"Uh… what?"
No one else dared speak a word after Rainbow's comment. Those who could would respond with an equal query of confusion and lack of understanding. For a while, all that could be heard was the bewildered dialogue between the town's resident ponies… and the other town's anthropomorphic animals.
Ponyville now hardly looked like the Ponyville Twilight Sparkle and her friends would call home. It looked like something else; something wrong. Something completely alien. Something familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.
"What the heck happened to this place?" asked Amy.
"I-I don't get it!" Spike said. "This is Ponyville, isn't it? So what's…"
A house to their side suddenly began to flicker with light. The ponies inside cried out in panic before the building was engulfed in bright light. Sonic and Tails threw up their arms in front of their eyes as the light grew brighter… and started to dim. The light faded just as quickly as it came.
In the house's place stood a different building. A building where an anthropomorphic wolf opened the door and looked around with horror in his eyes.
"What the-?" Rainbow stuttered. "Where'd it go?"
"Hmm…" Tails put a hand to his chin near a curious Twilight. His twin tails swished about in concentration while he pulled out his handheld. "I think I have a theory as to what's happening to this town."
"It's gotta have something to do with the rifts, right?" Twilight asked. "Like the cracks in the sky?"
"Kinda," replied the fox. "You guys remember how Celestia said our two worlds were coming together, right?"
"Is this meant to be an example?" questioned Rarity.
"Just about. My theory is that not only are our worlds gonna meet, but turn into each other as well. The huge amount of chaos energy and magic is sure to cause some confusion in the space-time continuum. Think of it as believing something should belong in a certain spot… only to be misinformed and learn that it's been put in the wrong place."
"So…" Amy guessed. "Those houses that just vanished are in our world now?"
Tails nodded. "So the village that these buildings belong to is suffering the same kind of confusion that Ponyville is having. If this keeps up, our worlds will break apart from the pressure of becoming one another before they can make contact."
"That's…" Spike gulped. "...bad, right?"
"Catastrophic," Tails answered. "In other words, yes. Very bad."
"Now I don't know which outcome is the lesser of two evils," Rarity groaned. "Either way, we're all doomed if we don't find the Elements!"
"At least we have plenty of time to find the Elements and the Emeralds," Sonic continued. "We just gotta wait for Knuckles and Applejack to get back, then-"
"What in the world is goin' on here?!"
"I think that's them," Fluttershy silently commented. And sure enough, the group could see two approaching figures: a pony with a western-style hat and a red echidna. Both of them had utterly confused faces and gaping mouths as they took in the scene around them.
"Hey, guys!" Sonic called. "Tails will bring you up to speed in just a sec. The Master Emerald, Knux?"
"Uh, safe," replied the echidna, managing to turn his eyes away from the two-in-one town. "For now. Blaze says hi, by the way."
"Blaze is here?" Sonic repeated in a surprised tone. "What's she doing?"
"Lookin' for answers," Applejack answered. "But not to the questions y'all would expect her to have. I think this is something she's gotta do on her own."
"Maybe more of our friends will show up eventually," Amy commented. "But for now, we need to plan our next move."
"Yeah, there's been something on my mind," Sonic replied. "Earlier, we saw a spot that was supposed to have some kind of statue there. According to Twilight, the statue was of three of this world's greatest threats."
"We turned them to stone during our battle," the alicorn summarized. "But if the statue's gone, they could only mean several things. And I sure hope it's not the number one reason."
"Lemme guess," Knuckles said. "You think they might've escaped their rocky prison?"
"Sh!" Pinkie shushed. "Don't jinx it!"
"What? I'm just saying."
"If this is true, we need to keep a lookout for them as well," Amy announced. "If they caused as much havoc as you said, Twilight, then they could be bad news."
"And don't forget about that Eggman guy from your world!" Rainbow shouted. "He's still running around, too! He's gotta be somewhere out there hatching up a great evil scheme!" She suddenly snickered and her serious expression broke down into laughter. "Ha! Hatching! You guys see what I did there?"
Sonic chuckled. "That's a good one. But you're right. If I know Eggman- and I do- his egg-shaped head of his is cooking up a plan to take over both my world and yours. I've only got some clues as to what this plan is, but we need to keep an eye out for him, too."
"No sweat!" Rainbow said, patting Sonic on the shoulder with a hoof. "We have an Eggman-cracking expert right here! We've got this!"
"Haha! That I am, Colors! Okay, Tails, can you use the Miles Electric to scan for any signs of chaos energy and magical activity?"
"Can do!" replied the fox. "Although the magic bit may be a little tricky…"
"Hopefully, that little tweak should start putting us on the right trail. Now, all we need to do is keep an eye out for bad guys. And maybe more of our friends while we're at it."
"Hello? Ma'am? I'm looking for-"
"AH! Get away!"
"Excuse me, have you seen someone with-"
"GAH!"
Applejack turned to the nearby commotion as startled ponies galloped past. "What's gotten them so riled up?"
"That voice…" muttered Tails. "It sounds familiar."
"Oh… why is everyone so afraid? I just want them to help me. What would Mother say?"
"She sounds scared," whispered Fluttershy.
"And close," Sonic added. "Come on."
The group jogged down the street and neared the town hall, which was suffering its own switcheroo scenario. While the building itself wasn't swapped out, the flowers and ground surrounding it was. A hand picked up a pointed sunflower and stared at it with a sigh.
"This is such a mess, Cheese. If only we could find a way home and let Mister Sonic take care of this."
"Chao chao…"
"Oh!" Fluttershy gasped. "That… that's the biggest bunny I've ever seen!"
"A rabbit?" Rainbow questioned. "With a… blue flying thing?"
Sonic's eyes lit up in realization before he waved an arm. "Hey, Cream! Looking for me?"
The rabbit turned around with wide eyes, prompting a smile to form. "Mister Sonic!"
"Mister?" asked Spike, glancing at the hedgehog who only shrugged at him. The rabbit sprinted up to the group with her little pet right behind her. "Well!" Rarity exclaimed. "She sounds like a polite young lady."
"Oh, thank goodness I found you!" Cream sighed in relief. "This is all so scary, but I'm being as brave as I can until you can make things better again!"
"She seems nice," Fluttershy whispered. At her words, Cream giggled and did a little curtsy. "Why, thank you! I am well-mannered, after all!"
"Chao chao!"
"Huh?" Fluttershy's attention now turned to the blue creature flying near Cream. The only accessory it wore was a red bowtie and it had a smile on its face. At the sight of it, Pinkie gave it a wide smile and let out a "squee" sound.
"Ooh! Can I play with it? Can I? Can I?" she pleaded, hopping up and down on the spot.
"It's you again!" Fluttershy spoke to the creature. "But didn't I leave you at my cottage?"
"Chao chao chao! Chao chao!"
"I'm afraid Cheese and I got separated for a while," answered Cream. "He must've gone off to find me, which he did well!"
"Chao chao!" the creature said delightfully, wrapping its arms around Cream as best as it could.
"Um… is that all he can say?" Rainbow asked.
Knuckles crossed his arms. "Chao aren't really known for their speech."
"Do you remember how you got here, Cream?" questioned Amy as she knelt in front of the rabbit. "Did you find anything strange lately as well?"
"Why, yes, Miss Rose," came the rabbit's reply. "I came across this weird thing in the air and I'm afraid curiosity got the better of me. When I woke up, I found myself near this lovely town."
"Is Gemerl with you?" asked Tails.
"No, I'm afraid not. He warned me not to get too close to the glowing thing, but… I'm afraid I didn't listen. I was just so drawn to it. I hope he's not worried about me too much."
"Don't sweat it," Sonic told her. "What matters is that you're safe now. And do you mind if I introduce you to my new pals here?"
"Oh, please do!" she cheerfully responded. "A friend of a friend is always a friend!"
"Wow!" Pinkie gasped. "That's a really good point!"
"Cream, this is a herd that knows a thing or two about how great friendship can be," Sonic explained, gesturing to each of the ponies. "Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash."
"It's a pleasure," Fluttershy spoke softly. "You seem to like that creature very much."
"Cheese is my best friend!" Cream responded happily. "Plus, Chao are simply adorable once you get to know them! You can make gardens for them and everything!"
"They are pretty relaxing," Sonic admitted.
"Uh, hey, guys?" Tails piped up. "I'm getting something on my scanner that you might wanna know about."
"Chaos energy?" guessed Amy.
"Magic?" asked Spike.
Tails just shook his head leaving everyone- save for Cream- disappointed. "Neither. I'm still recalibrating the Miles Electric to detect magical signatures. But I am picking up something unusual… coming from that direction."
The fox pointed away from the town and to its border, where everyone could see a large hill with a series of buildings atop it. One larger than the rest was painted dark red with a lavender roof. Knuckles squinted at the building. "Is that… a barn?"
"Oh, I forgot to mention," Cream added. "The nice folks living up there were happy to take me in. I do hope they're okay…"
Applejack gasped. "Sweet Apple Acres!"
Sonic raised a brow. "Excuse you?"
"That's my home!" the earth pony explained. "My family's been holding out ever since the cracks started showing up, but with this weird energy your friend's picking up-"
Sonic tightened his glove. "All the more reason to check it out! Let's go!"
…
Meanwhile, in the library of Twilight's Castle of Friendship
A tall, majestic mirror stood proud while connected to a scientific contraption courtesy of a certain alicorn. The reflective surface shone as clear as water, completely undisturbed and tranquil. But while the mirror remained as it was, the machine surrounding it began to come alive.
Amethyst lightning flared between the pylons at the top of the machine. Electric energy bolts trickled across the construct like blood through a vein, spreading throughout the contraption and causing instruments to hum with power. Pistons began to pump at full power, allowing the magical energy to continue its flow. The energy weaved through a loom and reached another set of pylons positioned on either side of the mirror, which was then harnessed through the pylons and into the mirror.
The mirror's surface flared until the reflection within transformed into a swirling violet portal. And from the portal, a bright flash of light enveloped the entire library… followed by four hooves touching the ground.
"Unf! Woo! Rough landing…"
The machine began to die down while the amethyst lightning faded from sight. The vortex inside the portal vanished, returning the mirror to its standard state. And while the reflection was empty before, it now showed the pony that had just emerged from it: a unicorn with amber fur and cyan eyes sporting a mane of fiery crimson and yellow colors. On its flank was a symbol of a red and yellow shimmering sun.
"Okay…" said Sunset Shimmer as she started to make her way towards the castle's main entrance. "From what Twilight wrote, something strange has been happening in Equestria for the past few days. Apparently, the sky has started to rip open like a tattered curtain and all kinds of crazy stuff has poured out of them. Well, that doesn't sound too bad. Maybe she just wants me to act as damage control while she and her friends get to-"
Sunset pushed open the door… and her cyan eyes widened when she looked to the sky. It turns out Twilight wasn't exaggerating when she wrote to Sunset. Cracks and portals were looming high above the ground, and Sunset could see surreal landscapes within each one. A loopy piece of ground here, a winding path filled with golden rings there…
"Okay, I take that back," she stammered. "This is very bad…"
Not to mention familiar. Didn't the other Twilight do something like this as Midnight Sparkle?
VROOM!
"Huh?!" Sunset snapped out of her inner thought to see small wheeled robots shaped like ladybugs speeding right for her. They pointed their pincers outward, ready to cut through her coat at a moment's notice. Sunset only crouched, narrowed her eyes…
...and disappeared in a blink of light.
SCREECH! CRASH!
Sunset flashed back into view a few meters away from the robots, who were now in a toppled pile of scrap and metal. Only one was still functional as it tried to swing its pincers at Sunset and rev its wheel, only for it to remain on its side and be useless.
"Hm," Sunset frowned at the bug-bots while she blasted that remaining robot with magic. "Micro Chips' robot was slightly more dangerous than those guys. Alright, where was I?" The unicorn started to trot away from the castle as her mind turned to more pressing matters.
Let's see… according to Twilight, those things in the sky are portals to a different dimension filled with animals that act like humans. That world is always under threat of being conquered by a mad scientist, only to be stopped by a "Sonic the Hedgehog".
Hm. Sounds like it could make a good video game…
Sunset shook her head. Gotta stay focused! Okay, so things from the other world are being dumped into Equestria, and things from Equestria are being sent to the other world. If what Twilight says is true, both worlds could be destroyed if this goes on for too long…
...and that probably means the human world will be toast as well.
Apparently, the Elements of Harmony are behind this, along with seven jewels called the Chaos Emeralds. Really powerful stuff, those things. Everypony is out looking for them right now… so what can I do in the meantime?
She turned to look at the rifts hanging ominously above Equestria. It felt like yesterday she remembered Midnight Sparkle unleashed at Canterlot High, using magic to open similar portals to Equestria. What if, just like before, something else was behind it alongside the Elements and the Emeralds?
It was probably a mystery that Twilight and the others would solve soon. Right now, Sunset needed to find someplace that needed her.
"The world's not gonna save itself!" she called as she galloped off.
…
The group jogged out of Ponyville and made their way up the hill towards the nearby farm. Tails flew on ahead, checking his handheld for any changes in the strange energy he was picking up. "Almost there, guys! Just a little bit further!"
Everyone nodded at Tails' words and pressed on, passing by the small river that flowed through Ponyville. If they had decided to stop, they would have spotted an unusual pair resting by the riverbank: a red earth pony and a large purple cat with a frog on his head and a fishing pole in his hands.
"This is nice."
"Eeyup."
"You don't talk much, do you?"
"Nnnope."
"That's okay. I like quiet. And so does Froggy."
Ribbit.
The group neared the top of the hill overlooking the rest of Ponyville and slowed their pace. "This is the place," announced Cream. "Quite beautiful, isn't it?"
"Heh," Applejack replied. "You can say that again."
Everyone passed through an archway with an apple sign hanging from it into a large farm. To their left, crop fields stood lined with plant after plant with a well just nearby and a carrot-themed building just beyond the crops. To their right was a small chicken coop. And straight ahead of them was the huge barn they had seen earlier in front of an abundant orchard of apple trees.
"Wow," said Tails. "This is quite the agricultural development you have here, Applejack!"
"Heck yeah, it is!" Rainbow shouted. "Her family makes the best apple cider in Ponyville! Ooh! You guys have got to try some since we're here!"
"Pass," Knuckles replied before he looked to the side in thought. "Unless… do you grow grapes here, by any chance?"
"We sure do!" Applejack replied happily. "Mostly we just crush them into juice by hoof." At her words, Amy donned a coy smile on her face and propped her hammer onto her shoulder. "Well, should you need any assistance when the time comes, give this girl a call!"
"So, Tails," said Sonic. "You got a bead on that energy yet?"
"Uh-huh," replied the fox. "I'm getting a substantial amount of it throughout this area. But I'm having trouble deciphering its-"
"Um, everypony?" whispered Fluttershy. "Where did Pinkie go?"
"Hm?" Everyone looked back among the group to see that Fluttershy had a point: a certain pink pony was missing. "Uh, maybe she got distracted by one of the farm animals?" Rainbow guessed.
"Wait, look!" called Spike, pointing to a hay bale. "There she is!"
Pinkie Pie was narrowing her eyes and staring at the hay, circling it at a curious pace. "Suspicious…" she whispered.
"Uh, what's she doing?" asked Amy. Twilight turned to the pink hedgehog with a calm glance. "She does all kinds of questionable stuff most of the time. I'm sure this is nothing different."
"I beg to differ," said Tails. "Because I'm getting an energy reading right inside that hay bale!" His eyes shot back to the hay bale just in time to see some straw being rustled around. Pinkie saw it as well, realizing that something was moving inside.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are…" she sang. "Or whatever you are." The pony leaned in close to focus all her attention on the rustling hay…
...and a single blue eye opened to stare back at her.
"EEK!"
The creature within the hay let out its own noise of surprise, bursting from the straw in a panic. It was a small pink creature with three tentacles beneath its spherical head, which was covered in five short spikes. It floated a short distance away from the startled Pinkie, who gazed upon it with wide eyes.
"Aww!" she cooed. "Sweet Celestia, you are just adorable!"
"I-is that a-?" Sonic stammered.
"C'mere, you cute little thing!" the pony squealed, enveloping the surprised creature in a hug. The creature let out another sound of surprise and its single eye went wide.
"Wait, Pinkie!" Twilight called. "I don't think that's a good idea!"
"It's covered in spikes!" Cream whimpered. "You could get yourself hurt!"
"Aw, come on! It looks friendly enough!" Pinkie laughed. "Who's a good little floaty thing? You are! Yes, you are!"
"Pinkie…" Tails slowly warned while he took a step back. "Let it go. Now."
"Wait until I introduce you to Gummy!" the pony said while clinging the creature as tightly as she could against her body. "You two are gonna be the best of-"
SHLOOP!
Pinkie opened her eyes and found that her hooves were empty. "Huh? Where'd ya go?" She looked all around for any sign of the creature, unaware that her body was giving off a pink glow. "And… Why do I feel so tingly?"
"That… that thing!" gasped Rarity. "It went inside Pinkie Pie! Oh, I think I might be sick!"
"Uh oh," Sonic gulped.
"Uh oh?" repeated Rainbow. "Uh oh what?"
"I'd take cover if I were you."
Pinkie's cerulean eyes were now glowing bright pink. "Whoa… I feel so… so ALIVE! WHEEE!" She burst out into laughter as strange energy raced through her body… and her mind boomed with a single word.
SPIKES!
VWEEE! In a flash of light, Pinkie Pie was gone. In her place, a hot pink spiky ball with wide pupil-less eyes spun all around the ground at near-light speed. It zipped this way and that, tearing through the grass like a buzzsaw.
"GYAH!" Spike yelled as he dove to the side. The pink ball shot right where he once was, leaving upturned dirt in its wake. Knuckles and Amy covered their heads while yelling out, Cream cowered behind the pink hedgehog, and the ponies all broke into a surprised panic. Sonic and Tails were on the move, chasing down the spiked orb as fast as they could.
"Pinkie, slow down!" cried Sonic. "Watch where you're going!"
"Somebody stop her before she wrecks the place!" shouted Tails. "She's going crazy!"
"No, no, no! Not my crops!" Applejack yelled as she raced towards the field and barred the orb's path. "Pinkie, stop! Not one- AH!"
The orb shot into the air and AJ instinctively dropped to the ground, the orb barely missing her head by centimeters. When it touched down, the ball kept ripping up the earth in a racing frenzy. Applejack looked over her shoulder at the spiky pink orb…
...and then noticed her hat had some shred marks on it. "Wha? Oh, no! My best hat!"
The pink orb smashed through a chicken coop, sending the clucking critters scattering in every direction. Sonic hopped over the debris while Tails flew over the wreckage, both of them shouting at Pinkie to stop or at least slow down.
"What! The! Heck! Is! HAPPENING!" screamed Rainbow Dash.
"W-we gotta do something!" Spike gulped. "Preferably without getting sliced to ribbons in the process!"
"LOOK OUT!" screamed Amy. She dove to the ground just as the pink orb raced by, kicking up dirt and dust in its wake as it buzzed by. Tails flew over the orb and spun around, holding out both hands.
"Pinkie, untuck! Untuck!" he shouted desperately. Sonic raced up from behind the orb, calling out his own tips. "Think straight thoughts! Think straight thoughts!"
ZZZWEEEEE! The pink orb began to spin and drift in a circular motion, throwing dirt and dust at the hedgehog and the fox. Sonic and Tails threw up their arms and cringed, coughing at the particles thrown in their faces.
"Ack! Pbth! Ugh! P-Pinkie! Cut that-"
BRRZZAAAW! The ball took off rolling, leaving the fox and the hedgehog literally in its dust. Sonic shook himself off before chasing after the ball in a blue burst. "PINKIE! Get back here!"
"Screaming's not helping!" yelled Twilight as a pink streak and a blue blur raced around the farm. The spiked ball smashed through the well and dug up the ground, making Sonic weave around newly-formed ruptures in the earth.
"Knuckles, she's coming right for you!" Tails cried as the colored blurs looped around. "You gotta catch her!"
"WHAT?!" yelped the echidna. "Are you crazy?!"
"Do you have a better idea?!"
Knuckles just groaned. "This is gonna hurt…"
"Heads up, Knux!" Sonic called as he herded the speeding, spinning ball of spikes toward the red brawler, who stood to intercept it like a goalie at a soccer match. Knuckles stood firm with teeth clenched and eyes narrowed. The pink ball shot for him…
...and the echidna grabbed it in his hands. The ball began to spin as quickly as Sonic's Spin Dash, nearly dragging Knuckles through the dirt. "AAAAAAAAH!" Knuckles screamed in a mix of pain and determination while standing his ground, blocking off the rapidly-rotating pink ball digging into his gloves.
"How much longer, Tails?!" Sonic shouted.
"Just a little bit longer!" came the fox's reply. "The Hyper-go-on effect should be wearing off soon!"
"I… can't… hold it!" Knuckles groaned. "Look out! I'm… losing her!"
The pink ball broke free from his grip, knocking the dazed echidna to the ground. The ball drifted through another patch of dirt and sped towards the group again like an overcharged shredder. Cream and Fluttershy both covered their eyes while Rainbow and Amy stood protectively in front of them.
"Twi! Try to freeze her in place!" Tails shouted.
"Amy! Get ready to hit a homer!" Sonic called out. Both the alicorn and the hedgehog stood ready to intercept the speeding spiked ball, with the former's horn lighting up and the hedgehog gripping her hammer like a baseball bat…
Suddenly, another flash of pink light resulted in the pink spiked ball vanishing. Now, a stumbling and tumbling pink pony clumsily rolled along the ground, all while grunting and making small "ow"s in the process.
Pinkie Pie uncurled and landed flat on her face. With a pop, the pink creature emerged from her form and started to float away, staring at the pony in what looked like disappointment. Pinkie lifted her face out of the dirt… and immediately hopped to her hooves. "YIPEE!" she cried happily. "That was so much FUN! I have no idea what just happened to me, but I wanna do it again! Can I do it again?! Huh? Huh? Can I?"
"NO!" Everyone shouted at once, causing Pinkie to shrink back in shock. Knuckles sadly looked at his bruised hands with a wincing Fluttershy, who tried her best to provide care. Applejack trotted up with an annoyed expression. "Whatever that thing was, it made you go completely bonkers! Look at what you did to my farm!"
Pinkie looked around as Applejack gestured to all of Sweet Apple Acres with a hoof. Her cheery expression sank when she saw the aftermath of her fanatics: a smashed chicken coop, a demolished well, and long scars in the earth that trailed this way and that.
"Hee hee… um, oops?"
Twilight sighed. "Come on, everypony. Let's get inside before-"
"MORE OF THEM!" Spike suddenly screamed, jabbing a quaking clawed finger to the roof of the nearby barn. Everypony gasped and shot their heads upward, where they saw several more floating creatures similar to the one Pinkie had found. Each of them varied in shape and color, yet they all spoke the same foreign dialect. They studied the ponies from afar.
Their eyes went unexpectedly wide and their vocalizations became more frequent and louder. In a colored swarm, they dove from the rooftop and descended towards the startled ponies. "GAH! They're coming for us!" Rainbow yelped.
"Everypony, move!" shouted Twilight. "Don't let them-!"
"Hahahahaha!"
The creature flew close to Sonic and nuzzled him lovingly, causing the hedgehog to break out into a fit of laughter. As the hedgehog continued to giggle, the ponies just stared at him blankly.
"...smother you with affection?" Twilight confusedly finished.
"Hey, guys! How's it going?" Sonic asked the creatures. "It's been a while! Haha! Hey, stop it! That tickles!"
"So that explains the huge energy reading I was getting!" Tails realized. "I was picking up the Hyper-go-on energy of all these Wisps!"
Rainbow tilted her head. "Uh… the what of the who?"
"These beings are an extraterrestrial species called Wisps," Tails explained. Spike scratched his head with a claw. "Lisps?"
"No, Wisps. With a 'W."
"I saved their planet a while back," Sonic replied while he was still covered in the happy aliens. "I guess it left an impression. Some of them went back to their planet, others decided to stay."
"So… they're friendly?" asked Twilight. Sonic nodded as he held a bunch of Wisps in his arms. "Yep! They don't want anything to do with bad people! And if someone does something they really like- such as saving their entire planet- they get their trust, gratitude, and friendship!"
Rarity gazed at blue Wisps that resembled squares. "Oh, my! I haven't seen anything this colorful since Hope Hollow!"
"They're… actually kind of cute," whispered Fluttershy as a green Wisp hovered close to her. "But what did they do to Pinkie?"
"The Wisps are made of a powerful energy source that serves as their life force," Tails continued. "It's called Hyper-go-ons. When a Wisp is absorbed into another being, the Hyper-go-on energy surges throughout the host's body and grants them a certain power based on the Wisp."
"Hyper-go-on, huh?" Rainbow asked. "Well, that made Pinkie more hyper than she usually is!"
"Hey, don't blame her!" Sonic called. "First times always need some getting used to! And I speak from experience. The transformation doesn't last long, though."
"So… the pink ones turn you into a spiked ball," said Twilight. "What do the others do?"
"Well, let's see," the hedgehog started to count on his fingers. "Laser, drill, rocket, hover, frenzy, cube…"
A sleek Wisp with cyan colors zigzagged through its brethren while making strange vocalizations, cutting off the hedgehog's train of thought. It approached Sonic with excitement in its eyes and flew all around him, continuing to warble. "Oh! Hey, little buddy!"
"Whoa…" Rainbow whispered. "I like the looks of this guy."
"Uh, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked. "Can you-?"
"No," replied the disappointed pegasus. "I can't make out a single thing they're saying."
"Then you're lucky I can!" Tails proudly announced with his handheld now in his hands. "When Sonic and I first met the Wisps, I reconfigured the Miles Electric into a Wisp translator! It had some bugs and misunderstandings at first, but it should be working perfectly now."
A tiny appendage shaped like a radar dish extended out from the handheld until it was pointed in the alien's direction. Curious about the contraption, Twilight trotted over to Tails and peeked at the screen. "You… made this thing?" she asked in astonishment. "With all these different functions."
"Well, the translation module is still fairly new," the fox explained. "But since some of the Wisps decided to stay in our world, I figured it might come in handy!"
"So, what's the deal?" Sonic questioned. "How'd you and your buddies get here?"
The Cyan Wisp replied by gesturing its arms and incomprehensibly warbling to the hedgehog. Rainbow and Fluttershy shared a confused, uncertain look, the former leaning in close. "Yeah, I have no idea how you're supposed to understand that," she whispered.
"Okay," Tails cleared his throat. "He says he and the other Wisps were enjoying themselves on Planet Wisp not too long ago."
"Wait, hold on!" Twilight interjected. "All I see are numbers!"
"It comes in as binary code," Tails explained. "So only I can read it."
"Oh, great!" Rainbow groaned. "An egghead who's much more of an egghead than Twilight!"
Tails shot the pegasus a look before turning back to his handheld. "Ahem. Anyway, he says that, for some strange reason, the sky started to break apart all around the Wisps, who became frightened. Hundreds of them, himself included, were sucked into this place. They were scared and confused, with no idea what to do."
"So, then what happened?" Sonic asked.
The Cyan Wisp began to speak some more, gesturing as he did so.
"He says a vast majority of the Wisps arrived at some town, which the locals call Hope Hollow. Both the Wisps and the ponies were scared at first, but after the Wisps realized they were no threat to them, they began to earn the ponies' trust."
"Hey, I know that place!" Rainbow piped up. "That was that town that got drained of color! Man, that was a fun time! I'd love to go back there someday and see how my fans are doing!"
"Is Yacker there, by any chance?" Sonic asked. The Cyan Wisp nodded as it replied with more warbles.
"Yes, he is," Tails translated. "He remembered you and what you did for the Wisps during the whole interstellar amusement park adventure, so he told this Cyan Wisp and a bunch of others to head out and look for you. It wasn't easy at first, what with all the monsters and robots roaming around this world… well, until the monsters were transported to our world. But the Wisps traveled far until they grew weary and tired. And that's when they found this place."
"It's true!" Cream piped up. "They came here just after the owner of this fine farm found me and took me in, and I told them the Wisps were nice."
The Cyan Wisp let out another string of incomprehensible words. Tails hummed as he looked at the translator. "Hm. He says that he saw three ponies with Cream as the Wisps arrived. A young one, an adult, and an elderly one."
"That must be my family!" Applejack shouted with hope. "Are they still here?"
The Wisp said something else.
"He says the little one went off to hang out with her friends a while ago," Tails relayed. "And the elderly one went into town to pick something up." Applejack let out a sigh of relief. "Well, at least they're safe from this mess… for the time being."
"As for the third, he says he last saw him down by the river with… a cat?"
"What's all the hubbub?" asked a deep voice. Taken by surprise, everyone spun around towards the main entryway to Sweet Apple Acres. Two new figures stood past the arch; the first was a red earth pony with a green apple symbol on his flank, bewildered with the current state of the farm. The second was a massive, round feline with a fishing pole resting on his shoulder and a little green frog sitting on its head. The aforementioned amphibian let out a tiny ribbit.
"Big brother!" Applejack called happily, galloping towards the red pony. Sonic's eyes turned to the cat, which went wide in amusement. "Hey! It's Big!"
"Big?" repeated an astonished Rarity. "It's enormous!"
Amy gave Rarity a stare. "His name is Big."
"Er… still!"
"Hey, big guy!" Sonic shouted, running up to Big and giving him a jumping high-five. "How's it goin'?"
"Hi, little guy," came the cat's calm reply before he pointed at the pony with a thumb. "Froggy found me a new friend. He's not much of a talker, but that's fine."
The red pony gave Applejack a glare, to which she shrank back from and nervously chuckled. "Uh… so, Big Mac? I, um, may have to explain a few things."
…
School of Friendship
Starlight Glimmer trotted through the halls of the educational institute with another unicorn by her side. Everywhere she looked, she saw ponies she could only describe in one word: desperate.
Starlight had been well-informed of the crisis thanks to Twilight. But recent events have left most ponies homeless, thanks to their houses switching out to homes belonging to unfamiliar yet still-equally confused creatures. Starlight had no choice but to temporarily suspend all classes and turn the School of Friendship into… a refugee camp. She hated to admit it as such, but Twilight wouldn't leave anypony helpless and terrified.
So neither would she.
"Trixie," she spoke. "Have Gallus and Silverstream checked in?"
"They most certainly have!" replied the cerulean unicorn. "They say that Ponyville was the worst town to be hit, and they are doing their best to keep the panic to a minimum."
"What about the new arrivals?" Starlight asked. "The… how do I put this? The walking dogs, cats, and birds?"
"Yona and Sandbar are trying to keep them calm as well; show them we are no danger to them. If Twilight was here, she'd say we all need to get through this disaster together."
"I suppose you're right. You taught all the creatures in Equestria about friendship. Perhaps we can teach these as well."
"With all due respect, Starlight," Trixie began. "Sandbar tells me these creatures haven't even heard of magic! How can we possibly-"
"If it helps relations between Equestria's creatures and these ones," Starlight calmly replied. "We must. The last thing we want now is fear and panic. Gather the Young Six. Tell them their next assignment is to-"
SHA-BOOM!
The School of Friendship briefly shook as if struck by an earthquake. A loud blast from outside roared like thunder, startling any creature who heard it. Cries and surprised yelps rang out while most ponies struggled to keep themselves upright. Starlight and Trixie snapped to high alert, looking out the nearest window.
They saw nothing but a rising cloud of dust.
"Headmare Starlight! Guidance Counselor Trixie!" somepony cried. "S-something fell from the sky and crashed right near the school!"
"Stay here!" Starlight shouted, already sprinting as fast as she could towards the main entrance. "We'll check it out!" Trixie followed her lead, panting as she ran. "Everypony, stay inside!"
"Do you think it could be dangerous?!"
"Maybe! Maybe not!" Starlight shouted back."But I'm not taking any chances!" The two unicorns burst through the doors and galloped down the bridge over the moat. They could see it immediately; a small crater formed just near the school grounds.
Starlight and Trixie hurried to the crater, peering down at what lay inside. Starlight used her magic to separate the dust clouding their sight. The cloud vanished in an instant… revealing an unconscious figure in the crater.
"What?" gasped Trixie. "What… who is that?"
Starlight was silent as she stared at the unmoving creature. Like most of the ones she had seen, this one looked bipedal in shape. Light gray fur was covered in dirt and bruises from the impact, but a patch of white fur on its torso looked practically unscathed. Atop its head, two large spines stood up the back while five flared up and back, two of them nearly covering its ears from sight.
And what little accessories it was wearing would make even Rarity gawk. On his hands were white gloves with cyan circles on them, along with gold bracelets on his wrists. The creature had navy-blue footwear as well with white and cyan colors, along with red gems at the top of each boot.
Starlight stepped closer to the unmoving creature, never taking her eyes off it as she spoke hastily to Trixie. "Help me get him inside. Now!"
…
A few explained things later, the group had settled into Applejack's family house, which doubled as the barn to Sonic and friends' surprise. Applejack's pet dog Winona was curiously examining Tails, Big was napping in the corner, Cream was showing Amy around the settlement, and Sonic and Rainbow had cups of cider in their grips.
Sonic lowered his mug and smacked his lips. "Not bad," he commented. "It's no Chaos Cola, but it'll do."
"I know, right?" Rainbow said with a giggle. "It's like I said, AJ makes the best cider!"
"How does she get the apples to make it, anyway?" Sonic asked. "Does she pick them off the trees or something?"
Rainbow smirked before pointing out the window. "Not exactly." Sonic turned to look towards the apple orchard, where both Applejack and Big Mac were positioning buckets beneath apple trees.
With a loud grunt, Applejack kicked the tree with her hind legs as hard as she could, making the very trunk vibrate on impact. A second later, a bunch of apples fell into the basket below.
"Wow. That's so much quicker than picking them."
"She's pretty much the master of apple-bucking."
Sonic and Rainbow continued to watch the two ponies at work, kicking tree after tree to fill up their baskets. Soon, Sonic caught the sight of a certain echidna with an expression that looked like he had an idea.
"Oh, this is gonna be good."
Knuckles snatched an empty basket that Applejack was reaching for, placing it under another tree. "Step aside!" he shouted while the pony stared at him in surprise. "Watch how a real pro at hitting stuff does it!"
Knuckles rolled his shoulders and put up his dukes, acting as if he was going to fight the tree instead of just hitting it. He drew back an arm, raised a leg, and glared at the tree like it was a robot that just insulted him (if one could do so).
"RAH!" Knuckles struck the tree with a strong and fierce punch, causing it to tremble. Both the echidna and the two ponies stood frozen in place, waiting for one of the fruits to drop…
"Huh?" Knuckles took a step back to examine the tree. "What gives? I hit it hard!"
"It's not just about force," Applejack sighed. "It's about precision. You gotta hit it in the right place to get most of the apples in-"
"Okay, okay! I get it!" Knuckles huffed. "Sheesh, why is this so comp-"
Bonk! A red apple hit him square on the head and bounced into the basket. Sonic and Rainbow snickered for a moment while Applejack tried to hide a snicker of her own.
"Ha! See?" Knuckles said, pointing to the basket. "I knew that was gonna be-"
Bonk!
"-the easiest thing-"
Bonk!
"-I-"
Bonk!
"-ever-!"
Bonk! Bonk! Bonk!
"Grrrrr!" A seething Knuckles rubbed his head from the apples' assault and turned back to the tree, ready to give it another punch. But before he could plow his fist clean through the bark, he noticed the leaves were rustling. The echidna's eyes darted upward…
...and he was buried in a huge pile of apples that fell right on top of him.
Sonic and Rainbow erupted into laughter, trying not to spill their ciders while amused at the echidna's results. Even Applejack and Big Mcintosh had noticeable snickers on their faces.
"Classic Knuckles!" chortled Sonic. "The second he sees something involving strength, he thinks he can top it easily! Haha!"
"Apple-bucking is not as easy as it looks!" Rainbow added. Just after she spoke, Knuckles burst from the apple pile with an angry roar. Sonic and Rainbow peered out the window while AJ and Big Mac took a cautious step back.
"STUPID TREE!" Knuckles screamed as he tossed an apple at the trunk. The apple bounced off the bark and hit Knuckles right in the face, knocking him onto his back and out cold. This caused the two earth ponies to burst out laughing while a pair of Yellow Wisps comically circled Knuckles' head, making their own amusing noises.
"Heh heh! Yeah, he's got a long way to go," Rainbow snickered.
"I bet Amy could do better with her hammer, though!" Sonic added before a thought crossed his mind. "Hey, have you ever done it?"
"Nah," Rainbow replied. "I leave apple-bucking to the professionals. I mean, I am pretty tough, given how I can smash through trees and rocks and get right back up. But this is more Applejack's field than mine."
"I hear ya."
In another section of the barn, Tails inputted commands into the Miles Electric while Twilight stood by him, concentrating her alicorn magic steadily. "Just keep it up for a little longer," said the fox as he never took his eyes off the screen. "I've almost got your magic signature downloaded into my handheld's systems."
Spike approached the alicorn and the fox with a wave. "Hey, guys! How's it going?"
"Almost there, Spike," Twilight whispered carefully. "I've just gotta let Tails do his thing."
"I've almost got it… and… there!" Tails pressed in a final command and sighed triumphantly. "Miles Electric, meet magic!"
"So, that's it?" Twilight asked, her magic fizzling out. "Your machine can track the Elements' magic now?"
"Not just that! Any magic that originates from this world!" Tails exclaimed. "This is a brilliant example of how magic and technology can work together!"
Twilight smiled. "I think we have a lot in common as much as Sonic and Rainbow do!"
"True that!"
Suddenly, something flew in through the open doors at high speed, catching everyone's attention- save for Big, who was still fast asleep. An orange rocket-shaped Wisp streaked all across the barn before it flew to a stop right in front of Tails, warbling something to him. It looked all around the barn… and when it saw Rainbow Dash, it reacted in surprise and continued to vocalize.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down, little buddy!" Tails called, activating the handheld's translator module. "Do you mind repeating that?"
The Orange Wisp repeated its statement. Tails scanned the binary code that appeared… and gasped.
"What! I thought I got rid of all the bugs!"
"What'd he say, Tails?" asked Sonic. Everyone else quickly gathered around the fox, curious as to what the Wisp was so alarmed about.
"He said he saw Rainbow Dash just past the orchard!"
"Huh?!" the pegasus exclaimed. "But… but I didn't go anywhere!"
"Yeah!" Pinkie shouted. "Dashie never even left the barn!"
The Wisp continued to vocalize quickly, warbling like its life depended on it. Tails looked at the translator, concern written on his face.
"He insists. He swears he saw her just past the trees with…" he paused, taking a moment to read the code. "The rest of who?"
The Orange Wisp said something else.
"Oookay… this is weird," Tails mumbled. "He says he saw Rainbow talking to some… black, freaky horses with blank eyes, spiky horns, and bug-like wings."
"WHAT?!" Twilight screamed, making Tails flinch from how close she was. Her eyes were wide in a mix of fear, panic, and disbelief while Spike was in an equal state of shock. The rest of the ponies were quick to react, gasping in horror.
"Wh-what?" Rarity repeated. "Is this what I think it is? It isn't, isn't it?"
"I must be dreaming! I gotta be dreaming!" Rainbow stammered. She raised a hoof and swatted herself across the face, leaving a bruise mark. "OW! Not dreaming…"
"Oh, no," whimpered Fluttershy. "Oh no oh no oh no…"
"Um…" Sonic scratched his head. "Am I missing something here?"
"Twilight?" asked Amy. "Is something wrong?"
"We need to go," said the alicorn hurriedly. "We need to go RIGHT NOW!"
"Wait, what?" Tails asked just as the ponies turned and all raced out of the barn. "Wait! Twilight, what's wrong?!"
"C'mon, guys!" Sonic shouted, tossing aside his cider cup. "If she says we need to go, we need to go!" He dashed outside, leaving Tails and Amy behind. The pink hedgehog composed herself and chased after Sonic. "Hey! Wait for us!" she cried while Tails flew for the doors. "Gotta go, Cream! See ya later!"
Outside, the ponies anxiously waited for Sonic and friends while Cream and Cheese waved goodbye. Big, stirring into consciousness and cracking open an eye, raised an arm and waved as well.
"Please be careful, Mister Sonic!"
"Chao chao!"
"Bye-bye."
Applejack and Big Mac, unaware of what was happening, stood in the orchard while glaring at Knuckles. The echidna had offered to try the apple-bucking shtick another go… only to punch a tree way too hard.
"Uh… oops?" he said innocently while a fallen tree lay at his feet.
"KNUCKLES! AJ!" Sonic shouted with his hands cupped over his mouth. "Time to juice!"
"Huh? What's going on, Sonic?"
"No idea! Come on!"
"Big Mac," Applejack said. "Watch over our visitors. And if Apple Bloom and Granny Smith return, tell 'em I'm happy they're safe!"
"Eeyup."
The echidna and the earth pony sprinted towards the group, now gathered near Sweet Apple Acres' archway. But while Sonic and friends were absolutely clueless as to what got the ponies all spooked, the Mane Six knew exactly what it was the Orange Wisp had seen.
Something they never thought they'd had to deal with again.
…
Outskirts of Westopolis, Sonic's world
Two creatures stood in a small grassy area just outside a massive, sprawling metropolis. Grotesque in nature and having anatomy similar to insects, one of them hissed to the other in frustration.
"It's hopeless!" it cried. "Our shapeshifting abilities are useless in this place! When we infiltrated that town, all the creatures there looked at us like we were freaks!"
"They didn't look like any creature I've ever seen," said the other. "No fur, no scales, nothing! Just… pink! Brr! The very thought gives me the shivers…"
"What are we supposed to do? How do we get back to the queen?"
"Calm down for a moment! We will return to the queen, I assure you. And once we do, we shall enact her vengeance on those pitiful ponies."
"I heard she bears a grudge against that unicorn," the first one said. "She will most definitely be her primary target."
"I agree. But for now, we must seek solitude. Our abilities seem to have the opposite effect of what we wish, so we must no longer hide in plain sight…"
"And just hide."
"Exactly."
"As much as I hate to admit it, you're right. Now where-UMPH!"
The creature spun around to look at his partner… only to see that he was gone. Nothing remained but empty grass. "Hey! Where'd you-?"
Something streaked by the creature, prompting him to go on high creature crouched, ready for an attack. "Who's there?! Show yourself!"
VRREEE!
"AGH!" Something sharp and spiny slammed the creature to the ground, knocking the breath out of him. He groaned and struggled to stand, only to feel the sound of something tightening around his neck.
"GAK! Urk…" The creature was lifted off its feet as it weakly opened its eyes, allowing it to get a glimpse of its attacker: a black creature with spines, burning red eyes, and an expression filled with irritation.
"What are you?" it spoke harshly. "And what's going on here?"
"You… you don't know what you're doing…" he groaned. "Wait… what manner of creature are you? GURK!"
His assailant tightened its grip further. "Someone who doesn't like repeating a question."
"Y-you fool! When… when Queen Chrysalis discovers you attacking her drones… she will show you no mercy…"
The air behind it cracked and split apart, catching the stranger's eye. Both creatures turned to look, spotting a rift forming right before their eyes. What lay within blurred into focus: a piece of land with a breach leading underground. The said breach was guarded by two creatures just like the one at the stranger's mercy.
"Hmph," said the stranger as he tossed the breathless creature aside like a ragdoll. "Well, then… this 'Chrysalis' has my full, undivided attention." Without turning an eye to the unconscious and dispatched creatures behind him, he sped through the rift.
