The entity resembling a monstrous water horse with glowing cyan eyes peered down at the petrified group. The winds roared and the rain poured down in a ferocious storm, coating fur and buildings with water. A menacing growl left the being's throat, water trickling out of its opened mouth.

"Okay, okay…" Rainbow took in deep breaths. "Happy thoughts, everypony! Happy thoughts!" Rarity had her eyes trained to the sky, watching the clouds as if something was bound to erupt from them at any moment.

"Chaos?" Sonic called to the monster. "Uh, can you calm down, please? I dunno what exactly happened to you, or if the Emeralds did this again, but you gotta let the past stay in the past! I mean, come on! You already flooded one city! Isn't that enough? So chill already!"

The bright blue eyes rested on two figures: the hedgehog and the mare with the multicolored mane. The eyes narrowed in anger, two nostrils snorted out water vapor… and two sets of memories flowed through the creature.

A glowing golden hedgehog blitzed through the watery beast, bursting out while it screeched in pain. With an ancient rage unseen for centuries, it unleashed everything it had to annihilate the pest. The gold streak evaded with ease, flying across the water's surface at top speed. In less than a minute, the blur sped up the creature's form and struck its head, causing immense pain.

Three ponies were frozen, but the rest remained calm. The burning heart soared into the sky, its searing hot aura scalding the trio of spirits. One of the captives, a cyan pegasus dressed in armor, shook its head and blinked in confusion. The ice thawed and the intense heat from the fire pained the spirits greatly.

The god and the spirit screeched in agony and turned their eyes to the cause of their pain. And through their suffering, they felt nothing but rage…

The monster roared in an intense fury, blowing the entire roof with a strong wind. Tentacles of water rose from the flooded city and slithered up to the beast like snakes. It snorted and huffed like a stallion trying to buck off a rider… and with a cry of pure rage, the monster's tentacles lowered toward the roof of the building.

"JUMP!" Sonic and friends launched themselves off the roof in a hurry. Rainbow shot into the sky while the Wonderbolts hurriedly grabbed everypony else. The tentacles crashed into the building, demolishing the entire top. Through the dust, the beast noticed its targets had fled, causing it to neigh in frustration as lightning flashed around it.

Sonic touched down on a chunk of a skyscraper that had been destroyed in the flood, along with Amy and Knuckles while Tails flew in from overhead. "Nope!" he sighed. "Didn't think so!" Rainbow zipped towards the hedgehog, breathless from the sudden maneuver. "Sonic! That thing… I think it's a windigo!"

"A what?"

"Windigos are evil wind spirits," Rainbow explained. "They feed off fighting, anger, and hatred from any arguing creature they see. And the more hatred it feels, the colder things get. It'll freeze the entire area until everything is as cold as the heart it fed on. That must be what happened to Soarin's wings!"

Sonic opened his mouth to say something but took a moment to think. "What else do you know about them?" In the distance, the monster howled as it used a tentacle to slice another skyscraper in half. "And make it fast! That thing's on the hunt!"

"Well, they usually travel in threes," Rainbow continued. "The founders of Equestria encountered them ages ago but formed the Fire of Friendship to vanquish them. But they haven't been a problem since the three tribes started trusting each other again!"

The beast roared as another of its search efforts ended in nothing but a building of screaming ponies. Among the terrifying roar, a whiny rang out from the massive mouth. Sonic glanced towards the beast before turning back to Rainbow. "Alright, my turn. That's also Chaos, an ancient water god. He's strong, tough, and really angry!"

"He's called the God of Destruction," added Knuckles. "And for good reason! Several thousand years ago, he wiped out the old echidna tribe in revenge for them antagonizing it. They had no choice but to seal Chaos inside the Master Emerald, where he remained for thousands of years until Eggman decided to set it free."

"The doc wanted to use Chaos' power to take over my world," Sonic continued. "Long story short, it did not go well. He used the seven Chaos Emeralds to become perfect, and tried to wash away Station Square. But with the true power of the Emeralds, I managed to make sea-ugly heel. And ever since, he's been living his immortal life in peace."

"It looks like Chaos and this Windigo creature have been fused together into one disastrous force of nature!" Tails realized while the monster roared again. "But how?"

"So…" Sonic looked around in thought. "So what do we call this guy? Chaosigo? Windichaos?"

"Uh…" Rainbow's magenta eyes trailed off, where they met the cyan glows of the hydrological horror. "Can that wait? Because this thing is gonna drown everyone and everything while looking for us!"

"Yep! Windichaos it is!" Sonic shouted. "Tails! Amy! Knuckles! You're on rescue duty! Help the Wonderbolts look for ponies trapped in the water and get 'em out! Dash and I will knock some sense into this overgrown water rat!"

"What?!" Rainbow cried. "You want to fight that?! It's huge, stormy, and mad as heck! It'll be like you're facing a whirlpool!"

"Hey, you're the one who said we should do something!" Sonic retorted as his friends leaped into action. "Besides, I've beaten Chaos before, and I'll do it again!" The beast roared as it focused on the heroes, tentacles snaking through the waves. They closed in on the wreckage, remaining unnoticed by the group. By the time they did notice, they burst from the sea and obliterated the platform into chunks. Rainbow and Tails righted themselves in midair, the latter catching Amy and Knuckles by the hands.

Sonic touched down on a piece of floating road as the beast- Windichaos- bellowed into the air. He flashed a thumbs-up to Tails, who flew off with the other hedgehog and echidna in tow. Rainbow flew towards Sonic, both of them with wet fur from the rain.

"Alright, Chaos!" Sonic called to the monster. "I've beaten you twice already, so you're on your third strike!" He shot off across the cracked asphalt while thunder crashed through the sky, rain poured down relentlessly, and lightning flashed in the dark cloud casting the city in darkness. Rainbow launched herself through the sky, fighting against the constant heavy rainfall.

Windichaos growled at the sight of both approaching speedsters before unleashing a mighty howl. Wind currents spun around the water, conjuring small numbers of tornadoes to form on the surface. The pegasus weaved around the waterspouts while the hedgehog blasted over the water at top speed, using the destroyed bits of the road for ramps and tight turns.

A phantasmal neigh mixed with a furious roar washed across Manehattan as the sinister eyes of the beast noticed Rainbow Dash coming in from high above. Watery tentacles dwarfing the city's skyscrapers raced up to meet her. The pegasus narrowed her eyes before rolling and twisting around with practiced agility, evading the tentacles with grunts and yells of effort. She spun over another tentacle before curving around the monster's liquid-like form, flying about like a mosquito to a larger horse.

"Gonna send you down the drain, sea serpent!" she cried. That is if I find a weak spot somewhere in this thing!

RAAARGH! Windichaos roared angrily, its cyan eyes tracking Rainbow down. It opened its mouth and leaned closer to Rainbow, who widened her eyes at the tidal wave with teeth. "AGH!" She zipped away just before the jaws snapped shut with a loud splash, nostrils billowing out water vapor. "Okay, there's a reason I like the sky more than I do the-"

WHAM! A tentacle slammed into the distracted pegasus, knocking her away like a baseball. Yelling out in surprise, Rainbow tumbled to a hovering halt and shook her head of droplets with a snort of recovery.

Sonic jumped up more pieces of road lifted by water jets and raced across ruined buildings. The hedgehog launched off a building that a tentacle slammed into, shooting for the monster's head. With another roar, Windichaos swatted him back so he crashed through a chunk of the road. "OOF! Sucker packs a wallop!" Sonic placed a hand to his head… before he noticed emerald flashes. "Oh, crud!" In a blue blast, he shot off across the water just as laser-like homing projectiles smashed apart the piece of road he had been on.

"Hey, Dash!" Sonic called out as he and the pegasus raced across the water. "How do you beat these windigo things?"

"Well… you don't!"

"What?!" The sea suddenly burst in front of them, sending the two speedsters sailing through the air. They both landed hard on a piece of debris that once belonged to a building, where Sonic shook his head."Care to elaborate on that?"

"Well, there's no way you can fight a windigo physically. The only way you can beat it is if you have happy thoughts!" Rainbow continued. "You just gotta open your heart! Think about your friends and all the happy times you've had together, and the Fire of Friendship you make will drive the windigo away! It works every time!"

Sonic opened his mouth to reply, but the confident pegasus had already shot back into the air. She flew up the side of a building and hovered in place, staring at Windichaos as it roared again. Rainbow took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and tried to block out the sounds of the raging storm and the feeling of heavy rain on her mane, wings, and fur. She calmed her spirit and emptied her mind, focusing her attention on those she loved most.

Teasing Twilight about her egghead interests. Doing friendly competitions with Applejack. Putting differences aside with Rarity. Pranking with Pinkie Pie. And lastly, standing up to Fluttershy and helping her through tough times. Rainbow couldn't help but smile at that last bit: it was that very thing that made her do the sonic rainboom for the first time and bring her friends together. And if it wasn't for them… well, mainly Twilight, she wouldn't be where she was n-

NEEEIIIAAAAARGH!

Rainbow's eyes shot open with a gasp to see another tentacle coming right for her. "Oh, horse apples-!" Windichaos snarled as the tentacle slammed Rainbow across the air, sending the screaming pegasus careening for a building.

A blue streak caught the pegasus and set her down on another stretch of road. "Works every time, huh?" Sonic asked sarcastically. Rainbow only stared at the monster in shock. "What… but… but I… how did that not work?!"

"You said windigos feed off anger and hatred, right?" the hedgehog asked. "Hate to break it to you, Colors, but Chaos is full of that stuff. Especially when he's in his perfect form. And that must mean the madder he gets…"

"...the stronger the windigo part becomes!" Rainbow realized. "But... what happens if it gets too angry?"

"Honestly, I don't wanna know," Sonic answered. "But I think we'll find out anyway! C'mon, let's get back in there!" He ran over the water's surface while Rainbow flew after him. Another round of thunder and lightning crashed over the city as if nature itself was adding to the beast's inner rage.

"AUGH!" Rainbow was nearly swept away by a small flood that exploded from a ruined building. She shook her mane viciously before blinking her eyes open in frustration. "How did you beat Chaos?!"

"Uh…" Sonic ran up the side of a building to escape another tentacle strike. "Kinda hard to go super and get help from a ghost-girl right this second. Then again, I didn't need either of them during round two!"

Windichaos summoned a tidal wave to wash the two pests away. Rainbow flew away from the wave in a frantic hurry while Sonic jumped onto a small piece of road, using it as a surfboard to navigate the wave. I just hope that this time around, he still has that weak spot!

The fusion between water god and wind spirit glared at the hedgehog and the pegasus. It roared again, this time conjuring strong winds circling it. Rainbow flew right into a hard gust when she zoomed towards the beast, and the powerful breeze made her tumble and lose control of her flight path.

"Whoa!" She quickly sped out of there as fast as her wings could carry her. Down below, Sonic raced through a rolling wave that threatened to trap him in a watery tube. The wave crashed onto the surface just as the Blue Blur shot away from it, droplets spraying everywhere in both the hedgehog's and the wave's wake.

The monster roared in frustration again, the winds surrounding it starting to blow faster. This made Rainbow a little uneasy. "We might have a little problem here!"

"Where is it? Where is it?" Sonic jumped to the top of a support pillar sticking out from the water, taking a good look at the monster. "Even if he's fused to a ghost horse, he's gotta- wait, there!" Atop Windichaos' head, a small fin protruded from a spot just behind the monster's eyes. It seemed completely translucent thanks to the clear water that composed it… but something stood out: an orange-hued orb connected by watery veins.

"Bingo!" Sonic jumped from the beam and Spin Dashed down a ramp made from debris, racing his way towards the staggering Rainbow Dash. He ran across the water at high speed, trailing droplets behind him as Windichaos' raging roar rang in his ears. The pegasus touched down on a platform of asphalt, shaking her head of water and snorting.

"Alright, you oversized water horse! Let's see how you like when I make my own-!"

"Time out, Colors!" Sonic shot by Rainbow's position and snagged her by the tail, taking the pegasus by surprise. He sped behind another building just as a wave smashed down where they once were. He came to a full stop and set the half-dazed, half-pained pony down.

"Two things," she frustratingly said with a wince. "One, do not do that ever again. You nearly ripped my flank off. And two, what's the big deal?! I was about to let him have it!"

"Listen close, Dash," Sonic explained as he pointed to the now-confused beast. "If you've ever punched water before, you know this is gonna be useless. There's only one way we're gonna beat the world's angriest windstorm. See that glowy thing atop his head?"

The pegasus peeked at where the hedgehog was indicating. "Yeah?"

"That's Chaos' brain. The only weak spot he has. All we need to do is give him some knocks on the ol' noggin, and he'll be a harmless puddle!"

Rainbow chuckled. "Awesome plan! But… there may be a problem."

"What's that?"

"He's kicking up strong winds that blow around him like some kind of invisible forcefield! I can't fly through gusts that hard!"

Sonic smirked. "Then I'll just distract him good enough to lower his defenses! Now, let's do it!" Two streaks of color blasted out from behind their cover, with one skimming across the water and the other taking to the stormy skies. Rainbow propelled herself higher into the sky, fighting against the blowing, freezing winds- shivers running down her spine- as she positioned herself right above Windichaos. While she did so, the blue streak down below ran laps around the water horse, shooting away from a stomping hydro hoof.

With a low roar, Windichaos used one of its tentacles to drive Sonic away. The hedgehog ran across the water and drifted around a sunken building. Rainbow dive-bombed towards the orange brain with both forelegs extended before her. A sneer appeared on her face, her body filling with delight at how unexpected this would be.

But that delight turned into fear when she saw a cyan orb turn in her direction.

Green energy-like projectiles launched from Windichaos' back, speeding for Rainbow like heat-seeking missiles. The pegasus screamed in panic before shooting across the sky, the bolts in hot pursuit. With frantic breaths, the pegasus rolled and dove to avoid each of the shots until they all crashed into either the water or buildings. Meanwhile, Sonic was speeding towards Windichaos again, who roared at his boosting approach.

But halfway towards the monster, Sonic had a thought. "Wait a minute… water…"

Rainbow's eyes were alight with a similar realization. "...plus cold air…"

"Equals…"

Windichaos roared angrily as something began to billow up in its throat. Sonic half-expected him to pull out his energy beam; the thought of it hitting him was laughable. But what burst out from the monster's maw was something else.

A beam of sub-zero-degree water struck the surface of the sea with so great a force it instantly froze on impact, causing sharp stalagmites of ice to rise into formation. The sea started to solidify and turn cold, turning the blasted portion into a frozen piece of the ocean. Sonic threw up his arms to avoid the sudden ice spikes but failed to watch where he was steering.

"WhoawhoawhoawhoaWHOA!" He skidded across the ice before falling flat on his stomach, spinning to a stop with limbs spread out. He lifted his head from the ice while Rainbow watched in shock from the sky, both of their realizations now standing true before them.

"Well… that's a new one."

NEIIIAAAAAAARGH!

Somewhere north of Canterlot, Equestria

"Hold on a second… there's a spell that allows time travel?" Silver asked in awe as he and Starlight walked along a lakeshore. "Did you do it?"

The unicorn only sighed. "Well… yeah, but… it's kinda a long story. Should I start at the beginning?"

"By all means," Silver answered. "Besides, we don't wanna get too tired flying all the way to wherever we're going, right?"

"Heh. Right…" Starlight hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "A long time ago, Sunburst and I were best friends. The greatest I could ask for. We did pretty much everything together as foals… until he got his cutie mark."

"His what?"

Starlight paused and presented her star-shaped mark to Silver. "This. It's what shows up after a pony realizes their special talent. It's a part of them, and shows everypony how unique they are." Silver looked impressed. "Wow. That's really something."

"Yeah… and it also took him away."

"Huh?"

"As soon as Sunburst got his cutie mark," Starlight continued with a low voice. "He was sent away to Canterlot. The only friend I ever had just… left me, and I was alone again. I was too scared to make another friend, as I thought the same thing would happen to them. Because of this… I grew to resent cutie marks and their special traits."

"But you got yours," Silver explained. "Shouldn't that have helped?"

"It didn't. Even after I got mine, I utterly despised it. I decided that true friendship came from those who are no more or less talented than each other. That it came from everypony being the same. Being equal. So I made myself the founder of a small town and used magic to strip ponies of their cutie marks."

"That's… that's just wrong," Silver cut in. "You can't just take away what makes someone special! If you erase individuality… if everyone's the same, things get… dull!"

Starlight looked at Silver with a sorrowful glint in her eye. She continued with her story, ignoring the hedgehog's words. "Eventually, my actions caught the attention of Twilight and her friends. They came to my town and I took away their cutie marks as well, hoping for them to see my way of thinking… but it didn't stop them. They managed to expose me. My followers lost faith in me and I was overthrown. I managed to escape, vowing revenge on the princess. I laid low as time passed… until I uncovered the scroll detailing the spell."

"The time travel spell?" Silver didn't seem to like where Starlight was going with this. "What did… what did you do with it?"

"Star Swirl the Bearded, one of the famed Pillars of Equestria, had managed to create a spell that would allow for transport through time. After I unlocked its secret, I used the spell to travel to Cloudsdale… to the day Rainbow Dash raced against bullies who were teasing Fluttershy. On that day, she pulled off the renowned sonic rainboom, an event that gave both her and her friends their cutie marks. And also the event that would bring them together."

Silver put two and two together. "You went back in time to interfere with the race and stop Rainbow," he deduced. "And if she didn't perform the rainboom, the rest of them wouldn't have met! And from the sounds of things… this whole world would be doomed."

He looked Starlight in the eye and sighed. "It's almost ironic. I went back in time to save my future… and you went back to ruin yours."

"Back then…" Starlight went on. "I didn't think much about what would happen to the future. Even after Twilight showed me what I was doing, I refused to accept the truth. I ended up showing her what had happened between me and Sunburst. She felt sorry for me… and offered to make things better."

"And you decided to take that offer?"

"I did…" Starlight finished. "The others took it surprisingly well and welcomed me into their little club. I became Twilight's prized student, just as she was Princess Celestia's. I even made amends with Starburst. And now here I am, headmare of the School of Friendship and sharing my life story with a talking hedgehog from the future of another world."

Silver let out a small chuckle. "I gave you mine. Now, we're even."

"Yeah, I guess," Starlight said with a smile. "We should be getting close to the Crystal Mountains now. After that, it's pretty hard not to miss-" She noticed something was off beside her. "Silver?"

The unicorn turned to look… and saw that Silver wasn't there. "Huh? Silver? Where did you…?" Starlight looked all around in confusion. Elsewhere, near a small woodland area, the hedgehog slowly approached a small figure.

"Excuse me?" he asked softly. "Are you lost, little guy?" The little pony lifted its head, its back turned to the hedgehog. "Well… yeah, I guess," she said innocently. "Are you lost, too?"

"Uh… no," Silver replied. "I'm kinda busy at the moment, but I'll stay for a bit. What are you doing out here all by yourself?"

"I'm looking for my friends," she said. "We got separated when the sky broke apart. Will you help me, mister?"

"Sure!" Silver said with a smile. "You seem like a good kid. My name's Silver. And who are you?" The pony let out a small giggle before turning around. She had a salmon-pink coat with a curly light blue mane and tail. A small horn stood atop her head and a pair of wings were furled against her sides. Her eyes glistened a bright scarlet and an image of a rook rested on her flank. "Me? I'm a friend."

Silver just shrugged. "Not exactly what I was looking for, but good enough. Who are you looking for?"

"My friends are a couple of unusual folks," the alicorn answered. "One's great at imitation, which is the best form of flattery. Plus, she really knows how to make ponies get in line. The other? Well, he's more of the straightforward type: strong, fearless, protective, and a little on the bulky side."

"Hmm…" Silver muttered. "Not sure if that narrows it down. Maybe Starlight can help me out here. After all, she knows this world's creatures more than I do."

"Starlight?" Silver thought he saw a flash of surprise on the pony's face. When he looked at her, he saw only a smile. "Nah, she doesn't need to be bothered by this. Besides, she's got some counseling to do at the School of Friendship. Uh, if the place is still running, that is."

"Oh, it's no problem," Silver laughed at the kid's words. "She could use a little break. She handles student-related problems all the time, right? This could be right up her alley."

"Oh, no, I insist," she said politely. "Starlight must have had enough troubles today. Come on, I'll take you to where I saw my friends la-"

POOF! A flash of turquoise light filled Silver's eyes, causing him to flinch and shield his face. "The only place you're going to is back to Tartarus, you imp!"

Silver blinked in shock and confusion. "What? Starlight?!" The small alicorn only feigned surprise at the unicorn's appearance. "Imp? Oh, I'm hurt, Starlight Glimmer. And after all that friendship advice, too…"

"Yeah. Advice you used for all the wrong reasons!"

"Starlight, what gives?!" Silver asked annoyingly. "This kid just wants to find her friends!"

"Uh-huh," Starlight said with her horn glowing with magic. "Those friends just so happen to be a disgraced changeling ruler and a nigh-unstoppable centaur. And all three of them brought disharmony to Equestria!"

"What?"

"Oh, dear," sighed the alicorn. "It seems the curtain has been pulled back. Well, gosh, it had to be sooner or later, right?" She held out a hoof to Silver. "Hi, I'm Cozy Glow."

"Wait, hold on!" Silver said to Starlight, who seemed completely unfazed by the pony's innocence. "You mean to tell me this little kid nearly destroyed the kingdom?! Look at her! She looks like she wouldn't even hurt a-!"

KAZAP! An amaranth magic beam struck Silver in the chest, knocking him square on his back. Cozy Glow only laughed at the hedgehog's pain. "Oh, yes, I very much would!" She turned her attention to the growing Starlight. "Now, then, guidance counselor… shall we?"

Starlight fired a turquoise beam of magic at the small alicorn, who blinked away in red light. She took to the air and flew around the unicorn, whose blasts missed her target. "So, it's true! You did manage to escape with the rest of the Legion!" Starlight shouted, raising a shield to block Cozy's counterattack. "But Grogar's Bewitching Bell depowered you into a normal pegasus! How do you still have your alicorn magic?!"

"Oh, just a gift from those cracks. Just a little dose of magic lightning, and bam! Revenge time!" Starlight teleported away from another blast before levitating herself into the air. She chased after the flying alicorn, both of them continuing to fire magic beams and shield themselves against attacks. "Of course, I can't get payback all by myself…"

"So that's why you're looking for the others! Too bad for you, but Chrysalis and Tirek could be anywhere! So, tough luck!" Another of her blasts missed Cozy as she weaved around it, prompting the pegasus to stick her tongue at the unicorn.

"You stood no chance against Chrysalis by yourself, Starlight! And you had to have all of Equestria by your side to help Twilight bring us down! But guess what? You're all alone! Nopony's gonna help y-"

Suddenly, Cozy Glow was encased in a cyan energy field, freezing her in place. "Huh? Hey! What gives?!" Starlight only smirked at the trapped alicorn. "Not exactly."

"You, young lady…" spoke an annoyed Silver, his palms alight with psychokinetic energy. "...need to be taught some manners!"

"What the… how can… you can use magic?"

Silver groaned and rolled his eyes. "It's not magic! It's psychokinesis! Now, I'll admit I'm not sure what to do with you, but you can't go around tricking people into thinking you're nice."

"Why?" Cozy giggled. "It's been working well…"

"YOW!" A sudden beam of magic struck Silver again, making him release his hold on the alicorn. Clutching his shoulder, he turned his eyes to the airborne Cozy before levitating up to meet her. He savored the look on her face when she noticed him.

"How are you doing this?! No creature other than a pony can use magic that way!"

"It's not-! Ugh, forget it! I'll just show you firsthand!" Silver got into a stance and stared Cozy down. With a smile of anticipation, Cozy lit up her horn. "Ha! You can try!" She proceeded to fire three magic bolts at Silver, who used his psychokinesis to deflect them with ease. He waved his arm horizontally in front of him, sending a Psychic Knife crashing into Cozy and sending her into a spin.

"Why you-! That does it!" She started to blast Silver again, who now took off across the air. He flew circles around the alicorn and dodged the blasts, picking up huge rocks from the ground below. The boulders glowed with a cyan aura as Silver called them to his side.

"My turn."

He flung the rocks at Cozy, who yelped in alarm. She frantically flew away from one, blasted another into pebbles, and narrowly avoided a third. The alicorn sighed in relief… before she realized she was right in front of Silver, who landed an overhead kick that made her crash to the ground. The hedgehog continued to float overhead. "Had enough yet?"

"Heh heh… playtime's just started!" Cozy yelled back, unleashing another magic stream at Silver. Taken by surprise, Silver evaded the beam and flew off while Cozy gave chase. Starlight sped after them in pursuit, firing off her own blasts. It wasn't long before Cozy realized she was outnumbered… which did nothing to impede her. "You both think you're so talented, don'tcha?! Well, I'll show you real magic talent!"

Manehattan, Equestria

Water gushed from glass windows, nearly washing away the airborne Tails and Fluttershy. Both fliers cried out and fought to recover while Knuckles landed on a piece of road with two ponies in his arms. Amy fished out a soaking-wet earth pony with her hammer and set him down on the road. Applejack knocked away part of a wall to open an escape route out of a collapsing building, Rarity used her magic to lift ponies out of the water, and Pinkie reunited lost fillies with their parents.

"And I thought Station Square was bad!" Knuckles gasped. "At least everyone there was already safe when I arrived!"

"Less reminiscing, more rescuing!" Amy cried, smashing down a weakened window with her hammer. "Pinkie, I could use a hand here! Uh, I mean, hoof!"

"Even with us helping the Wonderbolts with aerial rescues…" Tails butted in. "Windichaos is causing more damage to the city! Soon, I'm afraid we won't be able to reach anyone else still trapped!"

"Brrr!" Rarity dipped a hoof into the water and recoiled with a shiver. "And what's even worse is that this water is cold to the touch! Possibly because of the windigo's habit of freezing! We're lucky the ponies floating around haven't already slipped into hypothermia!"

"Great! Now I don't know what's worse!" Knuckles shouted. "A flood during a raging windstorm, or a flood with freakishly cold water that could make you pass out within a minute!"

NEEIIIAAAAAARGH! Another beam struck the nearby water, freezing it on contact and causing other particles to freeze mid-splash, creating ominous ice spikes. An adjacent building was pierced by the spikes, causing more debris and glass to rain into the water below. Fluttershy gulped at the sight while her pink mane dripped with rainwater.

"I do hope Rainbow Dash and Sonic are alright fighting that mean monster."

"Whatever they plan to do with it…" Tails added. "They need to do it fast! Before things go from bad to worse!"

Elsewhere in the flooded city, a blue streak zoomed across the water just as it plunged into sub-zero temperatures behind him. "You'd be a lot more terrifying if you could actually hit me!"

A colored blur sped through the sky as strong winds lashed out at it from every direction. They assailed it like a pack of predators converging on an animal separated from its herd, attempting to keep the flyer off-course. Rainbow Dash struggled to keep herself airborne as the wind rushed all around her body.

"Stupid… storm!" Bursts of water shot out from the sea and threatened to splash into Rainbow like harpoons. The pegasus tried her best to avoid the projectiles, only for one of them to strike her in the chest. "NGH!" Stunned from the strike, Rainbow Dash was unprepared for the follow-up attack: a water tendril that slammed into her form and swallowed her up. All while she tried fighting against the sudden, freezing-cold current, she was sent careening through a building, smashing through a cracked window. She slid across the floor with a groan of pain while a savage roar rang through the sky like thunder, the tendril retreating into the sea.

"Rgh…" she climbed to her hooves, water dripping from her fur and onto the floor. "Okay, ugly… you want a fight? Then you've got one." With a scowl and soaked wings, Rainbow shot back out the window, zooming into the air as lightning lit up the clouds.

Sonic continued to run around Windichaos at high speed, keeping an eye trained on the beast that its own cyan orb focused on him. "You may not be just Chaos, and it's not like fighting water-spirit-monster-things is an exact science! All I need is a clear shot at your ugly hydro-head, and this'll be a cinch!"

"Easy for you to say!" Rainbow added as she zipped away from more homing energy shots. "I've never fought a giant water monster or an evil wind spirit! And both of them rolled into one? Talk about a force of nature!"

She flew close to the monster's head and started circling it like a fly, agitating the fusion between wind spirit and water god. With a growl, it tried biting down on Rainbow Dash and snagging her with its tendrils, but the pegasus nimbly evaded and flew away, leaving the creature to roar in frustration.

"Hey, sea horse!" Rainbow cried. "Look out below!"

RRGGL? Windichaos looked down at the sea beneath it… and saw a blue streak spiraling up its foreleg. It spun through the monster's body like a torpedo, rising higher and higher towards the beast's head.

With a crackling sound, it struck the orange orb that was its brain. Electricity shot out from the monster's liquid cranium, the cyan glow surrounding it flickered like a fractured light, and a screech of pain erupted from its massive mouth.

AIIIIIEIIIGH! Windichaos shrieked in immense agony as its brain surged from Sonic's strike. The hedgehog shot out from the combined deity and fell into Rainbow's hooves. "Is that it?" she asked. "Didja do it?"

"Uh… I don't think so."

Windichaos flashed open its eyes and water vapor flew out of its nostrils with a frustrated snort. He turned his head to the stormy sky and bellowed furiously, thunder and lightning accompanying its cry.

REEEEEARRGH!

"I think I just made him madder!" Sonic flipped onto Rainbow's back, surprising the pegasus as he balanced on top of her. "Let's juice!" Windichaos reared back, its cyan eyes trained on the hedgehog and the pegasus. Rainbow turned around and beat her wings again, panting frantically while Sonic stood atop her as if he was riding a grind rail. A colored streak trailed from behind Rainbow as she flew away from the enraged entity… who fired another of his freeze beams at the duo.

Again, the sea erupted into icy surfaces and gargantuan ice spikes, destroying everything in its wake and prompting the pegasus to bank to the left as sharply as she could. Down below, a platform Knuckles and Applejack were standing on was sent flying, knocking the screaming echidna and the yelling pony into the water with a loud splash. Thinking fast, Tails and Fluttershy swooped to fish out their friends and carry them to safety.

"S-s-sweet Granny Smith, that's cold!" stuttered Applejack as Fluttershy and Pinkie ran to her side. Knuckles just wrapped his arms around himself and exhaled, his breath coming out in chilled puffs.

A few of Rainbow's feathers flew loose, one of them balancing atop the tip of a frozen stalagmite. Sonic stayed perfectly balanced atop her, gazing at the ferocious fusion. "Ready to come back around?"

"Maybe… if I didn't… have any extra weight!" Rainbow gasped. "But I'll do it!" She soared around another ruined building, ponies watching anxiously from the rooftop. As soon as they reappeared into view, Windichaos growled at the sight of what consumed it with fury. It drew itself back again, opening its mouth as ice-cold air hissed from its throat.

"Bring it on, blizzard-breath!" Sonic shouted as Rainbow flew towards the monster as fast as she could. Windichaos' glowing eyes burned with hatred before it lunged forward, unleashing another burst of freezing water that immediately solidified. Rainbow soared through the ice and shot over Windichaos' head just as the beam died down, leaving a trail of ice and gargantuan spikes nearly as tall as the skyscrapers still left standing. Windichaos slowly turned its head to the sky, where it saw Rainbow Dash arcing the sky… and only Rainbow Dash, who gave the monster a cocky smile.

The fused creature stared at the pegasus' bare back, confused as to Sonic's whereabouts. It looked at the newly frozen stretch of water… just as a spinning blue ball smashed into its brain again.

SHRREEEEEAAAARGH! The brain surged again with orange lightning and Windichaos screamed in agony. Sonic unfurled and sailed through the air, this time grabbing onto Rainbow's hoof as she soared by him.

"WOO! That was awesome!" she laughed. "I almost wanna do that again!"

"Then by all means…" Sonic answered with a pumped fist. "Lemme at him! Or do you want a shot at it this time?"

"Yeah, let me have a go!" Rainbow threw Sonic into the air, where he spun down the side of a building and took off across the churning waters. Windichaos bared its liquid teeth as Rainbow approached, another menacing roar leaving its throat.

Rainbow only replied with another cocky smile before spiraling around the fused deity. The tendrils snaked towards her, only for them to splash into Windichaos' body once Rainbow zoomed away. She sped towards the beast's open mouth, ready to dive headfirst through the murky maw…

"YAH!" The pegasus shot clean through the beast's upper jaw with a splash and drove both forehooves into the brain, causing another energy spike. For a split second, Rainbow saw the brain pulse like a heart before she was blown away with a cry. SKREEEEEEAGH! Windichaos howled in a mix of pain and fury as its brain ruptured a third time, its anger continuing to grow.

Something started to form over its body: frost-like patterns that slowly hardened and froze over. With a gasp, Rainbow turned her magenta eyes towards the brain… which was now encased in icy armor. "Okay… that's a problem!"

"For you, maybe!" Sonic shouted as he raced down a stretch of elevated road. He blazed down the ruined asphalt as water tendrils broke it up behind him. He shot off a slanted edge like a ramp, sending the hedgehog sailing into the air.

With a smile of his own and water droplets trailing off his drenched fur, Sonic curled in and spun wildly while Windichaos turned in his direction and snarled. He rocketed towards the beast in a Homing Attack, drawing close to the iced brain and ready to shatter through the cold protection. Windichaos only narrowed its glowing eyes, snorted like a mad horse…

REEEAAAGH!

...and opened its humongous mouth full of liquid teeth just as Sonic spun right into it. With a loud slam reminiscent of a tidal wave smashing against a building, Windichaos clamped its jaws shut with the hedgehog now trapped inside the sea that was its body.

"SONIC!" screamed Tails, Amy, and Knuckles. The ponies witnessing the battle gasped in horror and terror while Rainbow Dash snapped out of her own shock. "HEY! Spit him out or I'll make you choke on him!" She shot for the beast's brain again, hoping to shatter the ice surrounding the vulnerable organ…

"AGH!" Two watery tendrils snagged the pegasus by the wings and smashed her into the wall of a weakened building. The snake-like appendages held her in place while she strained and wriggled in their grip. When she cracked open her eyes, she saw the ghostly pale cyan eyes of the windigo mixed with the large, snarling maw of Perfect Chaos.

"We gotta do something!" Pinkie yelled in panic.

"What can we do?!" Knuckles cried. "We can't take on something that size!"

"Oh, if only Twilight was here…!" moaned Fluttershy while Tails anxiously watched the tides of Windichaos' body. "Come on, Sonic… come on…"

Inside Windichaos' ocean-like body, Sonic felt only the cold. He floated silently in the massive depths, his hand slowly twitching. He cracked open an eye… and it shot open in panic when he saw air bubbles rise from his mouth.

"Lemme go!" Rainbow shouted as she strained against the tendrils. "I'm not afraid of you!" She squirmed in her captor's grip, even as he bellowed in her face with infuriating anger. ROOOAAARRR! Rainbow gave the monster a defiant glare, her mane and coat soaked to the brim with water. She met the monster's gaze with an unrelenting stare… and she felt the nerves in her wings flare up with an intense cold.

Her blood turned cold as ice and her determination swiftly changed to undeniable fear. Her wings… she was losing feeling in them!

Sonic shot awake, now realizing he was surrounded by water: ice-cold water. Already, he could feel his body stinging with freezing sensations like a million needles were stabbing at him.

Oh, no. Not this. Anything but this!

His head spun around in all directions until he noticed he was starting to sink. To his dismay, the only air bubbles he saw were the ones leaving him. And what was worse, he saw frost-like accumulations appearing on his arms, legs, and spikes.

He had to get out. He had to get out, now!

Rainbow looked to her right wing in horror, her face frozen in fear just as she realized she was about to be. Her wings couldn't move, even when she tried to. Frost started to spread across them, solidifying any beautiful feather they touched. Rainbow's heart slammed into overdrive and her breath came in frantic gasps. "No! NO!"

Sonic thrashed about in the water, his mouth open as if he was screaming. More air bubbles raced from his throat, floating just out of his desperate reach. The cold started to consume him as gallons-worth of water rushed into his lungs. His panicked mind was going crazy while his time slowly slipped away.

5…

Rainbow was screaming now, struggling like mad beneath the motionless tendrils that refused to budge. The ice slowly spread across her wings and locked them in place. But to Rainbow's horror, it didn't stop there, freezing every strand of her lush cyan fur while encasing her flailing body in a frozen tomb. The pegasus' frightened eyes looked to the monster responsible, who only watched with satisfaction in its eyes.

4...

Sonic could no longer feel his legs. His vision was growing weaker as he desperately waved his arms about. It was helpless against what awaited him. The ice continued to spread up his body while his panic was at its highest. He didn't know what would come first: drowning or freezing to death.

3…

Any tear that Rainbow shed instantly froze, leaving an icy streak on her face that made her scream in pain. She wanted to beg to Celestia to make it stop, but she couldn't find the strength to speak through her agonizing screams. The cold seeped deeper into her, freezing her blood and leaving her with no feeling in her hooves.

2…

Darkness seeped into Sonic's vision as he sank into the black pits. He could faintly hear Windichaos' triumphant roar, rippling through the water like a sea creature's bellow. Sonic slowly slipped away, his hand outstretched in outright fear and his face one of sheer panic.

1…

The ice covered most of Rainbow's body now. Her throat was so sore she could only whimper now. Her magenta eyes- their color fading by the second- shook as they helplessly watched the ice creep up her neck. Windichaos roared again with a victorious neigh thrown into the mix, but Rainbow barely heard the sound thanks to the ice slowly covering her ears.

0…

Time was up.

As the ice encroached Rainbow's petrified face and as the last traces of air abandoned Sonic… the last thoughts they had was of their friends.

KRA-SPLASH!

NEIIIAAARGH!

Somewhere north of Canterlot, Equestria

Cozy Glow shot past Silver, who flew after her in pursuit. A cyan streak of light chased the speeding alicorn, shooting this way and that like a shooting star. Cozy looped in the air and slammed head-on into Silver, knocking him into a tree with a grunt. Silver collapsed to the ground, leaving him wide open. A sneer crossed Cozy's face before she blasted a magic beam at the weakened hedgehog. Silver cracked open an eye and gasped, bracing himself for contact…

...which didn't come. He re-opened his eyes to see Starlight conjuring a magic blast of her own, engaging Cozy in a beam lock. The unicorn and the alicorn pushed against each other, their faces tight in determination and their teeth bared.

"HRAH!" Starlight gave her magic a powerful surge, allowing the turquoise light to dwarf the amaranth energy and strike Cozy. The alicorn yelped and spun through the air, righting herself with a shake of her head. "Lucky shot! But neither you nor your stupid spiny friend are gonna beat me today! The Legion of Doom will come together again, and we will conquer Equestria for good!"

"You will only lead this world to ruin," Silver said boldly. "I'll never let what happened in my time happen to another!"

"Ooh… you're a stubborn one," Cozy said as her horn lit up with magic again. "But if there's one thing I learned, stubbornness is extremely annoying!"

"So is one who is utterly undisciplined."

"Huh?! GYAH!" A fiery orb shot past the startled Cozy Glow and slammed into the ground with the force of a meteor. The pyrokinetic projectile immediately rebounded into the trees and jumped off a branch that Cozy blasted away, connecting a high kick to the alicorn. As Cozy was sent sailing, the stranger rushed to the end of her trajectory and landed another sweeping kick.

It shot high into the air like a missile and landed one more downward strike, slamming Cozy to the ground. As the alicorn groaned in pain, the flames died down and a figure touched down gracefully: a lavender cat that had a regal appearance.

While Starlight was baffled at the newcomer, Silver was delighted. "Blaze!"

The cat opened her golden eyes. "Silver."

"Fire magic?" whispered a stunned Starlight. "Wait, no… not magic. How…?"

"Oh, great," moaned Cozy. "I hate party crashers."

"And I," spoke the cat as she turned to Cozy with a disapproving glare. "...do not tolerate children with poor respect for others. You may have proven admirable against Silver's psychokinesis, but unless you turn back now, you will face the fiery fury of the Sol Emeralds."

"Turn back? Ha!" Cozy laughed. "Bring it, missy! I'm gonna knock all nine lives outta-"

KAZAP! Before she could finish, a turquoise magic beam struck the pegasus-turned-alicorn and froze her inside a crystalline prison. Starlight had an annoyed expression on her face. "I've had enough of her for one day."

"Yeah," Silver agreed. "Besides, we should get- oh, right!" He stood between the cat and Starlight, gesturing to both of them. "Starlight Glimmer, Blaze. Blaze, Starlight Glimmer."

"Er… charmed," said Blaze.

"Likewise," replied Starlight. "Do you know Silver?"

"Yes," Blaze answered. "We have been partners on many quests."

"So, does that mean you're from the future, too?"

"Um… no."

"No?"

"I believe I should start from the beginning," she explained. "I am Princess Blaze of the Sol Empire, keeper of the legendary Sol Emeralds."

"Princess?!" Starlight gasped before dropping into a bow. "Sorry, you… don't look like much of a princess."

"Unlike Silver, who hails from across time, I hail from across space," Blaze continued. "I do originate from the universe which contains Sonic's world, but I mainly reside in a world parallel to his. Just as Silver can traverse the timeline, I can cross the dimensional barrier freely to visit Sonic and his allies."

"That's incredible!" Starlight replied. "But what was that fire stuff I just saw?"

"I am gifted with the power of pyrokinesis. Fire is bound to my soul, which allows me to summon and command it and will. As I just demonstrated, I am incredibly skilled with it, and when added to my natural agility, I become skilled enough to even tie Sonic in battle."

"Wow, that's… really impressive," Starlight commented before a thought crossed her mind. "Hey, you said you were friends with Silver, right?"

"Of course," Blaze had a curious look in her eye. "Why do you ask?"

"Well… are you experiencing some weird visions of things you don't remember?" Starlight asked her. "You know, things you swear you've seen, but haven't?"

Blaze looked at the unicorn in shock. "How… how did you-?"

"That's kinda my fault," Silver answered. "I saw you in one of them, and I thought maybe you'd be dealing with the same thing. What do you remember seeing, Blaze?"

"Fire," came the cat's whisper of a reply. "Lots of it, consuming a city. I remember someone promising us answers… and he spoke of an 'Iblis Trigger'."

"Did he say who it was? And did we stop it?"

"I… do not know," Blaze said. "But I remember feeling… suspicion. A question has appeared in my mind ever since: is it worth taking one life to save all others?"

"Now that you mention it…" Silver continued. "That doesn't sound right, either? I mean, I know the guy said to eliminate him, but wouldn't it be better to just stop him? No one could get hurt that way…"

"Well, whatever mystery you guys need to solve," Starlight spoke up. "We're close to the place where we can solve it! Follow me."

"As you wish," Blaze answered as the unicorn lifted herself into the air. Silver hovered up to follow her and the two flew over the forest. Down below, Blaze jumped into the trees and acrobatically hopped between branches, rocks, and other vantage points. The turquoise and cyan streaks zoomed towards the mountains… where just beyond them, a massive crystal castle stretched high above the tallest peaks.

Manehattan, Equestria

The storm had abruptly ceased. The rain slowed to a gentle pour and the churning sea was now a calm mass of water. Much of the city remained in ruins and debris still floated above the surface. Among them were two figures bobbing up and down: their fur soaked to the brim and their coats chilled with frost.

A pair of hands and a magic aura enveloped the unconscious forms, lifting their sopping bodies out of the water and setting them both down on a stretch of ruined road. Worried eyes looked at them, unresponsive and unmoving.

"Sonic…?" whispered a nervous Amy. Tails knelt to the hedgehog's side, nervously, examining him for any signs of life. Close by, Rainbow Dash lay on her side, her wet mane glistening and the ice surrounding her body slowly melting away.

"Dashie?" peeped Fluttershy. Pinkie tapped the pegasus' head with one hoof, but she didn't stir. "Please wake up…"

"C'mon, Sonic. Up and at 'em," muttered Knuckles as Tails stayed by his friend's side. The fox pressed two fingers to the hedgehog's wrist… just as his eyes shot open. "GUUUH!" Sonic shot up with a coughing fit, water flying from his mouth as he choked and sputtered.

Rainbow Dash gasped deeply while her magenta eyes shot open. The ice on her fur melted into droplets, leaving her coat even more soaked. As she gasped for breath, the pegasus shivered frantically while her friends rushed to her side.

Sonic coughed out the last of the water, taking in sweet and deep breaths of air. He looked down at himself and patted his wet fur, his coughs slowly transitioning into relieved laughter.

"Sonic!" Tails shouted. "Are you alright?!"

"I'm okay… I'm okay!" Sonic whooped. "Woohoo! Eat it, water! Ha-ha!"

"N-n-now I know how C-C-Commander Hurricane f-f-f-felt…" muttered Rainbow through gnashing teeth. "S-s-so c-c-c-cold…" She shivered again, her wings shaking and flinging water droplets away.

"Hey…" Sonic mumbled as he knocked his head and shook the water out of his ears. "I'm not dead… did you guys save me? The last thing I remember, I was starting to see black. And feeling slightly colder…" Amy tackled the surprised hedgehog in a tight hug, letting out her own laugh of relief. "Oh, Sonic! I'm so glad you're alright!"

"Gah! Amy!" As the pink hedgehog held him close, Knuckles approached Sonic and whacked him on the shoulder, causing more water to fly out of his ears.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"For almost making me look bad," replied the echidna. "You had us really worried, blue!"

"I thought you were done for in there!" Amy cried. "It must have been so cold… so dark… so-" Sonic cut her off by pushing her away. "Amy, do not remind me right now. I need to forget this as soon as I can… and add it to the other times I've been underwater."

"H-h-he was f-f-freezing me all over," Rainbow muttered to her friends. "It was so t-t-terrible. I t-t-thought it was it for me…" Applejack took off her hat in a moment of silence. "So did I, Dash… so did I."

"Thank Celestia you're still with us!" Rarity gasped. "Oh, your dreadful screams will give me nightmares for days!"

"Don't you ever do something like that again!" Pinkie shouted, enveloping the pegasus in a tight squeeze. "I couldn't bear to watch!"

"Pinkie… breathing room… p-p-please…!"

"It was just so frightening," Fluttershy was shivering just as much as Rainbow was, her eyes moist with tears. "Oh, Dashie, what did that monster do to you?!"

"Everypony… th-th-thank you…" Rainbow tried her best to crack a smile. At her words, Pinkie opened her eyes and pulled away. "Huh? We didn't do anything!"

"Yeah," Applejack said. "Something just shot out from the water and slammed that monster so hard it crashed into the sea like a tidal wave!"

"We couldn't do anything, either!" Tails added to a stunned Sonic. "There's no way we could stand a chance against that thing!"

"Wait…" Sonic slowly got to his feet and brushed his spines while Rainbow Dash stood on wobbling hooves. "If you guys didn't save us… then who-?"

"Ahola, my cobalt compadres!"

Everyone spun around to see who had spoken: a dragon-like creature with mixed animal parts holding an umbrella in an eagle-like claw. "My, what marvelous weather we're having today. I'm almost jealous."

Sonic blinked his wet eyes. "You again?!"

"D-D-Discord?" Rainbow asked through another shiver. "B-b-but how?"

Discord turned his eyes to the clouds overhead and scoffed. "So much for pegasi managing the weather. I mean, what did they do to manage this? If Princess Twilight sees what a mess this place is, her eyes are going to pop out of her sockets! And then she'd most likely blame herself for not being there, she'd let all her friends down, blabbity blabbity blabbity…"

"Yo! Disc Board or whatever your name is!" Sonic called out. "Just how in the name of Tikal did you get here?" The draconequus only looked at the drenched hedgehog nonchalantly. "Shouldn't it be obvious?" he sighed. "Did you not recall our meeting at Canterlot Castle? I hear everything chaos-related. It's what I do, after all."

Sonic looked at the soaking-wet Rainbow. "This dude is freaky."

"Yeah, no argument there."

"Anyway, I've turned all of Ponyville inside out and upside down," Discord continued as he folded up his umbrella and tucked it into a pocket. "But I would like to meet the one who decided putting together a wind spirit and a water god was a good idea. That is completely unoriginal. What kind of name is 'Chaos' for a water creature, anyway? Hmph, and I thought the Chaos Emeralds were poorly named. That should be reserved for a being capable of true devastation and bedlam, not just washing away entire cities. I mean, can anything in the other world even do something like this?"

Discord snapped his fingers… and Tails found out he had nine tails instead of two! "YAAAAAH!" He screamed in horror while Amy and Knuckles yelped in alarm.

Discord snapped his fingers again, reverting the shell-shocked fox to normal. "But I digress. I am aware that windigos have a pretty cold reputation if you know what I mean. But mix that with a living tidal wave and you have something that not even Her Royal Highness and Miss Twenty-Percent-Cooler can properly take care of. And you, you said that you had sent that thing down the drain twice, correct?"

"Uh… yes?" Sonic answered.

"Ugh. Unbelievable. Perhaps you did need to go gold after all. Well, I suppose it's up to an expert to put the beast down. But first…" He conjured a blow dryer in his lion arm and switched it on, blowing the hedgehog and the pegasus with a strong gust of hot air. Once he was done, every trace of water remaining on them had vanished… while Rainbow's mane had turned poofy, making Pinkie snicker.

"Now, if you'll all excuse me…" Discord vanished in a blink of light. Rainbow shook her head and returned her mane to normal while Sonic just stared blankly at where the draconequus once stood. "Okay, I take it back. He's freaky and weird. He's freaky weird."

A massive shape rose from the depths, reforming itself into the monstrous water horse with glowing cyan eyes. It shook its head with another snort, letting out a frustrated roar as the storm began to intensify again. It rose to its full height, growling and looking for the one responsible.

"Chaos, is it?" asked Discord nonchalantly, perched atop a nearby rooftop. "God of Destruction? Who gave you that title, anyway? I'd say it fits me better, but I'm not really the destroying type. I'm more of the not-making-sense type."

NEIIIAAAAAARGH!

He was unfazed at the intimidation attempt. "Hmm. I can't imagine what kind of magic could fuse two beings. I admit, not even I attempted such a thing. Evil phantasmal winds mixed with raging sentient water? The pegasi could see you as their worst elemental nightmare. But me? I'm not afraid of getting wet or frozen."

Windichaos reared back and fired another blast of its freezing breath… which Discord blocked by having it turn into hot steam with a wave of his hand. As Windichaos had an expression of confusion, Discord faked a yawn. "Boooring."

RAAARGH!

"I can make clouds out of cotton candy, literally make pigs fly, and turn the rain to chocolate milk," Discord droned on. "And what can you do? Flood, freeze, and that's it?" Windichaos snarled in reply before unleashing another massive roar from its watery maw. The rage it felt surged to its highest peak, further infuriated as to how this creature dared insult it. Its cyan eyes blazed with a bright light as a furious roar mixed with a ghostly neigh echoed across the flooded city… and its oceanic body started to freeze over and solidify.

Ice spread across the deity's colossal form until it enveloped the monster's head, granting Windichaos with icy armor. It roared again with a mix of a phantasmal whinny, rearing itself back as lightning flashed in the sky. Discord raised a brow when he took notice. "Hm. Touche."

NEIARRRGH! Windichaos fired off green energy bolts from his back, which screamed towards Discord like rockets. The draconequus only whistled a short tune while he flicked each of them away with one hand, paying them no mind and enraging the wind-spirit-water-god fusion even further.

"Yawn. Turn that water into tea or something. Then I'll be impressed."

An icicle-like tendril smashed down on the rooftop to squash Discord like a bug. The disinterested draconequus lazily grabbed the appendage with one hand, chaotic yellow lightning coursing through his limb and into the tendril. Bypassing the solid exterior with ease, the electric current absorbed into the water currents of Windichaos' body. In a matter of seconds, the hydrological horror lit up with a massive shock of yellow light, earning another screech of pain from its maw. REEEAAAAAGH!

"I'd like to have a word with the one who created you. I have some advice for them. Would it kill them to be a little… creative now and then?"

The creature roared in a mix of pain and fury, its icy shell now starting to radiate cold air. Discord hardly felt it. "Oh, I suppose it would. If they added a little more flair, then I wouldn't be so bored. For any other creature, I would enjoy this. But you've stayed your welcome. Try to freeze over Tartarus if you can."

Discord rubbed his hands together as fast as he could, statically conjuring another sparkle of light yellow lightning. The purveyor of pandemonium formed it into a ball, turned his eyes to Windichaos as the monster opened its mouth to devour him…

...and Discord just tossed the orb into its throat. The beast drew back as it started to explode with yellow bursts from the inside out, screeching as it did so. Its icy shell started to crack and it shrieked in agony, rearing up on his hind legs and flailing his forehooves. Its cyan eyes turned a bright yellow as the water surged with light. AIIIIEEGH!

KABLAM! With a loud blast of magic that dispelled the dark cloud above the city, the ice exploded and water spewed everywhere. Wisps of wind, accompanied by ghostly neighs, retreated into the sky while the water calmed into steady tides. Discord eyed the water and made a small "tsk" sound. "Water, cold wind, and ice? A true being of chaos relies on much more than that." He snapped his fingers again.

Suddenly, all of the water flooding the streets began to swirl around like liquid in a flushed toilet bowl. It rotated into a massive whirlpool and sunk to street level, lowering the debris to the road. The rushing waves vanished into a perfectly shaped hole in the road, diving into black depths like a massive waterfall. The ocean greatly diminished in size until it resembled a lake, then a pool… and only puddles remained when the last of it gurgled down the makeshift drain.

Discord teleported himself down to the recovering heroes and waved his hand, sealing the road back up as if it had never been tampered with. "When you find whatever's responsible for making that thing, I want you to let it know that there's only one lord of chaos this word needs. Capiche?"

Rainbow Dash ignored him, her ruby eyes glancing around the destroyed city as the last drops of rain plopped to the streets. Her heart grew heavy at the sight of smashed buildings, torn-up roads, and frightened ponies everywhere she looked. "Manehattan… it's… it's…" She couldn't find the words to describe it.

"It's busted up good, that's what," sighed a remorseful Applejack while Rarity fought back tears. "Twilight's gonna faint when she hears about this…" The white unicorn turned to the rest of her friends. "It's going to be weeks until the city can return to the marvelous metropolis it once was! No, months! Or maybe…" she gasped in horror. "Years?!"

"Chaos may not have gotten the 'god' part of his title down," Sonic piped up. "But 'destruction'? Oh, boy, he can do some damage. First, the old echidna tribe, then Station Square… and now this."

"But it's not like it's his intention!" Knuckles countered. "Chaos is normally a calm and peaceful being! He's the guardian of the Chao! And if he's so consumed by confusion and hopeless anger… he just loses it."

"But he'd need the Chaos Emeralds to become Perfect Chaos," Tails explained. "Maybe the ones behind all of this used the Emeralds to do so. Poor guy…" Sonic just looked down an open manhole and peered into the sewers below. "Sorry you had to go through all that suffering again, Chaos. Now, head back to Tikal. I'm sure she misses you…"

"If the Chaos Emeralds can transform a peaceful entity into a being of massive devastation," Discord spoke up. "This could be more disastrous than I imagined. Of course, you did explain that they had unlimited power, but after seeing their effects on the water creature for myself…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's bad," Sonic answered. "I mean, combined with an evil ghost horse makes it even worse. Just look at this place…"

"As much as I want to stay and help…" whispered Fluttershy. "I think we should go. Maybe Twilight's made some progress?"

"Or Omochao has a lead on Eggman!" Knuckles eagerly finished. "Either way works for me! The sooner we crack him, the better!" Rarity had an expression of uncertainty. "I agree on dealing with that heinous ruffian, but I'm afraid I must sympathize with Fluttershy. We should make our way back to Ponyville and-"

The air crackled a block away from their position, instantly startling everypony nearby who were shaken up enough. Out of nowhere, something above the streets sizzled like lightning before spreading itself apart, tearing into open space. The newly-formed breach expanded in width, displaying a small building resembling…

Tails gasped. "My workshop!" Sonic cracked a smile. "Alright! Now we're getting somewhere!" He turned an eye to Rainbow Dash. "Looks like we're gonna have to split for a bit. You're cool with that, right?"

"I guess," shrugged the pegasus. "As long as you get your half of the egghead puzzle. Knowing Twilight, she's pretty much got the magic she needs by now."

"Pity about the damage done to the city," Discord added. "But it's nothing that these ponies can't fix. As for me, I'm going to find whoever or whatever made that elemental abomination and show them a thing or two about real chaos. Until next time, my friends!" He raised a hand to snap his fingers, only to suddenly stop. "Oh, one more thing! Fluttershy?"

"Yes, Discord?" asked the timid pegasus.

"Do take care out there. With Equestria on the verge of total destruction, you're bound to face all kinds of unknown dangers. Dangers even I cannot begin to imagine."

"I will. Thank you."

Discord smiled before he snapped his fingers, blinking away in a heartbeat. Sonic turned to Tails, Amy, and Knuckles, who all stood towards the rift just down the street.

"Okay, guys! Let's go get that chaos energy data!" He was the first to break into a run for the rift. Everyone else swiftly followed while the ponies all waved with a front hoof. "See ya when ya get back!" Applejack called. Sonic looked over his shoulder and flashed the ponies a thumbs-up before jumping through the breach. Tails, Amy, and Knuckles hopped through in unison, their forms vanishing from sight.

"So… now what?" asked Pinkie Pie.

"Hopefully…" sighed Rarity. "Everypony will begin recovering and restoring this fine city to what it was hours ago. As for us, well, I suggest we return to Ponyville, as I was previously saying."

"It ain't gonna be easy," Applejack said. "That wind-water monster destroyed the bridge leading out of Manehattan when it flooded the place."

"So?" Rainbow Dash replied eagerly. "Fluttershy and I will just fly us all there! We'll be back in Ponyville before you-"

"Did you see him running across the water like that? That was so cool!"

"Huh?" Rainbow muttered under her breath and turned in the direction of the voice. It sounded like a pair of fillies were talking to themselves… about Sonic.

"Something wrong, RD?" Applejack wondered. The cyan mare snapped out of her trance and hastily thought of a proper excuse. "Oh! Uh… just heard some lost fillies! Be right back!" Before anypony could reply, she shot away in a colored flash.

Rainbow neared a corner of a building where a group of ponies was gathering. While adults and children alike were talking anxiously about the giant water horse-like monster that brought forth chilling winds, a pair of two fillies had excitement on their faces. Rainbow touched down and sneaked closer to the corner, her ears perked up.

"And then he was spinning around like a rock going down a hill! How does a creature even do that?!"

"Forget the spinning! He ran right up that water monster like it was nothing! And he gave it the biggest headache of its life!"

Rainbow's heart started to sink. She knew these two ponies; they were a part of her ever-growing fan club. Admirers of her awesomeness and lovers of all her skyward stunts. Even a good old sonic rainboom would make them faint in amazement!

"Okay, so he's cool and all… y'know, for something with that many spikes, but I'm gonna admit something. Rainbow Dash is definitely the fastest, coolest pony in all Equestria…"

The fan's words made Rainbow's mouth curl into a smile. Maybe this wasn't what she thought it was at all. "...but how does she compare to this guy?"

Her smile faded and her wings fell to her sides. Pinkie's words from back in Canterlot rang through her mind in a sing-song tone. Dashie's got a rival!

"Well… he may not be able to fly, but I betcha he can't do a sonic rainboom like Dash can!"

"What about a regular sonic boom? Is he fast enough to do that?"

Their race back before discovering the changeling hideout returned as well. Rainbow remembered her ecstatic smile as she blasted past the hedgehog at sonic rainboom-level speed… and then that feeling of happiness turned into horror when she saw him standing right next to her. He had a cocky smile of his own, had winked at her cheekily, and tore down the open landscape beyond the speed of sound. Fast enough to leave her- her!- in the dust at her top speed.

That was when Rainbow Dash realized that she had found a new kind of competition. A creature that could ruin her reputation without needing wings to do so. A creature who could win over her fans just as he was doing right now before her eyes. A creature cooler than her. A creature cockier than her.

And most of all… a creature faster than her. It was supposed to be impossible. But it wasn't. There was no denying it: Rainbow Dash was being outdone!

Was this the beginning of the end? Would her reputation as the Fastest Flier in Equestria be ruined? The Fastest Flier anywhere?

"What's Rainbow got to think of him?" asked one of the fillies, drawing her attention again. "Is she glad to have some creature just as fast as her to tag along with? That's gotta be all kinds of fun!"

"Um… I don't know," answered the other one. "Some creature just as fast as she is? Maybe even faster? And having absolutely no wings at all? I'd say Rainbow Dash has a new rival!"

"Ooh… now you've got me itching to know who's the fastest!"

"I think we all know who it is deep down…" the first filly answered before his face suddenly changed into an expression of uncertainty. "Wait… do we?"

Rainbow's ruby eyes turned to the road beneath her hooves. A puddle showing her reflection revealed that she was in total shock at the revelation. She remembered her outburst following Sonic's overtake and her desperate attempt to pass him. She remembered how bitter about it she was in the caves… and how Sonic's cocky attitude and positive look on things made her lighten up.

But now Rainbow knew that wasn't the case. He was only trying to distract her, to lighten the mood and assure her he was just doing it for the fun of it. But he called himself the Fastest Thing Alive. A title he wore proud in his world… and soon, in Rainbow's, he would eclipse hers with little effort.

Unless she proved it to him. Unless she proved to the hedgehog that here, he was out of his element. Unless she beat him and left him gasping for air. Unless she soared higher than he ever could unless she raced faster than she ever had in her entire life.

Jealousy flared up within Rainbow's soul as her mind echoed with an earlier thought. If you think you're the fastest thing around… think again.

"No," Rainbow quietly whispered to herself. "I am the fastest thing around. I'm Rainbow Dash, the best flier in all Equestria and ace Wonderbolt. I've battled dozens of monsters and thwarted many attempts to take over my home. I've performed a legendary technique that everypony once thought was impossible. I've got a reputation to maintain, and I will not let it be stolen from me by some blue, spiky, fleet-footed, wingless-!"

"Rainbow Dash?"

"GYAH!" The pegasus jumped in place and spun around to see her friends staring at her suspiciously. Rarity had her head slightly tilted to the side. "What in heavens are you muttering about?"

"Uh…" Her magenta eyes darted across the destroyed city. "Th-that whoever decided to have their little pet smash up this place is gonna get a Buccaneer Blitz to the face, that's what!" She spoke as loudly and boldly as she could, striking a determined pose to top off her charade.

The white unicorn raised a brow. "Hmm…"

It took all of Rainbow's willpower to not break down into a nervous wreck. "Many ponies' lives ruined! Entire districts swept away! A level of destruction never before seen in all of Equestria! When I find this guy, I'm gonna hit him so hard he'll forget the last two weeks of his life! I'm gonna lower his coolness meter by two hundred percent! I'm gonna-!"

"Okay, okay! Rainbow Dash, we get the picture!" groaned Applejack. "Can you and Fluttershy just please fly us back to Ponyville already?!"

"Oh! Uh… right. Heh heh. Sorry. Got a little too… carried away."

The earth pony just rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Now-"

"Don't worry about me!" Pinkie laughed. "I'm all good!" Everypony turned to see the pink pony tied to a bunch of balloons. She was already lifting into the air and giggling while Rarity gawked at her. "Pinkie Pie, where in Equestria did you get those-"

"It's Pinkie Pie," Rainbow answered plainly. "Need I say more?"

The unicorn thought this over. "Fair point. Fluttershy? If you would be a dear…"

The shy pegasus scooped up the unicorn while Rainbow picked up Applejack with a grunt. As the friends rose into the air and turned towards the mainland, her eyes narrowed in jealousy.

You? Fastest Thing Alive? We'll see about that, Sonic the Hedgehog...

Tails' Workshop, Sonic's world

The four friends touched down right outside the building, with Knuckles landing on his stomach happily. "Feels so good to be home…" he sighed.

"No time to waste, buddy," said Sonic as he and the fox cub walked inside. "Pull up everything you have on chaos energy. Twi's counting on us to get her portal-thingy up and running!"

"Way ahead of you!" Tails jogged over to the main computer and started flying his fingers over the control panel. "Okay, let's see… my replicated chaos energy frequency should do fine. Let me just bring it up… download it into the Miles Electric… and…"

"Uh, Tails?" Amy asked, pointing to something on the screen. "What's that?"

"Huh?" While the download progressed, Tails switched the screen to a satellite view. It showed multiple cities within the United Federation… which all had red dots blinking every second. Station Square, Central City, Westopolis… all of them. "What's going on over there?" Knuckles asked. Tails pulled up a camera feed in Westopolis, where he was met with pure chaos.

Armed soldiers ran down the streets while firing assault rifles. Vehicles lay on their sides and civilians ran for cover. Tanks fired off explosive rounds while animalistic howls and roars cut through the air. Numerous creatures poured from breaches in the sky and wreaked havoc on the city, trashing everything in their path. All while Tails, Knuckles, and Amy stood wide-eyed at the screen, radio chatter filled the speakers.

"Unit Two, fall back! Fall back!"

"We need Rhinos on Honda Street, now!"

"We're losing ground!"

"There's too many of them! We're being overrun!"

"Commander Tower, where's Team Dark?!"

"Giga Trooper Delta to Base! I'm pinned down!"

"Where are our reinforcements?!"

"Protect the civilians at all costs! Go! Go! Get out of here!"

"Push 'em back! Push 'em-AAAAAH!"

"G.U.N. is…" Knuckles looked too stunned to speak. "G.U.N.'s getting torn apart!"

"Those monsters again…" Amy whispered in horror. "Are they from Equestria?"

"This… this is bad," Tails gulped. "If this keeps up, the United Federation is doomed! Maybe even the world!"

"Wait!" Knuckles suddenly called out. "Where's Sonic?!"

Tails turned his eyes from the screen and looked around the workshop. The trio stood in silent shock as they realized they were the only ones left; the blue hedgehog was nowhere to be found.

In fact, he was already miles away. The Blue Blur blasted across the land at the speed of sound, his face locked in a half-determined, half-angry expression. He'd been away for too long, he realized. He was too busy trying to save his world from its future disaster… but he'd never thought too much about what it was going through now!

Please, please, please let me not be too late!

He rushed down a stretch of road and past the Westopolis city limit sign, nearly ripping it from the ground. The sapphire streak raced into the burning city in seconds, ready to sink himself into the first monster he found…

Somewhere north of Canterlot, Equestria

Cozy Glow remained petrified and trapped in the crystal prison Starlight cast upon her. Her form was locked in a pose of irritation and her face looked like she was in the middle of a sentence. The small alicorn would've remained there for a long time…

...if it was not for the green magic beam that shattered the crystal shell.

"Oof!" Cozy hit the ground with a weak gasp of exhaustion. Slowly, she rose and blinked open her eyes. "Uh… what… where…"

"Get up."

The alicorn looked up… where Queen Chrysalis stood with a vengeful face. "We have work to do."

HOW INFURIATING! OUR CREATION SHOULD HAVE FINISHED THEM! INSTEAD, DISCORD HAD THE GALL TO INTERVENE, SEPARATE CHAOS AND THE WINDIGO, AND CRITICIZE THEIR COMBINED STRENGTH?!

WHAT DOES HE KNOW OF TRUE CHAOS? IF THAT IS WHAT HE DESIRES, HE SHALL RECEIVE IT SOON ENOUGH. BUT FOR NOW… ALL IS NOT LOST. HMM… AS WE SPEAK, EQUESTRIAN MONSTERS INVADE THE UNITED FEDERATION AND SONIC IS SPEEDING IN TO CONTAIN THE DAMAGE. THE CITIZENS… HIS FANS… WILL BE DELIGHTED TO SEE HIM AFTER SO LONG. INTERESTING.

ON THE SUBJECT OF FANS, RAINBOW DASH'S FAVORERS ARE BEGINNING TO WAVER WITH THE NEWS OF ANOTHER IMPRESSIVE BLUE SPEEDSTER. THIS FACT, ALONG WITH THE REVELATION OF THE HEDGEHOG POTENTIALLY OUTDOING THE PEGASUS… IS BOUND TO BRING HER GREAT JEALOUSY AND HATRED.

PERHAPS THE TIME HAS COME FOR US TO ENACT THE NEXT PHASE. AND WHEN THEY MEET AGAIN… WE NEED NOT ACT FURTHER.