The team moved away from Sweet Apple Acres with neither of the ponies speaking a word. Out of all of them, Twilight and Spike looked the most worried. And that made both Sonic and Tails more confused.
"So, um… does anyone care to explain or something?" asked the hedgehog. Nopony answered him directly, save for quiet mumbling between them. Sonic listened closely as well as he could, but he could only make out small fragments from each of the ponies.
"I don't believe it…"
"...supposed to be all nice now…"
"Did Chrysalis escape? Is this her doing?"
"...can't be. He had to have been seeing things…"
"So much for that plan…" Sonic muttered under his breath. "You still think that Wisp was legit, Tails?"
"I think so," Tails whispered. "I mean, I did perfect the translator. He's gotta be telling the truth… but at the same time, I feel unsure."
"You tell me," Sonic whispered back. "Obviously, there's something about this that has everyone else on edge. Whatever it is, it seems to be spooking them good."
"A terrifying monster?"
"Dunno. But I think we'll find out soon e-" He suddenly stopped in his pace before pointing down the horizon. "Yo! Look up ahead!"
The whole group came to notice what rested up ahead. A pegasus pony had lifted into the air and flew off, leaving a colored trail in its wake. Sonic advanced to the front of the herd, watching the flying pony fade from view.
"Whoa…" he muttered, looking from the retreating figure to the shocked Rainbow Dash. "Talk about a double rainbow!"
"Oh…" Twilight groaned. "The Wisp was right. And this only makes things worse."
"Worse? How so?"
"But… but that can't be, Twilight!" Applejack stammered. "All of the changelings are completely… uh…"
"Changed?" Pinkie suggested.
"I guess. Although I was gonna go with 'reformed'."
"Sounds better."
"What are 'changelings'?" asked Knuckles. "And what's their deal?"
"Changelings are creatures that can disguise themselves as anything they see," Rarity answered. "We've had a lot of trouble with them in the past, especially with their leader Queen Chrysalis."
"Hey, isn't she one of the three guys in the statue you mentioned?" Amy realized. Spike nodded in response with the worried look on his face still present. "Yeah, she is. And if she's gathered some changelings still loyal to her…"
"Still?"
"The changelings have been completely redeemed," said Twilight. "They used to take love from other creatures, but we taught them to share it instead. If Chrysalis managed to bring some back to their happiness-sucking selves, it could be bad news for Equestria!"
"We've gotta follow that phony me!" Rainbow shouted. "It's probably headed to a changeling nest!" She crouched down on all fours and spread her wings, preparing to launch after her double.
"Whoa, whoa! Hold on there, Colors!" Sonic called, holding a hand in front of her. "If we're doing this, why not have a little fun?"
"Huh?" The pegasus stared at the hedgehog in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"You're fast, right?" Sonic reviewed. "Let's just say I wanna see what you're made of, Rainbow Dash."
The pegasus' magenta eyes widened in awe. "You… want to race me?"
Sonic nodded. "Ha! Of course! What else could it be? First one to the changeling lair gets first dibs on a beatdown." He smacked his left palm with his right fist as he announced the challenge.
An excited expression covered Rainbow's face before she gave the hedgehog a challenging sneer. "You. Are. ON!" She resumed her previous position with widespread wings and lowered herself close to the ground. "Take a good look at my tail! It's the only thing you're gonna be seeing for a while, blue!"
"Oh, we doin' pre-race banter now?" Sonic taunted back. "In that case, I heard pegasi in this world push around clouds and stuff. That's gonna be useful for you… when you're covered in my dust!"
"Ugh," groaned Applejack. "For Celestia's sake, just one who enjoyed bragging about their confidence was enough!"
"You get used to it," said Amy.
Sonic crouched down and placed his hands on the ground, taking a stance similar to that of a marathon runner. "Ready?"
Rainbow's magenta eyes turned to the bright blue sky above her. Despite the cracks littering it, she could see little clouds and feel the rays of sunshine beaming down on her. The light poured onto her fur and through her feathers, basking her with its warm presence and brightening up her day. The pegasus took a moment to close her eyes and take a deep breath, blocking out every sound save for her steady heartbeat and breathing lungs.
It was just like those times where she braced herself for an adrenaline-pumping flight: one where she would stay still and silent just as she was doing now. She hardly got the chance to do this ever since this whole thing began… and now that she was returning to where she rightfully belonged,
Sonic stared at the wide, vast, open terrain before him with eyes as green as the grass. Already, he had seen parts of this new and unfamiliar world that he took a liking to. And while he did race from Baltimare to Canterlot, that was just because he had something he needed to do. And that trip to Ponyville? It wasn't too far from Canterlot, and wouldn't even qualify as a good run in the hedgehog's eyes.
But this? Running freely in the open without a care or worry in the world, even in another just as alive as his own? No Eggman, no world-threatening danger, and no other catastrophe that demanded his current attention? Now that was more like it!
They looked each other in the eye with a sly grin, eager-yet-patient to begin. Everyone else was silent, with Knuckles taking a step back. Spike opened his mouth… and was stopped by Tails placing a hand over it. The fox shook his head, knowing better than to disrupt his best friend's concentration.
Fluttershy nervously swallowed and covered her face with a wing, dreading what was to come. The corners of Pinkie's mouth lifted into a wide smile, the anticipation nearly too much for her to bear. The hedgehog and the pegasus broke eye contact and stared at the scene that stretched out for miles, waiting for the proper moment.
A familiar sensation to them both washed over them. A breezy gust accompanied by a windy whistle. A current that flew in from behind and trailed over their head, rustling their fur…
BWOOSH!
In a colorful burst, everyone was blown back and collapsed to the ground. While Spike and the ponies all fought their sudden daze, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy quickly rebounded and broke into a run while laughing joyously.
Twilight couldn't help but crack a smile as well, spreading her wings and allowing the soft breeze to course through her feathers. Summoning forth her magic, she telekinetically lifted her startled friends into the air save for Spike and Fluttershy. The two began to beat their wings and rise to Twilight's altitude.
And with an excited nod from everypony, Twilight took off flying.
A blue blur blasted through the grasslands at high speed, kicking up a trail of dust behind it as it streaked across the plains. Not too far behind, a colored trail dashed over the rolling hills and wavy grass fields, sending small blades flying in its wake.
Tails flew close to the ground as fast as he could with Knuckles and Amy sprinting right behind him. Twilight soared overhead with her friends in tow, Pinkie laughing as she was being speedily levitated. "WHEE! Haha!"
The two streaks roared down the open space, their velocity never daring to drop. The blue streak blazed a trail through the endless ground while the rainbow blur ascended and soared through the sky, nothing between it and the wild blue yonder.
"Wow, you're good! For a creature without wings! But you're not as good as me!"
"You're not too shabby yourself! Sure, you can fly… but can you fly and keep up with me?"
Rainbow soared higher into the air, the wind roaring in her face. Sonic accelerated just as quickly, feeling the rush of the same wind against him. He streaked across hill after hill, launching himself off a climb with his current momentum. He shot into the air, performing an aerial somersault as he neared Rainbow's position.
"Check this out! I can fly too!"
He began to drop towards the ground before the pegasus could reply with a snappy comeback. Sonic closed his eyes and tucked in his arms, allowing gravity to do its job. Without missing a beat, he spun up and bounced off the ground like a ball, cushioning his impact. Uncurling, he took off across the plains.
"Showoff!" Rainbow hollered as she shot through the clouds. She weaved around smaller clouds, looped around larger ones, and blasted right through another one like a knife through butter. She blasted through the open air, whooping in delight.
Up above, a pair of aerodynamic and cyan-feathered wings unfurled to bask in the atmosphere as blue as them. Down below, a pair of red shoes thudded against the ground at a blurring pace faster than any land creature could go.
And both of them were fighting for pole position. All their fears, worries, and doubts were left behind them, fading for miles. All that mattered now, in this very moment, wasn't about a quest for thirteen gems or investigating strange holes in the sky.
It was about the thrill of the chase. The breakneck speed and heart-pounding adrenaline coursing through their bodies. The familiar- all too familiar- sensation that each of them longed for, that each of them craved. For years, they had claimed themselves as the fastest beings to ever fly through the open sky and blaze through the expansive land. They had gained both friends and rivals, and only a certain few could match them in terms of speed.
But now, they both realized, was the moment they finally found something just as fast as themselves. Something that made them want to push themselves to their very limit. Something that brought a greater thrill to what they loved.
It had been too long- far too long- since they had a challenge as great as this. And the last thing either of them wanted was to be disappointed.
Miles away, unbeknownst to the two blurs, a dark shimmering foot looking freakishly similar to Sonic's sneaker touched down on undisturbed grass...
…
"Sunburst, is he… be okay?"
"Luckily... he is fortunate to… such a hard ..."
"He doesn't... the rest…"
Consciousness was leaking in slowly. He was in pain he could not recall receiving. Small pain, but pain was pain. He tried to speak, but all he could do was make an unnoticeable moan. Words rang through his ears; words in which he could only make out fragments. He remembered… what was the last thing he remembered? White? Green? Red?
His mind was both in the present and… somewhere else. Somewhere he didn't remember seeing… but somewhere familiar at the same time.
A city engulfed in flames. Orange and red everywhere he looked. Cyan-glowing debris fly this way and that. Monsters of pure magma lunge at him, only to get swept aside by unseen forces. The city rushes by as howls of both the beasts and the wind echoed in his ears.
Another roar. This one is louder than the rest. This one belongs to a massive colossus of a being, bellowing like an erupting volcano. Lava courses through it like blood, rocky skin clung to its form, and its red-hot maw opens and leans in, ready to devour.
And then came his own rage. A rage he did and did not understand simultaneously. He felt his face clench before he let out a roar of his own.
"COME ON, YOU MONSTER!"
"AUGH!"
The scream caused him to jolt to reality. A pair of eyes he didn't realize were still shut snapped open and a breath of air left his throat. He was standing now, his arms outstretched with open palms. He froze in place, gasping for breath as he took in his surroundings.
He was in some sort of courtyard, near a fountain constantly spraying out water. A bridge was just ahead, each of its two guardrails topped with hearts at each post. The bridge hung over a small moat-like formation filled with lily pads and another bridge just like it was directly behind him.
"Wha-? Where-? How-?"
"S-Starlight! Trixie!" called a struggling voice. "One of you, do something!"
"Please!" begged another. "W-we don't want to hurt you!"
He turned his gaze ahead… and he gasped- again- at what he saw. Small horses, some with horns on their heads, were suspended in the air with cyan energy: the same energy emanating from his palms.
A small cry of horror escaped his lips this time as he dropped his arms. The cyan colors vanished and the creatures yelped as they collapsed to the ground. One of them splashed into the moat, popping its head out with a spit. Another rushed over to aid it while one of the horses with horns climbed to its hooves.
"I-I'm sorry…!" Why did he sound so scared? Was it what he saw? Or was it what he'd done?
The creature only exhaled. "It's alright."
"Starlight, what in Equestria did he just do?!" gawked another wearing spectacles and a cloak. "Was… that wasn't magic, was it?!"
"From what I've learned?" answered the first. "Not likely."
"Where am I?" he asked, looking all around the courtyard. "What is this place?"
"You're in the School of Friendship's fountain square," answered a third with a darker coat, a wand-like symbol on its flank, and a horn. "Don't worry, you're perfectly safe here."
"This… this is a school?" he questioned with bewilderment. "This is more like a castle!"
"If that's supposed to be a compliment, thanks!" the first one replied happily: almost too happy for his liking. "My name is Starlight Glimmer, and I'm the headmare of this fine academic institution."
"I am Sunburst," said the one with the cloak and glasses. "The vice headmare and her childhood friend. I would say you are an intriguing being… but it seems we've had a lot of those recently."
"And I," spoke the third in a near-dramatic manner. "...am the Great and Powerful Trixie: the most renowned illusionist in Equestria! I must say, that was rather an impressive trick you performed!"
"You had a pretty bad fall," said the one called Starlight. "But I'll help you recover as best as I can. Do you have a name, by any chance?"
He blinked. "My… name?"
She cocked a brow at him in confusion. "Uh, you do still remember your name after that hard fall, right? I mean, smashing into the ground with a colossal bang is bound to shake up the-"
"O-of course I remember my name!" he quickly stammered. "It's, uh…" A lot was coming back to him. Not the lot he was looking for, but it was enough. He remembered… a wooden table near a tree decked out with party supplies and a cake. He was surrounded by animals he hardly knew, save for one; a blue hedgehog who approached and congratulated him.
The hedgehog spoke a word that sent a ripple through his form. A ripple that made him perk up in realization.
"Silver," he said. "My name is Silver the Hedgehog."
"Silver?" Trixie repeated in awe. She turned her head to Sunburst. "Hm… familiar. Do we know somepony by that name?"
"It depends," came his reply. "I believe one of the Wonderbolts has such a name, alongside a select few earth ponies and unicorns."
"You said I… fell? Like from the sky?"
"Well… more like from a crack-like breach in the sky, from what I believe," Starlight answered. "But at least I know where you come from."
"Y-you do?" Silver said… before his mind suddenly pinged again. "Agh!"
"Are you alright?"
"Y-yeah. I'm fine," he answered. "Nothing too serious. But… I think that fall really did mess me up. I'm having a hard time remembering stuff."
"Do you still remember a little bit about yourself?" she asked. "Like that… er, little trick you did when you woke up?"
"Oh. That. Um…" Silver scratched his head. "It's called Psychokinesis. Pretty common when I come from. With it, I can move things around with my mind, but I need to focus and concentrate well whenever I use it."
"Wow," Starlight whispered. "So, it's kinda like magic, but not?"
"Uh, pretty much."
"That's impressive. Were you…" Starlight suddenly froze in place, her eyes wide with realization. "Wait… 'when' you come from?"
Whoops. Looks like he missed one crucial detail.
"Yeah," Silver continued with a sheepish chuckle. "I'm actually from the future. Two hundred years, to be exact. Surprise...?"
"The- the future?" Starlight gawked. Beside her, Trixie's face was locked in an expression of disbelief while she struggled to utter a word.
"Celestia preserve us!" gasped Sunburst. "Those portals are not only gateways through space… they are gateways through time as well! This is worse than I could've imagined!"
"Worse?" asked Silver. Starlight just turned and began to run through the hallways, leaving the surprised hedgehog behind. "Hey! Wait!"
"Follow me!" she called breathlessly. "I'll show you!" Silver began to jog after her, making his way around startled ponies. "Sorry! Excuse me! Coming through!" He tried to keep the unicorn in his sights as he raced through the halls, eventually following her out the main entrance.
"Wh-what's the hurry?"
"Look up."
"Huh? Why-?" Silver did so, turning his gaze to the sky… where he saw a number of cracks and breaches. The sky was splitting apart, pouring elements of Sonic's world into this one. This time, Silver realized he had traveled through both time and space. And so soon after the Time Eater as well… Could it be a coincidence? The aftermath of its destruction spreading into another world?
"A friend of mine brought me up to speed on what happened," Starlight explained. "Thanks to her, I know about Sonic and some of his friends. For a reason I'll explain later, this world is being drawn towards another: yours. But I never could've thought the damage could extend so far through time…" the unicorn paused as if entranced about an earlier statement. "What's it like?"
Silver blinked and sat down, confused. "What's what like?"
"The future," Starlight whispered like a curious child. "Uh, your future, anyway. Is it nice?"
Silver only sighed. Despite his mind being jumbled, there was only one other thing he could recall oh so clearly. "I wish."
"You wish? What's that supposed to mean?"
"My time is always suffering," Silver explained. "For most of my life, my future has been plagued by a being called Ifrit, unleashed by a madman. I couldn't stop it, no matter what I tried. I had only one hope: travel back in time and stop Ifrit before it could start."
Starlight was quiet. Her focus was now away from the sky as she listened to Silver's story. "In the end, I won. With the help of Sonic and the rest of my new friends. I returned to the future where everything was now peaceful… until it came. It turned everything to white, nabbed me… and I don't remember much of the rest."
"What came?"
"A primordial being made of dark smoke bent on devouring all of history," Silver answered Starlight's nervous question. "The Time Eater. When I came to, I was in…"
Somewhere I knew too well.
Somewhere I didn't know at all.
Somewhere with him running around.
"I finally found him… the Iblis Trigger!"
"Silver? Hello?"
"Uh?" He turned back to the unicorn.
"You… zoned off for a second. Are you sure you're alright?"
"Y-yeah, yeah," he muttered. "I'm fine. Just a little fuzzy."
"So where were you?"
"When I came to, I saw white all around me," Silver continued. "Sonic was there, as well as most of his friends. I helped as best I could while he destroyed the Time Eater. After its defeat, I was sent to the present where Sonic was having a birthday party. I stuck around- unlike another certain hedgehog- until I decided to return to my future. For the first time in my life… It was beautiful. No chaos, no devastation, no hopelessness, and no despair. Just like I always wanted."
He noticed Starlight was smiling now. Did she wish the same for this world's future? He shook the thought from his head. If she did, it would now suffer the same fate as his own as if this crisis wasn't averted.
"Until one day, there was nothing left."
As he suspected, the unicorn's smile dropped. "Nothing?"
"It all happened so fast," whispered Silver. "One moment, the future was bright and alive. And the next… it simply wasn't. There was no future anymore. No future for me to go back to."
"It's… gone?" Starlight whispered back. "Wh-what do you remember?"
"The world was starting to break apart," Silver explained sadly. "I tried to travel back through time to escape it, but something got in my way. The last thing I remember was seeing my world blow to pieces… and then my mind went crazy. I blacked out and when I woke up, I was suspending you and your pals in the air."
"It wasn't too late, was it?" Starlight asked.
"Those rifts in the sky… I think one of them must have interfered with my time travel. It sent me to the past as I intended, but it also sent me to this world."
"You must have been through a lot," said Starlight. "I know how that feels…"
"Yeah. I've just gotta be careful while I'm in the past, or else I could make my future even worse. But I don't think I can make it any worse than making it cease to exist."
"You don't have a future to go back to. So… what are you going to do?"
Silver was silent for a moment before he answered. "I'm going to make things right."
"What? But you just said-"
"I know. What's going to happen if this keeps up?"
"Um…" Now Starlight was the quiet one. "Short version? Our worlds will be unable to sustain themselves and they'll explode. Sonic, Twilight, and the others are looking for the Chaos Emeralds and the Elements of Harmony. All we need to do is help them, or else there…" she paused, a conclusion dawning on her. "Or else there won't be a tomorrow."
"Exactly," nodded Silver. "A tomorrow for-"
His brain burst into flames, making him cry out in pain and clutch his forehead. White seared through his eyes, blocking out Starlight's sudden gasp. Unfamiliar shapes materialized before him, and voices he both recognized and did not recognize rang in his ears.
"What's the point of all this? It'll never end!"
"Everything has an origin."
"You need to change the past."
"The Iblis Trigger…"
"If I eliminate that guy, will our world be saved?"
"You have this person to blame."
"I see it!"
"SILVER!"
His golden eyes shot open and a panicked gasp left his throat. Starlight had an expression of both fear and worry as her eyes gazed on the hedgehog. "Are… are you sure you're alright?"
Silver hesitated and placed a hand on his head. "I… I don't know."
"Can you at least tell me what's wrong?" Starlight asked. "I can help you."
"I'm… I'm having these…" Silver struggled to find the words he needed. "I don't know what to call them. Dreams? Visions? Hallucinations? They're so… haunting. And grim."
"What do you see in them?"
"Fire…" came Silver's unthinking response. "Lots of fire. I see… monsters. I hear voices I know and don't know at the same time. I see somewhere I've once been, but I feel like I've never really been there. I remember certain events… and then I immediately forget them. I can't hold on to any details. My mind is a mess right now."
"That has to be a result of your whole space-time trip, right?" Starlight guessed. "I'm not so sure, Twilight is more of an expert than me."
"Maybe the Time Eater had something to do with it…" Silver guessed. "I remember being so confused back then as well. Is this… an after-effect of its kidnapping me? Or is it something else? Or is this from whatever interfered with my time travel?"
Silver rose to his feet. "Whatever's happening to me… I need to find answers. Now."
"What?" Starlight gasped. "But… our worlds! The future!"
"Sonic can handle it," Silver calmly assured. "I believe in him. I may not know him very well, but I know well enough he can do it. Do you trust this 'Twilight'?"
Starlight hesitated for a bit. "Y-yes. Very."
"Then they can pull it off. We have to put our trust in our friends. They will succeed and fix our worlds. I'm sure of it!"
Starlight sighed. "Okay. I trust your opinion, Silver. You're eager to find out what's happening to you… and I'm always ready to help out a friend. But before we go, I better go tell Sunburst he's in charge. I'll be back soon."
She turned and trotted back into the school, leaving Silver all by himself. The white hedgehog turned and looked out at the horizon, allowing his thoughts to swarm through his mind.
What's happening to me? I feel like my future's been devastated before. And not by Ifrit… I have questions. Questions I can hardly understand. Who is "Iblis"? Did I fight him? Did I save the future then… or did that all even happen?
Silver crossed his arms. Starlight looked like she had a sense of understanding when I told her about my mission to fix things. Does that mean she has experience? No wonder she's willing to help me. But… I'm not gonna need just her help.
"Silver!"
"Blaze! What's wrong?"
"He's appeared again!"
Silver snapped his eyes up from the ground. That cat… at least he knew who she was. Was she in this world as well? If so, he knew where to start.
"Okay," a voice spoke. Silver turned to see Starlight returning to his side. "Where do we start?"
"We start by finding a friend of mine," Silver explained, a cyan aura beginning to surround him. "Her name is Blaze. I keep seeing her in my head, so she has to be connected to this." He levitated off the ground, looking into the distance.
"Oh! Almost for-"
He turned to pick Starlight off the ground… only to see that she was levitating as well. A turquoise aura enveloped the unicorn's form as her horn glowed with a similar color.
"What?" she asked in amusement. "Just because I don't have wings doesn't mean I can't fly." She stared at Silver for a moment. "Or… is that too ironic?"
"It's okay," Silver reassured. "Come on, let's go!"
The two of them shot off across the sky in cyan and turquoise light, leaving the School of Friendship behind. Sonic and Twilight had their mission… and Silver and Starlight had theirs.
…
"What's the matter?! Are your wings getting tired already?!"
"Not on your life, pincushion! I'm just surprised your legs haven't fallen off yet!"
"Keep dreaming!" Sonic shouted over the roar of the wind. "I haven't even started to show my stuff!"
"That so?!" shot Rainbow Dash. "Then prepare to be blown away!"
Man, this guy is pushing it! If the Wonderbolts were here, they'd be just as stunned as I am! How can anything run this long without getting tired?!
This girl isn't so bad! She could give the Babylon Rogues a run for their stolen money! But as fun as this is, it's gonna get dull fast! The only thing I can think of to spice things up would be-
"Hey! What the heck is that?!"
Sonic looked ahead of himself to see a strange series of landmarks swiftly approaching on the vast stretch of grass. A series of checkerboard terrain, shuttle loops, well-placed springs, towering totem poles, and a corkscrew loop all positioned like a stunt course. The familiar sight sent happiness through the hedgehog's heart.
Alright! Now we're talking!
"Catch me if you can!" he yelled before taking in a blue blast of light. Rainbow Dash swooped after him, watching as the hedgehog quickly neared the path she just knew wasn't there the last few times she soared overhead. She flew down towards it, keeping the speeding hedgehog in her sights.
Meanwhile, everyone else slowed down at the sight of the invading land nearby. The ponies were all baffled by the shape and structure of it while Tails, Knuckles, and Amy looked at it with a sense of familiarization.
"Hey," said Knuckles. "Isn't that-?"
"Green Hill Zone!" Tails shouted. "Or… a part of it, at least."
"That place looks absolutely baffling!" gasped Rarity. "How is any creature supposed to traverse such treacherous terrain?!"
"Like this!" Tails replied, taking off with Knuckles and Amy in tow. Twilight carried her friends close to the geographical oddity, gazing on it with purple eyes. "It may be strange… but it's beautiful!"
"I agree," said Fluttershy. "This looks like the perfect habitat for small critters."
Sonic raced up to raised platforms of earth leading to a high cliff. They looked massive, each of them the size of a small hill. Rainbow Dash looked down and noticed an odd shape Sonic was speeding towards: a red circle with a gold star in a blue circle. Sonic did a small hop and touched down on the object feet-first.
SPROING! He was launched into the air while the object jiggled about. Sonic flew to the first rise, aiming for another object just like it. SPROING! SPROING! SPROING! He bounced off spring after spring until he reached the top, ricocheting off a spring attached to a palm tree to land safely on the ground.
"Who puts something like that in a tree?" asked Applejack.
"I wanna try! I wanna try!" Pinkie squealed as Twilight set her friends down near the base of the platforms. "That looks like fun!" Tails, Knuckles, and Amy followed Sonic's lead, bouncing off the springs with expertise. Pinkie was the first to follow their lead, cheering and whooping as she bounced about. "WHEEE!"
"Oh, Celestia help me…" Rarity moaned as her friends neared the springs as well. Applejack bounced off the pads with grunts, coming in for a stumbled landing on the green path above. Twilight, Spike, and Fluttershy all flew up to the top… while Rarity had less than good luck on the springs.
SPROING! "I!" SPROING! "Think!" SPROING! "I'm gonna!" SPROING! "Be sick!" SPROING! "Oof!" she landed on the path face-first, making Applejack roll her eyes. The earth pony turned to the distant land in front of her and narrowed her eyes in thought.
"Hmm… I bet fifty bits on Rainbow Dash!"
"Ha!" Tails laughed. "I see your fifty and raise you another one hundred rings on Sonic!"
Rarity scrubbed the dirt off her face and made a dramatic gasp. "Rings as currency? And here I thought your world couldn't get any more absurd!"
Amy just blinked in confusion. "Bits? Bits of what?"
Sonic burst out from under a pouring waterfall and drifted around a sharp fence-covered turn with a screeching sound. Rainbow emerged from the water soon after, shaking off her shining mane and soaring over the green paths. The blue blur below her zoomed up and down straight paths, picking up golden rings that lay in his path. He shot over a weak land bridge, leaving it to crumble to the ground below. Sonic tucked into a spinning ball, vanishing from sight into a small hole at the bottom of a rock wall.
"Shoot!" Rainbow hissed, launching herself towards the top of the wall. Upon reaching the top, she blasted past palm trees and stripped them of some of their leaves. Animals paused their daily interactions and looked towards the colored comet.
Deep inside a cave system, Sonic popped out and continued to run through an underground section of the area. He dashed past water pools formed from dripping stalactites, hopped over small rocks and stalagmites, and blazed down winding curves. The rocky ceiling above him rumbled and cracked, causing boulders and stony fragments to plummet down.
Sonic quick-stepped away from smashing rocks, jumped onto falling chunks, and shot right through a large chunk of stone, puncturing it with ease. It crumbled to pebbles as he blasted away, taking a path leading back above ground.
Tails, Amy, and Knuckles sped through a small shuttle loop as if it was nothing and continued to jog down the green path. Pinkie Pie galloped towards the loop, started to run up its curved surface…
...and slid back down, not having enough momentum to travel through it. "Aw!" The rest of the ponies just bypassed the loop, moving from the entrance to the exit without taking the loop itself. Pinkie made a huff of frustration as she followed them.
Sonic exploded out of another checkerboard-style wall (leaving a hedgehog-shaped hole behind) and touched down on the grass, speeding for a much larger shuttle loop. Rainbow closed in on it as well, hardly noticing a small monitor with Sonic's face on it resting at the top of the loop. The hedgehog zoomed up and down the loop in a circular motion as he had done with countless others in the past. As he did, Rainbow mimicked him in her own way. After flying through the loop, she made a hard arc through the air until she shot through it again. She immediately made a hard right and sped closer to Sonic, who had launched off a natural ramp and was sailing through the air again.
He bounced off the ground and untucked, resuming his current speed with arms held behind him. Rainbow held both front hooves ahead of her and narrowed her eyes, watching the greenery race by her.
Both speedsters took a moment to look each other in the eye before they neared a winding Mobius strip. Sonic never broke his pace as he entered the natural corkscrew twist. While the pegasus shot clean down the middle of the strip, the hedgehog raced all around in an up-and-down motion, twisting along with the path.
He didn't stop there as he exited the corkscrew loop. Sonic shot off the ground and jumped off some of the totem poles, using each one to launch himself and increase his momentum. He landed on another path down below that led to more circular twists and wide turns. As Sonic sped through them, Rainbow looked to the sky with a smile… and shot up a forty-five-degree angle.
She rose through the air with the speed of a rocket, g-forces threatening to drag her back down. Resisting her opposition with all her might, Rainbow screamed upward until she reached the sun's position, temporarily covering its light with open wings. She seemed to hover in place for a moment, her magenta eyes watching the quick hedgehog unaware of the spectacle she was about to present.
Okay, time to finish this! Here comes the most amazing thing you've ever seen in your life, hedgehog!
SHOOM! Rainbow shot towards the ground below at breathtaking velocity, the wind rushing through her mane and her eyes narrowing in determination. The pegasus tucked in her wings, allowing gravity to push her faster… and faster… and faster…
A mach cone formed around her body as she extended her front hooves. Rainbow kept herself as aerodynamically possible as she could, the cone starting to brightly pulse with color. Down below, everyone stood atop a high rise and watched the scene unfold.
"What's she doing?" asked Amy.
"Ooh!" Pinkie cheered. "I love this part!"
Sonic continued to speed down the grassy path with a smile on his face. He heard the rushing wind in the ears, the sound of his rapid footsteps… and a loud, increasing pitch coming from the sky.
"Huh?" Sonic spun himself around and reversed the flow of his legs so that he was now running backward without losing momentum. He turned his eyes to the sky… and gasped in shock.
"What the-?!"
BOOM! The shimmering mach cone surrounding Rainbow shattered into a bright blast of colors, filling the blue sky with every color in her namesake. The hedgehog's green eyes never blinked as he stared on in awe, each color in the expanding ring reflected in his irises.
Rainbow roared past the hedgehog at a speed that surpassed the sound barrier. The blowback was so strong that hurled Sonic off the ground and caused his momentum to quiver. "WHOOOAAAAA!"
Tails, Knuckles, and Amy were equally astounded, all three of them drawing out a long gasp. "I think big blue's finally met his match!" shouted the echidna, his hands atop his head.
"What was THAT?!" Tails yelled in awe. Twilight only smiled as she watched the expanding ring of color. "Something once thought to be an old mare's tale…"
"WOOOHOOOO! YEAH!" Rainbow screamed as she rocketed across Green Hill's terrain. She howled into the sky with sheer delight, letting her wings bask in the roaring wind. No matter how many times she did it, it was always so AWESOME!
This was what she was born for! What she was meant to do! That hedgehog was probably gaping at her super-cool trick with his mind completely blown! He called himself the fastest! Ha! This race was as good as-
Rainbow's eyes turned to the path beside her… and everything slowed down. No… it couldn't be! There, right there next to her like he'd been so many times, was the hedgehog! With nothing but a smirk on his face and a gleam in his eye.
Surrounded by his own mach cone that was on the brink of breaking.
He winked at her, curled his hands into fists…
BWOOOOOM!
...and rocketed down the path at a speed Rainbow never thought would be possible for anything without wings. The sound barrier broke for the second time that day. A blue energy-shaped field enveloped the hedgehog and a sapphire tail slipstreamed behind him. The pegasus could only watch as her velocity never altered, her expression the very same as the one she imagined Sonic having seconds ago.
Her memory trailed back to when she first heard of Sonic back in Ponyville, where Tails was giving her the run-down on his "best buddy".
"He's only the coolest dude you'll ever meet! He's compassionate, fearless, loyal, and the bravest guy ever! He's fought Doctor Eggman so many times I haven't bothered to keep count! Plus, he's way quick on his feet!"
Rainbow remembered how puzzled she was at that comment. She remembered that she thought Tails had to be bluffing, for no living thing could ever go so fast just by running. That had to tire them out.
"Way quick, huh? Does he, uh, ever get tired, by any chance?"
She remembered the look in Tails' eyes. A look that silently asked Rainbow why she would say such a thing. "Hardly! He can spin all day and still have enough energy to take on bad guys!"
While everypony else was amazed, Rainbow was taken aback. Fluttershy had noticed this and asked her friend what was wrong.
"Uh, I just don't get tired very often, too!" was her hastily reply.
And then came Canterlot; where Rainbow had been hinted at just how insanely fast a single hedgehog could possibly be.
"Quick question! Exactly how fast are we talking here?" The question had been bothering her as much as a mosquito bite. "Like normal-pegasus fast?"
"Depends. How fast are you?"
Rainbow made sure her response was one the double-tailed fox would remember. She told him of her awesome maneuvers, her being a member of the Wonderbolts, how she defied gravity on a daily basis, and how she was free- no, one with the wind. She even admitted to his face that was the fastest flier who ever lived.
But he hardly seemed fazed. "That so?"
"Yeah! So?"
"Then you've got a pretty good idea." The knowing look on his face as he delivered that line told Rainbow something else. She could see it in his eyes. He'd seen firsthand what Sonic could do. At that moment, she knew he could never be truly impressed at all of Rainbow's magnificent feats.
Because he had seen better. He had seen faster. He had seen cooler.
The pegasus' mind brought forth a sentence Rainbow never thought she would hear in her whole life. If you think you're the fastest thing around… think again.
"NOOOOOO!"
Everything went into overdrive as she screamed into the sky. Her speed was overclocked past its maximum in a half-second and her mind was spinning in circles. The pegasus pushed herself harder, slowly gaining speed on the hypersonic hedgehog. His legs were now a blur, almost resembling a spinning circle. Rainbow blinked back tears that came from the intense force against her, watching the hypersonic hedgehog look over his shoulder and react in surprise.
I will not have any creature FASTER than me in MY home!
"YOW!" Sonic had to sidestep out of the pegasus' way before she shot by like a missile of color. He stared at the rapid rainbow with wide green eyes. What the-?! She can go supersonic, too? That little light show must've given her a heckuva boost!
As both speedsters cleared the checkerboard-style ground and returned to the lush grasslands, Sonic spun up his legs in a figure-eight shape and blasted after her. Good thing I've got another trick up my sleeve! Time to break out the ol' Peel-Out! The hedgehog thundered down the landscape at full throttle. Combined with his Boost technique, the Peel-Out had given Sonic a little extra juice to his top speed. With a cocky smirk, he quickly advanced on the cyan pegasus.
"Hey, Hyper Horse!" he shouted, hoping she could still hear him over the intense speed. "Neat trick! But if you really think you can out-speed the Fastest Thing Alive, then you-"
WHAM! Something slammed into Sonic at high speed, knocking him off-course. Yelling in surprise, Sonic bounced across the ground like a skipping stone and landed on his stomach with a hard groan. The hedgehog slowly began to rise with a shake of his head and cracked open his eye.
"Hey, what's the big idea?!" He called out. "I was having fun back-"
THUMP! A black-purple figure made of nothing but murky darkness slammed down onto the grass. Sonic's expression turned from annoyance to confusion as he took in its shape: a shape just like his own.
The dark hedgehog-like figure rose to a stand, staring at Sonic with pale, blank eyes. Its hands were clenched into fists and it remained still, quietly examining the equally silent Sonic.
Sonic cocked a brow. It did the same. He waved a hand. It copied him. He brushed a hand through his spines with a curious look. It repeated the move.
"Are you kidding me? Another faker?" Sonic sighed. "Ah, well… guess I'll take care of you for ruining such a good race!" He dashed towards the impostor…
...who sidestepped in the blink of an eye, dodging Sonic's attack in a quarter of a second.
"Wha-"
The imposter drove a fist into Sonic's gut, kicked him in the side, seized his arm, and threw him to the ground in a span of three seconds. Speeding behind the hedgehog in less than a second, the shape flip-kicked him into the sky and jumped after him.
VWEEEE! Spinning up in a glowing purple ball, it slammed into Sonic's form before he could recover, smashing him into the earth in a kickup of dust. It jumped out spinning… while Sonic gripped the rim of the newly-formed crater.
"Alright… that's new," he panted as he stepped outside. "You wanna go? Then let's go."
BWOOSH! Both hedgehogs launched towards each other in blue and purple light, slamming into each other with loud bangs as they blasted off across the land. Sonic zipped this way and that as he ran, but the impostor stayed hot on his heels.
"What the hey's happening down there?!" shouted Spike.
"I dunno…" said a stunned Amy. "But whatever that is, it's fast enough to keep up with Sonic!"
"C'mon! Let's go bail him out!" called Knuckles, bumping his fists together and jumping down the nearby slope. Everyone quickly followed his lead… while in the sky above, Rainbow Dash laughed victoriously.
"EAT IT, blue! Flying's way better than running will ever-"
Her magenta eyes caught the sight of two streaks on the ground: one blue and one purple. And they were both colliding with each other with shockwaves of energy. Rainbow slowed to a hovering halt, an annoyed glare in her eyes.
"You have GOT to be kidding me!"
Down below, Sonic zoomed alongside the impostor, who seemed to mimic Sonic's every move. Much to the hedgehog's annoyance, everything he tried to dish out would be countered and sent back at him with hard force. The impostor looped around after Sonic tried to shove him aside, spinning right for Sonic in a violet sphere of spikes.
"WHOA!" Sonic dropped into a slide to evade the ball. "Hey, you can't use my own moves against me!" He transitioned into a drift, chasing after the uncurled shape. "Now, cut that out before you really tick me off!"
He shot for the figure in a Homing Attack, only for the shape to acrobatically flip away. It tried to sweep out Sonic's legs in a breakdancing technique, giving Sonic only a second to hop away. With a growl, he continued to chase after the shape until he was shoving it from the right.
The figure pushed back, making the duo go back and forth. "Think I'm tired from my little sporting event earlier? Think again, you black body-double!" Sonic blasted away from the fake and ran back around in an arc. The shape dug its feet into the ground and boosted after him in a purple energy field.
Both of them raced towards each other in their own Boost aura, gaining on each other by the second. Sonic drove back a fist, ready to wallop this wannabe in the unchanging face.
KRAPOW! The imposter plowed through Sonic in a purple streak, sending him flying through the air. "AUGH!" Sonic tumbled through the air, fighting to right himself… until a pair of hands caught him.
"Gotcha, Sonic!"
The hedgehog looked up to a familiar face. "Nice save, Tails! I could really use a hand here…"
The imposter raced towards the flying fox and shot into the air, its unblinking eyes trained on the two friends. It drew back, preparing another spin… until it was intercepted by a bright beam of magical energy. The beam brought the shape to the ground, where it stumbled before righting itself and dragging to a stop on all fours.
Twilight, Spike, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy all stood several meters away from the imposter, the former's horn glowing with lavender light. Fluttershy quietly gasped when she took in the sight of the creature.
"Th-that thing looks like one of the things we saw in one of the towns!"
"I've been so worried about everything else…" Applejack continued irritatingly. "That I completely forgot about them!"
"And my handheld is going crazy!" Tails said as he set Sonic down and analyzed the Miles Electric. "It says there's a high-concentrated mix of both magic and chaos energy coming from that thing's direction!"
"Whatever it is, we can't let it stay in our way!" Twilight shouted, proceeding to unleash a barrage of magic bolts at the dark hedgehog-like shape. It took off at high speed, weaving and zigzagging around the exploding bolts with ease.
"I've got him!" shouted Rarity, bringing forth her diamond shield. Just as she summoned it, the being slammed into it as a spinning purple ball and bounced off. Unfazed, it proceeded to stare at the shield as if curious.
"If you want them, you have to go through me!"
The being took off in a purple streak, racing all around the ponies in a violet whirlwind. Dust swirled around like a huge storm, making them all flinch. And one by one, a purple sphere slammed into each of the ponies and knocked them all down in quick succession.
"Or not…" groaned Rarity.
The being jumped again, this time setting its eyes on the stunned Twilight. It drew back a fist… and was slammed in the side by a colored streak. "How DARE you interrupt a good race like that!"
Rainbow Dash zoomed through the air with the being struggling to hang on. The two creatures tussled around in mid-flight, with the pegasus grunting as she performed all kinds of rolls, loops, dives, and other maneuvers to shake it off. Rocketing upward at a ninety-degree angle and spinning like crazy was enough to do the trick, thankfully. Rainbow hovered in place, watching the being fall to the ground below…
...until it poofed into a cloud of black smoke. Something shot through the sky just as the cloud faded: a dark equine with pale eyes, a sharp horn, and ominous feathered wings. It immediately blasted Rainbow Dash with bolts of dark magic, forcing the pegasus to take evasive action.
"Well, that's new," muttered Applejack.
"Hey! Now it looks like one of those Night Mares I fought!" Sonic shouted as he pointed to the flying shape. Tails and Twilight looked on in confusion as Rainbow continued to both evade and strike the shape. A dark magic laser tore through the ground, forcing everyone to leap out of the way.
"The things we saw at the town…" whispered Twilight.
"And the things I fought at Green Hill," Sonic added. "You don't think they're connected, do you?"
"We gotta find out more about them," Tails said. "If they can transform to look like any of us, they can match us perfectly! Maybe surpass us!"
"Yeah, if we fought 'em alone! Go long, bud!"
"Right!" Tails grabbed Sonic's outstretched hand and started to spin in place, flinging Sonic around like a frisbee. Eventually, the fox released with a grunt, sending the hedgehog sailing into the sky. Sonic spun up, zeroed in on the flying shape pursuing Rainbow, and nailed it in the side, throwing off its aim.
"You're grounded!" Sonic shouted as he free-fell to the ground below. Rainbow swooped around while the shape plummeted down, feathers flying loose from its wings. Both the hedgehog and the dark shape landed at once: the former with a perfect stance and the latter… not so fortunate.
"Had enough yet, faker?"
The shape only stood and shook its head. Its horn was enveloped in dark magic, ready to blast Sonic at a moment's notice. The hedgehog made no move, silently daring the shape to shoot.
Rainbow Dash suddenly slammed down on the shape from above, pinning it to the ground with an angry glare. "Stay down already!"
KAZAP! The shape whirled its head around and blasted the pegasus with a faceful of dark magic, making her cry out and hit the dirt. Taking his chance, Sonic plowed it across the head with a foot before barraging it with Spin Attacks. His final strike sent the shape sprawling just as Rainbow zipped back to his side.
"Guess we're gonna have to put our little competition on hold for now."
"I hate it when I don't finish a race anyway," Rainbow replied. "You sure you're not saying this because you're afraid I'll beat you?"
"You beat me? Ha! What part of 'Sonic' don't you under-"
KAZAP! A dark beam shot between the speedsters, prompting them both to dodge and race right towards the shape. "Alright, that's it!" Sonic growled. "I've had enough outta you!"
Rainbow socked the shape with an upward hoof strike, knocking it into the air. With another poof, the shape morphed into a form resembling Sonic and landed perfectly. The hedgehog and the pegasus sped for the shape, who looked ready to shoot towards them itself…
...but it instead seized them both by the throats.
"Grk!" Rainbow and Sonic barely had time to get a word or two out before the shape's eyes gave out a dark glow. Both speedsters' green and magenta eyes couldn't look away from the abyss in front of them. A grim sensation filled their forms and darkness washed through their minds. Multiple blank eyes just like the ones before them stared into their souls, surrounded by nothing but darkness.
WE HUNGER.
The voice boomed through their heads louder than a storm and with a vibration strong enough to shake the sun. They were entranced, unable to turn away from the approaching void…
...until a lavender beam shoved the being away from them. Sonic and Rainbow dropped to the ground clumsily, their eyes sealed shut. The being struggled to rise from Twilight's magic beam, unwilling to relent. Knuckles and Applejack combined their strength, smashing the being into the earth all their might. After suffering several hard punches and stomps, it burst into a swirl of dark particles.
"Sonic! Rainbow Dash!" Twilight yelled as she galloped up to the woozy quicksters. "Are you two alright?!"
"Ow… my head…" groaned Rainbow. "What was that all about?"
"Wh-who the heck is 'we'?" muttered Sonic. "And what hunger?"
"Guys, snap out of it!" Spike shouted. "Get yourselves together!"
"Huh? Oh, right, sorry." Sonic climbed to his feet, still a little woozy. "Just a little dizzy, that's all."
"Y-yeah," agreed Rainbow. "That was a lot." She shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind of… of… whatever that was. That darkness… that ominous, booming voice… what was that supposed to mean?
"I-it's probably nothing," she said, trying to rid herself of the thoughts. "Okay, now that that's over with, let's get back to-"
"Uh, guys?" said Tails. "I think that race will have to wait." It took all of the pegasus' strength not to tense up in frustration. "What?"
Tails pointed at what was nearby: a small entrance to a stony cave. Knuckles walked up to the fox, eying the structure. "Is this it? It doesn't look like much…"
"Uh, I'd say this is the place," Applejack said. "Take a look over there." Everyone looked to where the pony was gesturing, where they noticed something unsettling: two strange black creatures with insectoid wings lying on their sides. Closeby was a pair of dark-colored armor designed to fit their forms; armor that was dented in some places.
"Ugh!" gagged Amy. "It's some kind of… horse bug thing!"
"Changelings…" whispered Twilight. "Just as I thought."
"They… they don't seem to be moving," noticed Spike. "You don't think they're…"
Sonic dashed up to one of the creatures and checked it over. "They're alive," he reported, pressing his fingers to its throat. "Just out cold. I'm seeing bruise marks on him, too. Hard ones."
"Bruises?" asked Rarity. "Then that must mean…"
"Someone's already here," Tails deduced. "But who?"
"Everypony," Twilight announced as she walked into the cave, summoning magic to use a light source. "Stay close. Don't get separated under any circumstances. And be prepared for anything."
The group slowly nodded and started to follow Twilight into the cave. All pairs of eyes immediately scanned the rocky walls and crevices for any sign of trouble… all but a magenta pair that was tightly trained on Sonic.
Fastest Thing Alive? Rainbow Dash mentally grumbled. I don't care how fast or cool you think you are, blue. I'm the greatest flyer in all Equestria and a proud member of the most elite team of pegasi to ever touch the clouds. I'm not gonna be second-best to something that can't fly, least of all a dirty little hedgehog that eats nothing but berries and struggles to survive on a daily basis. If there is any creature in the whole world that's gonna be called that…
...it's going to be me.
…
Sunset Shimmer was on a trail. It was a trail that she had followed ever since Ponyville, but it was starting to get colder and colder with each passing moment. Sunset walked past an overturned armored military truck lying in the grass. The vehicle had been dumped on its side and was damaged from the impact; all Sunset could clearly make out was a license plate that read "GUN".
Sunset approached the truck and peered through the windows. As far as she could tell, there didn't appear to be anyone behind the wheel… or anyone at all. She had no idea how much worse this merging could get. Maybe she didn't want to.
The unicorn took a second to reflect on what she had last learned as she trotted away from the toppled truck and across the expansive grassland. According to just about everypony I talked to, there have been some ponies who have been acting weird. Not just because of this whole world-merge thing, I imagine, but because of something else. It wasn't too long ago that Twilight, her friends, and pretty much all of Equestria defeated Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow.
Their punishment was being turned to stone for all the evil and horror they've brought to Equestria. But now, with all these cracks in the sky, the statue is missing. I'm doing my best not to reveal this discovery to anypony else. They may panic and think exactly what my greatest hunch is…
Well, anypony but Princesses Celestia and Luna. They seemed just as worried as I am, and they can't spare anypony else to investigate. Twilight and the others have more important things to do, and Starlight has… other matters to attend to. Trixie said she left the school with some white furry creature who could fly (don't know whether to call that surprising or unsurprising). She told me his name is Silver, but she didn't know what Starlight was up to with him.
And that leaves me. Hopefully, I can find the statue in one piece… if my hunch is wrong. Please let it be wrong. Just this once.
Sunset trotted to the top of a hill and used it as a vantage point, eying the land below for any signs of any activity. As usual, she found nothing that aroused suspicion. Darn it. The ponies from the last town said that suspicious-looking ponies that were seen whispering to each other left in this direction. Where could they have possibly gone?
Sunset was jolted from her thoughts when she felt a slight rumbling beneath her hooves. She looked at the ground below her with a nervous expression, seeing the earth at her feet weakening and cracking.
"Uh oh!"
Before the unicorn could act, the spot she was standing on broke apart with a loud crack. Sunset cried out in alarm as she plummeted uncontrollably down into a dark pit lit only by sunlight pouring in through the newly-formed hole. Bits of rock and natural debris clattered to the rocky floor below… followed by Sunset landing flat on her stomach.
"OOF! Ow…" The unicorn moaned as she lifted her head and cracked open an eye, finding herself at the bottom of a dark chasm. She dizzily climbed to her hooves and looked around, lighting the end of her horn with magic to act as a light source.
Curious, Sunset trotted through the cave as her steps echoed down distant tunnels she didn't bother to navigate. As she journeyed through, small green crystals gave off a light bright enough to illuminate the passageways. Sunset followed the crystals down curves and other paths, wondering what she would find down here…
The unicorn got her answer when her hoof caught on something solid. She stifled a gasp as she stumbled forward, trying her best not to fall flat on her face. She paused, catching her breath… and turned, shining her horn on what she had nearly tripped over.
A small black creature with a small spike on its head, fangs jutting from its mouth, and insect-like wings was curled up right next to the now-frozen Sunset, shuffling about in its sleep and adjusting its position. As quietly as she could, Sunset took a slow step back as her wide, unblinking eyes gazed at the snoozing creature.
Her instinct drove her to shine her light all around herself… where several other creatures just like it was fast asleep. Some let out small hissing sounds as they snored, some were rolled over onto their backs, and some had stashed themselves into small stone alcoves formed in the walls. And Sunset was right in the middle of their little sleepover.
Changelings… her mind echoed. But… but how? They're supposed to be all colorful now! Love-givers, not love-takers again!
Wait… if this is connected to my hunch, then… not now, Sunset! First, get out as quietly as you can. Then, you can think. Sunset slowly dimmed her light in case the illumination caused any changelings to stir. Then, as careful as she was the night she stole Twilight's crown so long ago, the unicorn crept around and over the snoozing forms of the creatures.
She clenched her teeth and tried to calm her rising heartbeat as she stepped this way and that. A single hoof on a leg, a tail, a face, or even a wing would be enough to wake up all of them. And perhaps the whole hive down here would be after her.
One of the changelings snorted and shuffled itself, making Sunset freeze right next to it. Her eye darted to the changeling… who lazily rolled onto its side and stuck out a forked tongue. The unicorn quietly mimicked an exhale of relief before continuing her stealthy escape.
Careful… careful now… almost there…
Sunset hopped forward, clearing a changeling's body, and touched down on vacant ground. She looked over her shoulder and saw the undisturbed changelings all sleeping nice and soundly. The unicorn's mouth lifted in a small smile as she quietly congratulated herself…
SCREEEEE!
That smile quickly dropped as a high-pitched screeching sound echoed through the tunnels. Instinctively, Sunset blinked away and popped behind a nearby stalagmite, clinging as close to it as she could. At once, the sleeping changelings shot awake and jolted from their beauty rest. Most of them were on alert while others were still groggy.
The screeching sound came again, making Sunset flinch. The changelings all screeched back; their high-pitched reply accompanied by the sound of buzzing wings. Then, they took off down the tunnel, flying past Sunset's hiding spot in a swarm-like fashion. Their loud screeches and chitters faded as they rounded a tight corner… although they still reverberated in Sunset's mind.
"Whew!" Sunset breathed. That… was a close one. But what got them all riled up like that? I'm gonna hate myself for doing this, but I think my best bet is to fol-
"What's happening? What's the situation?"
Voices. Just down the corner the changelings all flew down. Sunset ran up to the intersection and pressed herself against the wall, listening to what the panicked, confused voices were saying.
"We have an intruder! Spread out and find it before it gets deeper into the hive!"
"An intruder?! Who, that alicorn or one of her friends?!"
"No! I don't know what it is and I don't care! All that matters right now is that we find it and we take it down! Now go!"
Sunset narrowed her eyes as fluttering wings signaled their departure. The changelings can't be on to her already, can they? Or… was something else here? With a determined expression, Sunset rounded the corner and galloped down the tunnel as fast as she could, the sounds of screeching and flying Changelings echoing for miles…
…
The ponies and animals quietly trudged through the damp, dark cave system. The only light provided to them came from the violet glow of Twilight's horn and the jade glow of emerald crystals protruding from the walls.
Droplets of dew dripped from stalactites. Darkness awaited down separating tunnels. Fluttershy and Pinkie were starting to get uneased, although they tried- and failed- not to show it.
"Man, this place gives me the chills…" whispered Sonic. "This is where your creepy shapeshifters live?"
"They used to live in a hive," Twilight replied quietly. "Until Queen Chrysalis was dethroned by one of her own: a changeling named Thorax. Thanks to him, the changelings are-" She flinched unexpectedly before a sigh left her throat. "-were changed from love-takers to love-givers."
"The old hive was overgrown, retaken by nature," Spike continued. "It's still Thorax's kingdom to this day… but I've been worried about changelings still loyal to Chrysalis."
"Maybe that's what this is," Twilight muttered to herself. "A bunch of rogue changelings seeking to avenge their queen. Yeah, that's it…"
Tails looked at Sonic. "It's not, isn't it?"
The blue hedgehog shrugged. "If they're too organized? Maybe not."
Applejack kept her eyes on the dim-lit walls of the cave, watching for any signs of strange movement or listening to eerie hissing noises. But, strangely, it was what she didn't hear that bothered her.
Applejack looked behind her to see the rainbow-haired pegasus; her head slightly tilted to the ground below. She looked deep in thought… and she had a look on her face. A look that Applejack knew too well.
It was a look of jealousy.
"You okay, sugarcube?"
Rainbow Dash jolted upright as if she had been abruptly woken from a dream. "Wha? Uh, yeah! I'm fine! Just a little-"
"Shhh!" Knuckles and Amy spun on their heels and put their fingers to their mouths. Rainbow instantly shut up with wide eyes before giving a sheepish grin. "Sorry," she meekly whispered.
The pegasus returned her gaze to Applejack. "I'm just a little worn-out after the race." The earth pony was left baffled by her words. "Worn-out? You?"
"Oh, yeah, the race!" The sudden phrase from Sonic drowned out Applejack's words. The excited hedgehog tried to keep his voice down as best as he could as he kept moving through the cave. "That was awesome, wasn't it? You clearly have a lot more than I thought you did, Colors."
"Thanks," was Rainbow's only reply. Applejack felt a chill that didn't come from their current situation. The pegasus' response was… dull. Very dull, but the hedgehog didn't seem to notice.
"Who knew something so little could go past the speed of sound like I do on a daily basis?" Sonic remarked, his voice filled with an impressed tone. "Out of all the flyers I know, you've gotta be one of the best!"
Rainbow looked at Sonic in confusion. "The… best?"
"The way you expertly kept pace with me, how you never seemed to break a sweat, and how quick you were to react to just about anything thrown your way?" Sonic continued. "Gotta admit, Dash, you're awesome!"
"Y-yeah!" Rainbow replied, her standard happiness slowly returning to her tone. "I am awesome! And everypony I ever met knows it!"
"You should hear her brag," Pinkie whispered to Amy, making the pink hedgehog giggle.
"And let's not forget the little cherry on top," Sonic added. "Sure, I saw how blown away you were by my little boost that turned me into a little blue missile, but your little trick before that?" He mimicked an explosion with his mouth and opened his fists into hands. "You lit up the whole sky! What do you call that?"
"Oh, that?" Rainbow answered with a smile. "That's my patented Sonic Rainboom!"
Sonic's face deadpanned. "Sonic what now?" To the pegasus' surprise, he seemed unamused; something that made her smile drop. "Uh, my Sonic Rainboom," she continued. "I could do them ever since I was a little filly."
Sonic seemed to reminisce about something before replying. "You sure 'rainboom' is even a real word? Cuz I feel like you're exaggerating there..."
"I-I'm not exaggerating!" Rainbow replied as she started to hover alongside the hedgehog. "For a very long time, everypony thought the Sonic Rainboom was just a myth! Until one fateful day, I managed to pull it off during a race between some bullies! I ended up getting not only my cutie mark, but I ended up giving my friends all of theirs! It was the best day of my life!"
"How fast can you go after you've done that?" Sonic asked.
Rainbow's smile was back now, albeit a little wider. "Last I checked? Ten times the speed of sound!"
"Ten times?" Sonic repeated with wide eyes. "That's… cool."
"Cool?" laughed Rainbow Dash. "It's AWESOME!"
AWESOME!
AWESOME!
AWESOME!
Everyone froze as if they had all stepped in something they hadn't. Rainbow's triumphant cry carried through the tunnels, her single word repeating itself faintly several more times.
Everypony whirled to the pegasus with glaring eyes. If looks could kill, she would've dropped on the spot. Rainbow, who now had both front hooves over her mouth, slowly lowered herself to the ground and gave them an innocent smile.
"Heh heh… whoopsie?"
SCREEEEEEE!
"AAAAAAAH!" Everypony screamed in terror as the terrible shriek returned Rainbow's echo. Sonic and friends only cringed and covered their ears, trying to block out the sound.
"They're onto us!" screamed Twilight. "Quick, hide!"
"Hide WHERE?!" yelled a panicked Spike, whipping his head this way and that. The screeching sound returned again, this time multiplied by seemingly hundreds. Sonic peeked open an eye… and stood up, spotting a weakened section of rock to his left.
"Knuckles!" he cried, pointing to the rock. "Make us an exit!"
The echidna nodded and rushed to the wall. He proceeded to wail on it with both fists, acting as a natural drill as he huffed and puffed. Within seconds, he was tunneling through the wall and creating a space big enough for a creature to fit in.
"Hurry, Knuckles!" Tails yelled. "They're getting closer!"
"I'm digging as fast as I can!" replied the echidna between breaths. Twilight and the ponies slowly backed up as the crystal's emerald light was showing something horrifying: an approaching shadow consisting of insectoid creatures.
Amy held her hammer high while Tails' fur stood on end. Fluttershy and Pinkie were shaking like jelly. Applejack, Rarity, Twilight, and Spike were frozen with unblinking eyes. Sonic balled up his fists and readied for a fight. Rainbow Dash crouched down and spread out her wings, unsure if she was going to fly towards or away from the oncoming screeches.
"C'mon! Inside!"
Everyone dashed inside the newly-made tunnel as fast as they could, just as the screeches made their way past the corner. They grew increasingly loud, causing Applejack to pull her hat over her head. Sonic and Rainbow squeezed their eyes shut and clung to the rock wall, just as the changeling swarm buzzed right past them like an angry hive of bees. Everyone silently begged for none of the many eyes inside to notice them… but the shrieks drew forth their curiosity.
"INTRUDER!"
"STOP HIM!"
"FOR QUEEN CHRYSALIS!"
The last changeling swooped past and the screeches started to fade… and fade… and fade until they could no longer be heard.
"C-c-can I o-o-open my eyes now?" quivered Spike.
"Did you guys hear that?" Sonic whispered.
"You mean the ear-splitting screeching?" Rainbow asked annoyingly. "Yeah, I heard it very, very well!"
"No, not that!" Sonic responded. "One of the changelings said 'intruder'."
"So are they onto us?" whimpered Fluttershy. Applejack shot Rainbow Dash another accusing look.
"Wait a second…" Tails muttered. "Intruder, as in singular? Not plural?"
"Uh-huh," Sonic replied, peering down the tunnel the changelings vanished down. "And someone or something clearly took out the guards outside. There's your evidence, guys. Someone else is here."
"And whoever it is…" finished Twilight, her eyes sparkling with realization. "It's drawing all their attention."
"Leaving us free to snoop around! Nice!" Knuckles shouted as he leaned against the wall… which collapsed beneath his weight! "WAAAAA!" The echidna stumbled backward before he dropped out of sight.
"Knuckles!" Tails shouted as light poured into the tunnel. Rainbow brought up a wing and flinched from the jade glow while a loud thud was heard from down below. "Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine…" came the groan of a reply. "Just a little dinged up." Everyone crept close to the newly-formed opening and peered out at what Knuckles had inadvertently revealed to them. The group stood before a large natural chamber filled with glowing green cocoons. Several tunnels served as both entry points and exits while small nooks and crannies were covered by sticky green goo.
"This looks like… a dungeon," Twilight mused. "But, thankfully, I don't see-"
Amy let out a horrified gasp. "Knuckles, BEHIND YOU!"
The half-dazed echidna spun over his shoulder… and saw a changeling staring at him right in the eyes! "AAAH!" Knuckles leaped to his feet and put up his dukes. "Bring it, you… hey, wait a minute!"
The changeling was flinching with clenched teeth, already stammering something out. "Wait, wait, wait! I won't hurt you!" Unlike the other changelings, this one was alive with color. It had rose-colored eyes, a lime-green color scheme, and light orange horn-like mandibles atop its head.
And even if it could attack the echidna, it would be difficult. Its feet were glued to the floor by the same goo that covered the "cells" of the dungeon.
"You… you're not like the rest," Knuckles muttered. "Who are-"
"Thorax!" Spike called out, flying down to the floor. "What happened?"
"Spike?" The changeling's eyes took notice of the rest of the ponies, who slowly descended into the chamber thanks to Twilight's magic. "Princess Twilight! How did you-?"
"We followed some rogue changelings back here," Twilight replied while Sonic and his friends made their way down. "I… I thought all of them had changed for the better."
Thorax let out a sigh of disappointment. "Not all of them, Princess. I've got some bad news: Chrysalis is back."
Everypony gasped while Twilight swallowed nervously. "I knew it…"
"She's rallied the changelings still loyal to her so that she can take her revenge against you, me, and every creature that's defied her. Not too long ago, her drones attacked the Changeling Kingdom and abducted us all!"
Thorax eyed the cells, where other metamorphosed changelings laid in despair or paced around. "She wants to make an example to my people… and that example is her draining me of all love."
"A public execution?" Tails gulped. Thorax sadly nodded. "I'm afraid so. But now that you're here, Princess, I need your help to-" Thorax suddenly tensed up… before his eyes narrowed in anger. "YOU?!"
Everyone looked at the one creature Thorax was glaring daggers at: Sonic.
"Who, me?" the hedgehog pointed to himself dumbfoundedly.
"I do believe he means you," Rarity curiously added.
"Oh, I see how this is," Thorax sneered. "You decide to come back to have them do the one thing you thought was beneath you! The whole hive will be coming for you, and if you brought them back here-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Sonic interrupted. "The changelings don't even know I'm here!"
"Tell that to them," Thorax shot back, gesturing towards one of the tunnels… where black drones were completely knocked out. "Thanks to your antics, Chrysalis will realize you're here any moment now! If she hasn't already!"
"Thorax, what are you talking about?" Twilight asked, concern on her face. "Sonic came here with the rest of us!"
"And what do you mean, come back?" Tails added. "Sonic's never been here before!"
"Care to start from the beginning?" Rainbow asked. "I'm a little lost here."
Thorax shot Sonic a look. "With pleasure. A little while ago, something riled up all the changelings. The guards stayed put, as their orders were to keep an eye on us. Then, suddenly, some explosions caught them by surprise and knocked them all out! All I remember seeing was dust… and then that spiky, two-legged shape."
He continued to glare at Sonic, who was starting to grow a little uncomfortable. "I thanked you for your help and offered your aid in my people's escape. And what did you do? You took off in the blink of an eye without saying a word!"
"Hold on a sec! I wouldn't do that!" Sonic "If I saw someone in trouble, I'd get them out of trouble!"
"So why didn't you?!" Thorax growled suspiciously. "Did Twilight try to change your mind?"
"Thorax, hold up!" Spike shouted as he ran between the two. "We've seen other creatures just like Sonic and his buddies here! Maybe you just saw one of them and mistook him for Sonic?"
Thorax only scoffed. "Trust me, I'd remember if I saw something that spiky."
"Mistake me?" Sonic asked. "Who could you possibly mistake me for-" The hedgehog cut himself off mid-sentence, his green eyes wide as plates. Confused, Rainbow Dash looked at Sonic with a concerned look. "Uh… what's wrong?"
Sonic just groaned and covered his face in a palm. "Oh no… don't tell me…"
"What is it?" Rainbow asked. Behind her, Tails, Twilight, and Knuckles all worked to free the changelings from their cells while Spike worked at the goo on Thorax's feet. When Sonic looked back to Thorax, his expression was one of half-embarrassment and half-boredom.
"Ever since I got here, I got a hunch that someone had beaten me here. Someone who had the changelings on high alert," he explained. "And now I think I have an idea as to who that someone is…"
"INTRUDER!" roared an echoing voice from just beyond a nearby tunnel. Everyone spun their heads down the corridor, including Thorax and the newly-freed metamorphosed changelings. The voice was followed by screeching noises and other shouts, prompting Thorax's suspicious look to return. This time, however, it was not directed at Sonic.
Speaking of the blue blur, he was already gone in the blink of an eye. "Sonic, wait!" Tails called, taking off after him. As the others did the same and exited the dungeon, the hedgehog sprinted down the damp rocky corridors. The sounds of his swift footsteps echoed through the cave for meters and his ears twitched, following the sounds of the shrieks.
"There he is! Get him!"
"Don't let him get away!"
Sonic slid around a sharp turn and shot down another natural hallway. He tucked into a spin to slide down a slope that launched him off, sending the hedgehog sailing through the air.
"Unf!" Sonic landed with a hand on the ground as he unfurled in another open chamber. His green eyes shot upward to see changelings pouring out of crevices in a screeching, hissing frenzy. And a few meters ahead, in the center of the chamber, a whole swarm of changelings was hunched together in a big pile.
"We have him now! Gather in close!"
"Don't give him a chance to fight back!"
Sonic rose to his feet and glared at the pile suspiciously. Behind him, his friends, the Mane Six, and the metamorphosed changelings gathered into the chamber and spread out. Each of them quickly noticed the commotion and looked on in curiosity.
The changelings piled on top of what they claimed was the intruder, keeping it pinned down. To anyone who listened closely, muffled sounds of struggling could be heard… followed by a low growl.
"That's it! I think he's giving up!"
"Wait…" one of the changelings looked down into the pile. "Wh-what's it doing?!"
A red glow started to break through the pile like sunlight through clouds, getting brighter and brighter by the second. "Keep it together! Don't let him loose!" another one shouted.
"Chaaaoooooosss…"
Sonic narrowed his eyes, clenched his fists, and braced himself.
"What's happening to him?!"
"BLAST!"
In a loud explosion of crimson light, the changelings screamed and broke apart, destroying the pile. Sonic flinched and covered his eyes while the ponies were nearly driven back. Changelings hit the ground with groans and defeated moans while Rainbow Dash evaded one that nearly squashed her. One changeling skidded on its belly near Thorax, completely out cold. Everyone opened their eyes, staring at what the changelings had tried and failed to subdue.
A black hedgehog with red stripes and a small white fur patch stood in the middle of the chamber, a neon red glow dimming around him. Bright red eyes scanned the area… and when the irises detected the group, they narrowed.
Sonic sighed in exasperation. "Of course…" he raised a hand. "Hey, Shadow."
"What do you want, faker?" the black hedgehog grimly replied. Behind him, a changeling slowly stood up and hissed with predatorial eyes. It opened its fanged mouth and the hedgehog punched it down without even changing his expression. The changeling collapsed with a screech of pain.
"Nice to see you, too," Sonic said nonchalantly. "I'll be quick. I'm here on important saving-the-world business."
"And I am here for my own reasons," Shadow shot back. "Now stay out of my way."
SHOOM! He took off down another tunnel in a skater-like fashion while screeches echoed through the caves. Sonic looked down the corridor that the other hedgehog vanished down while the ponies were completely stunned.
"Who… was that?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"Shadow the Hedgehog," Sonic answered as he turned to Thorax. "And the real culprit behind your little misunderstanding. Ever since I first met him, people have been getting us confused."
"His movements were rather… familiar," Thorax mused. "Are you sure it was him?"
"Way sure. We've been rivals for a long time. Sometimes friends, sometimes foes. But what's he doing here?"
"And he's taken out changeling after changeling like they were nothing?" Rainbow asked him.
"He seems rather… gloomy," Pinkie remarked. "Like nopony came to his last birthday party!"
"Not to mention rude," harrumphed Rarity. "No 'hello', no 'nice to meet you', and leaving without so much a farewell!"
"In that case…" Thorax continued. "I apologize for the mistaken identity."
"It's cool. As I said, that wasn't the first time. And the first time was really something."
"Do you think he's here for Chrysalis?" Twilight asked. "With that much attention drawn to him, I'm kind of worried about him."
"It's Shadow," Knuckles replied with crossed arms. "The ones you should be worried about are the changelings. It's gonna take a lot more than them to bring down the Ultimate Lifeform."
Spike turned to the echidna. "Um… Ultimate Lifeform? You're not serious, are you?"
"With Shadow, everything is serious," Tails answered. "Just like how Sonic is completely carefree. The two of them are almost exact opposites!"
"So, what's with the boast?" Rainbow questioned.
"That's no boast," Sonic replied. "When Shadow says he's the Ultimate Lifeform, he means it. He's a living container of chaos energy."
"The same stuff the Chaos Emeralds have?" Twilight asked. Sonic nodded in reply. "Yeah. Shadow has lots of the stuff inside him, and that nearly makes him unstoppable. The only thing in my world that has a chance against him is me."
"So… what do we do now?" asked Fluttershy.
"We know Chrysalis is back," Twilight answered. "We just need to get to her before Shadow does! Come on, ponies!" Everyone raced through the tunnel as fast as they could, the distant screeches of changeling echoing for miles…
