Outside Canterlot, Equestria
"Okay, so… where do we start?"
As Sonic expected, no one gave an immediate answer. As much as he wanted to run out into this world and start searching, it wouldn't do the hedgehog any good just running around blindly. Especially in a place he knew little of.
"Honestly? Your guess is as good as mine," Spike replied as he looked out at his friends. Knuckles and Amy were examining the open space around them, most of the ponies were gathered around Twilight, and Tails was fiddling with his handheld.
"Yo, fox boy!" Rainbow said as she zipped up to Tails. "Whatcha doin'?"
"Narrowing down our options," came his reply. "I'm trying to pinpoint the Chaos Emeralds' location with my handheld's Emerald Detector function… but it's proving to be extremely difficult."
"Well, yeah," Sonic added. "Because they're stuck between the two dimensions like lettuce in a sandwich. But if we find the Emeralds, there's a good chance the Elements are with them."
"But I've got some good news," Tails spoke up. "I can't get a proper reading on the Chaos Emeralds, but I've found something else. I'm getting strong readings of chaos energy in one spot, and I can think of only one thing that can give off that much chaos energy."
Knuckles lifted his head, now at full attention. "The Master Emerald?"
Tails nodded. "Exactly."
"Wait, you mean that giant emerald I saw earlier?" Spike realized. "What's it got to do with this?"
"The Master Emerald is the controller that unifies the chaos," Knuckles explained. "Like a parent to children, it keeps the energy of the Chaos Emeralds in check. If need be, the Master Emerald can neutralize their power. It's just as important as the Emeralds themselves."
"Hold up," Sonic interrupted. "If the Master Emerald is in this world, then that must mean-"
"That Angel Island has now fallen into the sea," Knuckles sighed. "I ended up chasing it through the breach that sent it here. Just before Spike and I entered Canterlot, I tried to sense its location. I only got a faint response… which must mean the Master Emerald isn't out in the open."
"Great. If somebody saw that thing out in the open, they'd snatch it up without a second thought. Tails, have you pinpointed its location?"
"According to the radar, it should be somewhere to the southeast," Tails answered. "I'm getting hints of volcanic activity near its location, too."
Twilight and Spike froze up at the fox's words. "Wait… volcanoes?" the alicorn whispered. "Oh, no, no, no…" Fluttershy gulped in fear while Knuckles looked extremely puzzled.
"Something I should know about that place?"
"That emerald…" Twilight whispered fearfully. "It's in the Dragon Lands!"
"Dragons?" Amy gasped. "You have dragons in this world?"
"Somehow, I'm not surprised…" muttered Sonic. "Besides, I've fought dragons before. What's so different about these ones?"
"Because these dragons don't just fly and breathe fire," answered a worried Rainbow Dash. "They eat gems!"
Sonic and his friends all went wide-eyed. "They eat WHAT?!"
Rainbow nodded. "Yeah! Gems like rubies, sapphires, and even emeralds are all part of their diet! And if they sink their teeth into a huge energy gem, who knows what'll happen to them!"
"They could get crazy powerful!" Twilight shouted. "Enough to wreak havoc!"
"Or they can't handle that much energy!" Applejack added. "If they find that Master Emerald thing, something terrible is bound to happen!"
Knuckles shot Spike a suspicious look. The small dragon gave only a sheepish grin and backed away with a wave. "Twilight," Knuckles said. "Take me to these 'Dragon Lands'. As the protector of the Master Emerald, it is my sworn duty to make sure nothing nefarious happens to it."
"I'll come with you!" Applejack shouted. "Ponies and dragons are getting along, so somepony needs to make sure you don't beat 'em up too badly! If you beat any up at all…"
"Fair warning, then. If I see a single claw on the Master Emerald, someone's scaly snout is gonna get pounded in."
"Whatever you do, Knux," Sonic said. "Get the Master Emerald as far away from those flying flamethrowers as you can. Princess, is there anywhere safe you can think of?"
"We'll take it to Canterlot Castle," Twilight answered. "The vault. There, it should be secured under lock and key."
Knuckles huffed. "It better be. I'll be as quick as I can, Sonic."
The hedgehog gave him a thumbs-up. "Good luck, rad red."
Knuckles only nodded in reply as Applejack and Twilight trotted up to him. "Applejack, take Knuckles to Ponyville once you're finished. We'll wait for you there."
"Understood! Just take us to the Dragon Lands and we'll handle the rest!"
Twilight stepped in close and concentrated, lighting up her horn with magic. A flash of bright purple magic surrounded the three creatures in the blink of an eye…
...and when it faded, they were gone. Not too long after that, Twilight blinked back into view near an unimpressed Sonic.
"I still think teleporting is lame."
Twilight shrugged. "Suit yourself. Alright, let's-"
"Um… Twi?"
"Yes, Rainbow Dash?"
"Does anything about this place look different to you?"
Puzzled, the alicorn turned in Rainbow Dash's direction. "Uh… no, why?"
"Because…" Rainbow nervously gulped as Twilight flew up beside her. "I'm pretty sure there's supposed to be a statue of three of our petrified greatest enemies somewhere around here."
"Huh?" Twilight, now at full attention, flew higher until she reached a good vantage point. She looked down at the hills and grasslands below, searching for any sign of what Rainbow had described.
To her dismay, she found nothing. Nothing but fresh green grass as far as the eye could see. Normally, this would be a good sign… but for Twilight and the ponies, it was everything but.
"Oh, no, no, no, no!" she gasped as she touched down. "This is bad! This is really bad!"
"Well, maybe it's not so bad!" Rainbow chuckled in an attempt to lighten the mood. "I mean, what if the statue just fell into the other world? N-no big deal, right?"
"Uh, what statue?" Sonic asked as he approached. "Should we be worried about one little thing out of place?"
"Not too long ago, we trapped three of our greatest enemies in stone right around here," Twilight explained as calmly as she could. "A magic-stealing centaur named Tirek, a shapeshifting changeling queen called Chrysalis, and a pegasus who tried to destroy all magic named Cozy Glow."
"It took pretty much all of Equestria to bring them down!" Rarity added nervously. "If something happened to that statue, then… then…"
"What, you think they might bust out? Don't sweat it!" Sonic laughed off. "I've faced far worse than those three, whoever they are! And besides, they're not our problem right now. Let's head to this Ponyville place and wait for Knuckles to-"
"Um… everypony?" Fluttershy peeped. "I think we have another problem we may have to deal with…"
Rainbow slapped a hoof to her face. "Ugh, what now?"
Fluttershy looked towards a river directed away from the Canterlot mountainside. "Doesn't that water look a little… off?" Everyone turned their eyes to the river, where they noticed something was indeed strange about it. Instead of a crystalline blue like it usually was… the water inside was bright pink.
"Hmm… suspicious," Pinkie muttered as she trotted over and peeked into the water. "Colorful and pretty, but suspicious." She dipped a hoof inside and squinted, inspecting the liquid… before licking it off her hoof. The pony smacked her lips in thought.
Suddenly, her face made several crazed expressions and her body jolted up. The pink pony made retching sounds and other noises of disgust as she scraped her tongue with her front hooves. While some of the ponies looked on in confusion while she desperately tried to rid herself of the taste, the others took Pinkie's place to investigate.
Rarity sniffed the air near the river… and she immediately recoiled in disgust. "UGH! What a horrible, putrid scent!"
"This seem familiar to you, Tails?" Sonic asked as Amy cringed and pinched her nose. The fox nodded. "Yeah. I'd never forget a sight or a smell like this. But the only place I can think of that has pink water like this is-"
"That strange weird-looking building over there with all those weird liquids?" Spike answered, pointing just past the river. Everyone turned to look by the base of the mountain. There, a large industrial facility stood proudly and slightly damaged, spilling the pink liquid into the river below.
Amy's eyes went wide. "Is that… the Chemical Plant? H-how'd it get here?"
Tails spun to face Twilight and Rainbow. "Where does this river lead?"
"The South Luna Ocean and the Celestial Sea," Twilight immediately answered. "Why do you… oh, no."
"If these chemicals reach open water, it'd be really bad for everypony! And the animals who drink from it!" Fluttershy realized. "Wh-what are we going to do?"
Sonic only tugged at his gloves. "We're gonna blow that thing sky-high, that's what!" he announced with a smirk. "Tails, Amy, make sure the herd doesn't get into any trouble! Everyone else, make sure you take good notes!"
"No problem there!" Pinkie spoke up. "Twilight's great at taking notes!"
"Wait, wait, wait!" Rainbow shouted. "You think you can take down an entire structure like that on your own? How-"
"One," Sonic interrupted with a raised finger. "It won't be entirely on my own. And two, did you not see how I trashed those robots earlier? Speeding through a facility like this and causing damage is what I do best!"
Rainbow was puzzled. "You… you do this all the time?"
"Sure do! Now, try to keep up!" Sonic took off running with Tails and Amy right behind him. The ponies and Spike did their best to follow them inside, hoping the three of them knew what they were doing…
…
The Dragon Lands
Moments after Twilight bidded them good luck and blinked away, Applejack adjusted her hat and looked around the fiery landscape around them. "Okay, so where can we find this Master-"
"HOOLP! Gimme a moment…" The earth pony turned to the red echidna, whose face was now a bright green. He had a hand covering his mouth and he looked like he was about to pass out. Applejack briefly winced at the sight as Knuckles stumbled around and hunched over with exhausted, heaving breaths.
"Uh… you alright there, sugarcube?"
"Ulp… I-I'm fine. I'm- hurk- I'm okay. Just a little… oog… nauseous." Knuckles shook his head and stood on wobbly legs as he fought the rising dizziness. Applejack took a few steps back, waiting until he came to his senses. "Er… okay. Um, as I was saying, where can we find this Master Emerald?"
Knuckles knocked himself on the forehead and blinked three times with a gasp. "I… I can sense the Master Emerald's location thanks to being its guardian. Just follow me and we should be good."
He took off running, prompting Applejack to gallop beside him. "The last thing I remember, the energy I felt was faint. Are there any cave systems around here?"
"The dragons usually live inside mountains and caves," Applejack answered. "You think the emerald is in one of them?"
"For its sake, it better be in an empty one…" Knuckles mumbled. "Because if a single dragon tooth tries to sink into the Master Emerald, I'm gonna knock it out of their mouth! That is, if the Master Emerald doesn't end up doing it first."
"All the more reason to find it before they do! Now, let's hustle!"
…
WOOP! WOOP! WOOP! WOOP! As smoke from chimneys billowed into the blue sky above, alarms flashed red and blared louder than screams. Robots raced to confront the threat while Tails, Amy, and the ponies all jogged down a short hallway.
"Curse this infernal racket!" Rarity shouted over the wailing alarms.
"What?!" Spike shouted back.
"I don't know!" Pinkie replied cheerfully. "It's kinda catchy once you get used to it!"
"Sonic couldn't just wait for us?!" Twilight yelled to Tails, who seemed totally undisturbed by the alarms. The fox nodded at the alicorn. "Sorry, it's kinda his thing. But don't worry. We'll find him!"
"How can you be so sure of that?!"
BOOM! An entire sector of the Chemical Plant went up in fire and smoke, increasing the alarms' intensity. Tails just smirked. "Just follow the trail!" He spun up his tails and took to the air, flying after the blasting blue streak on the path below. Close to the blur, a rainbow trail shot out from behind a leaking chemical tank and zoomed after it.
Sonic bobbed up and down as he blasted down a winding pipeline, alarms blaring all around him. Rainbow Dash weaved around the snake-like paths, staring at the overwhelming amounts of industrial pollution everywhere.
"How do you plan to take all of this down?" she asked.
"Ha! Like this!" Sonic immediately shot down the pipeline until he reached the end, launching off like a rocket. Setting his eyes on a large tank of blue goop, he tucked himself in and balled up, charging his speed.
In a blue blink, he shot through the tank, shattering all the glass in a loud crash that made the cyan pegasus cringe. She flew down towards the ensuing cobalt flood, watching as spiky robots got swept up in the wave, unable to do anything before they were engulfed.
"WOO-HA!" Sonic whooped as he shot out of the liquid, riding a large glass shard like a surfboard. He slid across the massive tide with relative ease; something Rainbow Dash couldn't help but chuckle at. "Hey!" she called out to the surfing hedgehog. "Wanna see which of us can trash this place the fastest?"
"You're on!" Sonic answered. "Gotta warn ya, though, I'm a pro!" He jumped off the glass shard and touched down on another pathway, taking off a blue flash of light. While he raced into a hallway, Rainbow gained altitude and looked around with eager eyes. They lit up upon finding a target, prompting her to dive towards a squad of robots who were too late to notice her.
Tails, Amy, and the other ponies were traversing through the Chemical Plant with caution, as robots and goo alike would be likely to hinder their progress. Pinkie Pie hopped across collections of floating blocks that constantly changed direction. One suddenly moved away from her during a leap, making her yelp and splash into the pink water below.
Rarity gasped before the pony popped her head out. "I'm okay!" She cheered. "And it's really not that bad, despite the smell!" This only earned her a disgusted look from Rarity. "You're going to have to bathe for a week!"
Spike flew on ahead, torching whatever robots he found with fireballs. Amy hammered away at crates blocking their path while Twilight and Tails performed some aerial surveillance. Everypony else trotted down hallways, trying to fight the stench of the pink liquid and keep an eye on the speedsters at the same time.
Fluttershy peered down at an entire portion of the facility flooded by the pink water. "Ooh… I don't want to know what happens if some creature drinks that."
"Forget the water! Look at this place!" Rarity scoffed. "It certainly does not meet its occupational hazard guidelines! Accidents are bound to happen here!"
A generator went up in flames as a blue ball spun into it, kicking up smoke as the perpetrator raced away. "Uh, accidents like that?" Spike asked.
"EEEK!" Heads whirled to see Fluttershy struggling in the grip of a spider-like robot. "Somepony help me!"
An orange ball slammed into the Grabber, obliterating it and making Fluttershy fall to the ground below screaming. Tails swooped in, caught the pegasus in his arms, and set her down near the rest of her friends. "Y'know, you do have those wings for a reason."
Fluttershy only gave an embarrassed smile.
Meanwhile, Sonic bounced off the tops of chemical tanks before touching down an open path. He made a sharp right and blew through some Spinies, sending them flying off the path with sad looks on their faces. Rainbow Dash swooped down in hot pursuit, shooting into an open passageway.
She screeched to a halt, finding some computer monitors left unmanned thanks to the "Code Blue" that she saw flashing on each one. "Ooh, these look important!" she snickered. Immediately, she lashed out at the monitors and controls beneath them, smashing them up with her hooves. She headbutted a monitor hard, stomped down on a control panel, and kicked away a Spiny wandering at the wrong place at the wrong time.
The pegasus watched the panels spark up and fry with electricity as the monitors went static. She flew out of there just as a series of explosions lit up the entire room, laughing in delight. "That was AWESOME! Sonic seriously does this all the time?!"
Speaking of the blue hedgehog, he had found his way towards a high-speed warp tube and stuck himself inside like a marble. He rolled around the tube and constantly changed directions at intersections, one leading right above the others. Instinctively, Tails took off after his pal while Amy bashed a few more Grabbers.
"How does he even know where he's going like that?" Spike asked while watching the spinning Sonic.
"And how does he not lose his lunch?" added Pinkie.
Sonic popped out of the tube's end, bouncing off the spring attached to the hatch. Landing on another pipeline, he took off at full speed, shooting down the winding road that pumped blue chemicals through it. The hedgehog's eyes narrowed at an exposed weak point up ahead…
...and he spun through it, severing the pipeline and allowing the chemicals to burst out like a fountain. He tucked in his arms and free-fell to the lower depths of the facility, putting a hand to his mouth as he did so.
FWEET!
In an instant, Tails flew up to Sonic and grabbed him by his outstretched hand. The fox flew the duo over to another long path, setting Sonic down and flying on ahead as the hedgehog released another burst of speed.
"Whoa, those two are good!" Spike commented, flying close to the hovering Twilight. "Remind me to ask how long they've been doing this!"
Rainbow Dash slammed into another tank hoof-first, causing it to crack under the force. The robots pursuing her came to a halt, watching the cracks spread across the surface. Rainbow turned to them with a cocky smile. "Have a nice swim!"
She took off just as the tank ruptured, swallowing the robots in pink goo. Close by, blue bubbles popped out of a hole and hovered through the air, fascinating Pinkie Pie. She hopped up to pop one, only for Twilight to grab her tail and make her fall flat on her face. The alicorn only shook her head in discouragement before galloping off.
Sonic raced through a shuttle loop at the same time Rainbow shot through it like it was part of an aerial racecourse. The hedgehog continued to charge ahead, smacking into Spinies and speeding towards another tank. He jumped and balled up, shooting for the base and the supports that held it up. In a half-second, he smashed through all four supports and zipped off, now intending to outrun the outcome.
The tank groaned and creaked as it slowly leaned to one side, sloshing the chemicals inside. As the sapphire streak underneath shot down the road while a shadow gave chase, the huge glass silo continued to groan and fall. The last of the weakened supports gave way, allowing the tank to smash onto the ground and explode in a shower of glass shards and a rushing flood of chemicals. Sonic raised a hand while not bothering to look behind him, signaling his best bud to snatch him up for a pick-up. Just as he was lifted off the ground, the wave of blue liquid swept past where he once ran.
"Um… he meant to do that, right?" Rainbow Dash asked as she flew up to Twilight. At the same time, Tails hovered into view with a smiling Sonic. "Yep! Totally did! You're falling behind, Colors!"
"And while I do enjoy you busting up Eggman-built facilities," Tails continued. "Shall we move to the grand finale?"
"You read my mind, partner!" After Sonic's reply, Tails immediately spun around in the hedgehog in tow, the duo resembling an orange-blue tornado. He threw Sonic hard towards a stationary crane with a shout, the hedgehog spinning towards the hook at the end of the line.
"Hey! Wait up!" Rainbow called, taking off after Sonic. Twilight and the others followed a beckoning Tails down another path that led further inside the main complex. Sonic unfurled from his ball form, grabbing onto the crane and using his momentum to swing the hook around.
He released it when it swung close to a wall, propelling him towards a circular port on the upper level. He spun inside, Rainbow hot on his heels. Down below, the others jogged inside the main complex as alarms continued to blare.
"Just how many chemicals does this place need?" Twilight asked urgently. Tails just shrugged. "Hard to say. If I know Eggman, he likes to pollute for pollution's sake."
"I don't like that creature!" Fluttershy said. "His damage to the natural environment makes me hate him every minute! The tall trees, the beautiful fields, the sparkling lakes, even the cute animals will all be in danger thanks to him!"
"Wow, that's… some enthusiasm," Amy commented. "For someone so timid and frightened."
"Nopony gets between me and animals," Fluttershy replied. "So I won't let Eggman do to my world what he has done to yours!"
Pinkie stared suspiciously at the pegasus. "Who are you, and what have you done to Fluttershy?"
"WARNING. WARNING. INTRUDERS NEAR MAIN REACTOR. ELIMINATE ALL INTRUDERS."
Squads of robots poured from open doorways and hurried to block the path ahead. The ponies all came to a stop, with Twilight lighting up her horn in case they attacked. Tails, however, only had a challenging smile on his face.
"Amy! Hit me!"
"Fore!" cried the hedgehog, striking Tails with her hammer as hard as she could. The fox shot off in an orange ball with his tails sticking out, bouncing off Egg Pawns like bowling pins. He unfurled and slammed a heel down on an Egg Pawn's face. Touching the floor, he spun around and smacked one aside with his Tails. It reached for its blaster, only for its head to get crushed in by Amy's hammer.
"Hurry up, guys! We don't want you to miss the show!" called a distant voice from down the hall. Tails and Amy took off down the pathway, prompting the ponies and Spike to follow them.
"All… this… running… is making my hooves ache!" gasped Rarity.
"Don't worry! We're almost done here!" Twilight called reassuringly. "I hope…"
Everyone poured into a large chamber with an equally large machine at the heart of it. "Whoa…" Spike gasped. "What is this thing?"
"The heart of this place," Sonic answered. "Once it goes down, the plant goes with it. Ready to do the honors, RD?"
"You bet! Um… wait, what do I hit, exactly?"
"Everything!"
Sonic and Rainbow Dash sped up to the reactor and blitzed it. Sonic pummeled the huge machine with several Homing Attacks, one of them plowing clear through the machine. Rainbow flew around and knocked some parts loose, hoping to overload it with sheer speed alone.
In less than ten seconds, the whole thing was catching flame and sparking dangerously: something that only made Spike and the ponies concerned.
"Hold on, you sure smashing that thing was a good thing?" Rainbow asked. Sonic only nodded. "Sure. And if I were you…"
"DANGER! DANGER! REACTOR OVERLOAD! CONDITION CRITICAL! COMPLETE MELTDOWN IMMINENT! EVACUATE! EVACUATE! EVACUATE!"
"You might wanna start running now."
"Oh, for Celestia's sake!" Rarity facehoofed. The building began to shudder as the alarms went crazy. The distant sound of explosions rattled everyone's ears, making them gasp.
"Okay, time to go!" Twilight lifted off the ground and used her magic to pick everyone- save for Rainbow Dash- up. The alicorn flew off down the hallway with Rainbow shooting after her. Tails took off flying and Amy sprinted out with her hammer in tow. Sonic hung back, looking at the sparking reactor over his shoulder.
"Tsk, tsk. All these years later and these things never learn."
He took a stance and rocketed down the hall just as the reactor exploded in a tremendous blast of orange and red. The fiery cloud consumed inch after inch of the corridor, the flames licking at Sonic's heels.
Outside, everyone fled from the exploding Chemical Plant as whole sections were destroyed by the second. Chemical-filled tanks crashed against each other like dominoes, chimneys crumbled to the ground, and smoke from the destruction added to the cloud already gathered above. Any robot that tried to flee ended up caught in the blast.
The main passageway leading into and out of the facility started to break apart as the fiery cloud quickly expanded. The speeding figure it tried to engulf was silhouetted against the cloud, racing towards the exit at top speed.
"I-I don't think he's gonna make it!" Spike wailed. Tails just rolled his eyes. "Trust me, he'll make it."
Sonic blasted out of the passageway just as the cloud engulfed it, leaving the entrance to burn and crumble. The Blue Blur dug a heel into the ground and skid to a stop before the astonished ponies, the Chemical Plant up in a complete firestorm behind him.
"So, what did ya think?"
Nopony spoke. All of their wide eyes were trained on the ruined facility and their jaws were practically on the ground. At this, Sonic tapped his foot on the ground, impatiently waiting for a verbal reply.
"That… was… AWESOOOOME!"
Rainbow Dash shot into the sky and looped around, touching down right in front of Sonic. "So much action! So much adrenaline! So many heart-stopping, death-defying moments! You seriously do stuff like that all the time?!"
"Pretty much, yeah."
"And I thought you at Canterlot was cool! Back then, I thought you were just twenty percent cooler than any non-pony creature I've ever seen! But now, you're twenty MILLION percent cooler!"
"I tend to think of myself as a 'way past cool' kinda guy myself. I take it there's no one that impressive here in Equestria?"
"Oh, you're looking at her! I've fought all kinds of horrific monsters and performed all kinds of sky-bound soars, daring dives, and aerial acrobatics in the book! I must've written a whole new page!"
"Uh, I hate to interrupt," Tails spoke up. "But I just had a thought."
"What's up, Tails?" asked Sonic.
"The Chemical Plant… that can't be the same one back on Westside Island, can it?"
"Hmm…" Sonic put a hand to his chin before counting off on his fingers. "Same blue goo, same pink water, same floaty bubbles, same robot defenders, same warp tubes, same windy pipelines… yeah, I'd say that's the same one."
"We didn't do that much damage the first time we came there," Tails continued. "Then, when we went through it during the Time Eater's attack, you caused the place to self-destruct. But now it's here and fully intact? Just like when we saw it for the first time?"
Sonic turned back to the ruined plant. "Huh… you're right, Tails. I didn't see any sign of my previous bustings back there. What's the deal?"
"I… don't know. But we shouldn't worry about that right now."
"Tails is right," said Twilight. "We need to get to Ponyville and wait for Knuckles and Applejack."
SHOOM! A gust of wind blew over everyone as something took off at high speed. All eyes looked to where Sonic and Rainbow Dash once were… only to find them gone. The hedgehog and the pegasus were tearing across the open land, racing towards Ponyville.
Twilight groaned. "I still say teleporting is faster."
"Well, we don't want to keep them waiting," Tails commented, taking flight and following the speedsters. "Come on, guys!" Amy, Spike, and the ponies broke into a run- or flight, in Twilight's, Fluttershy's, and Spike's cases- and followed Tails' lead.
But soon after the group had left, a lone figure observed them from the mountainside. A murky dark figure with a hedgehog-like shape stared at them with blank eyes. It made no move, nor did it speak.
Yet something inside the being stirred.
AN ADEQUATE TEST OF SKILL. THIS MAY LEAD TO SOME… INCONVENIENCES TO THE FUSION. AS WE SAW FROM PAST BATTLES WITH THE DOCTOR AND OTHER THREATS, WE KNOW THAT SONIC THE HEDGEHOG AND HIS ALLIES ARE NOT TO BE TRIFLED WITH. THE PONIES, ON THE OTHER HAND… NO, THE SAME MUST BE SAID FOR THEM. SAVING EQUESTRIA FROM PERIL IS BUT A SIMPLE TASK FOR THEM.
THE CHEMICAL PLANT WAS JUST A QUICK REVIEW OF THEIR ABILITIES. AFTER FURTHER OBSERVATION, WE SHALL MOVE ONTO THE REAL TRIAL SOON ENOUGH. WIN OR LOSE, WE WILL LEARN. AND WE WILL USE WHAT WE LEARN TO ENSURE OUR HUNGER IS SATISFIED.
…
Meanwhile, in the Dragon Lands
With sweat trickling down his face, Knuckles wiped his forehead with one arm. "Phew, it's hot out here! What is this, Lava Reef Zone?" He panted, gasping for breath.
"Can you focus on your emerald-sense thingy and not the heat?" Applejack asked in a somewhat annoyed tone. "As hard as it might be?"
"Right. Sorry."
"And keep your eyes peeled for any dragons. Speaking of… where did they fly off to?" The earth pony's eyes scanned the sky, curious as to the absence of flying figures in the dark sky.
The ground beneath their feet suddenly began to rumble and quake. Knuckles' arms flailed out and Applejack nearly fell on her face, both heavy-hitters staring at the rock beneath them.
"What was that?" asked Knuckles, crouching and placing a hand on the ground. "A tremor?"
"I don't think the Dragon Lands get many earthquakes," AJ noted. "But the sooner we find that Master Emerald, the sooner we can get the heck out of this place."
"Okay. Um… that way!" Knuckles said, pointing slightly to the right and running off in that direction. Applejack galloped after him, nearing the distant entrance to a cave. "The Master Emerald's energy is getting stronger around here! It's gotta be inside!"
The echidna and the earth pony hurried inside the cave, which was dimly lit thanks to the orange glow of embers. Knuckles squinted and brought a hand near his eyes while Applejack slowly made her way through the cave. Her hoofsteps echoed through the caverns as Knuckles followed her.
"Anything?" she asked.
"Nothing yet," answered the echidna with a shake of his head. "Still no dragons, either."
Hsss…
The duo spun, with Knuckles raising his fists and Applejack spreading out her legs. Both pairs of eyes darted to a small niche… where something small scurried away.
"We ain't alone in here," AJ whispered. "Be ready for a fight."
"I'm always ready," came Knuckles' steadfast reply. The duo slowed their pace, training their eyes on every inch of the cave they could find. They found no sign of any creature… but they did not lower their guard. They knew something had to be watching them; something not too far away.
A faint jade glow illuminated the distant tunnel. The sight caused Knuckles to widen his eyes and drop his stance. "There!" He gasped, dashing towards the light. Applejack galloped after him, unwilling to let them get separated so easily.
Knuckles rounded a corner that gave him a view of the most glorious gem one could lay their eyes on: a huge, glowing emerald shining with a bright green light. The giant jewel rested in a niche just about fit for its size. Applejack froze at the sight as if she was being hypnotized. "Sweet Celestia…" she whispered. "I'm so glad I came instead of Rarity. Who knows what she'd do with it?"
Knuckles approached the Master Emerald and rested a hand on it. "Finally… it's safe again. Alright, now to-"
He heard AJ let out a sudden gasp. "Knuckles! Look out!"
The echidna spun to the side but was too late to react. Something small and extremely hot slammed into him, knocking him to the cavern floor. Knuckles grunted and grabbed his assailant by the head, holding back orange snapping jaws.
The creature snarled in Knuckles' face, biting at the echidna. Knuckles shoved the monster away and bounded to his feet, glaring at it with narrowed eyes. The monster looked reptilian in shape, composed completely of molten magma and a rocky body. Its head had the qualities of a sleek shark fin and its tail swished about. It began to circle Knuckles like a predator waiting to strike…
...and it lunged. Knuckles dropped to the ground, making the monster miss its target and tumble in a collapsed heap. Hissing, it scrambled to stand back up. Knuckles grabbed a huge rock, held it firmly as the creature rushed to him again.
"HAH!" Knuckles smashed the boulder on the creature's head, crushing it with one stroke. The fire monster twitched for a moment before its legs and tail fell limp. Applejack gasped for breath, shocked at the transpired events.
"What the Tartarus was that?!"
Knuckles stared at the lifeless creature, whose bright orange glow was starting to dim. "I don't know," he replied, uncertain of how else to answer it. Yes, the creature did look familiar… but not too familiar.
"What do you mean, you don't know?" AJ asked. "You've had to have seen something like that before in your world, right?"
"Well, I do recall something back when the Time Eater nabbed me and my friends," Knuckles answered. "Monsters like this and others like it roamed some kind of burning city. A desolate, fiery wasteland."
"Well, that's… eerie."
"I haven't seen them since, nor earlier as far as I can tell. The question is, what's it doing here?"
"Hold on," AJ said. "Did you say 'others like it'?"
The ground rumbled again, causing the pony and the echidna to fight to keep their balance. Instinctively, Knuckles rushed to the Master Emerald and stood in front of it protectively. His eyes darted around the cave, looking for more potential threats to pound.
"Oh, no…" AJ realized. She spun towards the entrance to the cave, where she now heard something she didn't recall hearing earlier: wingbeats. Wingbeats accompanied by shouting and screeches.
"What the heck is going on out there?!"
"Feel free to check it out!" Knuckles shouted, grabbing the enormous emerald with both hands. "I'm getting the Master Emerald out of this place!" AJ nodded to the echidna, then galloped out of the cave as fast as she could. She heard Knuckles grunt in exertion behind her, but the pony never bothered to look back. She galloped out into the open and slid to a halt, turning her eyes to the sky.
Her emerald eyes went wide and she gasped. Up above was what she had originally sought out: dragons, and lots of them. And they were in a hurry. But why-?
"DRAGONS!" a voice called out that made Applejack cringe. "The Living Flames are upon us once again! These cursed beasts believe this land is theirs for the taking, but we shall prove them wrong! Drive these infernal ferocities out of our homeland and back to the deepest pits of Tartarus!"
Applejack trotted behind a rock and peered out at the open area before her: a piece of land near the upward slope of a volcano. There, a whole flock of dragons was swooping around and battling what looked like… more fire monsters?
"Oh my gosh…"
One dragon dove right on top of a small fire monster and bit down hard, shaking it like a dog would do to a toy. Another lashed its claws at three more wolf-like monsters. And a third, this one cyan with brilliant red eyes, streaked through the air with two phoenix-like monsters on her tail. She rolled away from fireballs and shot one back at them, although both monsters evaded her counterattack.
The dragon suddenly dropped low, making her pursuers crash into two other flying monsters. She stomped down on a monster lunging for a dragon's exposed throat, following up with a claw swipe to another's back leg. The creature stumbled with a yelp, leaving it open for a bulky dragon to smash it into the rocks with both fists.
"Perish, you molten monstrosities!" he roared. "Fire is OUR thing!"
"We would rather die than surrender our homelands to you scorching savages!" shouted another before it blasted down a flying creature with a fireball. The cyan dragon flew past and seized two small fire monsters by the necks. With a shout, she slammed them together and threw their bodies to the ground.
"Hold your ground!" she called to the dragons below. "Do not let these abominations get the better of you! Fight for your home, dragons! Fight for-"
"Princess Ember! Behind you!"
The cyan dragon spun over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of a tremor beneath the surface. Applejack felt the ground shake again and she took a shaky step back. "Wh-whoa!"
The ground behind Ember suddenly burst as a large, orange appendage erupted from underground. Rocky armor covered its form as the creature gazed at the dragons below.
It roared as loud as thunder, causing nearly every dragon to cover their ears. Ember was blown back, yet she stared at the monster in horror.
"Flames preserve us…"
The worm-like creature's arrival was quickly followed by others like it, who burst from the ground with screeches and roars, catching the dragons by surprise. One spat a fireball at a dragon while another closed its jaws around a dragon that failed to notice it.
"AAH! Somedragon help me!"
Ember flew full force towards the worm, making the one behind her close its mouth on nothing but air. She drove a scaly foot into the beast's body, making it release the helpless dragon with a loud shriek. One dragon dove for the worm, only for it to retreat underground. The dragon collapsed on his snout, completely dumbfounded at the disappearing act. "Huh?"
A trio of dragons grabbed another worm by its long body, trying to wrestle it to the ground. The worm responded by twisting itself, sending them all flying through the air and screaming. They all hit the ground near Applejack's hiding place with grunts and groans, making the earth pony slightly nervous.
If the dragons had trouble fighting those monsters… then what else could the other world possibly have?
A fireball from a flying fire monster struck Ember in the back, making her cry out and tumble to the ground. Gasping for breath, Ember tried to stand and grit her teeth… only for a pack of the small fire monsters to surround her. The flying ones cut her off from an aerial escape, and the worms continued to mow through the rest of the dragon ranks. An underground assault sent some dragons scurrying, a worm caught a dragon in its mouth and slammed it on the ground, and a flight of phoenix-like creatures overpowered a flying dragon and grounded it.
Ember remained unfettered. She rose to her feet and glared angrily at the creatures around her, who snarled, hissed, and snapped their jaws at her. Ember replied with a roaring cry of her own.
"COME ON, you monsters! Show this Dragon Lord what you can-"
FWOOSH! A sudden wave of flame sent the masses tumbling and the worms staggering. The phoenix-like monsters struggled to remain aloft while monsters and dragons alike turned towards the new interruption.
Ember growled in annoyance. "Now what?"
A new creature stepped forth from a cloud of gray smoke; one who trained its golden eyes on the burning beasts with a different fire deep within them. It had lavender and violet fur that stood out from the fire around it like a diamond in the rough.
"You," it spoke to the creatures in a feminine tone. "You do not belong here." The monsters replied with vicious roaring before charging and flying towards the newcomer. Ember could only look on in horror. Whatever this, it had to have a death wish. There was no way it could possibly fend them all off at once… could it?
The creature snapped into action with a huge leap into the air. Fire snapped into existence in her palms; flames that were flung towards the creatures below. The pyrokinetic projectiles smashed into the forms of the four-legged creatures, toppling them. Flying monsters were knocked out of the sky and worms were briefly stunned.
She gracefully touched down and broke into a sprint, launching for one of the worms. She landed a blazing uppercut to its head and slid down the body, jumping towards two flying monsters. In quick succession, she knocked them both down with spinning kicks.
"Wh-what is that?!" shouted a dragon. "Some kind of cat?"
The stranger landed in a fiery shockwave, blowing away more monsters. Immediately, she surged forward while surrounded by a blazing barrier, knocking back any monster that tried to attack her. She jumped gracefully over a canine-like monster's bite, brought a flying one to the ground, and streaked past a bewildered dragon.
She blasted fire out of one hand, freeing a dragon from a worm's constricting grip. She kicked a charging monster right in the face before grabbing it by the tails and flinging it into its brethren. She clenched her fists, training her eyes on an approaching swarm…
"NGH!"
She was nailed from behind by another wolf-like monster. The creature pinned her to the ground, allowing the remaining creatures to close in on her. The stranger did not relent; she bared her teeth and narrowed her eyes.
"You all have fire both inside and out," she hissed, her body charging up with heat-like energy. "But you and others always seem to forget…"
The monsters paused, curious at her action. The monster pinning her down growled, opened its mouth, and leaned in close…
"FIRE IS MINE TO COMMAND!"
An enormous whirlwind of flame burst into view, erupting towards the sky and taking every monster nearby with it. Howls and screeches rang out as the creatures tumbled through the tornado while the dragons below watched the spectacle in astonishment.
"What manner of creature can control flames like these?" Ember whispered. From her hiding spot, Applejack couldn't turn her eyes away from the tornado as orange and red light reflected off her green orbs.
If Rainbow Dash was here, would she call this awesome or terrifying?
The whirlwind died down and dissipated into ash and cinders, leaving the lavender-furred figure catching her breath. She seemed to be… reminiscing about something. But AJ couldn't tell what was on her mind. The figure sighed and turned around, preparing to leave…
...until she noticed the flock of dragons behind her. The stranger stood on-edge and clenched her fists, waiting for their next move. Ember only held up an arm and flew up to the figure, curiosity in her ruby eyes.
"I suppose I should be grateful for your intervention," she spoke. "But I am not one to express my feelings so frequently. I'll be brief; who-? No, what are you? And how do you command fire to a great extent?"
The figure looked at Ember with uncertainty in her gaze. "I mean no disregard to you or your people, nor do I have any intentions with them," she answered in a calm and regal tone. "I am Princess Blaze of the Sol Empire. And who do I have the honor of addressing?"
"Princess Ember. Dragon Lord and ruler of the Dragon Lands."
The stranger- Blaze- took a moment to look around at the landscape surrounding her. "I take it this is not Sonic's world, then."
Ember made a confused face. "Who is this 'Sonic'?"
"I rest my case," Blaze continued. "Princess Ember, I hail from a realm far beyond yours. As do those creatures you and your people battled."
"The Living Flames? Are you familiar with them?"
"I am… but at the same time, I am not," came the cat's reply, earning some confusion from the dragons. "Foremost, they are not called the Living Flames, as fitting as it may sound."
"Then what do you call those monstrosities?"
"I…" Blaze looked to the ground in hesitation. "I do not know. As I mentioned, I am not entirely familiar with those monsters. I have encountered them once before, but… I feel like I have seen them elsewhere."
Ember dismissed this statement. "Whatever business you have with them, I care little for it. Now, what are you doing in the Dragon Lands, Princess Blaze?"
Blaze's golden eyes turned to the sky. "I believe it has something to do with that."
Ember turned around and followed the cat's gaze. The dark clouds above were now parting, revealing ominous cracks and fractures in the sky above. The dragon narrowed her eyes.
"We have received word that something like this has happened all throughout Equestria," she said. "Is it happening where you hail from as well?"
"Not yet," Blaze answered. "But I fear it will not remain that way. Where I come from, I am the guardian of seven mystical gems called the Sol Emeralds. I felt their will not too long ago; warning me of a great crisis approaching. I have since begun to investigate… and my journey now brings me here to this strange land."
"This has not gone unnoticed by my kind as well," added Ember. "I have sent one of my dragons to inform our friends of how widespread this has become. Hopefully, assistance will arrive shortly."
"Whatever business you have with other beings in this world, I will leave you to them," Blaze concluded as she turned away. "If my own friends are present here, I will seek them out as well. I wish you luck, Princess Ember."
The dragon only nodded. As Applejack watched Blaze bound up to tall rocks, she galloped away from her hiding spot and charged across the open space before her. It wasn't long before the pony caught sight of a strange jade glow; a glow that was moving across the Dragon Lands.
She turned and raced towards the gleaming Master Emerald, along with the echidna that was carrying it over his shoulders. He was moving in a fast walk, moving his eyes constantly in case the giant gem attracted any of the dragons.
"Gotta… keep… moving…" he gasped between breaths. "Don't care how long I have to lug this around… must not stop until I'm far away from this place…"
"Well, that's one step down!" AJ said as she appeared next to Knuckles. "But how are we supposed to get that thing to Canterlot! It's gotta be miles away!"
"I don't care how we do it, as long as we do it!" Knuckles proclaimed. "Even if I have to carry the Master Emerald the whole way, I'm gonna make sure-"
THUMP! An agile figure landed right in front of them, making the duo come to a stop. Instinctively setting the Master Emerald aside, Knuckles clenched his fists and readied for a fight…
...and the figure stood. "Knuckles."
The echidna lowered his guard. "What the-? Blaze? What are you doing here?"
"I would like to ask you the same thing. But, in short, the Sol Emeralds warned me of a great catastrophe drawing near."
Knuckles crossed his arms. "Well, looks like you're just in time. Basically, Sonic's world and this other world are coming together and are gonna explode unless we stop it. But first, I gotta get the Master Emerald somewhere safe."
"Hm," said Blaze. "That sounds dire. But given that I know Sonic well, I have no doubts that he and his friends will resolve this crisis. Along with…" she trailed off, her eyes turning to Applejack. "And just who might you be?"
"Name's Applejack," the pony introduced herself. "Me and my friends are gonna fix this as well. If we don't, everything we know and love will be gone. As well as us."
Blaze sighed. "And I thought the Time Eater was disastrous…" Her golden eyes suddenly lit up in realization. "Speaking of… Knuckles, have you seen any, er, strange creatures made of fire in this area?"
"Seen one? I smashed one when it ambushed me in a cave!" answered the echidna. "And given the ruckus I heard, they're keeping the dragons busy."
"Do they seem… familiar to you somewhat?"
"Of course they're familiar! When Sonic rescued you in that burning city, that place was crawling with them!"
The cat sighed. "That was not what I meant."
Knuckles lifted a brow. "Well, what else could you mean?"
"It is…" Blaze placed a hand on her head with hesitation in her voice. "...difficult to explain. Following my arrival into this world, I have begun to experience… odd visions. Visions of events I cannot clearly recall. In them, I see that same destroyed city, as well as those monsters. I also remember Silver by my side as we fought them."
"Um…" Applejack whispered to Knuckles. "Who's Silver?"
"A psychic," Knuckles answered. "Long story."
"I will leave the salvation of both worlds to you, Sonic, and the rest of your friends," Blaze said. "I seek answers as to what these visions may mean, and perhaps Silver can provide insight… wherever he may be."
"Whatever," Knuckles continued. "You go do whatever it is you need to do, Blaze. I've got somewhere to be!" He lifted up the Master Emerald with a grunt and started to jog away with huffing breaths. Blaze looked to Applejack, who stared at Knuckles puzzlingly.
"Uh… is he always this stubborn? There's no way he can make it to Canterlot with that heavy thing."
"Knuckles will take some getting used to," Blaze replied. "Once he sets his mind on a task, it is not easy for him to deviate from it."
"Well, good luck on your search. Hope you find this Silver guy."
"And when you find Sonic, be sure to tell him that I wish him good luck."
Applejack smirked. "Not really sure if he needs it, but okay."
Blaze nodded before leaping away with a grunt. Applejack broke into a run, catching up with the jogging and panting Knuckles while the cat sprinted through the Dragon Lands.
"There has got to be a better idea than this!" she cried. "I mean, do you expect to go to Canterlot on foot? While carrying that seemingly heavy emerald?"
"As long as it means keeping it out of anybody's hands?" Knuckles answered. "Then yes!"
Blaze was right. This ain't gonna be easy. AJ thought. But even if he collapsed from exhaustion, would he still go? Would he not stop until-
BAMF! A bright turquoise flash went off right in front of them, bringing them to another sudden stop. At this, Knuckles growled as the Master Emerald nearly fell out of his grip. "Rgh! Now what?!"
"Oh! Um… is this a bad time?" AJ cracked open an eye to see a unicorn with lavender fur, a purple mane, and a cutie mark composed of a purple and white star with two blue streams.
Knuckles groaned. "No, this is-"
"This is exactly the perfect time!" Applejack interrupted. "Howdy, Starlight! What brings you to the Dragon Lands?"
Starlight curiously looked at Knuckles for a moment. "I take it you're Knuckles?"
"Yeah. Who's asking?"
"My name's Starlight Glimmer," she replied. "Twilight gave me the rundown as to what was happening and I want to do my part to help out. I just met with Smolder, who told me of some weird fire creatures running loose in the Dragon Lands."
"And you came here to help the dragons with their little infestation problem," AJ deduced. "But before you do that, can you do us a favor?"
"Sure!"
"We need you to take us to Canterlot real quick to drop off this beauty," Applejack explained as she gestured to the Master Emerald with a hoof. Starlight nodded. "Alright! I can do that!" Her horn lit up with a bright light, making Knuckles' eyes go wide.
"Wait, what are you- oh, no! No, hold on! Wait a-"
BAMF!
In a flash, the rocky landscape around them was replaced with the bustling capital city of Equestria. Knuckles immediately collapsed face-first with a groan, dropping the Master Emerald to the ground.
"Uh… I take it he's not used to teleporting?" Starlight chuckled. Applejack only shook her head. "Nope. He's not fond of direct routes like that. Come on, on your feet." She nudged Knuckles to a stand, the echidna wobbling and clutching his head as she did. "Let's get that thing to the vault, and then we can get back to our friends."
"No chili dogs for me, thanks… I'm driving…"
…
Near the outskirts of Ponyville, two streaks came to a screeching halt. A pair of red shoes dug themselves into the ground and a pair of feathered wings snapped open like parachutes. Popping open her eyes, Rainbow Dash let out a victorious laugh.
"Aw, yeah! I won!"
"Won?" Sonic replied. "Pft. That was no race."
"Huh?" the pegasus gasped. "That was too a race! A race that I naturally won!"
"No, that was not," the hedgehog shook his head. "That was just a short sprint. Nothing more, nothing less."
She frowned. "Well, what else could it possibly be?!"
"I was just following you to a place I've never seen before," Sonic replied nonchalantly. "Trust me, Dash; if that really was a race, I would've left you in a cloud of my dust and watch you push it around."
Rainbow just stuck out her tongue. "You're just saying that because you lost!"
Sonic shrugged. "If you say so. I wasn't even giving it my all. Now, bickering aside, is this the place?"
"Yep," Rainbow answered as the rest of their friends all caught up. "Ponyville may not look like much, but it's been our home for a long time. All we need to do now is wait for Applejack and Knuckles to return, and then we can find… our… way…"
Her voice trailed off as everyone saw exactly what she was seeing. They had arrived at the right place… but it looked very, very different.
Buildings the ponies had never seen before stood between shops and houses. Pointy sunflowers stood out among the local flora. Small animals interacted with confused ponies. But what really got most of the ponies' attention was the strange creatures on two legs; most of them wearing gloves and shoes along with other accessories.
They looked around in utter confusion at the scene and at the ponies, who stared with wide eyes and open mouths. Chatters and murmurs arose from both species as they struggled to adjust to the changed town.
"Wh-what's going on? Where am I?"
"I never saw that building before!"
"Who are you? What are you?"
"How in the world can you talk?!"
Amy's hand flew to her mouth. Tails was completely dumbstruck. Twilight, Spike, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie all had their mouths agape in shock while Rainbow Dash just hovered in place with steady wingbeats. And Sonic's arms drooped to his sides as he let out a sigh.
"Can this day get any weirder?"
