Just outside the Crystal Castle, Starlight turned to her new friends with a hopeful glint in her eyes. "Did you guys find anything?" Silver and Blaze just shook their heads in denial. "No. Nothing," replied the hedgehog. "I didn't see any sign of him. Out of all the unicorns here, none of them looked old enough to be a Pillar."
"I had no such luck, either," said Blaze. "Perhaps Star Swirl's attempts at secrecy are better than we thought. Is there a spell that disguises one's magical signature? Or an illusion that renders him invisible to the eye?"
Starlight sighed. "Not that I know of. We searched the whole city, but we got nothing. You don't think he's…" Silver and Blaze were silent at first, with the cat hanging her head low while Silver huffed in frustration.
"Well, this is just great! Our trail's gone cold! What are we supposed to do now?! Star Swirl's last known location is nothing but a dead end! It's no-!"
"Wait!" Starlight suddenly perked up, interrupting the hedgehog. "The missing unicorns… of course!" Blaze had a curious look in her eyes. "What about them?"
"I've got a hunch," answered the unicorn. "If we investigate the missing unicorns, we may finally get a lead as to where Star Swirl could be!" Silver looked unsure of this plan. "Are you sure that'll work? From what I've heard, we don't have much to go on."
"It's the only idea I've got left," Starlight told him. "And you're right. I have no clue as to where to start, but I know somepony who does. Let's head back to the castle and ask the royals where Twilight could-"
WHOOSH!
Everyone spun towards a nearby street… and saw nothing but dust where they heard the sudden wind. A few startled ponies came into view, muttering to themselves about what had just sped by. "Um…" Starlight was just as confused as they were. "What was that?"
Her answer came in the form of an overhead blur trailed by a rainbow: a figure that boosted low over the city streets and skimmed across rooftops. Starlight narrowed her eyes, tracking the flying object's position until it arced through the sky. Starlight saw a cyan fur coat, blazing magenta eyes, and a mane vibrant with all the known colors. And she knew only one pony with that description.
"Is that… Rainbow Dash?" she asked. "What's she doing here?"
She heard Blaze gasp in shock. "Starlight, look out!" She grabbed Silver's arm and jumped back just as Starlight turned to see something barreling for her at high speed. With a yelp, she blinked away in a flash of light the second it roared past. Whatever it was got knocked into the air by the speeding pegasus, who flew after it in another arc and slammed it to the ground with both rear hooves. The second blur smashed into the ground with a loud thud, kicking up dust and sending bits of the path flying.
Rainbow dove towards the crater, but the second figure launched out of the way and landed on its feet just as she made the crater larger than before. Now, it was Silver's turn to freeze in surprise when he recognized a familiar face: a blue hedgehog with green eyes narrowed in anger and a gloved hand resting on the paved street in a recovery pose.
"Sonic?!" The Blue Blur made no gesture to acknowledge Silver and Blaze's presence; his focus appeared to be on one thing only. And that object of his attention rocketed out of the crater and rocketed towards him with a loud cry of rage. The hedgehog somersaulted over the pegasus just as she passed, nailing her in the back with a stomping kick that sent her sliding across the street. He took off in a flash of blue light while she quickly launched back into the air, the two speedsters crashing into each other in bright shockwaves of color.
As the three pairs of eyes watched the blurs thunder down the streets and smash into anything that got in their way. Starlight struggled to find words. "I… but… what… they're…"
"What in the world do they think they're doing?!" Blaze shouted in a mix of shock, confusion, and a bit of anger. As she spoke, Rainbow pushed Sonic into a vegetable cart, causing the hedgehog to obliterate it to pieces. With an angry look on his face while he ignored the shocked pony pulling it, he blasted off down the street. "Starlight, what do you know about this Rainbow Dash?"
"She's the best flier in all of Equestria!" the unicorn answered. "She'd never back down from any challenge and she's completely loyal to her friends! But why is she-?!" Starlight stopped herself with a shake of her head. "Silver! Can you use your psycho-thingy to stop them?!"
"Way ahead of you!" came the reply before a cyan streak flew over their heads. Silver flew over the rooftops like a laser beam while Starlight and Blaze followed from behind, watching the blue and rainbow streaks weave and zigzag through the streets. He didn't know where Sonic had come from… but he had to know what was going on with him!
…
"Where'd they go?!"
"They went that way!"
"This way! Hurry!"
The voices of the group blended in with the startled shouts and yells of the crystal ponies currently fleeing the scene. The Mane Seven's eyes looked around wildly for any sign of an aerial rainbow trail while Sonic's friends looked anxious to find the Blue Blur. "Where are they?!" cried Spike. "Does anyone have eyes on them?!"
"They're so fast they could be anywhere!" Rarity moaned.
Knuckles had his fists raised. "You sure you saw them over here?!"
"I think so!" Twilight answered. "Or… I hope so!"
"So, step one: find them," Sunset spoke up with a sneering Shadow by her side. "Have you figured out step two?"
"Stop them!" Twilight answered. "Although… I'm not sure how to do that…"
"I've got a few good ideas…" said the black hedgehog, clenching his fist as he spoke. "If they won't stop, we'll make them stop." Rarity was quick to intervene. "Now hold on just a moment! Do you simply believe force is a viable solution? We don't want our friends to get hurt!"
"What other choice do you have?" asked an annoyed Shadow. "There's no doubt they've hurt themselves already, albeit minorly. Are you certain they won't attack you if you try to interfere?"
"I… um… that's an… interesting point…"
"There they are!" Tails shouted, pointing down a distant street. "We've got Sonic incoming!"
Applejack turned her head to the sky just as something shot into view. "And Rainbow's coming in hot! What's the plan, Twi?!"
"Um…" Twilight's mind was racing. The alicorn had to think- and talk- fast; the hedgehog and the pegasus were moving quicker than she thought! One moment of hesitation could be too late! "Amy! Knuckles! Stop Sonic! AJ! Lasso Rainbow! Then Sunset and I will-"
"STOP!"
Meters away from each other, Sonic and Rainbow mysteriously froze in place, surrounded by a cyan aura. Surprise flickered across both of their faces, an emotion that the group also felt before their eyes turned skyward from Spike's words. "Uh… who's that?"
Above the imprisoned speedsters, a gray-white hedgehog surrounded by a similar cyan aura slowly hovered to the street, flanked by two other figures: a purple cat surrounded by an aura of flame and a unicorn engulfed in turquoise light. The hedgehog's eyes noticed the group and they lit up in surprise. "Oh! Hey, guys!"
"Silver?" Tails asked. "And Blaze, too?"
"Greetings, friends," said the princess.
Twilight and the ponies had their attention trained on the unicorn. "Starlight Glimmer?" The unicorn smiled at the sight of them. "Hey, Princess! You're probably wondering how I met these guys…"
"Not right at this moment, no…" answered Twilight. "But we do have several other questions…"
"Such as, what business do you have in the Crystal Empire, anyway?" asked Rarity. Starlight just shrugged. "It's… kind of a long story." Pinkie was the next to speak, awed at the hedgehog's technique. "And how does that guy know how to use magic?!"
An irritated groan came from Silver. "For the last time, it's not magic! It's psychokinesis! And it… urgh… needs a lot of concentration to work…"
"Oops. Sorry."
"You know what? Glad you're here," Knuckles finished. "Please say we're on the same page." Starlight turned to him with a knowing look. "We certainly are."
"Now…" Silver turned to glare at a struggling Sonic while Starlight and Twilight approached the motion-restricted Rainbow Dash. "Care to explain what you're up to, Sonic?"
"Back… off… Silver…"
"Rainbow…" Twilight whispered. "Please, you need to let us help you. Tell us what's going on."
"You… wanna know what's going on?!" Rainbow snarled while trying to break free. "He… ruined my life! And… and he's wrapped you up in it!"
"What?!" Blaze gasped. "Sonic, is this true?!"
"No, it's not!" Fluttershy shouted in horror. "It wouldn't be!"
"He tricked you all! He stole you from me!" Rainbow screamed. "And he's gonna pay for it! Just like how he's gonna pay for being better than me!" Starlight tilted her head at those words. "Better than you? What do you mean?"
"She's been ranting about it since this started!" Rarity explained. "But she won't tell us any more!" Rainbow screamed in rage, thrashing about in her psychokinetic bonds. Silver strained in his attempt to keep the wild pegasus contained. "Star…!"
Starlight's horn lit up and a turquoise color added to the cyan, causing the pegasus' thrashing to lightly cease until her head was twitching. "Got it…"
"He… is the enemy here…" Rainbow managed to spit out. "He… had everything… from the start… and he enjoys… rubbing it in every creature's faces…"
Shadow looked at Sonic suspiciously. "I've never recalled you being that much of a boaster."
"Heh…" Sonic sneered at his black double. "Maybe that's because I've beaten you around so many times you've forgotten it, faker!" Shadow frowned at the words but held back after Sunset worriedly shook her head. "In fact, I've proven myself to be better than not just you, Cloud-Butt! I've proven it to you…" he gestured to a scowling Shadow. "You…" He gestured to Knuckles, who looked taken aback. "Wha-hey!"
"And especially you."
Realizing he was now looking at him, Silver blinked in confusion. "Me?"
"Yeah, you. Don't you remember our first dance together?"
Silver knew it well. His first encounter with Sonic was on Onyx Island, the future Angel Island that Eggman Nega had brought back to Sonic's time. They didn't get off to a good start, but…
"Ngh!"
Silver's head began to flare up and his mind felt like it was scrambled. The memories of Colosseum Highway were… changing. Mixing with… Silver couldn't tell. He thought he could hear Blaze and Starlight asking him… something. But there was a voice he did hear clearly: Sonic's. "I remember that time like it was yesterday. Just like everyone else, you thought you could beat me. And just like everyone else, you were wrong. I kicked your butt just as well as I kicked Knuckles' and Shadow's, and I'll kick YOUR butt all the same, you colored creep!"
Whatever sound that came from a possible reaction was lost to Silver. The only sounds he could hear now- as well as all he could see- felt like something that was coming back to him after a long time.
"This was when Iblis was freed and his flames were released into the world."
Silver's vision was consumed by flames; a raging fire that consumed everything they touched. Monsters roamed from beyond the storm… and through the flames, something marched its way into view.
"And you have this person to blame."
The stranger emerged from the fire untouched as if the disastrous elements were bent to his will. As he appeared before Silver's eyes, Sonic the Hedgehog had a stoic expression and clenched fists. He narrowed his eyes, which burned with the very flames that surrounded him. And then, he let out a soft-but-menacing chuckle as the fire swallowed him up.
"What…?"
"HRAH!"
Something slammed hard into Silver's torso, sending him flying back with a grunt of pain. He hit the street in a tumbling roll until he felt the wall of a building making contact with his back. The futuristic hedgehog slumped to the ground, his mind still echoing with voices.
"You must eliminate the individual who has awakened Iblis…"
"If I eliminate that guy, will our world be saved?"
"Blue hedgehog…"
"I've finally found him… the Iblis Trigger!"
"SILVER!"
"GAH! Huh?! What…" Silver snapped back to reality to see several faces staring back at him. Starlight, Twilight, and Fluttershy all looked nervous while Tails, Blaze, Amy, and Knuckles were gathered around. The fox had his hand ready to snap his fingers while Knuckles looked peeved for some reason.
"What happened back there?!" he shouted. "Why'd you let go of them?!"
"Easy, Knuckles…" Tails whispered. "Silver, what happened?"
"I… I can't…" Silver muttered. "It's not… no…"
"Silver… what's wrong?" Starlight spoke softly to him. "Was it another vision?"
"Vision?" Twilight asked. Starlight was quick to address this. "Silver and Blaze have been having weird visions since I met them. Something about memories they don't recall experiencing. I think this could be another one…"
"Blaze… the Iblis Trigger…" Silver hardly recognized his voice because of how shaky it was. "The guy who brought ruin to my world…"
Blaze looked concerned. "What about it?"
"It…" Silver didn't know how to say it, or if he could say it at all. "It's him…"
Blaze, as well as everyone else listening, didn't understand. "I'm sorry?"
"It… it…" This was it. Now or never. "It's Sonic! Sonic is the Iblis Trigger!"
"What?!" Blaze recoiled in shock while Starlight froze in terror. "What?! N-no! That can't be right!" The unicorn stammered. "I-it must've been a fake vision!"
"But he- it was…!" Silver was struggling to find his words. "It was him! I remember-!"
"No! I refuse to believe that!" Blaze exclaimed. "Sonic would never cause such devastation! He is a kind and honorable soul, one willing to protect his friends and his world at all costs!"
"I… I have no idea what she's talking about…" Tails began. "But I agree. Whatever you saw, Silver, it wasn't real." Silver didn't know how to reply. "But… it felt real. It was real, I know it! The memories, the voices… I just… I don't know enough…"
"Voice?" Amy spoke up. "And just who told you that Sonic would doom the world?"
"I… I don't…"
"Tell me…" Silver's own voice echoed in his mind. "Who is the Iblis Trigger? Why does he want to destroy the world?"
"Why does that matter to you? Unless you complete your task, your future will remain the same… forever."
"His name… I can't… I can't find it," Silver sighed. "My mind is all messed up, and I need help. That's why I'm here, to find someone to explain what's happening."
"Well, whoever it is, they duped you hard!" Knuckles exclaimed, bumping his fists together. "And believe me, I know how that feels! Now, are you gonna help us fix our friends, or are you gonna sulk about some bad memory?"
A loud crash denied Silver his chance to answer; a sound followed by a pained grunt. Everyone turned to see Rainbow had smashed against the wall of a building hard enough to crack it. The one responsible was already running away with his laughter trailing along with him.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Sonic bellowed as he sped off, far from the reach of a glaring Shadow. "So long, sucker!" The black hedgehog spun towards the pegasus and dove for her, only to hit the ground as she launched into the sky, seemingly unaware of his presence.
The blue streak rushed right for the Crystal Castle and spiraled up its massive structure. Rainbow pulled up and ascended just as rapidly, scaling the mountainous palace like it was nothing. When the blue hedgehog reached the highest point and stabilized himself, he was quickly greeted with a fuming-mad pegasus who shot up right beside him.
"Uh…" The surprised Sonic didn't have a ready response. "Hello, sucker…"
He was swiftly kicked off the building, sending him falling hundreds of feet towards the ground below. With Rainbow dive-bombing in pursuit, Sonic righted himself and broke into another run, sprinting down the opposite side of the Crystal Castle at full speed. He angled himself to shoot down one of the four crystalline pillars that served as the "legs" of the structure, allowing the pull of gravity and his current momentum to rocket across the street once he reached the bottom. Rainbow turned in a near ninety-degree angle, the tips of her hooves grazing the street.
"Okay, I'm in," Silver finally replied after they had vanished from sight. "If there is something wrong with Sonic, that he's not doing this out of his own free will, then I'll do whatever I can to help."
"But what if he thinks he's doing this willingly?" Blaze asked. "Sonic always does what he thinks is right. So what if…"
"You believe he thinks Rainbow is in the wrong?" Starlight asked. "Twilight, does Rainbow have a similar viewpoint on things?"
"Well…" the alicorn replied. "She does tend to protect things that are good and fight anything evil… or… what she thinks is good and evil. But her perception is always so clear!"
"But how did this happen?" Amy asked. "Were their moral codes twisted? Did that make them see each other as enemies?"
"That would explain why Rainbow feels inferior to Sonic," Rarity muttered. "She's been jealous of him this whole time! Ever since the race, I've noticed something odd about her behavior. Something she tried to keep secret. This would be excellent motivation if I do say so myself."
"She knows we'd want her to discuss it with us," Applejack added. "So why didn't she? Did she think we wouldn't understand?"
"Rainbow wanted nothing but adventure and excitement ever since I've known her," Twilight said. "But now she knows of a creature who's had it from the start; a creature who has always had exactly what she desired the most…"
"That does make sense," Tails continued. "Sonic's done everything Rainbow dreamed about and more! That's why Rainbow's so jealous of Sonic! That's why she thinks he's 'better' than her! And the only way for her to be number one again…"
"...is to take him out…" Spike finished with a gulp. "Has S-Sonic dealt with competition before?"
"Definitely," answered Knuckles. "Blue's dealt with a bunch of cronies who've wanted to be the best. To him, Rainbow's no different. He's beaten all the others, so it makes sense that he's convinced he'll beat her all the same."
"But he knows that Rainbow won't go down easily, that she outright refuses to lose to someone superior to her," Tails added. "He's gotta know by this point now that Rainbow isn't giving up. And if he's going to beat her, he's gonna have to… to… oh, no…"
"WAUGH!" Sonic flew past them before the sound of tumbling rolls reached their ears, followed by the sound of an enraged cry and a shooting streak. Nervousness flashed across the group's faces before Silver turned to Twilight.
"You need me to grab them again, just say the word."
"I'll let you know when I need that," she answered. "If we're gonna fix our friends, we'll need to get in close. And to do that, we need to slow them down." Sunset stepped forward and gestured to the street. "Thankfully, we've got that covered." As she spoke, Twilight noticed Shadow chasing after the speedsters with an irritated look. "Now who wants to lend a hand?"
Knuckles bumped his fists with a nod, followed by Amy and Silver. Applejack had a rope at the ready while Rarity lit up her horn and Pinkie gleefully smiled. "I'm all about getting attention!" the pink pony added.
"Alright, you guys keep them busy," Starlight told them. "Twilight, I take it you're up for a quick magic lesson?" The alicorn perked up at the unicorn's words before giving an eager nod. "Heh. Thought so. Okay, let's go!"
Several blocks away, colored and blue streaks shot all over the place and slammed against each other. A high-pitched whirring sound came from a spinning blue ball that bounced off the ground and walls of nearby buildings before smashing the ground where a pegasus had leaped from a split-second earlier. A swinging hoof knocked into the ball, shooting it down the street until it uncurled and screeched to a stop across the surface of the street.
Rainbow Dash huffed through her nostrils like an angry bull, her chest heaving with every breath. Her muscles were starting to ache and her fur was becoming bruised, but she paid no mind. There was only one thing that mattered: reducing the wretched rodent into blue jelly, even if it meant flying right through him like a spear. She refused to stop until she did it, she refused to stop until she was at the very top once again.
Sonic, on the other hand, stared down the pegasus with a clenched fist and an irritated expression. This feeble excuse for a flying creature was nothing more than a selfish gnat; a mosquito who desperately craved the blood that was fame and popularity. But no matter how much of it she had, popularity wouldn't save her now.
"Take a good look at yourself!" Rainbow growled, ignorant of the slightly-terrified citizens of the Crystal Empire that bore witness to the standoff. "You look like you could barely stand! I knew all that running would tire you out! This is the moment I've been waiting for, you rat! The moment you've reached! Your! Limit!"
Something inside Sonic snapped. For too long, Rainbow had been nothing but a bug to him, a nuisance that never stopped bothering him. An irritant that never went away, no matter how many times he'd try to rid himself. But now, with that single word that Sonic refused to fall under, she may have well just become his worst enemy.
"Limit?" Sonic snarled in an inhumane tone. "LIMIT?!" He was bursting at the seams, looking like he'd shoot for Rainbow in the blink of an eye and beat her mercilessly. The pegasus crouched down with spread wings, ready for whatever Sonic would throw at her.
But what she didn't expect was Sonic turning around and running away in the opposite direction.
As she watched the sapphire streak tear its way down the street, Rainbow didn't know whether to laugh or scream in anger yet again. Maybe that was it; maybe Sonic had hit his limit and realized he was fighting a losing battle. Maybe she had finally won without needing to smash him into the ground (unfortunately). Maybe he'd come back, bow at her feet, plead for forgiveness, and admit that she was the fastest thing ever.
She was already eager to hear it. Rainbow stifled a laugh as she listened for any sign of the hedgehog. A sob, a cry, a noise of admitting defeat, a shout of surrender… and finally, she got a response from what sounded like the other end of the city.
"LIMIT?! I'VE GOT YOUR LIMIT RIGHT HERE!"
With a loud boom, something began to charge for Rainbow at supersonic velocity. Already, she could see tables and outdoor chairs flying in its wake. Her heart began to surge with adrenaline and her eyes couldn't turn away from the approaching assailant. She could imagine his enraged, desperate face as he screamed towards her, all thoughts detailing how he would crush the stupid face who dared insult and mock his abilities.
"Bring it on, poky…"
He was spinning for her like a meteor and a comet rolled into one. The impact would be enough to obliterate her on the spot. But Rainbow was ready. As soon as he came within reach she would launch over him and bring down a building on top of him, leaving him vulnerable and ripe to be finished off.
But she never got the chance. Just as Sonic was about to plow into her, something jumped in between them and halted the buzzsaw-like ball in its path, forcing Rainbow to abandon her ready-to-spring maneuver. She looked on in surprise to see who was stupid enough to butt in…
…and Knuckles held back the spinning Sonic with one hand, his teeth bared in effort. As the orb continued to rotate in his palm, the echidna took an intimidating step forward while spouting out a single phrase.
"Sonic… it's time… for you… to HIT THE BRAKES!"
With a roar, Knuckles raised his other fist and slammed it on top of Sonic, smashing the blue ball into the ground and conjuring a small shockwave. Rainbow threw up a wing to shield herself from the dust, already growling at the echidna.
"HEY! What gives?! I'm the one who's supposed to pound him into paste!"
"Shut up!" Knuckles huffed with nothing but a glance over his shoulder. "You're lucky you don't get worse than that!"
"Worse than-" Before Rainbow could finish her thought, a rope threw itself around her body and instantly tightened, trapping her wings against her torso and dragging her along the ground. She cried out in alarm and tried digging her hooves in the ground, her resistance all but futile as Applejack, Spike, Amy, and Tails all yanked on the lasso as hard as they could.
Shaking himself back to consciousness, Sonic noticed Knuckles standing above him while he was lying on his back. The echidna was already pumping his fists together in anticipation. "Give up yet?"
Sonic's reply was a spring-handed launch, nailing Knuckles' chin with both feet. While the hedgehog landed on his feet, the echidna landed hard on his back. "Guess… not…" he groaned while Sonic took off for the restrained Rainbow. "YOU! You're mine!"
"Sonic, no-!"
Tails' words came too late. Rainbow angled her positioning just right so that his spun-up form sliced through the ropes holding her down. Her wings flashed open and she shot into the air, leaving everyone- including a frustrated Sonic- down below.
"Now what?!" Spike cried just as Sonic spun around to face them. "You guys again?! I told you before, I don't need your-"
"Chaos CONTROL!"
A split-second after the call rang out, Shadow appeared out of nowhere in front of Sonic and kicked him away in a roundhouse move. Above the streets, Twilight and Spike flew in front of Rainbow Dash with stern expressions while Starlight floated in from behind.
"Stand down, Dash!" Starlight called out. "Don't make us use force!"
"Pretty please?" Spike added.
"Typical Sonic…" Rainbow snarled, ignoring the warnings sent her way. "Sending his followers to do his dirty work for him!"
Back on the streets, Sonic noticed that he was surrounded by the obstacles that were once his friends and the ponies that served as unknowing pawns in Rainbow's road to worldwide popularity. That's it, enough was enough.
"Well…" he growled. "If you're not gonna leave me alone so I can tear that pride-addicted horse's wings off, then I guess I'm gonna have to MAKE YOU!"
"Hmph. Then make me," spat Shadow. He then dashed forward with everyone else in tow, closing in on the blue hedgehog. Clenching his fists, Sonic shot into the air just as Knuckles and Amy tried throwing themselves on top of him, hitting the ground instead.
Sonic spun up and rocketed back down, bouncing off anyone he could find within range. He spun for a frightened Fluttershy, who screamed in alarm before Rarity jumped in, a diamond shield projected in front of her.
With an ear-piercing squeal, Sonic hit the shield full-force and spun wildly against it, sapphire sparks radiating off the gleaming surface. Rarity winced and tried to hold the barrier steady, her defenses not even scratching under the hedgehog's spines. Nevertheless, Sonic continued to press on like a drill trying to cut through hard rock, intent on wearing Rarity down enough for her to drop the shield.
A black ball slammed into Sonic and knocked him away, sending him sliding across the ground. Shadow touched down and locked eyes with his rival, daring him to do something foolish in retaliation. With a sneer, Sonic started to lunge towards the black hedgehog… until he felt something smash against the back of his head.
"Hrgh?!" With wild eyes, Sonic spun around in search of his attacker. Several meters away, Silver stood ready with a variety of chairs, tables, and crystalline bits levitating behind him. As gold eyes met green, whispers of a lost confrontation made themselves known to the psychokinetic hedgehog.
I've been looking for you, Silver's voice said as time seemed to slow to a crawl. You're the Iblis Trigger.
Who are you?
My name is Silver. For the future of the world, I will destroy you!
Silver immediately banished those words. His friends were right; none of that had been real. While it was true that Sonic was a problem- just as he had mistakenly believed in the visions- he would solve it. The "Iblis Trigger" business was nothing but a fluke, a ploy to manipulate Silver as a tool utilized by that mysterious mastermind of shadow.
I won't destroy you, Sonic… but I WILL stop you!
"Take THIS!" Silver flung all of the levitating objects towards Sonic as if he was commanding a swarm of insects. The Blue Blur shot forward at the same moment, quickly side-stepping crystal shards as they broke apart around him. He jumped over a crystal that smashed near his feet, balling up to ricochet off tables and chairs. As he reduced the furniture to splinters, he chained off them to get closer to Silver. After smashing apart a chair, he shot for the other hedgehog, who blinked away in a flash of cyan light.
Sonic touched down in confusion, searching for his enemy until a cyan aura enveloped him. With a cry, Silver flung Sonic high into the sky, where he flailed about until he was intercepted by a colored streak. As Rainbow flew over the city- struggling with the hedgehog as she did so- Tails, Twilight, Starlight, and Silver zoomed after her while Shadow and Knuckles bounded across the rooftops.
A diamond shield materialized out of nowhere, causing Rainbow to splat against it like a bug on a windshield. As she collapsed to the street in front of a stern Rarity, she quickly whirled to see Amy and Applejack rush in with hammer and rope in tow. Hopping away from a hammer smash, Rainbow weaved away from the thrown lasso before grabbing it in her teeth and pulling hard. With a yelp, Applejack fell to the street before Rainbow jerked it to the side, tripping up Amy.
Meanwhile, Sonic shook his head and lifted it… only to stare down the barrel of a cannon. "SURPRISE!" Pinkie screamed, blasting him in the face with cake batter. Several other cannons encircled the hedgehog in a circle as he frantically wiped off the gunk, preparing to cover him in a substance that could slow him down.
Just as they opened fire, Sonic jumped away and slammed each of the cannons with rapid Homing Attacks, denting their surfaces, knocking them onto their sides, and smashing off some wheels. One cannon blasted its batter just as Sonic rammed it, covering Fluttershy in the goo instead and leaving only her eyes visible. Pinkie just gave the pegasus a sheepish smile of apology… before the blue ball smacked her away.
Sonic locked eyes with Rainbow Dash once again, their fury undeniable as they glared daggers at each other. The two speedsters rushed for an intersection and prepared for a collision…
"Chaos SPEAR!"
A blast of chaos energy immediately dispersed them. Sonic was forced to flee from a barrage of energy spears while a roar alerted Rainbow to a screaming Knuckles, the echidna about to pound her head into the well-paved road. The pegasus hopped away just as he crashed down, ramming the echidna with her head and knocking him into a crystal lamppost.
Sonic traded blows with Shadow as blue and black streaks clashed on the streets and rooftops. A jumping kick stunned Sonic's rival, allowing him to grab Shadow by the throat and toss him to the street. He jumped down in pursuit, but a stream of magic beams cut off his next attack. With another snarl of frustration, he roared towards Twilight, Sunset, Starlight, and Rarity at full speed while dodging their lasers. He was on the ponies in seconds, who scrambled to get away from the whizzing blue buzzsaw that threatened to slice off their fur. They teleported away in flashes of light, leaving Sonic alone in the street.
"Lousy horses and their cheap tricks-!"
He was cut off by a flash of orange fur and the sound of something spinning. Suddenly, the face of his (formerly) best friend filled his vision with determination on his face. "Come on, Sonic! I know you're still in there! You've gotta fight it!"
"You don't tell me what to do anymore!" Sonic yelled, kicking Tails away. "Now get out of my way unless you want one of those things cut off!"
"No!" Tails shot back. "You're my friend, Sonic! Almost like a brother to me! I haven't left your side ever since Westside Island, and I'm not going to now! I promise I'm gonna fix you!"
"Fix me?!" Sonic yelled as he went on the attack. "I don't need to be fixed! I'm not one of your stupid contraptions that need constant oiling and tuning! In fact, I feel better than ever! And I don't need you ruining that!"
Tails went airborne and evaded a jumping spin strike. "You've already been ruined enough! You want a fight, then you got one!" Sonic jumped onto a roof and sprung off to close in on Tails, only for the fox to kick him down. Before he could pursue, a colored streak and a purple trail made him spin in place.
"Leave me alone!" Rainbow cried. "I don't need you anymore! Now that Sonic has you under his spell! I can keep my reputation going all by myself!" She sped away from a magic blast from Twilight, who had a knowing gleam in her eye. "Funny! That's exactly how you acted under Discord's control!"
"But a lot more egotistical and selfish!" added Starlight, teleporting in front of Rainbow and projecting a magical shield to cut her off. "I'd give you one more warning, but I think the time for talking has passed!"
"HRAH!" Blaze rocketed into the sky and kicked Rainbow to the ground, where Pinkie, Fluttershy, Sunset, and Silver all circled her. "Um…" peeped the timid pegasus as Blaze touched down beside her. "Please stop fighting?"
Rainbow's only answer was an angry cry as she lashed out at everyone in sight. Seeing his enemy was distracted, Sonic moved in for a critical blow. But before he could reach the pegasus, a wall of green flame flew up between them. Directly above the hedgehog, Spike breathed out a steady stream of emerald flames that formed a circle with Sonic trapped in the middle.
"Let's see you make your way out of that!"
WHAM! Sonic simply jumped out and spun into Spike in the process. The dragon landed flat on his face with a groan while Sonic took off. "I deserve that…"
Shadow rushed in from behind Rainbow, seized her by the nape, and flung her against a wall while he stared down Sonic. "Focus on me, faker!"
"How many times must you…" Sonic growled, dodging a table thrown by Silver. "Arrgh! Why! Don't! You! Idiots! Leave! Me! ALONE?!" He bounced off each of his friends with every word, knocking them away one by one. As Knuckles held up his head, he turned an eye to the battered Tails. "Just how long does it take to come up with a plan?!" The fox noticed Starlight and Twilight talking out of the corner of his eye, shooting worried glances at the nearby fight. "Not too much longer…"
Sonic grappled with Shadow, who threw the blue hedgehog over his shoulder. In a swift motion, he sped to a building and pinned Sonic against it with his knee. The Blue Blur simply headbutted the Ultimate Lifeform, vaulted over him, and kicked the black hedgehog into the wall.
"Sonic, don't make me hurl everything within reach-!" Silver was interrupted by a swift kick right to his face before Sonic blasted away. "Where are you, you tiny freak of nature?!"
"At… your… face…" moaned Silver.
Rainbow bucked Pinkie Pie off her with a roar like a bull and swatted away Fluttershy with her tail. Applejack and Sunset threw themselves on top of her, wrestling her to the ground. "Rgh! Come on!" the unicorn shouted. "Throw your rope around her wings or something!"
"I have been!" replied the cowgirl. "She's as stubborn as a mule! A mad mule, even!"
"Get! OFF ME!" Rainbow screamed, thrashing and writhing around beneath the two ponies. She squirmed desperately and smacked Sunset's face with a hoof, loosening her grip. Applejack pressed down harder, keeping the crazed pegasus restrained.
"YOU!"
Both ponies turned to see Sonic standing a block away from their position. Applejack gasped in horror. "Land sakes…" Beneath her, Rainbow flared up in anger while Sonic crouched down and spun rapidly like a turbocharged car ready to zoom out of the pit lane.
He shot off like a missile, rolling down the street towards the ponies. With a yell of panic, Applejack was forced to abandon her position. Now free, Rainbow screamed in anger and charged towards the hedgehog, knocking him skyward with a kick. Shooting after him, she slammed into Sonic's flailing form and soared towards the Crystal Castle at high speed.
"Oh, boy…" Starlight breathed. "Hope you're ready, Twi! We gotta get in there!"
…
"Guard!" called Shining Armor. "What's going on out there?"
"Unknown, sir," replied a silver-armored pegasus. "There have been reports of some kind of 'domestic disturbance'. Has Princess Celestia informed you that assistance has arrived?"
"Assistance? What assistance?"
"Citizens have spotted a band of ponies attempting to break up the disturbance, your sister among them."
"What?" Princess Cadence turned to the guard.
"My sister is here?" Shining Armor repeated. "Are you certain of this?"
"I am, sir. So far, the royal guard has been able to contain the disturbance, so Princess Twilight and her friends have been called in to settle the matter."
"So why didn't Princess Celestia inform us?" asked Cadence. Before she could ponder this further, the doors to the throne room flung open. A breathless guard galloped inside, turning his eyes to the one addressing the royals. "Captain! There's been a perimeter breach!"
"A breach?" The first guard approached the new arrival with a serious expression. "What kind of breach? Has this been a distraction?"
"No, sir! The disputers… they've managed to get inside the castle through the observation deck!"
"They're WHAT?!" the captain exclaimed. "Send all available guards to their last known position! I want them stopped NOW!"
"Castle security is engaging as we speak!" came the reply. "But they're just too fast!"
"Too fast? What do you mean, too fast?" The second guard opened his mouth to reply… but noises from outside answered for him.
"There they are! Halt! HALT!"
"AAARGH!"
"STOP! This is a restricted ar-AAH!"
"Bar the doors! Quickly!" ordered Cadence. The captain whirled to the guards stationed near the main entrance. "You heard her! Seal the doors!" The guards sprang into action and started to push the giant doors closed as fast as they could. The royals watched the hallway beyond, listening to the shouts and cries of the guards who attempted and failed to stop whatever it was that was causing such a ruckus. Just as the doors were about to touch, something flew into view…
…and shot through the small gap in the doors milliseconds before they slammed shut behind it. The guards in the room snapped to attention as the airborne object came in for a landing, spun around, and brought itself to a screeching halt.
A huffing, puffing pegasus with cyan fur, spread wings, and a rainbow tail stood meters in front of the throne with its back turned to the royals. Princess Cadence squinted at the newcomer curiously. "Shining, is that one of Twilight's friends?" she whispered to her husband.
"I… I think so. What was her name again? Rainbow?"
"Rainbow Dash, is that you?" Cadence spoke clearly. "Is Princess Twilight with you? Do you know what the situation might-"
"SHUT! UP!" Rainbow snarled threateningly that caught both the royals and the guards by surprise. She snapped her head back to the doors, the room now in stunned silence.
"I beg your pardon, Miss Dash?" scolded the captain. "Did you just dare to insult the prince and princess of the Crystal Empire to their faces? I will see to it that-"
THOOM! Something banged against the doors to the throne room, startling everypony inside. His attention yanked from the pegasus, the captain turned to one guard. "Lance!"
The guard tossed him a jousting lance, which he fitted onto the right side of his armor. He turned his eyes back to the doors, which now had a small dent on them.
THOOM! Another dent just like it appeared on the opposite side. The guards stood firm, watching for whatever was trying to force through. The captain spread his wings. "Steady…"
THOOM! This time, the doors rattled from the impact and the knockers swung wildly from the force. The third dent looked dangerously close to the middle, and something growled from the other side. "Stupid…!"
THOOM! THOOM! THOOM! It battered the doors multiple more times, grunting in anger with each strike. A few of the guards backed away from the main entrance in case they were at risk for when it broke through.
Finally, the doors flew open with a loud bang, causing some of the nearby guards to flinch. A figure marched inside that made Rainbow seethe in anger: a spike blue creature with gloves, shoes, and green eyes. It stared down the pegasus with clenched fists and narrowed eyes.
"Stop where you are!" cried a guard. "You are under arrest for trespassing! Get down on the ground!"
The figure made no reply. It silently locked eyes with Rainbow, who muttered a single name under her breath that Cadence managed to catch. "Sonic…" she growled like a predator who could no longer stand abuse.
"What are you, deaf?!" the guard shouted as he neared the creature. "I said, get down on the-urk!" The creature grabbed him by the throat, lifted him off the floor, and slammed him down with the force of a stomp. His eyes darted back ahead of himself, once again trained on the pegasus.
"Guards! Attack!" yelled the captain. Everypony charged at the creature, who broke into a small jog along the carpet leading to the throne. He met those who came at him with brute force; punching, kicking, and throwing everypony who tried to block his route. Defeated guards slid along the floor and flew through the air while one pegasus guard swooped in from above. The creature just nailed him in the head with a flip kick, sending him crashing to the floor near the throne with a loud yell of pain.
The captain charged forth with a battle cry, the tip of his lance pointed at the creature's chest. Without breaking his stride, the creature slid underneath the charging pegasus, who made a noise of surprise. The creature swept out his legs from underneath him, sending him sprawling. The creature then kicked him in the torso, spinning him across the floor.
To the creature's surprise (or annoyance), the captain regained his footing and took to the air, dive-bombing at the creature with another yell. Sidestepping the lance, the creature grabbed the captain by his tail and slammed him to the floor. Shooting into the air, the creature balled a fist and aimed a strong punch for the captain's unarmored underbelly. The pegasus rolled out of the way just as the blow hit the floor, jabbing with his lance again.
The creature dodged every jab before grabbing the tip of the weapon and pulling it towards him. The captain yelled out as he was yanked with the lance, sending him right into the waiting forehead of the creature. Stunned from the blow, he was ill-prepared for the following punch to the face and knee to the throat. The creature brought an arm over its body and slammed an elbow over the captain's head, knocking him to the floor and relieving him of his weapon. The captain tried to stand up on shaky hooves, but a sneaker-clad foot stomped on his helmeted head and kept him pinned until he fell limp.
"Go back to the Dark Ages, Lancelot," spat the creature, the captain's lance now in his right hand. He turned to Rainbow, brandishing the weapon with a stern look. "And as for you, you tiny freak, it's time for you to disappear."
"It's YOU who's going to disappear!" Rainbow shrieked back with hot tears in her eyes. "You and everything about you! Gone! FOREVER! You- you'll never win! I-I'm the fastest creature in all Equestria!"
"Oh, you were…" Sonic smirked menacingly. "Then you met me."
Before Cadence or Shining Armor could butt in, a screaming Rainbow shot for the creature in a colored flash. The hedgehog thrust the lance towards her, but the pegasus sailed alongside it so that her rear hoof smacked the creature's face. He slid along the carpet, still gripping the lance. He swung wildly and ferociously at the pegasus, who dodged and countered however she could.
Sonic threw the lance like a javelin towards Rainbow, who shot upward to avoid it. The lance stabbed into the crystal throne between the two royals, who gasped in horror. The creature raced up to the throne and ripped the lance out, bounding back into the fray. After dodging a downward stab that cracked part of the floor, Rainbow looped around and shot for the creature, who moved the lance in a blocking position.
As Rainbow pushed against the creature's weapon and slid them across the floor, the royals looked at each other dumbfoundedly. "Shining, what should we do?" Cadence asked. The unicorn hesitantly opened his mouth…
"SONIC!" A shout came from a nearby window, making the prince cringe from the noise. From it, a two-tailed fox and a floating white creature similar to the intruder flew inside, the former flying for Rainbow and the armed creature. "Hey! Don't mind us! Just gotta clean up a mess!" said the latter hastily.
"Silver?" Shining asked, recognizing the creature from moments prior. "What in Equestria is-"
"Shining! Long story!" called Twilight Sparkle as she flew in. "Sorry, but gotta break up Rainbow and Sonic!"
"Rainbow and who? Twily, what is-"
"Tell you later! Promise!"
"Sonic, you give me that right NOW!" cried Knuckles, attempting to wrench the lance from Sonic like a game of tug-of-war. Shadow punched the hedgehog across the face, releasing his grip on the weapon. As soon as he was sent sliding across the floor, Knuckles tossed the lance away.
"Silver!" Starlight called. "Ready?"
"You bet!"
Sonic and Rainbow stood meters apart, the latter screaming in pure rage as she charged towards the hedgehog. In response, Sonic took off at high speed. The blue and rainbow blurs raced to the middle of the room, intent on colliding head-on once more…
"NOW!"
Sonic was immediately encased in a cyan aura while a magic beam trapped Rainbow in a crystalline prison. While the pegasus was rendered immobile save for her eyes, Sonic struggled within Silver's psychokinetic grip. "Lemme go! I didn't fight this long to not beat the colors out of her stupid hair!"
"Don't worry!" Silver called to Starlight. "I got him! Do your thing!"
"Okay…" Starlight turned to Twilight. "Trying to sense their emotions and inner states will be a little easier now that they're not moving."
The alicorn was impressed. "Is there something you haven't learned from Star Swirl's scrolls?" The unicorn just smiled before continuing. "So far… I've only sensed anger and hatred from both Sonic and Rainbow. Now I just gotta see if I can determine the cause…"
She closed her eyes and slowly exhaled, her horn glowing with light. She focused and pointed her horn towards the trapped Rainbow, who could glare daggers at her if she wasn't completely frozen. "I sense… jealousy. Mostly jealousy in Rainbow. She's… jealous of Sonic, just like Tails predicted. It is natural, yes… but something also coaxed it."
"Something provoked her?" Rarity asked. "Like what?"
"I don't know," Starlight answered. "It's… hazy. But her emotions started out as a tiny flame. Whatever provoked her just added more wood to the fire until it became an inferno."
"What about Sonic?" asked Amy. "Was he affected in the same way?"
"I think so," answered Starlight, now pointing her horn in Sonic's direction. "But he feels… angry that this challenger is putting up more of a fight than the other ones he faced. It's almost as if he doesn't want her to win and will do anything to make sure she loses. He wouldn't do that all by himself, would he?"
"Heck no!" Tails replied. "If Sonic meets a rival good enough for him, he'd make sure they'd be set for a rematch! This level of aggression towards Rainbow… maybe that something that intensified Rainbow's jealousy also affected Sonic! If Rainbow absolutely refused to lose to Sonic, to the point where she would just keep going despite being defeated…"
"Then Sonic putting her down would be the only way for him to win," Shadow finished with a scoff. "Whatever affected him must have properly motivated him to kill his opponent rather than beat her." He scoffed while staring at the suspended, struggling blue hedgehog. "Sonic always finishes his fights… but not like this. Not if he wants the excitement to forever fade."
"So how do we snap them out of it?" asked Spike. "Is there a spell for purifying corruptive ailments?"
"There is," Twilight answered. "I used a similar technique to restore my friends after Discord made them the opposite of how they normally acted. I'm just glad that this time, it's a lot easier to do."
"Easier?" Applejack asked with a raised eyebrow. "Last I remember, Rainbow was zipping about like a bug in a barn! It took everything we had to catch her!"
"Okay, true…" Twilight sighed. "Starlight, is there any chance you can use that spell on Sonic?"
"Don't worry about it. I've got it covered," the unicorn assured her. "Go get your friend back." She turned to the hedgehog, who continued to wriggle about while Starlight's glowing horn slowly reached towards him like a medical syringe.
"No, no, no! You get that thing away from me!" he shouted. "I am not gonna have my brain fried by a toy doll!" Starlight continued to move in and closed her eyes. "Just relax… this isn't gonna hurt."
If Rainbow could spit out similar words of objection, she would. Instead, all that Twilight got from her crystallized state was a menacing, furious glare that shifted from the alicorn to the writhing hedgehog. The princess' horn burst into violet light, the tip glowing like a lantern in the night while her purple eyes stared into Rainbow's magenta orbs. Even from here, they seemed different. They almost appeared a blazing red to match her unrelenting, uncharacteristic rage. It almost made Twilight upset as well: whatever did this to her, if the theory was correct, would learn the hard way that one did not mess with one of her friends without messing with them all.
And that's what they would do.
She pressed her horn to the crystal, the magic instantly flowing through it and seeping into Rainbow's body. Starlight's horn touched Sonic's forehead, the hedgehog squeezing his eyes shut as the light started to spread. Within seconds, turquoise light enveloped his entire body and shrouded him from view. All that remained of his presence was a mixed cry of pain and rage that seemed to grow louder by the second. The crystalline block holding Rainbow captive was also alive in purple light, the pegasus shining like a star.
Spinning towards the crystal, Starlight fired a magic beam that caused the crystal to vanish, leaving only a now-fading light. It dimmed down almost like a miniature sunset, revealing a fully-healed unconscious Rainbow Dash lying on the throne room carpet. Her mane and tail looked as radiant as ever while her coat looked like it had been neatly brushed with no signs of contact.
Still within Silver's grip, the light around Sonic faded until a limp blue hedgehog came into view. His eyes were closed and he looked like he was asleep. After a quiet nod from Starlight, Silver gently lowered Sonic to the floor and released his hold. The cyan aura around him dimmed away, allowing most of his friends to gather in close. The ponies anxiously assembled around Rainbow, who was now beginning to stir just as Sonic's fingers slightly twitched.
"Did it work?" whispered Spike. Twilight only gestured for him to keep quiet while a moan slowly came from Rainbow's mouth. Aside from the ponies, Sonic began to stir within his friends' arms. "Ugh…" he groaned as he blinked open his eyes.
"Sonic?" whispered Tails. "Can you hear me?"
"T…Tails…? Whuh… where am I? Why do I… feel so… lightheaded…?"
A smile made its way onto Amy's face. "I… I think it worked! He's back!"
"B…back?" came the drowsy response. "No, no, I… I never left… Did I go somewhere…?"
Rainbow tried to stand on wobbly hooves, fighting the wave of dizziness that consumed her system. "No more… Dizzitron… before bed…" she wheezed in exhaustion before her eyes adjusted to her current surroundings. "The… the Crystal Empire? How did I…?"
"YIPPEE!" cheered Pinkie, immediately snapping the drowsiness out of the pegasus. "We did it!"
"OW! PINKIE!" Rainbow snapped. "That's right in my ear!" The earth pony shrank back with a sheepish smile. "Sorry…"
Sonic rose to his feet, looking around at the throne room he stood in. "What is this place?" he wondered aloud. "And… and when did I get here?" Silver scratched the back of his head. "That's… kinda a long story."
Sonic spun his head towards him in surprise. "Silver?! When the heck did you get here?!" He noticed Starlight standing beside him. "Oh, and I don't believe we've met. I'm Sonic and you are-?"
THWACK! Shadow socked him across the back with an annoyed expression. "Ow! What'd you go and do that for, Shad?!"
"That was for calling me the Ultimate Loser."
"Wha- I don't remember doing that!"
"And what was the last thing you did remember?" wondered Spike.
"Um…" Sonic scratched the back of his head while Twilight approached the two royals. "Shining, Cadence… you may want to sit down for this…" The two of them kept their eyes on the alicorn as she cleared her throat and began her explanation of current events.
"I remember beating this Tirek guy, then heading back to Tails' lab," Sonic recalled. "Then the lab got fused to some castle, and then… It's all fuzzy. Well, after I saw Rainbow Dash. Does anyone want to fill me in on what happened?"
Rainbow Dash was just about to add on the hedgehog's words with her own memories… until the sight of her friends cut her off. Everypony was staring at her suspiciously like they thought she was a changeling in disguise. "Um… why are you guys looking at me like that…?"
"You, young lady, have a lot of explaining to do," said Applejack. "Why didn't you tell us you were jealous of Sonic?"
Rainbow's fur stood up on end like a child who realized they were in deep trouble. Sonic turned to her in confusion, his stare adding to the already-overwhelming amount. "Hold on, you were what?"
"I…um… ah…" Rainbow struggled to find a response until Rarity stepped forth. "I knew that muttering back at Manehattan seemed suspicious! My investigator side never falters!"
"He was just trying to be a good sport, Dashie!" Pinkie added. "All fun and games, but that didn't sit too well with you!"
"W-w-wait! H-how do you know all of this?!" Rainbow cried. "Who told you that?"
"Apparently, you did," Twilight explained as the others made way for her. "After you attacked him just as they returned with the chaos energy needed for my machine."
"After I WHAT?!" screamed the pegasus. "W-wait a minute! I didn't do that! You can't prove it!"
"The damage outside suggests otherwise," Sunset spoke up. "Fortunately, we're not exactly mad at you for fighting him."
"You're… not?"
"No," Twilight spoke calmly. "But, Rainbow Dash, we're all disappointed that you didn't talk to us about how you felt about Sonic. So why didn't you?"
"Plus, you were under some kind of spooky mind control or something!" added Pinkie before Twilight shot her a look. Rainbow's eyes went wide. "Wait, wha-"
"Later," Twilight quickly said.
"Back up for a sec," said a confused Sonic. "I fought Rainbow Dash? Did I win?"
"Worse," Shadow responded in a near-accusing manner. "You were going to kill her. Or the other way around." Sonic looked mortified at his rival's words, yet his mind was elsewhere. "But… how did that happen? We're practically best buds! No offense, Tails…"
"None taken."
"But what changed? How come she hated me all of a sudden?"
"She said you were 'better' than her," Knuckles said, turning an eye to the pegasus. The look said it all; she needed to talk, and now. But Twilight had a gentler approach in mind rather than outright threatening her.
"Rainbow…" she whispered. "Why didn't you tell us how you felt about Sonic?"
At first, the pegasus was hesitant to respond. She remembered nothing about fighting the Blue Blur, and yet… the proof was inside her. Ever since that race, that moment where a creature with no magic and no wings surpassed her so easily… as soon as the hedgehog had shattered the sound barrier, Rainbow felt like a nopony. Lost. Forgotten. Abandoned.
The real question was why she could not be jealous about that. She was the fastest creature in all of Equestria. To have that torn from her… they wouldn't understand that. They wouldn't understand how it felt to be knocked down from the podium, to be dethroned, to have someone better than you at anything. And that someone being a constant reminder that you would never be that good ever again.
But they were right. She should have shared this with them, whether or not they knew how she felt. Didn't their many adventures and lessons together teach her that? No inner conflict is meant to be just "inner". It needs to be shown to those you trust if you are to deal with it.
"I…" Rainbow could hear her voice crack from sadness as she looked at each of her friends. "I didn't tell you because… I thought you wouldn't get it. That you wouldn't understand what I was going through. I mean… how could you? For a long, long time… I've been the best at what I do. I've been the fastest flier in the whole world. The sky was my playground, the wind raced with me… and I pulled off something worthy to be in the pages of a history book."
Her friends' faces softened up, but Rainbow wasn't about to let them get a word in yet while Sonic and his friends gathered around her. "Hearing it… the roar of the crowd, it's… it's exhilarating. There's no better sound to remind you that you're on top… sometimes literally. I told myself every day that I was awesome, and I was always right. I felt like nothing could bring me down… that nothing would ever stop me… that all my competitors would be left far, far behind…"
Her tearful eyes turned to a sorrowful Sonic. "Then… you showed up." The hedgehog made no reply. "When we first met, I said you were impressive. I-I meant it. That's what I think about every creature who feels alright in my book. Tails told me about you, too… especially how fast you were. At first… I thought 'Hey, he sounds just like me. Fast and cool, but no way is he more impressive or faster than me'… Then came the race. Naturally, I knew… I thought… that I would win. That you would be just another good sport, another rival to beat… but when you went supersonic… right after I brought out the Sonic Rainboom… my whole world came crashing down."
Sonic started to raise a hand… but lowered it.
"That's when I realized… this… creature with no wings… no magic… was doing the impossible. He was… winning. He was beating me. And I just… I snapped. I wouldn't… to lose to some creature that couldn't even fly… it'd be humiliating beyond belief… and ever since then…" She stifled a sniffle. "I… I just… hated you for it. The… the Fastest Thing Alive, you called yourself. Any earlier, I'd think you were gloating, but… you were right. It hurt to admit, but… it was true. And I couldn't stand that."
Spike took a moment to wipe his eyes. No one dared utter a sound.
"I had such… self-respect, such… ego… and pride…" Rainbow continued, slowly lowering her head as tears dropped to the carpet. "It always kept getting in the way… it always kept… controlling me… giving me a lust and craving for… for attention… for a desire to win at all costs… and leaving me ignorant of everything else around me… even my friends… and this time… it went too far. If news of you got out across Equestria… I'd be right back where I started… f-forgotten. A-alone… nopony special…"
She looked up at Sonic. "So… so how could I not be jealous of you? You're the one thing… the one thing I never thought I'd see in my entire life. Some creature faster than me… better than me… cooler than me…"
She looked around at her friends. "And how could any of you ever understand that? You… you don't know how it feels to be second-best. You don't know the… the feeling that you must triumph over your… your replacement… or you'll be… nopony…"
She felt weak inside. Her heart felt heavy, like it was tied to a boulder. "I… I'm…" she sniffed and wiped her face with one hoof. "I'm sorry…" she croaked. "Really…"
All that followed was silence. Darkness was all she could see behind closed eyelids. Her pride… Rainbow's worst enemy. In a way, herself. It had gotten the better of her multiple times. The Running of the Leaves, where she cheated Applejack at every turn just to win a race where she couldn't fly. An event where she focused on winning rather than the meaning behind it. Then came her time as a hero, where she became overwhelmed with the attention and boasted way, way too much. She became… a jerk, deciding to embrace her new career and brag about it every chance she got. It took a tag-team effort to make her see the error of her ways.
And that still wasn't enough. Now it was this new competition. She wouldn't allow herself to be overthrown and replaced by some creature faster than her in her own home. It had gotten her again. And it would never be vanquished. It was a part of her, forever bound to her soul. She had the potential to rise above it, but this time… it just wasn't there. Her friends couldn't help, even if she had told them. What would they know of being second-best, anyway?
"That's not true."
Rainbow slowly looked up and blinked through her moist eyes. In front of her, Twilight looked as sorrowful as she was, her eyes almost like reflecting pools as she had that thinking face of hers again. Except she was lost in another time and another place.
"Ever since Princess Celestia took me in as her student…" the princess began. "All I could think about was impressing her. And the only way to do that was to exceed her. Through all our adventures together, my greatest fear… was disappointing her. I felt like letting her down in the slightest… would ruin everything."
Now, Rainbow was the silent one. Another tear slid down her face as she looked into the alicorn's eyes. "I was the apprentice… the faithful and eager… the second-best. I wanted to do everything I could to make her proud… but there were some times I felt powerless. Scared. Afraid that she would disown me for a great failure. You remind me, Rainbow… of myself. That little unicorn who was always afraid of being forever in the shadow of the great and wise Princess Celestia… and afraid of being the forgotten pupil."
Sunset sadly glanced away for a moment.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is… you're right. I don't know what it's like to be at the very top only to be knocked down by something flying out of nowhere. But that doesn't mean I haven't been in a situation like it. You were afraid of being forgotten… so was I. You felt helpless and powerless against a force you couldn't overcome. So did I. But the more I got to know each of my friends… I know that they have had that same feeling at least once in their lives."
Sunset looked at Rainbow with pity in her eyes. "Princess Celestia not giving me what I desired… and me taking it the wrong way."
Starlight swallowed the guilt of a memory. "Making new friends… I'd just be all alone again…"
"Letting my whole family down…" Applejack quietly added.
"An awful party complete with an equally-awful cake…" Pinkie whispered sadly.
"An animal getting hurt because of me…" Fluttershy squeaked.
"A designer that could make my lines look like rags and filthy patchwork…" Rarity sorrowfully admitted.
"You may not be as fearless as you claim, Rainbow Dash…" Twilight assured. "But that's okay. Everypony has something they're afraid of. Some fears they can face alone… and others… they just can't. I learned that from you. You helped me impress Princess Celestia and bring me to where I am today, along with everypony else. It's only natural that I return the favor."
Rainbow blinked away tears as Twilight delivered her closing words. "I only wish you didn't keep this to yourself. That's why you have us. But the good news is… we can make amends. We always do. Just remember to open up, alright?"
The pegasus' only response was wrapping her wings around the alicorn in a hug… one she happily returned. Rainbow was never more glad to be wrong; her friends did understand, even if it wasn't the exact same situation. Why did she ever doubt it? One question may have been answered, but another remained? Why had she openly attacked Sonic instead of continuing to loathe him? Did it have something to do with-
"If you all are finished…" said Shadow, who sounded unmoved from the whole ordeal. "I must proceed with my current mission before I waste any more time on something so sentimental."
"Seriously?!" Amy nearly shouted, wiping a tear from her eye. "How can you be so… so serious after all that? That was super emotional…"
The black hedgehog glared at the pink one. "If you believe me to become sentimental so easily, you are sorely mistaken."
Tails let out a sigh. "Well… now that we have that over- huh?" He turned to Sonic, only to see he was no longer there. Everyone quickly turned around to the giant doors, where the blue hedgehog was approaching. "Hey!" called Knuckles. "Where're you going, blue?"
Sonic was silent, hesitant to look back at them. When he did, sadness and confusion could be seen in his eyes. "To… to get some air…" His words sent a pang through Tails' body. It was rare to see Sonic like this: upset in any way, be it anger or sadness.
"W-wait!" Silver flew up to the blue hedgehog hurriedly, stopping him from pushing open the doors. "Sonic, before you… uh, take this all in, I guess… Can I ask you something?"
"What?" He sounded uninterested as if he would rather not deal with whatever it was at this moment. Silver, however, wasn't about to let him off the hook yet. "What do you remember about Soleanna?"
Sonic's eyelids opened, turning his sadness into curiosity as he processed the suddenness of the question. "Soleanna?" he asked. "Why? What do you want to know of that place?"
"Just… what do you recall from it?" Silver questioned.
"Um…" Sonic had to take a moment to think. He moved a hand to his chin and tapped a foot on the floor. Again, he was quiet… until he brought a memory to light. "Well, it was that time of year where one of their annual celebrations was in full swing. The Festival of the Sun. I was in the area, so I decided to stop by and check out the festivities."
"Okay. And?"
"I reached the capital just in time. Princess Elise's boat was already in the final stretch before reaching the altar. Thankfully, I managed to get a good spot for the ceremony. The city was alive with light, fireworks were going off, and the princess praised their sun god before lighting up the altar. 'Guide and watch over us with your eternal light', she said."
Silver seemed to lean in. "And then what?"
Sonic paused. "Uh… then what, what?"
"Y'know, what happened next?"
"What happened next?" Sonic repeated. "Uh, the people just celebrated, I guess. Then when the late hours came, I took my leave."
"But what about the princess?" Silver asked. "Did you meet her during the festival or something like that?"
"What?" Sonic replied. "No, I didn't get to meet her. But I already was familiar with her through the news. Royals are always on some kind of schedule, am I right?"
"You…" Silver sounded like he was shocked to hear this. "You didn't meet the princess?"
Sonic raised a brow. "Is that a problem?"
"Well, did anything unusual happen during the festival?" Silver asked. "Like an attack or something?"
"An attack?" Now Sonic looked suspicious. "Eggman enjoys making a scene, and while I admit it looked like a good time for him to steal the show, he didn't show. The most 'unusual' thing that might have happened would be if a dancer slipped and fell."
"Is… is that it?"
"Just about, yeah."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm sure."
"Oh…" Silver looked low in disappointment. "S-sorry for taking up your time…" The hedgehog turned and walked away, leaving Sonic to go about his business. The blue hedgehog pushed open one of the doors and made his way out. The rest of his friends and the ponies stared at the doors where he had once been, wondering what they needed to do now… as well as absorbing all that had just happened regarding Sonic and Rainbow's quarrel.
As soon as he was gone, Blaze looked at Silver in shock. "He doesn't know? How does he not know?" Silver shook his head. "I-I don't know. Maybe Starlight's right… maybe those memories never happened at all."
"Memories of Soleanna?"
Silver and Blaze turned to the figure approaching them: Shadow. The black hedgehog had a stare of recognition. And that could only mean…
"Wait… you know?" Silver asked.
"Not everything," Shadow replied, crossing his arms. "But I know enough, thanks to Chaos Control. Now… why this place?"
…
If what Rainbow said was true, did she really hate Sonic just because he was faster? True, Sonic had expected a friendly rivalry between him and the swift pegasus… but he never expected it to go down like this.
None of his previous rivals had hated him that much. Annoyed by his taunting and irritated by his constant banter, yes, but never outright hate. That was reserved only for a certain bald scientist. Out of all of them, they only wanted a good challenge. But Rainbow… she was different.
As he strolled through the halls of the Crystal Castle, Sonic was lost in his own thoughts. The pegasus was from another world, and Sonic believed a speedster along those lines would be great competition for him. But he didn't know her pride, her ego that sometimes got the better of her. Win or lose, he congratulated the pegasus for putting on a good show. Was she even listening to that? Or was she glaring daggers at his back?
If she was supposed to be just like him- except species, of course- then why would she take losing so hard? Sonic was all about the thrill of the chase, not about being the winner (which he undeniably was). None of his previous opponents took the loss as hard as Rainbow did… so what was he supposed to do about it now? He couldn't let Rainbow, a perfectly good speedster in her own right- be stuck in his shadow forever! All of Sonic's friends had something that made them special and unique, but Rainbow had to know she wasn't entirely like him! But how was he supposed to do it? He knew plenty about friendship, sure, but telling her what she was good at? He'd pretty much be describing himself in the process!
"Hey."
"Gah!" Sonic snapped out of his thoughts and finally noticed Rainbow standing right in front of him. "Uh.. um… hi?" he said awkwardly. "Wh-what brings you out here?"
The pegasus sighed. "I… I wanted to tell you I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" Sonic feigned ignorance and tried to dismiss it as best he could. "Nah, it's cool. I-I deal with unhealthy competition all the-"
"No, it's not cool," Rainbow answered seriously. "You're all about seeing the fun in things, right? The winning, the losing, the risk, the reward… it doesn't matter to you. And I just took all that away just because you were faster."
"I-It's no biggie, really."
"This is a biggie!" she interrupted. "I was so obsessed over what I wanted that I didn't see what I was doing to what you wanted! Whenever I get challenged to a race, I expect to blow them away and leave them way behind! But when you do, you just plan on having a good time! Which is exactly what Twilight taught me! I…" she sighed again and lowered her head. "I ruined everything for you… you can't just say it was nothing…"
Sonic hung his head low in defeat. "Okay, yeah, you're right… I just… I just don't know what to do about it…"
"And I'm sorry for that!" Rainbow frantically spoke up as they entered the castle's foyer. "Look, the balcony's just over there! I know you prefer actions over words, but they can help! We can talk outside! Please just let me-"
"Yes, I know," Sonic huffed. "You're doing way more than enough. I just… I just need to think. None of the others ever took it this bad. That's all." He started to move towards the balcony, a sad Rainbow Dash slowly following. "But… but I said I was sorry…" she moaned under her breath.
Sonic sighed again as they neared the curtains, gripping them in his hands. "Again… I know." Ignoring the dejected expression that crossed Rainbow's face, he turned away from the pegasus and flung open the drapes…
…and was met by multiple laser guns pointing right at his face!
"AAH!" The hedgehog and the pegasus jolted in surprise and panic, the latter already spinning on her heels. With a screeching sound, two Motobugs drove directly in front of her path to block her escape. Two Buzz Bombers moved into position and aimed their stinger-blasters at the duo. With engines revving, the Motobugs forced them back onto the balcony.
Sonic awkwardly raised his arms in surrender while Rainbow held up her wings with a nervous face. Two Egg Pawns with lances took over for the Motobugs, poking Sonic in the back and ushering them out. The Egg Guns didn't move an inch but looked ready to shoot the moment Sonic or Rainbow made a single hint of escape. Several Egg Pawns with bazookas stood beside their mechanical brethren with multiple Badniks of all kinds at the forefront. Motobugs revved their engines, Buzz Bombers hovered menacingly in the air with Spinners backing them up, Crabmeats snapped their claws in anticipation, and Egg Fighters could be seen in the very back.
"Um…" Sonic muttered with a nervous chuckle. "Hey, guys… uh, long time… no see?"
The robots did not respond, but something else came within earshot: the sound of hovering engines, along with an unexpected addition that made Rainbow's ears perk up as she tried to listen to the distant audio. "Is that… music?"
Sonic could hear it, too. He dropped his arms and groaned in dismay. "Oh, no…"
Immediately after he had spoken, a recorded voice began to sing.
"The story begins with who's gonna win!
Knowin' the danger that lies within!
Aboard the ARK, a genius at heart!
Wanting to unlock the mysteries of life!"
A small hovercraft with an egg-like shape floated from behind the Crystal Castle, its fat, mustached occupant triumphantly singing along to the chorus while doing a little dance.
"I am the Eggman! That's what I am!
I am the Eggman! I've got the master plan!
I am the Eggman! That's what I am!
I am the Eggman! With the master plan!
OHOHOHOHOHO!"
Dr. Eggman turned his attention to the blue heroes below, a gleeful smile on his sinister expression. "SURPRIIIIIISE!"
The only reaction he got was looks of horror from his enemy and his new ally.
