiles. "Truly astounding… wouldn't you agree, sister?"

"Much," replied an impressed Luna.

"Ladies and gents," Sonic began as Rainbow Dash flew up to his side. "I present to you, Super Sonic! Once I achieve this gold getup, I can fly near the speed of light and am completely invincible!"

Knuckles smirked in amusement. "I beg to differ."

"Wha- hey!" Sonic shouted. "You- you just caught me off-guard, that's all!"

"So freaking AWESOME!" Rainbow screamed as she watched the two golden streaks slam against the Time Eater's core and fly away from arms reaching from portals. "And all seven of those Emeralds give you that?!"

"Yep! I've whooped Eggman's butt plenty of times like this! And also the butts of other vicious monsters!"

"It doesn't last forever, though," Tails explained. "Without sufficient ring power, Sonic can revert to normal in no time."

"And the Chaos Emeralds all scatter once they've been used up," Knuckles added. "Making the hunt for them begin again."

The Time Eater created a massive fireball and launched it at the hedgehogs. Spinning together in unison, both Super Sonics plowed through the fireball and smashed through the Time Eater's core like glass, shattering it. The Time Eater howled and started to break apart as it exploded into a bright flash…

The scene in the footage then changed to a vast, open void of stars and black space. "After that big showdown, I never saw the Chaos Emeralds again," Sonic continued. "Then those cracks in the sky started showing up. And while Tails and I were investigating, I saw what happened to them."

The Chaos Emeralds floated across space with nothing to bar their path. "I take it the big bang caused by the Time Eater's destruction sent them to this place. They must've been out there for a long time… until they met-"

As he spoke, six jewels hovered onto the scene as well. The ponies and Spike gasped in realization. "The Elements of Harmony!" Rarity shouted.

Everyone watched as the blue Chaos Emerald floated towards the Element of Loyalty. When the two gems clinked against each other, a spark radiated off them both. One by one, each Emerald touched each of the Elements similarly, intensifying the energy between them. They started to align and spin together while glowing brightly, electric-like sparks zapping off them in a wild manner.

"It's getting out of control!" Fluttershy squeaked.

"So…" Rainbow realized. "The remaining magic in the Elements of Harmony…"

"...reacted to the chaos energy within the Chaos Emeralds," Sonic finished. "And with that much energy in one place… it was too much."

A loud blast of magic and chaos energy shot out from the thirteen gems, tearing apart the space around them. Twilight concentrated deeply, now splitting the footage into two halves. In one half, everyone could see a place familiar to them. And in the other, somewhere entirely different.

Sonic ran through a grassy paradise while Rainbow Dash soared through the open sky. Each of them had bright eyes and smiles on their faces as they raced across the area, as free as the wind.

Until suddenly, the land beneath them shuddered violently. Rainbow Dash came to a stop and looked down while Sonic stumbled and braked to a halt. Both speedsters looked around for signs of any trouble… before they shrugged and took off again.

Just then, the sky above them split open, filling the air with large, ominous cracks radiating with magic and chaos energy alike. Again, the blue blurs halted and turned their eyes to the sky. Green and magenta orbs went wide and mouths fell open.

Debris began plummeting from the cracks, transported from one world to another. Now fully alarmed, Sonic and Rainbow Dash zipped and sped around the objects as they crashed around them. The pegasus rolled and zoomed away from objects that threatened to crush her as they fell by. And the hedgehog sidestepped from debris that smashed into the ground.

Rainbow touched down and Sonic spun around to a halt, looking at the destruction before them. The hedgehog saw statues of horses and buildings that looked completely foreign to him… while Rainbow saw busted robot parts and checkerboard-style dirt.

The magic footage shimmered away and the glow in Twilight's horn ceased. She opened her eyes and addressed the small crowd in front of her. "Well… I'd say that sums it up."

"Our world's magic and your world's 'chaos energy' must be attracting each other like magnets!" Spike shouted. "And since both of our worlds are surrounded in that stuff, that means-"

"We're experiencing a chaotic collision course!" Discord finished. "Hm, say that five times fast."

"Well, now we know how all this started," Amy spoke up. "But what's gonna happen if this keeps up?"

Celestia sighed. "A great tragedy." She rose from her seat and summoned forth her magic. Like Twilight, the alicorn's magic formed a mystical rectangle that showed everyone glimpses of their two worlds from outer space.

"My sister and I have been taught the possibilities of other dimensions. We have been told that energy sources similar to magic may exist in one. Such energies will be drawn to each other like moths to a flame. And I suspect the consequences… will be dire."

Both planets began to float towards each other and crack apart, making worry fill everyone's heart. "The chaos energy of the other world is phenomenal, almost rivaling the magic we have here. But as Sonic has explained, it has no limits. As does magic. And now that they have met… it is too much for both our worlds to take."

The condition of each planet began to worsen by the second. Magic and chaos energy began to leak out of the surface. "Like a volcano bound to erupt, the energies of our worlds will rush to break out. As our worlds continue to come together, their physical states will be unable to handle the immense energy emanating from them. And when they do collide fully… the breaking point will be reached."

Both planets, now alight with magic and chaos energy, came into contact with each other… and exploded in a bright flash equal to that of a supernova. The light faded in moments, leaving nothing but orbital debris where both worlds once were.

"Oh, no…" breathed Knuckles as Amy brought two hands to her mouth.

"W-w-we're gonna blow up?!" Spike shouted. Sonic had a hand on his head in disbelief and Tails had his jaw wide open. The ponies looked on in horror and shock before Pinkie Pie fainted.

"Now I know what a balloon feels like…"

"Your majesty!" Sonic shouted. "How much time do we have?!"

"It is difficult to say," Celestia sighed. "Fortunately, the crisis began only recently, so it should be a matter of months. Or perhaps weeks."

Tails gulped while Discord tucked his clipboard away. "Welp, I've heard all I needed to hear. Chao for now, Princess Twilight!"

"Hey! Wait!" Knuckles held out a hand… but Discord was gone in a flash. "Ugh! Dang it! Okay… what do we need to do to stop our worlds from blowing up?!"

"For a while, the magic residing in the Elements has been lost to me," Celestia answered. "But with this crisis unfolding, I can feel them again. Perhaps they have returned to our worlds, along with the Chaos Emeralds."

"Tails, is this true?" Sonic asked. The fox whipped out his handheld and typed something in, leading to a radar screen appearing before his eyes. "Yeah, it is! It's faint, but I'm getting the Emeralds' signal!"

"Then we need to find them, and fast! Luckily, fast is what we do best! Right, Colors?"

"Huh?" Rainbow Dash snapped out of her shocked state and shook her head. "Oh! Yeah! Right! Uh, we'll find those jewels in no time!"

"But we don't even know where to start," Knuckles explained.

"And we have Eggman to deal with!" added Amy.

"Psh! Eggman's just another obstacle I can jump over!" Sonic reassured.

"In that case, you may need to jump over many," Celestia added. "I have a feeling that Eggman will not be the only thing standing in your way. With chaos energy and magic mixed together, who knows what else will be from the result?"

"No sweat!" Rainbow said encouragingly. "Nothing can keep us down as long as we're together!" At her words, everypony else nodded with smiles on their faces.

"And speaking of together, we're gonna need all the help we can get!" Twilight said. "Spike! Head to the School of Friendship and tell Starlight about what's happening! I'm going to write to Sunset!"

"Yes, ma'am!" The dragon flew off while the alicorn galloped away. Puzzled, Sonic and Tails turned to the ponies. "Um… who?"

"Two unicorns that were formerly evil but are now good thanks to us," Rainbow summarized.

"We're really good in the redemption business!" added Pinkie.

"Oh! Well, in that case…" Sonic gave everyone a thumbs-up. "Who's ready for a treasure hunt?"

His friends and all the ponies jumped into the air in unison. "YEAH!"

"Good luck, every creature!" Celestia spoke. "And remember, as long as you rely on each other and keep your bonds strong, you will prevail in even the toughest challenges!"

"Please!" Rainbow replied. "We're practically experts in that field!"

"I know a little something about friends helping me out myself!" Sonic added. "Whenever I'm down, they always help me get back up!"

"True that!" said Tails.

"Hey, blue!" Rainbow said curiously. "I've been thinking about something."

"Yeah?"

"Just how fast are you for a creature without wings?"

Sonic just smiled at this question. "As soon as everybody's ready, I'm gonna show you what I'm made of, Rainbow Dash!"

"Ha ha! Then bring it on, Sonic the Hedgehog!"

"With pleasure!"

The two speedsters bumped a fist and hoof together with eager expressions.