Empire City, Sonic's world
"Come on, horn-head! Is that the best you can do?!"
Sonic jumped away from a car that smashed into the road, landing several meters away from Tirek's position. Baring his teeth, the centaur charged up a devastating magic blast and fired it at the hedgehog. Running forth at full-speed, Sonic slid underneath the beam and sidestepped around similar blasts that tore up the asphalt.
"Pesky little gnat! Let's see how good you are at running without anything to run on!" Tirek erupted with laughter as he raised his arms… and telekinetically tore chunks of asphalt and concrete out of the road. A piece burst out from straight ahead of Sonic, forcing him to halt. "Whoa!"
Sonic raced around the crater and kept up the pace, keeping his eyes trained on the floating chunks. As he expected, Tirek telekinetically hurled them at Sonic with a yell, closing in on him like meteors. Sonic maneuvered around some of the pieces as they smashed around him, jumped onto several more without breaking a sweat, and shot off another. Now airborne, he zeroed in on Tirek with a Homing Attack, striking him in the head.
"OW! Why you little-!"
"Aw, what's wrong? Mad, big bull?" A laughing Sonic shot away from another blast, the destructive beam tearing up the road as it chased him. "Hey, I don't know what's worse: the aim or the temper!"
"RAAARGH!" Tirek roared with rage as Sonic sped toward him, slamming a fist onto the road. The hedgehog sailed over, landed on the centaur's back, and landed a kick to the back of his head. He was gone before Tirek could even turn around. The centaur telekinetically lifted some cars into the air, throwing them at the speeding hedgehog.
"Size? I'll give ya a ten!" Sonic said nonchalantly as he slid underneath the tumbling wreckage. "Anger? Ten as well. But execution… eh, maybe a four. Congratulations, you're now officially on my list of enemies! Bad news, you're gonna be at the bottom for a while."
Tirek roared in rage and smashed the road with both fists, causing a huge tremor and caused spike-like rocks to rise from the ground. Sonic easily weaved around the obstacles and even spun through one that appeared in front of him, blasting through the stone-like obstacle course in no time at all. "Nice try, T! You must be dumb as a rock if you think that was enough to stop me! Points for effort, though!"
Tirek growled again as Sonic raced to his feet and tried to stomp him like a bug. "DO! YOU! EVER! SHUT UP?!" The hedgehog looked unfazed as he dodged each strike. "Nah, sorry. Part of my charm." He nailed Tirek in the chin with an upward Spin Jump, making the centaur reel. Hopping off a police car, he shot at the horned monster again…
"ENOUGH!"
Sonic froze in midair, surrounded by a bright orange aura. "Ngh! Huh?! What the-?!"
"I grow tired of this little game, you spiky pest! Now you shall feel the wrath of Tartarus itself!" Tirek concentrated his magic on Sonic, who was suddenly yanked downward and smashed against the ground. He hit the asphalt three times before Tirek pulled him back up… and blasted him with another destructive magic beam at point-blank range. The hedgehog was sent flying, smashing through the glass of a nearby building.
"Hrmph! Finally," Tirek huffed. "I hadn't fought with that much effort since Twilight…" He turned away from the building and started to walk away. "Now, where is that alicorn?"
"Oof… wow. I almost felt that one…"
"WHAT?!" Tirek spun towards the building with rage in his eyes. From the dust, Sonic cracked a shoulder back into place and stretched his arms. "Strength: a definite ten. Not bad for a muscular bull monster."
"How… how are you still alive?!" Tirek demanded in a mix of shock and anger. "I obliterated you with that magic!"
"Dude, I've had chili dogs hit my guts harder," Sonic explained. "Plus, once you've collected as many rings as I have, they tend to do you a little favor. Man, wait until Knuckles hears how I beat your ugly butt!"
"NOT IF I DESTROY YOU FIRST!"
Tirek broke into a charge, prompting Sonic to blast forward at high speed. The two creatures ran for each other, the centaur roaring in anger. As soon as Tirek neared Sonic, he raised both fists over his head and slammed them down on Sonic with the force of a boulder.
When Tirek lifted his arms, he saw only a clattering manhole cover with the hedgehog nowhere to be found. His black eyes narrowed and his face twitched as if he was about to explode. He swung his head in all directions… until a whistle from behind him made him spin in that direction. Sonic had pried open another manhole cover with a knowing smirk on his face.
"Hedgehog. Noun. A burrowing animal." He spun into one of Tirek's forelegs to cripple him, bounced off his horns, and stomped on his head from the air. Tirek snatched the hedgehog, threw him to the road, and slammed a hoof down to crush Sonic. The hedgehog just rolled away and shot back into the air, but Tirek raised his arms to block the bouncing blue ball and its repeated strikes. Eventually, Sonic hit the bulky limbs hard enough to break Tirek's defense, staggering the centaur.
"Yee-haw!" Sonic cried, hopping behind Tirek's horns and pulling on them. "Ride 'em, cowboy!" Upon realizing the hedgehog was now on his back, Tirek roared again and burst into a frenzy, charging down the street while making frantic movements to get the hedgehog off. Tirek rampaged across sidewalks, smashed aside abandoned cars, and knocked aside all manner of debris. All the while, Sonic pulled and tugged on the horns to try and steer Tirek away from… well, whatever Sonic didn't want to be pulverized.
The hedgehog's eyes widened when he saw what Tirek was stomping towards now: the ground floor of a hotel building. "Whoa, whoa, bad, bad, very bad-!"
CRASH! Tirek smashed through the glass window with a bellow and rampaged through the ground floor, smashing up desks and sending furniture and papers flying. He crashed through the other side, knocking away a taxi cab and sending panicked civilians running for their lives. "Heads up, coming through!" Sonic warned.
"Get! OFF me!" Tirek roared, thrashing his head about and leaving Sonic holding onto the horns for dear life. "Okay, but remember! You said so!" Sonic swung off one horn and sailed into the air, setting his sights on the back of Tirek's neck.
VREEEE! Sonic spun up in a blue ball and shot for the nape, slamming it like a heat-seeking missile finding its target. Tirek yelped in pain and lost his footing, crashing to the street with his face in the asphalt. Sonic touched down right in front of him, dusting himself off. "Check and mate! Another bad guy bites my dust!"
"Rrrgh… h-how?" Tirek growled. "How could I lose to an inferior creature… with no magic? Even… even after my powers were restored immediately after I was set free from that prison…"
"Powers, no powers, what's the difference?" Sonic replied. "I've beaten magic-fueled freaks like you all the time! Seriously, get with the times, pal." He strode confidently to the still centaur and placed a sneaker right on his nose. "Now, if I were told that you were beaten by a little horse, I would've laughed in your face. That is, before I would've met the lot."
"You… insolent…" Tirek gasped. "You will… suffer for this…"
"Aw, why so glum? Did I knock the wind outta ya? Was I too much? Or maybe you didn't get all of your powers back after your release… nah! I'm just that-"
Before Sonic could finish, the ground beneath Tirek burst open in a flash of light! "YOW!" The hedgehog jumped back while the centaur snapped to his senses. "What?!" he cried before he started to drop through, his bulky hands desperately grasping the road. "Spiky one! Do something! Please! SAVE MEEEEEEE…"
The beast's voice dropped as his form did the same… and the portal closed in a flash, leaving Sonic alone and confused. "Okayyy…" he muttered. "That was weird. But, hey, one less monster."
He stepped back and looked around at the towering, damaged skyscrapers. "Yeesh, this place has seen better days. Hope the evac's going well. Speaking of, I better call Tails and tell him-hngh!"
The hedgehog clutched his head and winced. "O-ow! What the-?! My...my head…!" He collapsed to his knees, his brain acting like it was on fire all of a sudden. His eyes clenched shut, allowing darkness to swallow his field of vision. And for some odd reason Sonic couldn't quite grasp, it became darker despite the light of the fires not too far away.
And then, the pain inexplicably stopped. A confused Sonic opened his eyes… and still saw darkness. That was all he was surrounded by now. A void of eternal nothingness, an endless abyss beneath his feet, and a sky of murky black reaching up to-
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG.
"GYAH!" Sonic jumped at the deep, booming voice. "Who?! What?! Where?!"
CALM YOURSELF. A pair of gleaming violet eyes snapped open in the black, gazing into the hedgehog's being with its mere presence. WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING YOU.
"The big, freaky pair of eyes wants me to calm down?" Sonic asked. "I got two words for you: No! Thanks!" He leaped and spun towards what he believed was the thing's forehead… until that spot shone with dark energy.
A black-violet aura enveloped Sonic, trapping him in place and leaving him floating in midair. "Hey! Magic?! No fair!" He narrowed his eyes sternly at the ones staring at him. "What's the matter?! Afraid I'm gonna beat the black out of you?!"
YOU ARE CORRECT TO ASSUME OUR INTENTIONS ARE HOSTILE, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG. BUT, WE ASSURE YOU, THEY ARE NOT. WE HAVE COME TO WARN YOU OF A GREAT THREAT.
"Okay, listen up, you… you… whatever you are!" Sonic didn't have time for this. "If you're gonna go all 'worlds are coming together and their collision will destroy them both' thing, you're too late to that party! And second, before you go any further, I need an explanation! Who… er, what the heck are you? And what is this place? And who is 'we'?"
WE ARE THE SPAWN OF TWO WORLDS, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG. BOTH YOURS AND THE OTHER. FOR MILLENNIA, WE HAVE RESIDED WITHIN THE CHAOS EMERALDS AND THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY. WHEN THEY MADE CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER, WE WERE MADE WHOLE WITH THE ADDITION OF THE INTERDIMENSIONAL PROPERTIES OF THE SPACE BETWEEN DIMENSIONS. IT IS THERE THAT WE OBSERVED THE EVENTS THAT HAVE TRANSPIRED TO THIS POINT.
"Yeah," Sonic snarkily brushed this off. "If you've seen everything, then you know I'm gonna let you have it the minute I get out of this stupid magic bubble or whatever it is."
WHICH IS WHY WE DO NOT WISH TO FIGHT. WE HAVE A SENSED A DIRE THREAT TO YOU, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG. OUR TESTS HAVE PROVEN THAT YOU ARE MORE THAN READY TO CONFRONT IT.
Sonic raised a brow. "Tests? What tests?"
YOUR COORDINATION WITH YOUR FRIENDS IS SOMETHING TO BEHOLD, AN ELEMENT THAT HEAVILY DEFINES THE OTHER WORLD. YOUR VANQUISHING ONE OF OUR SHAPES PROVES THAT. ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU PARTIALLY EXCELLED IN DEFEATING THE FUSION BETWEEN THE WATER GOD AND THE WIND SPIRIT. HAD DISCORD NOT INTERVENED AND FINISHED THE JOB YOU STARTED, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN YOU THAT WAS FINISHED. BUT FROM WHAT WE KNOW OF YOU, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, YOU ARE NOT EASILY BESTED.
"Wait a sec…" Gears in his head started to turn. "You interrupted that race? And you made Windichaos?! What the heck, dude?!"
WE UNFOLDED THOSE EVENTS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU WOULD SUCCEED, AS YOU HAVE DONE TO MANY. CHAOS, DARK GAIA, THE TIME EATER, YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE WHEN IT COMES TO BATTLING ELDRITCH CREATURES.
"Which is why I'm gonna have no trouble taking you down!"
THE THREAT WE HAVE COME TO WARN YOU OF IS NOT US, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG. WE ADMIRE YOU, AS DO COUNTLESS SOULS IN YOUR WORLD.
Sonic paused for a moment. "Okay, getting complicated by a freaky black thing was the last thing I expected outta this… but humor me! If you're not the big bad, then what is?"
NOT WHAT. WHO. Something swirled into view beside the giant pair of eyes, like water after its surface had been breached. It stilled as something played out within it: a cyan, rainbow-maned pegasus soaring through the sky and blasting through clouds. AND IT IS HER WE HAVE COME TO WARN YOU OF.
"Wait, Rainbow Dash?" Sonic was deeply confused now as he watched the pegasus' aerial maneuvers. "What kinda beef does she have with me?"
The being did not answer with its deep voice. Instead, the image before Sonic shifted into one he recognized: himself and the pony racing across the landscape of Green Hill and the open flats of Equestria. Both of them had hit supersonic, with the colored comet struggling to keep pace with the sapphire streak.
Sonic noticed something on Rainbow's face. She looked… desperate. Almost as if she didn't want to admit what was happening. Sonic never took her to be a sore loser…
The scene changed before his eyes, advancing in time. Now the group was entering the changeling caves. Sonic saw pride and confidence in his face… and noticed Rainbow was glaring daggers at him. She appeared to be filled to the brim with rage and resentment, her teeth bared and magenta eyes nearly burning a bright red like the fire in her soul.
ALL HER LIFE, the voice spoke. RAINBOW DASH DREAMED OF WHAT SHE TRULY DESIRED: EXCITEMENT. EVER SINCE SHE LEARNED HOW TO FLY, SHE NEVER WANTED TO FORGET IT. SHE STRIVED TO REACH NEW HEIGHTS- FIGURATIVELY AND LITERALLY- TO IMPRESS ALL MANNER OF CREATURES. AS TIME PASSED, SHE ACHIEVED SOMETHING MOST BELIEVED WAS IMPOSSIBLE AND HER REPUTATION SKYROCKETED.
A young Rainbow Dash lit up the sky in an explosion of color that trailed outwards for miles. Sonic remembered that trick; she called it a Sonic Rainboom. Not the most impressive of names…
BUT WHAT PAINED HER THE GREATEST THEN WAS HOW EASILY IT WAS FORGOTTEN AS A LEGEND. RAINBOW DASH WAS DESPERATE TO PROVE HERSELF, YEARNING AND ACHING FOR ANY LIFE OTHER THAN MANAGING WEATHER AND MOVING CLOUDS. FOR HER, THE AERIAL ACE TEAM KNOWN AS THE WONDERBOLTS OFFERED THE CHANCE SHE SOUGHT.
Through more rifts, Sonic caught more glimpses into Rainbow's life. In one, the pegasus sadly looked up to the sky after pushing a cloud into position. In another, she stared daydreamingly at a Wonderbolts poster. And in a third, she crash-landed into a purple unicorn and her dragon companion. HER FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH TWILIGHT SPARKLE BECAME A TURN FOR THE BETTER. WITH CONFIDENCE FROM BOTH THE FUTURE PRINCESS AND THE REST OF HER ALLIES, SHE PERFORMED THE SONIC RAINBOOM AGAIN AND WON THE FAVOR OF ALL WHO SAW IT. BUT THIS TIME, SHE WANTED TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
AS TIME PASSED, SHE EARNED RESPECT FROM THOSE SHE CARED ABOUT, ESPECIALLY HER FRIENDS. RAINBOW DASH WAS DECLARED THE FASTEST CREATURE IN EQUESTRIA; A TITLE SHE WOULD NOT TRADE FOR ANYTHING ELSE. SHE WON EVERY RACE SHE TOOK PART IN, BELIEVING HER TITLE WAS SAFE. THAT IS… UNTIL SHE ENCOUNTERED A ROADBLOCK. A THREAT. A BEING CAPABLE OF STEALING HER CROWN. AND THAT THREAT…
Rainbow's eyes went wide as Sonic raced by her, surrounded by a mach cone. With a cheeky wink, Sonic obliterated the sound barrier with a mighty boom and surged onward.
...IS YOU.
"Wha- me?!" Sonic couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Hey, it's not my fault she can't stand second place! Her competitive spirit is off the charts, that's all!" Immediately, Sonic's thoughts turned to other rivals who threatened to give him a run for his money. Metal Sonic, Shadow, Silver, Jet… just about any of them could match them in speed.
IT IS MORE THAN JUST OVERTHROWING HER AS THE FASTEST BEING IN THE UNIVERSE AND HUMILIATING HER BEYOND BELIEF, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG. The voice continued. YOU SEE, YOU POSSESS WHAT SHE HAS ALWAYS DESIRED. A LIFE OF ADVENTURE. A LIFE OF THRILLS. A LIFE OF EXCITEMENT. FROM THE BEGINNING, YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN FILLED WITH THE ONE THING RAINBOW'S LACKED; THE ONE THING SHE DESPERATELY CRAVED. YOU HAVE A NEMESIS YOU CONSTANTLY DEFEAT. SHE DOES NOT. YOU HAVE BATTLED WORLD-THREATENING FOES ON YOUR OWN. SHE HAS NOT. YOU CAN DEFEAT AN ENTIRE HORDE OF ROBOTS IN A MATTER OF MINUTES. SHE HAS NOT, AND SHE NEVER WILL. IN HER EYES, SHE IS INFERIOR TO YOU IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY.
"So… she's jealous of me just because I'm awesome?" Sonic said in disbelief. "That's… that's not cool! Everyone's awesome in their own right!"
WE AGREE. BUT RAINBOW DASH'S EAGERNESS FOR ADVENTURE AND SELF-RESPECT IS BEGINNING TO CLOUD HER MIND. HER JEALOUSY FOR YOU HAS GROWN EVER SINCE YOU- A CREATURE WITH NO WINGS- HAS BESTED HER IN A RACE. AND IT GROWS EVER STILL AS EVERY ONE OF HER FANS BECOMES MORE AND MORE INTERESTED IN YOU.
"Wow. I must be really impressive if I'm getting fans from other worlds."
RAINBOW DASH NOW BELIEVES THAT SOON, EVERYTHING IN EQUESTRIA WILL RESPECT YOU MORE THAN HER. SHE BELIEVES YOU ARE TAKING EVERYTHING SHE HELD DEAR… INCLUDING HER FRIENDS.
Sonic gasped in shock. "Wait, what?! But… but I don't wanna take anything! I'm not selfish! I would never do that!"
AND YET SHE DESPISES YOU FAR TOO MUCH TO REALIZE THAT. RAINBOW DASH WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO RECLAIM WHAT YOU HAVE SUPPOSEDLY TAKEN FROM HER, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG. SHE BELIEVES SHE IS THE ONE TRUE FASTEST THING ALIVE. TRUST US ON THIS: WHEN NEXT YOU TWO MEET, SHE WILL CHALLENGE YOU AGAIN. AND SHE WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO BECOME NUMBER ONE AGAIN.
"That is so messed up!" Sonic protested. "So… what do I do? How do I stop her from… uh, 'stopping' me?"
YOU DO WHAT YOU MUST. BEST HER AS YOU HAVE BESTED ALL OTHERS BEFORE HER.
"But won't that make her even madder?"
SHE MUST KNOW HER PLACE. IF SHE CANNOT BE YOUR RIVAL OR YOUR EQUAL, THEN HER WINGS MUST BE CLIPPED. PERMANENTLY.
Sonic turned pale at that last word while the being lowered him to the ground. The magic aura surrounding the hedgehog vanished in a blink. "P-permanently?"
IF SHE HAS GONE TOO FAR IN HER OBSESSION TO BECOME THE FASTEST CREATURE IN THE UNIVERSE, THE INEVITABLE DEFEAT SHE WILL SUFFER AT YOUR HANDS WILL BREAK HER EVEN MORE THAN YOUR PRESENCE AND YOUR REPUTATION ALREADY HAVE. SHE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL SHE HAS DONE IT. UNTIL SHE HAS FINISHED YOU. THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN TRULY TRIUMPH AGAINST HER, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG… IS TO FINISH HER FIRST.
Sonic balled his fists and sneered at the eyes. "No," His voice was stern and upset, a trait Sonic rarely showed. "I won't do it! I may be able to beat Rainbow Dash, but I am not gonna…. Gonna…" He couldn't bring himself to say it. He didn't want to. But if she was way too messed up like the voice said… surely there had to be another way! Right?
UNFORTUNATELY, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG… the voice sounded almost sorrowful. THAT IS NOT OUR DECISION TO MAKE.
"No! No!" Sonic cried out. "I'm not gonna do it! And you're not gonna make me do it, either! The only thing I am gonna do is knock some sense into that brain of hers! Sure, it'll be hard, and it'll be tough, and I know she's gonna go all out! But I am not! Going! To-!"
"RRRAAAAAAAAGH!"
An ear-rending shriek of boiling rage shot through the darkness, wailing like a banshee. His heart spiking in his chest, Sonic spun to see the source of the scream… but he only saw burning-red eyes before something crashed into him like a cannonball. He hit the ground hard, pain shooting through his body. Sonic groaned and cracked open an eye… just as a hoof smashed the ground right in front of his eyes.
"YOU!" screamed a high-pitched voice. "YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!"
Sonic's pulse began to race and his senses started to go wild. The hedgehog spun into his back, hoping to get a glimpse of his attacker. And when he saw it- or rather, her- his heart dropped into his stomach.
"R-Rainbow?!" he stammered shakily. "H-how did you-?!"
WHAM! A hoof struck Sonic in the cheek, sending him tumbling across the blackness. With his vision blurred from the impact and his ears ringing like bells, Sonic placed both hands on the ground and slowly rose to his feet. The equine figure stomped towards him, assaulting his ears with a voice that sounded like it required every breath of her lungs to sustain.
"I AM THE FASTEST PEGASUS… THE FASTEST ANYTHING IN ALL EQUESTRIA! I HAD IT ALL! FAME! FANS! A NAME THAT WAS WRITTEN INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS! AND YOU STOLE THEM FROM ME!"
"Rainbow, wait-!" Sonic opened his mouth to speak, but it was far too late. Rainbow tackled him at high speed, knocking the air from his lungs. With another screech of rage, she threw him into the air, chased after him, and landed a powerful kick with both hind hooves. The hedgehog smashed against the ground, bounced up, and landed on his stomach again.
She touched down, giving Sonic a good look at her. Her torso was heaving in and out, parts of her fur were unkempt, and her mane was ruffled in some areas. But what gave Sonic the most chills were her eyes. Instead of their usual magenta, they appeared to burn a bright red with a fit of unbound anger that had seemingly been locked up inside Rainbow for so long. And… were those tears streaking down her face, staining her once-lush cyan fur?
"MY FRIENDS! MY FAMILY! EVERYPONY WHO EVER LOOKED UP TO ME! THEY ALL LEFT ME! THEY ALL LEFT ME FOR YOU!"
"NO!" Sonic cried, holding up his hands in denial. "Rainbow, listen to me! I-It's not like that! I didn't-!"
"SHUT UUUUUP!" Rainbow screamed, flying full-speed for the hedgehog again. This time, Sonic rolled out of the way and watched the pegasus swoop into the air. "Rainbow!" he called out again, panic starting to show in his voice. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen! Seriously! I-I just thought you would be a good challenge for me and I-"
"YOU! RUINED! MY! LIIIIIIFE!" Rainbow dove for Sonic as another scream tore its way from her throat. The sound of the air howling across her wings seemed to give the haunting sound an amplified feeling of dread: enough to send Sonic taking off into the abyss. He ran as fast as he could, glancing over his shoulder to see the enraged pegasus hot on his tail. Sonic immediately took a hard left, zooming away and leaving the pegasus in his dust.
"NO!" she shrieked. "NOT AGAIN!" She immediately corrected her flight path and continued shooting after the hedgehog as if she was a missile that was impossible to shake off. "NEVER AGAIN!"
Sonic dashed this way and that, frantically trying to avoid the wrath-filled pegasus that never strayed from his trail. As he zoomed through the darkness, while feeling like he was going in circles, he took in a deep breath.
"Rainbow, look!" he cried, desperate to snap her out of her rage. "This wasn't what I-" He glanced over his shoulder… only to see the pegasus was no longer behind him. Before Sonic could look around for any sign of her, something plowed into him from the side and carried him up into the air like a roller coaster.
Sonic yelled out in surprise and held onto the cyan fur with a death grip, his attacker rolling and making sharp turns whenever she could. Throughout the maneuvers, Sonic continued to frantically stammer out his words. "Okay! I'm sorry the race didn't go as I hoped! I'm sorry I made you upset! And I'm sorry I made you think I wanted to kick you off your little sky throne! THERE! I said it! Now, please, please, please stop going crazy!"
"NEVER!" roared the pegasus. "Not until I see you as a blue stain on the ground!" She looped in a sharp arc and spiraled into the ground, sending both of them tumbling across the dark ground. Sonic was the first to bound back up, just as Rainbow shot for him again. This time, though, he was ready.
Spinning on his heel, Sonic landed a roundhouse kick square in the pegasus' face. The flier crashed into the ground and popped her head back up with a growl. Sonic held his fists up, a hesitant expression on his face. "Rainbow, please don't make me do this…"
"TOO LATE!" she screamed, rocketing towards him again. Sonic jumped over her in a heartbeat and spun into her, knocking the pegasus down. Before the flier could stand back up, Sonic threw himself on top of her and struggled to keep her restrained. "Stay down!" he cried. "Just stay! Down! No more, okay?! Just chill!"
"NOOOOOO!" She seemed to scream louder than before now, slamming herself down back-first to squash the hedgehog beneath her. With the tables now turned, Rainbow began to furiously beat Sonic with her forehooves, giving him barely enough time to react with each hit.
"YOU! TOOK! EVERYTHING!" she wailed. Something inside Sonic was slowly coming to the surface as each hoof rattled his senses and shot pain through his body. "I! AM! GONNA! MAKE! YOU-!"
A gloved hand shot out and snatched one of Rainbow's hooves, trapping it in place. Rainbow struggled to free herself, but Sonic only rose to his feet with closed eyes. And when he opened them, the look said it all.
He had had enough.
"So…" His tone was low and foreboding, which added to the half-annoyed, half-angry look his eyes were giving Rainbow. The pegasus didn't seem too concerned about this as she tried to release her hoof from the tight fist. "You wanna play by your rules? Fine."
His other hand latched itself around Rainbow's throat in a clinch hold, cutting off her frantic huffs of frustration. She struggled to look the hedgehog in the eye, the latter's sense of humor now utterly vanished. Only a frowning expression and a still mouth remained.
"We'll play by your rules."
At lightning speed, Sonic threw himself into a rapid backflip with Rainbow in tow and tossed her behind him like a ragdoll. The pegasus opened her wings in midair, recovering into a steady glide. But no sooner than she turned back around did Sonic run towards her, leap up, and land a strong kick to the side of her face.
One second passed after Rainbow crash-landed before Sonic blitzed her from all sides in a rapid blink-and-you'll-miss-it beatdown. He bounded off her multiple times in his ball form, bruising her fur and staggering her. With an angry cry, Rainbow thrust out a hoof as Sonic raced in from behind. The hedgehog, detecting the danger too late, ran face-first into the limb. The impact jolted Sonic, who was sent sliding back among the dark surface of the abysmal arena. Placing a hand to his head, he looked up and bared his teeth.
"I'M GONNA MAKE THIS HURT, YOU BLUE-SPINED FREAKSHOW!" Rainbow was dive-bombing towards him from the air again. Thinking fast, Sonic vaulted to his feet and shot for the pegasus like a missile… and successfully struck her on the wing, shredding off some feathers. With a pained cry, the pegasus collapsed. Spinning back up in midair, Sonic aimed right for Rainbow's back and shot for it at high speed.
"AAAAAAAAAAGH!"
Rainbow's pained cry rattled his ears... but he felt nothing from it. Not even a pang of guilt. The hedgehog touched down and rose to his full height, now noticing the pegasus was nowhere to be found. All that remained of her were dark particles floating away from him.
"You…" Sonic breathed heavily. "...are now the worst. Rival. Ever."
NOW DO YOU SEE? Said the voice. SHE WILL NOT RELENT. SHE WILL NOT REST UNTIL YOU ARE TRULY FINISHED.
"Yeah…" Sonic's tone still didn't change as he faced the eyes. "I've got unfinished business with that now. Tell me where to find her, and I'll knock all the colors outta her!"
PATIENCE, it said. THE TWO OF YOU WILL ENCOUNTER EACH OTHER SOON ENOUGH. AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THE POINT OF NO RETURN WILL BE CROSSED FOR YOU BOTH. BUT REMEMBER, YOUR FRIENDS MUST NOT KNOW OF THIS. IF THEY DO, THEY WILL BECOME MORE OBSTACLES IN YOUR PATH.
"Don't worry about it. I can handle this."
YES… WE THINK SO, TOO.
And with that, the eyes faded from view. Sonic's head began to swirl once more, the darkness retreating from sight. Within seconds, the hedgehog found himself in the battered, ruined streets of Empire City with nothing but destroyed cars, burning fires, and-
"-ic! Do you read me? Sonic!"
Sonic's attention turned to the communicator on his wrist, which he nonchalantly activated. "What's up, Tails?"
"Whew! Finally!" his friend gasped on the other end. "What took you so long? I've been trying to reach you for fifteen minutes!"
"Sorry," Sonic answered. "I ran into some… complications."
"Complications?"
"Big, bad, bull monster with a temper as large as himself," Sonic answered. "He called himself Tirek, and he's one of the guys from the statue."
"Wow, you've been busy!" That was a new voice now. Knuckles. "Anyway, Central City's clear, blue! And man, it was quite a mess to clean up over there! You got off easy!"
"We're headed back to Tails' workshop now," added Amy Rose. "Meet us there and we'll get back on track."
"Will do," Sonic ended the transmission and turned his attention towards the city streets. Drawing himself back, he blasted down the damaged road and charted a course for the city limits. And while he ran through the city and towards the outskirts, he scolded himself for not seeing it earlier.
That whole "loyalty" stuff was a bunch of baloney. The only thing Rainbow was truly loyal to was herself. She was the most selfish creature Sonic had ever seen, hiding it under affection and compassion for her friends. In truth, they were just tools for her to use in her rise to fame and self-esteem.
But Sonic had put an end to that. And he'd put an end to her single-minded ways, too. No matter how big their worlds were, there was only enough room for one cool and fast creature. And the Blue Blur planned to show that pesky pegasus who that was… the hard way.
…
Crystal Empire, Equestria
"This place is amazing!" Silver shouted, awe and wonder coursing through his veins. "It's like something out of a dream!" All around the hedgehog was a gleaming, brilliant city of crystalline buildings, shining streets, and a gigantic sparkling tower in the very heart. Starlight looked amused at his reaction. "See? Amazing, isn't it?"
"It certainly has its perks," added an impressed Blaze. "It reminds me of how elegant my own kingdom is."
"And are those ponies made of crystal?!" Silver gasped at some of the locals who had their eyes on the newcomers. "How?! Is it magic?" Starlight just brushed him off. "Kinda a long story. And as much as I'd like to see you two sightsee, we've got business here."
"Huh? Oh, right!" Silver straightened his posture. "What kinda business? This place is so amazing I forgot. Sorry."
"Just follow me," Starlight said with a smile. "I'll show you the castle."
The unicorn led the hedgehog and cat through the glistening streets of the city, where all kinds of crystalized ponies were engaged in all kinds of tasks and socializing with each other. Several of them noticed Silver and Blaze, and- while taken aback at first- cheerfully greeted them.
Blaze smiled. "How charming. They're colorful despite their resplendent exterior."
Silver gave no reply. He was transfixed on the sights around him, just as he was when he entered the city. But something this time around felt… different. He wasn't just seeing the crystal city before his eyes. Instead, he saw something just as beautiful: a lush town built atop a calm river, dominated by tourists and precision machinery. The sun radiated its light from high above, bathing everything in a near-ethereal glow. Boats floated down the waterways, and symbols of the sun could be seen on banners and signs.
The sight of the looming tower reaching for the heavens returned Silver to reality. It appeared more gigantic by the second as he and Blaze followed Starlight directly underneath it making their way for an entrance built into one of the four supports. The entire structure seemed to sparkle and glimmer, reflecting every ounce of sunlight that touched it.
Starlight motioned for the duo to enter. And if Silver found himself amazed at the exterior of the pillar-like castle, the inside was just as splendid. "Whoa…" he gasped. "This place is luxurious!"
"Agreed," said Blaze. "It appears fitting for the most regal of royal families. Remind me to give the architect my regards."
Silver chuckled. "Then remind me to remind you!"
"HALT!" cried a sudden voice, stopping the hedgehog and cat in their tracks. From up ahead, two crystal ponies with spears and jousting armor were galloping up to them. Silver gulped at the sight of the weapons. Those weren't necessary, right?
"State your business, strangers!" one of the guards shouted. Silver struggled to come up with a reply. "Um… we're, uh…"
"Sorry! They're with me!" Starlight answered, making her way to the guards. "I was wondering if Princess Cadence is available? It's kind of urgent."
The other guard widened his eyes at the unicorn. "Starlight Glimmer! Our apologies. With news of mysterious creatures appearing across Equestria, we were uncertain which had hostile intentions for the kingdom."
Starlight tilted her head. "So, is she…?"
"You're in luck!" said the first guard. "Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor have just finished seeing whether the Crystal Heart had been affected by the strange cracks in the sky. We'll inform them of your arrival at once."
"Thank you," Starlight finished before the guards turned and trotted down the hall again. Blaze looked on in thought. "I would not blame them. If odd events and anomalies were detected near my kingdom, I would place my staff on alert as well."
"Well, good thing that went well!" Silver breathed. "Whew!"
"The throne room's this way," Starlight told them as she started moving through the corridor as well. Silver and Blaze followed her, taking in the sights of the pristine doors, walls, and hallways along the way. Was it just him, or did Silver think those doors were way too big for little ponies?
Speaking of doors, they were approaching an unnecessarily-large pair right now with two more guards keeping watch on both sides of them. Upon noticing Starlight, they stood tall and silently granted her passage. The unicorn gave them a nod of approval before lighting up her horn, telekinetically pushing open the doors.
The throne room was massive; a single carpet leading to a seat in front of a stockpile of crystalline pillars. Six winged guards stood in a practiced formation along the pathway, some of them not even batting an eye at Silver and Blaze as they passed. Silver turned his attention to the throne, which held an alicorn, a unicorn, and… a baby?
"Ah, Starlight Glimmer," the alicorn spoke calmly. "Twilight's faithful student. What brings you here?"
"And who are your new friends?" asked the unicorn. Silver cleared his throat before dropping to a knee and bowing. Beside him, Blaze did a small curtsy. "Your majesties!" he began. "My name is Silver the Hedgehog, and this is my companion, Blaze."
"Greetings."
"We come from a world different from yours, and we have arrived seeking information," Silver continued. "Would you be willing to give us what we seek?"
"Of course," answered the unicorn. "Any friend of my sister… well, or any friend of my sister's friend is a friend of mine."
Silver was confused. "Sister?"
"Silver, Blaze," Starlight spoke up. "I'd like you to meet Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor, rulers of the Crystal Empire… and Twilight's older brother, in the latter's case. And that right there is their daughter, Flurry Heart."
Upon hearing her name, the little alicorn opened her eyes and stared at the new arrivals. "Aw!" Silver chuckled. "She's adorable!" Shining Armor just chuckled at his comment. "Well, she's also a handful sometimes…"
"So, Starlight," Cadence asked. "What is it that you and your friends want here?"
"I heard that Star Swirl the Bearded is temporarily staying here," Starlight answered. "My new friends here are having some… strange occurrences that I think are related to what's happening in Equestria. And I believe he can help us out."
"Star Swirl?" Shining Armor repeated, taken aback. Cadence seemed alarmed as well. "Well, yes, he is staying here for the time being, but…"
Starlight grew concerned at the sight of the royals' uncertain reactions. "Is something wrong?" she inquired. Cadence just sighed. "I suppose you haven't heard, then. After all, I was surprised to hear you had safely arrived in the city."
"Um…" Now Starlight was growing nervous. "Now I'm not sure I want to know."
"There have been reports coming in from across Equestria," Shining Armor explained. "Unicorns everywhere have just… vanished."
"Vanished?" Starlight repeated.
"That's right," Cadence answered. "Ponyville, Manehattan, Vanhoover… even Canterlot. In cities across Equestria, the unicorns are disappearing. Thus… we grew worried for the ones that remained, including you."
"Disappearing?" Silver wondered. "That… doesn't sound good. Blaze, do you think it has something to do with the cracks in the sky?"
The princess shook her head. "Unfortunately, I do not."
"We don't know what's behind it, or where the unicorns are now," Shining continued. "All we do know is that the remaining unicorns are gathering somewhere safe. But for how long they can stay safe is anypony's guess."
"What about Star Swirl?" Starlight asked nervously. "W-was he-?"
"We don't know," Cadence replied. "The last we heard of him, he said he was coming to the Crystal Empire to 'lay low', but we believed he just needed a vacation. We're actually not certain if he's here… or if he didn't make it."
"But if you're lucky, you might find him in one of the hotels," Shining butted in. "If he made it to the Crystal Empire, he should be safe… and you should be, too."
"I suggest you and your friends remain here until everything clears up, Starlight," Cadence told the unicorn. "In the meantime, you can go look for Star Swirl in the city and he'll help you from there."
"Right!" Starlight answered. "I'll get right on it! Come on, guys!" She spun on her hooves and raced out of the throne room hurriedly with a surprised Blaze and Silver quickly running after. On his way out, Silver looked over his shoulder and waved at the royal family. "Nice place you got here!"
Before either of them could answer, the throne room doors closed shut. The trio ran through the crystal castle before finding their way outside. Starlight couldn't wipe the nervous expression off her face. What if Star Swirl wasn't really here? What if he vanished along with the rest of the unicorns? What if-
"Starlight, if I might," Blaze wondered, snapping the unicorn out of her thoughts. "Who is this 'Star Swirl'?"
Starlight gave a mental sigh of relief. At least, she'd have some reasons to clear her head. "Oh, he's a legend!" she answered as cheerfully as she could. "He's one of the great Pillars of Equestria, one of the guardians from Equestria's ancient time! He's a master magician, having made over two hundred spells! He's an expert in everything: teleportation, transfiguration, dimensional calibration, and… whoa, I sound like Twilight."
"Great…" gasped a breathless Silver. "So… where do we start looking?"
Starlight's smile dropped as she looked over the many buildings of the Crystal Empire. "I… don't have the faintest idea…"
…
Castle of Friendship, Equestria
"So… what are we looking at here?" asked Applejack. Twilight only had a proud smirk on her face. "The key to fixing all this!"
Standing before the Mane Six was a device similar to that of the one keeping the Crystal Mirror's power operational. It was decorated in all kinds of machinery and gizmos with a circular structure that looked like it could house a portal. Despite Twilight's efforts, though, it didn't appear close to ready. It never even looked complete.
"To be more specific," Rarity added. "The key to fixing all this once it is properly functional."
"Well, yes," Twilight confirmed. "I handled the main assembly and the insertion of magical energy with the help of Spike. Now, all we need to do is wait for Tails to arrive with his half of the puzzle, that being his data on chaos energy, and add it to the machine."
"Ooh! Ooh!" Pinkie jumped up. "Can I get to name it? How about the Super-Duper World Saver?"
Rainbow just sighed. "Keep trying, Pinkie…"
"So when are they gonna get here?" asked Fluttershy. Twilight just looked at the pegasus and shrugged. "I don't know. It could be-"
The surrounding air suddenly burst into cracks and sparkles of energy, earning a yelp from the alicorn and her friends. Spike threw up his arms and shielded his eyes as a bolt nearly struck him. The entire castle shook from the immense energy surrounding it… and for a brief moment, all went white.
…
At that very moment
Tails' Workshop, Sonic's world
Sonic raced into the building and dug his heels into the ground, bringing himself to a stop right next to the Tornado. "Woo! Talk about pest control!" he sighed, glancing at his friends near a monitor. "You guys okay?"
"More than okay!" Tails answered. "Now that all have the cities have been wiped clean of monsters-"
"For now," Knuckles interrupted. "There's no telling when more might be popping outta those portals!" Amy held up a hand to shush the echidna. "Don't ruin the moment, Knuckles."
"Uh, right," Tails continued. "As I was saying, now that our little side-trip is done, I can get my replicated chaos energy frequency over to Twilight!" he held up his Miles Electric handheld triumphantly.
"Hate to be a downer again," Knuckles butted in. "But just how are we gonna get to Twilight, exactly?" Tails opened his mouth to reply… but never got the chance, as the workshop suddenly erupted in cracks of energy and earthquake-like vibrations. Everyone yelled out in alarm, with Sonic trying to steady himself as his fur nearly stood on end. "Whoa! Everyone hang on!"
The workshop exploded with light, causing the group to flinch as the brightness assailed their eyes. The light stung… and it retreated in seconds. Sonic cracked open his eyes… and realized he was still in the workshop. As well as… somewhere else.
Everyone realized their new surroundings quickly. The workshop had been fused with… some kind of crystal cave?
"What the hey just happened?"
The group turned to see who had spoken: Spike, standing amongst a bewildered Mane Six. Twilight looked around in confusion before her violet eyes rested on Tails. "Oh! Tails!"
"Um… hi," the fox replied awkwardly. "Just… heh, heh… dropping by?"
"Well…" sighed Knuckles. "That's one way to get back."
"Ahem!" Twilight cleared her throat and stepped aside to reveal some kind of weird contraption. "So! The portal device is all set and the magic has been added. All we need now is chaos energy… which I believe you have, right?"
"That's right!" Tails replied, snapping out of his awkward state. "Once we add it in, it'll be good to go! And man, you wouldn't believe what we had to do in the meantime!"
"You're one to talk," said Applejack. "When we came back to Ponyville, we found Twilight fighting some big red, ugly brute with horns! Called himself 'Zavok'!"
"Whoa!" Tails gasped. "Zavok's involved now?! Good thing you guys sent him packing or you'd really be in trouble!"
"They'd be in trouble?" Knuckles questioned. "Ha! We had to take care of monsters from your world invading the cities on ours! Plus, Sonic had to fight some bad guy named Tirek!"
"T-T-Tirek?!" Fluttershy squeaked. "Oh, no! That's two out of three!" Rarity tried to suppress a nervous gulp before adding her own comment. "At this rate, Cozy Glow may be out there somewhere as well! All three of our worst enemies are now on the loose!"
"Don't flatter yourself," Applejack said calmly. "We'll round 'em all up in no time! Just like how Tirek was given the old one-two by Blue Boy here."
"Sonic beat him? On his own?" Twilight asked. "That's super impressive! I fought Tirek once and I couldn't even come close to defeating him!"
"Well, if there's one guy you can count on to get the job done, it's the fastest hedgehog in the world!" Tails laughed. "Right, Sonic?"
No answer came. Tails turned his eyes to the hedgehog. "Uh, Sonic? You paying attention, bud?"
The hedgehog did not respond. He hadn't said a single word ever since the fusion. And now, as the Mane Six slowly realized, neither did Rainbow Dash. "Hey, Dash!" Applejack called. "Why the silent treatment? We're finally gonna set things right! Or… you're not disappointed this is over already, are-"
The pegasus held up a wing in front of the earth pony's face, surprising her. "Shut it," she snapped harshly.
"Sonic? Hello?" Tails waved an arm in Sonic's face. "Anything you wanna say about-unf!" The hedgehog just pushed him aside with a stern glance. "Not now, Tails."
"Wait…" Spike muttered. "What's happening right now?"
No one had a clear answer for the dragon, for they were just as confused as him. But Sonic and Rainbow Dash had their eyes locked on each other… and their faces were cold and stern.
THERE HE IS, something inside Rainbow's mind stirred. THE INVADER. ARE YOU GOING TO WATCH AS HE CONTINUES TO DESTROY YOUR LIFE AND ESTABLISH HIS DOMINANCE? OR WILL YOU SHOW HIM WHO DESERVES TO BE BETTER?
And in Sonic's mind, a similar force called out. BEHOLD YOUR GREATEST CHALLENGE. SHE IS UPSET BECAUSE HER SELFISH DESIRES HAVE LED HER TO BELIEVE YOU ARE HER GREATEST OBSTACLE. THAT YOU ARE EVERYTHING SHE IS NOT, AND NEVER WILL BE. DEFEND YOUR REPUTATION. PROVE TO HER THAT NO ONE CHALLENGES THE BLUE BLUR SO RECKLESSLY.
Sonic's gloves clenched into fists and he took a step back. Rainbow's wings unfurled and her hooves spread apart. Their eyes narrowed and anger boiled inside them both. Tails and Twilight looked on nervously… but by the time they both realized what was happening, it was far, far too late.
In the blink of an eye, the hedgehog and the pegasus rushed for each other. Rainbow slammed into Sonic and flew directly out a window, smashing it in the process. "WHOA!" Knuckles yelped as he was nearly knocked off his feet. "What the-?!"
"SONIC!" yelled Tails, sprinting for the castle doors. Amy helped the echidna to his feet and hurried after the fox.
"RAINBOW DASH!" Twilight yelped, hurrying towards the exit with her friends in tow. All of them burst out into the open… and they couldn't believe what their eyes were seeing. Blue and colored blurs raced around Ponyville, colliding with each other whenever they got the chance. The sapphire flash shot across buildings while the colored comet sped low across the ground. Intercepting the hedgehog, Rainbow Dash slammed him against a building.
"You think you can just come into Equestria, beat me in a race, and then have every single creature think you're more awesome than me?!" Rainbow sounded extremely ticked off like somepony had dared to bad-mouth Daring Do to her face.
"Oh, I don't think," came Sonic's snicker of a response. He snagged one of Rainbow's hooves and threw her into another wall. "I KNOW!" As the pegasus collapsed, Sonic ran towards her… only for Tails to jump in front of him.
"Sonic, what are you doing?!"
The hedgehog just shoved him aside. "I said not now, Tails!" He shot for Rainbow Dash, who launched herself into the sky and swooped down to grab him again. Sonic dropped into a split, the pegasus sailing over him and realizing his move too late. But before Sonic could counter, a lasso lashed itself around Rainbow and yanked her away from the hedgehog.
"What in the name of Celestia do you think you're doing, Rainbow Dash?!" Applejack snapped. The pegasus replied only with an angry growl and glared daggers at the earth pony. "Get away from me! You're with him now! I know it!"
"Dash, what the hey are you talking-" Before Applejack could finish, Rainbow tore herself free of the ropes and shot for Sonic again. The hedgehog met her in midair and brought her crashing to the ground, struggling to keep her downed. His efforts were in vain as Rainbow spread her wings and took flight again, this time careening towards as many buildings and obstacles as she could and smashing herself against them.
"Rainbow, stop!" Spike called out.
"Yeah!" Pinkie shouted. "Sonic's on our side!" Beside her, Twilight watched the struggle with a nervous expression. Tails took flight, moving to catch up with the speedsters. "Sonic! Dash! Stop it right- YOW!" Rainbow shot past him, nearly knocking him off course. With a furious yell, she threw Sonic to the ground. Gritting his teeth, Sonic jumped back to his feet and moved to re-engage… until Knuckles threw himself on top of the hedgehog and held back his arms.
"Sonic, knock it off! Quit it!" He grunted as Sonic thrashed around in his grasp. "Don't make me have to-OOF!" Sonic headbutted the echidna as hard as he could, releasing himself from his restraints and throwing the brawler over his shoulder. No sooner than he got free did he speed towards the furious Rainbow Dash, barely noticing Amy holding out her arms and barring his path.
"Sonic, stop! Gah!" The hedgehog zoomed past her, knocking her off her feet. Rainbow ducked under a punch and struck with her hind legs, prompting Sonic to bend away from the attack and somersault a short distance. Rainbow was quick to pursue, landing a strong kick that sent Sonic crashing into a wall and cracking it. Rainbow opened her wings to chase… until a magic aura surrounded her and froze her in place.
"ENOUGH!" yelled Twilight Sparkle. Amy and Knuckles ran up to Sonic and held him back while Tails flew in from the front. "Rainbow Dash, you've got five seconds to tell us just what in Equestria has gotten into you!"
"Me? ME?!" came the enraged response. "It's not me with the problem! It's YOU! He has you under his spell! He took you away from me!"
"What are you talking about?!" Twilight snapped. "Spit it out, Rainbow!"
At the same time, Tails narrowed his eyes at Sonic. "What is wrong with you, Sonic?! Why are you attacking Rainbow Dash?!"
"Back off, Tails! I don't need your help for this one!"
"You're talking nonsense, blue!" snapped Knuckles. "Snap out of it!"
"Don't buy that loyalty junk, guys!" Sonic growled. "It's all a ruse! Deep down, she cares about nobody but herself! She hates me because she thinks I tried to steal her thunder!"
"HE RUINED ME!" Rainbow screamed at the top of her lungs. "MY REPUTATION IS DUST BECAUSE OF HIM! AND HE'LL PAY FOR IT!"
"Dashie, please!" begged a frightened Fluttershy. "This isn't yourself! Your friends are here for-"
"YOU'RE NOT MY FRIENDS!" she shrieked, startling everypony. "NOT ANYMORE! YOU STOPPED BEING MY FRIENDS THE MOMENT YOU THOUGHT THAT SPIKY RODENT WAS BETTER THAN ME!"
"B-better?!" Rarity gasped. "No! That's not true!"
"Oh, I am better than you, you stupid over-colored doll!" Sonic shot back. "And I've proven it to you! All you're gonna do is delay the inevitable! So the butt-kicking you're gonna get is all on you!"
"Shut up! SHUT UP! SHUT UUUUUUUUP!" Rainbow screeched and howled with anger, thrashing about like a caged animal in Twilight's aura. The alicorn winced as the glow of her horn increased as she tried to keep her concentration high. At the same time, Sonic continued to struggle against his friends, who were shouting at him to calm down. "Aw, what's the matter?!" he taunted. "Is a wittle horsey weally thinking she can out-speed me? What is she gonna do, neigh until I get too annoyed?"
"Shut up, Sonic!" Knuckles cried. His words came too late, as Rainbow screamed in a feral rage and continued to thrash around in the now-weakening magic field. Twilight began to hyperventilate and gasped between breaths. "N...no…!" she cried. "L-look out! I'm… losing her!"
"RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" With an ear-splitting cry, Rainbow broke free of Twilight's magic and blasted towards Sonic with the speed of a rocket. Tails, Amy, and Knuckles screamed and dove out of the way right before she crashed into Sonic, completely obliterating the wall he was trapped against. The speedsters smashed through the other side and Rainbow dropped low, dragging Sonic through the dirt with another scream of rage.
Sonic planted a foot on the pegasus' torso and launched her over him, making her land head-first in an apple barrel. The two of them got themselves back to their senses and started speeding through Ponyville, striking each other here and there while ponies and animals scrambled to get out of the way. The rest of the group gathered in exhausted breaths, continuing to stare at the sight in disbelief.
"Oh, no, no, no, no, no…" Twilight muttered. A spinning blue ball knocked Rainbow Dash out of the air, making her face plant into the dirt. When she pulled it out, Twilight could see that dreadful expression of unrelenting fury that threatened to permanently rest on Rainbow's face. Sonic rushed up from behind, prompting Rainbow to extend her rear hooves like pistons. And even from miles away, Twilight could see Sonic's eyes expand in… was that realization?
Sonic instantly dropped down, sliding under the attack and Rainbow's form. Before the pegasus could identify Sonic's new position right under her head, the hedgehog swung a leg across the ground and knocked her feet out from under her. Without breaking his spin, Sonic slammed his other foot against Rainbow's side and launched her down the street, immediately blasting after her in a flash.
"Wh-what's going on?!" Tails shouted in panic. "Why are Sonic… a-and Rainbow… fighting each other?!"
"And what was all that talk about Sonic being 'better' than Rainbow?" Rarity asked. "Could that be a key?" Spike whipped his head towards Twilight, the fear on his face undeniable. "Twilight, this is bad! We gotta tell Princesses Celestia and Luna right now!"
"How can they even help?!" Amy cried. Twilight gave the pink hedgehog a nervous glance. "I… I don't know. But I'm gonna try!" Spike approached her side before the alicorn's horn lit up with purple colors… and they both vanished in a blink of light. At the same time, the blue and rainbow streaks continued to ricochet around Ponyville and collide with each other. Rolling away from another swoop and bounding off a bridge railing, Sonic sought higher ground by launching himself off a building's rooftop. Rainbow zoomed after him, gaining on the hedgehog's rising form by the second…
...until she nailed him right in the back, earning a cringe of pain from the hedgehog. Sonic fell limp as he reached the peak of his ascent and slowly began to drop back down to the surface. Rainbow flew up to his position and kicked him with one of her rear hooves, accelerating his descent tenfold at a diagonal angle towards the ground.
Sonic hit the ground with a loud boom, kicking up dirt and dust just outside Ponyville. "Oooh!" Knuckles cringed. "That must've left a mark…"
"Wait, look!" Applejack cried. Through the dust cloud, a blue streak was tearing across the open plain with the colored comet in hot pursuit. In mere moments, the two of them were gone, trailing farther and farther away from the small town.
"How are we going to catch them?" Fluttershy asked quietly. "And how do we get them to stop?"
"Better yet," Pinkie added. "How do we do it without getting beaten to a pulp? Bruises wouldn't be a good party look for me!" Tails had a ready reply. "You guys go get your balloon ready. We'll catch up!"
Rarity stepped forth to protest. "But the balloon is far too slow to keep pace with-" The unicorn was interrupted by a sharp poofing noise, where a now-more-nervous-than-ever Twilight and Spike stood.
"They're gone."
"What do you mean, they're gone?" asked Applejack. "What happened over there?"
"Spike and I went to the castle to find Princesses Celestia and Luna," Twilight explained hurriedly. "We were going to tell them about Sonic and Rainbow, ask them for help… but when we got to the throne room, it was completely empty!"
"Empty?" asked Amy. "Did you check the rest of the castle?"
"Yeah!" Spike answered. "But we found nothing! Oh, where could they be now?"
"And what happened to them?" Twilight asked. "What could've-"
"Forget that!" Knuckles shouted, startling the dragon and the alicorn. "The only answer we need right now is how to keep the blue boy and the hued horse from beating the stuffing out of each other!"
"And as I was saying, get to your balloon!" Tails continued, already making a run for the castle-workshop fusion. "And take off, fast! We'll join you as soon as we can!"
"Tails, wait!" Twilight teleported into the building just as the animals made their way inside. "How are you gonna follow us? You're the only one who can fly- something I never thought I'd say to a fox- and the only one who can keep up with Sonic and Rainbow!"
"Easy!" came the reply, followed by a pointing finger. "With that!" Twilight and Spike looked to where Tails was gesturing… and became confused as to what they were looking at. It was a strange wheeled machine with some kind of rotor on the front and decorated in red and white colors. Twilight blinked, unsure what to make of it.
"What… is that?"
"My pride and joy!" Tails said triumphantly, flying towards a seat with Amy and Knuckles in tow. "It's called the Tornado! Once we're in the air, I can use it to pinpoint Sonic's location!"
"It can fly?"
Tails gave Twilight an amused look. "I take it you don't have planes in this world, huh?" Knuckles just shrugged. "Maybe not. After all, some of them do fly on their own. Now get this thing in the air, Tails!"
"The sooner we find Sonic and Rainbow, the better!" Amy added. The fox shared a nod with Twilight, who teleported back outside as the Tornado's engine started to rumble to life. Tails eagerly gripped the controls while the secondary wooden doors swung open, allowing sunlight to pour in. Already, he could see the ponies' balloon slowly lifting into the sky.
"Hang on, Sonic!" Tails called, inching the plane forward. "We're coming!"
…
A blue blur zoomed through lush fields of grass, a colored streak pursuing it from the skies above. The latter dipped down, zeroing in on its target from behind. The sapphire streak sidestepped a moment before the flier could hit its mark, nailing it in the rear with a counter spin.
Sonic sped up to the downed Rainbow, placing a foot on her chest. "Look, pal!" he shouted. "Do you know how hard and annoying it is to hold the 'Fastest Thing Alive' title?" He grabbed her by the neck and hoisted her up to look the pegasus in the eye. "Feels like every other week some self-centered hotshot or wannabe daredevil wants to take it from me, and you know it's not gonna happen…"
"GRRR!" Rainbow growled at that comment and threw a hoof at the hedgehog's face, only for Sonic to catch it with his free hand and an annoyed look now on his face. "But that doesn't stop them from bugging me, does it?!" In one fell swoop, he hurled Rainbow over his head and slammed her into the dirt. "I should've realized how much more irritating you were gonna be from all the others sooner than-AH!"
Rainbow swung her tail in the dirt, knocking it into Sonic's eyes and blinding him. Whirling around with another snarl, Rainbow tackled Sonic and carried him into the air. "You think this is just about the title?!" she screamed at him. "All my life, I dreamed of excitement! Adventure! Something to really get myself pumped! I worked to make my life extraordinary since day one! And you?! You were just GIVEN IT ON A SILVER PLATTER!"
"Oh, jealous, are you?! No surprise there!"
Rainbow released Sonic, dropping him hundreds of feet to the ground below. The hedgehog immediately got into a freefall pose, tucking in his limbs to speed up his descent while Rainbow dove after him. Catching up in midair, she lunged out at the hedgehog with hoof and tail strikes until Sonic grabbed her by the tail and spun her around like a toy. He moved so fast he almost resembled a top at max speed. Finally, he let go, tossing Rainbow away.
The pegasus flashed open her wings just before she could crash against the surface, pulling up in the nick of time. Sonic curled into his ball form, bounced off the grass, and hit the ground running at full speed. Rainbow adjusted her own velocity, keeping the hedgehog in her sights as he looked over his shoulder and did the same.
Both of them only knew this. Once they were through, there would only be one fastest thing alive…
