Sonic balled his fists and bared his teeth. Metal kept still, but the injured pegasus- whose face was awfully close to being stabbed- quivered in fear. A flash of worry spread through Sonic, whose eyes turned from Rainbow's terrified orbs to his hesitating reflection in Eggman's glasses… and finally, to Metal's cold, unchanging photoreceptors.
Desperate to stay strong, Sonic glanced from Rainbow to Metal, his mind scrambling to find a solution. Light glinted off the knife-like fingers of his adversary, nearly touching a tear that rolled down Rainbow's cheek. Sonic's heart began to race as the weight of the decision bore down on his shoulders.
Eggman's grin seemed to grow impossibly wide. Metal's unblinking stare seemed to become more intense and overpower Sonic's failing facade of maintaining a level-headed and serious expression. His arms began to shake and his heart started to hammer in his chest. He lifted a fist to strike, and he immediately got a response from Metal, who hovered some of his fingers inches apart from Rainbow's petrified eyes. Seeing this, Sonic's face began to fall further and his raised arm quivered with intensity. The suspense was starting to kill him… something that he knew Eggman found joy in, as the doctor looked like he was watching a tense scene from a movie.
Rainbow's eyes pleaded for Sonic to do something, but the hedgehog was at a loss at what exactly to do. If Metal could do expressions, he would be frowning right now and daring his enemy to act so he could snuff out the life of the one who was hanging on by a thread. Sonic could feel sweat dripping down his face as his shaky eyes looked at the helpless Rainbow Dash… then to the emotionless, ever-patient Metal Sonic… then back to the terrified pegasus.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
His heartbeat sounded like a war drum and his breath was like a windstorm. For a brief moment, he didn't see Rainbow grasping for dear life in Metal's hand; he saw Tails, who pleaded silently at the hedgehog with the frightened eyes of a child. He saw Amy, once again a prisoner of his steel double like the adventure on Little Planet. He saw Knuckles, who was struggling to escape to no avail. He saw the people he protected every day, begging for his help. But if he moved a single muscle, if he took a single step… it would be taken in the blink of an eye.
His eyelids quivering now, Sonic bit his lip and held his arm high. His whole body shook when the metal fingers dangled close to Rainbow's whimpering face. The anticipation was overwhelming. Sonic took a deep breath, blinked the wetness from his eyes…
…and lowered his arm.
He saw darkness behind closed eyes. He could hear only his frantic, shaky breathing and his heart slowing down to his normal pace. He couldn't do it. He wouldn't risk any of his friends, old or new, getting hurt because of him. He couldn't bear to look at Rainbow's face again, but he did hear that familiar sinister chuckle.
"I thought as much…"
Sonic opened his eyes and glared at the evil genius, who looked like he was-
BLAM!
Sonic's eyes went wide and pain shot through his system, a small gasp escaping his throat. Out of sight, Rainbow cried out in horror and screamed his name… before Sonic's eyes saw Metal literally punching the pegasus' lights out and leaving her limp in his grip. The hedgehog grew woozy and fell to his knees… before collapsing on his face, revealing the Egg Pawn who had just shot him in the back.
With the pegasus incapacitated, Metal Sonic tossed her aside like a ragdoll and marched up to his organic counterpart. He ran a scan over the hedgehog's unmoving form, standing over his defeated body as if in triumph.
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
LIFE SIGNS: POSITIVE
CONDITION: UNCONSCIOUS
ESTIMATED TIME TO AWAKENING: 1 HOUR
ORDERS REQUESTED
"Egg Pawn," commanded the doctor. "Take the flying horse and the rest of them to the shuttle. Metal… send a message." The Badnik complied as it marched to Rainbow Dash's limp body and slung it over its shoulder before walking away. Metal Sonic bent down and grabbed Sonic by the nape, studying his foe's features.
He was defeated, but not by his hand. Metal Sonic had patience, however. Lots of it; something his counterpart lacked. He could wait until the time would come to strike again… and prove to him that he was the one, true Sonic. It could be one day, one week, one month, or even ten years… it made no difference. One day, he would prove that.
"And when you're finished," Eggman added. "Hunt down the rest of the horned ones and capture them. Wherever they may be hiding. I will join you momentarily. Now go!"
BROOSH! Metal took off with Sonic in tow, hovering in the air while scanning for organic life signatures. He found several in no time; a squad of Egg Pawns was transporting the unconscious ponies and dragon, and Sonic's friends were still holding their own against several Badniks. Metal flew over to their block in a second until he hovered high above the street, coldly watching Tails swipe away robots. Amy bashed in an Egg Pawn's head and hammered another in the side while Knuckles grappled an Egg Fighter and went to town on it.
Metal held Sonic's limp body in front of him, displaying him for all to see. He patiently waited for one of the three to take notice… and he didn't have to wait long until one did. Tails shot an Egg Pawn in the face with its own blaster and threw it away, his eyes darting everywhere for more targets. He noticed something hovering in the sky… and he froze in sheer horror.
Amy paused as the robots facing her suddenly backed down, catching wind of Tails' open-jawed, wide-eyed expression. "Tails? Tails! What's wrong with-" she followed the fox's gaze… and dropped her hammer with a horrified gasp. Her hands flew to her mouth and her eyes began to grow moist.
Knuckles looked up as well and had to rub his eyes in shock. That wasn't what he thought it was… right? Above the street, above all of them, Metal Sonic hovered menacingly in place. And he was holding a limp, unmoving Sonic in his steel hand.
"No…" Tails whimpered.
Metal uncurled his fingers instantly, letting Sonic fall to the street below. The hedgehog landed with a thud, bouncing up before settling on the ground. Amy slowly raised a hand towards the unresponsive hero. "S…Sonic…?"
Tails slowly turned his eyes back to the glaring Metal Sonic, his emotions mixing into fear, sadness, and hatred. The robot slowly descended to the street and landed in front of the defeated hedgehog, its eyes glancing at each of the three. When the pair landed on Tails, the fox felt like he was going to pass out just by looking into them.
But… but Sonic wouldn't want that. He'd want his little buddy to be brave. He'd want him to stand up to "that jerk" and would tell him to not let his fear own him. A tear trickled down Tails' face as he clenched his fists, turned his angry eyes to the worthless imitation of his best friend, and-
"RAAAAAAGH!"
Knuckles charged past him and Amy in a berserker rage, bulldozing right for an unfazed Metal. The enraged echidna threw a wild hook at the robot while screaming his lungs out… only for Metal to catch the fist in one hand. Knuckles threw his other fist, which was intercepted by Metal just as fast. With both arms restrained, Knuckles pulled as hard as he could and struggled to break free while Metal slowly raised himself into the air.
With a loud bang, Metal gave the echidna a hard headbutt and immediately grounded him, nearly knocking him out with a single blow. Tails spun up his twin tails and took off at the robot while Amy grabbed her hammer and sprinted for the machine from the other side. Metal intercepted both of them at once, holding back Tails with a hand to the face and his other arm grabbing the handle of Amy's hammer.
Metal threw Tails into the air before snagging him by one of his tails. He whacked Amy in the face with her own weapon before using Tails as a bludgeon, repeatedly pummeling her away with the fox's body. Once the pink hedgehog had been knocked away, Metal immediately began to slam Tails into the ground like a ragdoll before smashing him at the robot's feet. The weary fox lifted his head from the ground… but Metal stomped down to keep him downed.
To Metal, these three were nothing. Like the ponies, they couldn't match his strength and ferocity. And the only one who could was currently being carried away by robots who were overseen by the doctor himself. A great number of threats had been vanquished, but a few remained. Metal shot away with his scanners peeled for magical signatures, leaving Sonic's friends to be extracted.
In another section of the devastated city, Sunset Shimmer tackled an Egg Pawn and blasted it in the head before shooting another beam at a robot that tried to run her through with a lance. She used her magic to grab an Egg Fighter and lifted it over her head, slamming it to the street with a metallic crunch. After it fell, she paused for a moment to gather her thoughts.
Why were all of them so focused on her all of a sudden?
The sound of an explosion made the unicorn whip her head to a neighborhood corner, where a plume of smoke and fire lifted from a rooftop. As the remains of a Flapper crashed to the street, Shadow hit the ground rolling with an Egg Pawn's blaster in hand. He sprung into action as multiple armed Egg Pawns rushed to surround him, laser bolts zipping through the air. The hedgehog shot one point-blank in the head, kicked away another, then shot a third in the chest and left a gaping hole. One with a lance jabbed at him; an attack Shadow dodged before he grabbed the robot and shot it in the face.
Shadow hurled himself into a backward roll, taking the deactivated machine with him. Smashing it on its face, he shot another robot in the shoulder and vaulted over it to face down the last Egg Pawn whose blaster was firing like crazy. After gunning it down with two quick shots, he slammed the robot he was holding onto and shot out one of its optical sensors.
He didn't stop there, as he turned the weapon on another squad while Sunset looked around at the numerous machines. "Shadow, there's too many!" she cried. "What do we do? Do we run?"
"No! I don't run!" came the sharp response.
"But we can't stay here!"
"Only cowards flee! And I-!"
Something slammed into Shadow and deprived him of his weapon, pinning him against the side of the building. The Ultimate Lifeform grunted and cracked open his eyes to see Metal Sonic keeping him held down. "You! Chaos BLAST!"
A red shockwave erupted from Shadow's body and blew the robot away. Metal flipped in midair, using his booster to stay airborne. He shot back down towards Shadow, who held up his fists. He rolled away from a downward fist and kicked the robot in the side. His following strikes were blocked by Sonic's mechanical counterpart, who landed quick jabs in response.
Somersaulting away from a knee strike, Shadow fired several Chaos Spears at Metal, only for the projectiles to hit a building as Metal sidestepped each at high speed. The robot sped for Shadow, who blocked a high kick and threw another punch. Spinning around this jab, Metal landed a hard blow to Shadow's gut, making him stagger with a pained exhale. Fighting the pain, Shadow leaned away from a spinning kick and parried another punch, throwing two more kicks at Metal's head.
Metal dodged and blitzed Shadow with several more strikes before sweeping out his legs from under him. Seizing Shadow by the back of his neck as he fell, Metal spun and hurled him into the side of a building. Sunset cringed as the sound of collapsing walls and breaking infrastructure signaled the building falling right on top of the black hedgehog.
That face quickly went wide when the unicorn noticed the robot spinning his head in her direction. Thinking fast, Sunset blinked away just as it raced up to grab her. Buzzing in confusion, Metal stood straight and scanned the area for her whereabouts.
On a nearby rooftop, Sunset exhaled in relief and turned around… to see Eggman barring her way! She yelped in surprise as the scientist looked down at her. "And where do you think you're going?!" he shouted, pointing the Egg Mobile's laser cannons at the unicorn. Light flared from the weapons and the rooftop exploded before Sunset's eyes, sending her screaming body sailing to the street below.
The sound of her hard landing drew Metal's attention, who immediately rocketed in her direction. Instinct flooded through Sunset and screamed for her to run. With panicked breaths, she turned to flee only to see Metal zipping in front of her. Her scream was cut off by the robot snatching her by the neck. With a swift movement, Metal threw Sunset against a wall and rocketed for her, slamming a fist into her torso where her heart would be. The unicorn let out a final agonizing gasp before she went limp.
Two Egg Pawns moved to pick her up while Metal flew off elsewhere. Eggman, meanwhile, turned his eyes to the castle. "Battleship Two!" he commanded. "Fire at the tower! Make a hole!" Among the ominous armada hovering above the city, cannon fire rained down from a red battleship and collided with the Crystal Castle, shaking everything inside and cracking the pristine exterior. A shuttle departed from the capital ship as it continued its barrage, moving into position to deploy troops into the castle.
Starlight Glimmer's eyes widened in horror as the thundering detonations of explosive rounds echoed in her ears. "No! The castle!"
Silver and Blaze took notice as well, the former slamming two Buzz Bombers together with his psychokinesis. "The royals…" he whispered before turning to his feline partner. "Where's Sonic?!"
"I'm not sure!" Blaze replied. "The last time I saw him, he was facing off with the doctor!"
"W-what about Twilight?!" Starlight shouted. "And the others?!"
"I think they were fighting off the robots!" Silver shouted. "I'll go get 'em!"
"I'll help the royals!" Blaze added, already sprinting for the castle. Silver launched into the air with a cyan streak, flying through the smoke-filled sky. He wasn't sure what Starlight would do, but anything was better than being out here any longer. From the looks of things, and Silver hated to admit this, Eggman was doing the impossible.
He was winning.
But where were Sonic and the others? Silver hadn't seen any of them for a while now, and that was starting to worry him. The city's local defenses were nothing to Eggman's forces, and Silver had seen them- or rather, what was left of them- in shambles. The whole place was unsettling; the flames, the destruction, the chaos… it was all reminding Silver of those visions where-
"AAAIIIIIIEEEEEE!"
Silver's heart spiked when the terrified scream reached him. The futuristic hedgehog spun around with wide golden eyes, scanning for the source. It didn't take him too long to find it: Metal Sonic was gripping Starlight painfully by the horn, and she was squirming to free herself while dangling a few meters above the ground.
"STARLIGHT!" Silver shot back for her position as fast as he could, throwing Psychic Knives at the robot. Tossing Starlight away for the moment, Metal rocketed into the sky and raced towards Silver, rolling away from the energy-based projectiles on his way up. The two engaged each other in aerial combat, throwing punches and kicks while avoiding counter-attacks to the best of their ability.
Silver moved to throw a punch at Metal's head but vanished in a cyan flash in the blink of an eye. He reappeared behind Metal, who quickly detected his new position and smacked him in the face with a fist without turning around. The robot ducked underneath a swinging kick, blocked another, and grabbed Silver by the leg when he tried to land a third. The hedgehog let out a gasp of surprise before Metal Sonic spun him around wildly and threw him into the sky, where his scream trailed away along with him.
"S-stay back!" Starlight shouted, blasting the robot with a turquoise beam. The beam knocked Metal to the ground, but he rose back up faster than Starlight thought. When he rocketed towards the unicorn, she blinked away in a flash of light, reappeared a short distance away, and levitated into the air. As she flew off, Metal chased her down through the sky. The pony and the robot flew over streets and rooftops, with Starlight firing more magic beams at Metal. The robot veered away from each blast, closing the distance quickly.
Thinking fast, Starlight closed her eyes and concentrated her magic until she cast duplicates of herself, bringing Metal to a complete stop. Confused as to which Starlight was the real one, Metal's optical sensors darted between them. The clones all fired magic beams at him, causing him to stagger in midair as turquoise sparks flashed off his chassis. While he was left to deal with the clones, Starlight flew away towards the Crystal Castle, its brilliance now beginning to fade among the fires of the surrounding destruction. She needed to know if Cadence and Shining Armor were alright.
Entering through the balcony, Starlight broke into a run and moved around several guards that were shouting orders at each other and hurrying to defensive positions. Explosions rocked the castle from outside, causing some to stumble and trip as they scrambled about. Starlight ran up to a guard that was tending to a fallen comrade. "Where are the royals?!" she gasped breathlessly.
"They're heading for the lower passageways as we speak!" he answered. "Princess Cadence told us to-" An earth-shattering boom cut him off and the castle shook again, nearly making Starlight lose her footing. Starlight and the guard whirled in the direction of the tremor, where somepony was screaming in alarm.
"BREACH! WE'VE BEEN BREACHED!"
"I must go!" the guard told Starlight. "Do what you must!" He had placed his helmet over his head and was rushing off before Starlight could respond, but she already knew she should be moving. She turned and sprinted down a hallway, keeping her eyes open for any sign of the prince and princess.
Missiles streaked down a corridor and exploded against a wall, sending guards flying. "Knock, knock!" called a sinister voice. "I request an audience with the king and queen! HAHAHAHA!"
Starlight turned and sprinted the other way, turning down a corner to escape the sound of something huge stomping through the castle. The unicorn navigated through the castle's corridors with her breath ringing in her ears until she came across an entire legion of guards bracing for contact while facing a smoke-filled hole in the shattered crystal wall.
"Steady!" called their leader. "Whatever horrors come through and dare desecrate our proud palace, you will show them-!"
Streams of laser fire shot out from the smoke and instantly gunned the lead guard down, along with the guards standing near him and sending everypony else into a frenzy. Starlight screamed in terror before galloping away from the following bursts, the screams of the guards searing into her mind. Laser bolts zipped through the air, charring spots on the walls and shredding curtains. Motobugs raced down hallways with Buzz Bombers flying behind them, targeting any guard who tried to put up a fight.
Starlight caught the sight of several guards retreating, with yellow laser blasts hitting a few and dropping them on the spot. An Egg Pawn with a lance disarmed a guard of his weapon, and Starlight forced herself to look away before his scream joined the rest. It was complete mayhem here!
There was a roaring blast of heat down an adjacent hallway followed by the sound of collapsing scrap metal. Starlight turned down that direction in time to see Egg Pawns firing at something that quickly gained on them. With a shout, they were reduced to cinders with flaming bursts. "Blaze!"
The extradimensional princess noticed the unicorn and approached her with worry on her face. "Starlight! Have you received word about the royals?"
"They're heading to some secret passageways beneath the castle!" she replied. "They'll be safe there!" Behind her, another explosion went off followed by a volley of laser fire that cut down more guards. Blaze took off with Starlight right behind her, making their escape before robots flooded the hall.
"At this rate, the castle will be overrun in minutes!" Blaze reported. "And there's still no sign of Twilight or Sonic! This isn't good!" She quickly threw a fireball at an Egg Pawn that looked in their direction, blowing it to smithereens.
"You're right! It's not safe here!" Starlight added. "As soon as we find the royals, we need to get out of- LOOK OUT!" A squad of Badniks barred their way, their weapons raised and ready to fire. Starlight readied her magic and Blaze summoned flames into her palms, preparing to defend themselves.
Suddenly, the robots' blaster glowed cyan and yanked themselves out of their hands. They whirled around in midair and opened fire on the Egg Pawns, shooting them to metal bits as the unicorn and cat watched in confusion. As soon as the last one fell, the blasters dropped to the floor and a voice called out.
"Starlight! You okay?!"
The two spun around to the source of the voice, who had just flown in from around a corner. "Silver!" Starlight shouted. "I'm fine! How about you?" The hedgehog touched down before gathering the scrap metal into a ball and throwing it down the hallway, where it crashed into a squad of Badniks from behind. "I'm good! But we gotta get to the-!"
"AAUGH!" A guard flew past them as more explosions rumbled through the castle. Something large stomped into view, its missile launcher and minigun firing like crazy while its driver laughed maniacally. Beside him, a blue hedgehog-shaped robot flew into formation and threw away a guard it was holding.
"MWAHAHAHA!" laughed Dr. Eggman. "It's been way too long since I took the old Eggwalker for a spin! The Volkan Cannon still works like a charm, and the lock-on missile system is just as destructive as ever! Face me at your own risk, you wretched little-huh?!"
Eggman halted his speech when his eyes hovered over Silver, Blaze, and Starlight, all of whom were equally silent. Metal Sonic hovered close to his creator, watching the trio idly.
"Well, don't just stand there, Metal!" Eggman shouted as he pulled himself together, pointing a finger at Starlight. "GET THAT UNICORN!" The robot took off at top speed, prompting a startled Silver to psychokinetically grab Blaze and Starlight before flying down the hall as fast as he could.
"Keep him off me!" he cried frantically. The cat and unicorn immediately went to work, launching fireballs and blasting magic beams at the pursuing Metal Sonic. The metal monster weaved around every projectile sent his way, rolling over fireballs and zipping away from magic beams. Kicking his thruster into overdrive, Metal gained on Silver with ease. The hedgehog sharply turned down corners in attempts to lose the machine, but Metal Sonic stayed hot on his tail.
"Doesn't this guy ever give up?!" Silver shouted in desperation. Blaze and Starlight kept up their barrage until they were unleashing a storm of flame and magic at Metal Sonic. The robot continued to dodge each projectile, even as his sensors began detecting that there were too many for him to dodge in time.
A fireball suddenly smacked against his chest, knocking him out of his flight path. Metal spiraled out of control and crashed against a wall before tumbling to the floor. "Yes!" Silver whooped. "Nice shot, Blaze!"
"Much obliged."
"We're not in the clear yet!" Starlight added. "We need to find the royals before Eggman does! Silver, see if you can track them down!"
"On it!" Silver zipped through the castle's hallways like a laser beam, keeping his eyes peeled for the prince and princess while Blaze and Starlight did the same. All the trio saw at first was nothing but devastation spreading through the castle. Guards fell to robotic soldiers easily, fires blocked off corridors, and hordes of machines marched in and out of sight. All the while, the sounds of screaming, laser fire, and the occasional burst of evil laughter echoed through the war-torn castle.
"Oh…" groaned Silver. "I almost forgot how much Eggman enjoyed inflicting suffering on living beings! How does Sonic cope with this maniac?!"
"Look!" Blaze called out, pointing down a hallway that had yet to be damaged from the chaos. "Over there!" In the distance, two horned ponies were in the midst of making their getaway with a third being carried by the pink-furred stallion. Silver turned in their direction and sped towards them in a streak of cyan light.
"Princess Cadence!" called Starlight. "Prince Shining Armor! We're here to-!"
"AUGH!" Her voice was cut off by the sound of an explosion and Silver's scream. Without warning, the cyan light surrounding her dropped, causing Starlight and Blaze to hit the floor headfirst and tumble to a halt. The smoke from the missile billowed into the air while a loud crash could be heard; judging by its distance, Silver had been thrown far down a perpendicular corridor and had just smacked against a wall.
Dozens of feet away, Silver groaned and rose to his feet, gathering his bearings. The first thing he saw when his vision adjusted was a squad of Egg Pawns surrounding him from all sides. Without hesitation, he grabbed one with his psychokinesis and used it as a wrecking ball, smashing up the others with it.
"Should we go back for him?" asked Blaze.
"He'll catch up!" Starlight assured. "Come on!" The unicorn broke into a run with the cat right behind her, chasing after the fleeing royals. The prince and princess took a right turn, which the duo proceeded to repeat. Blaze vaulted over fallen crystal sculptures and avoided crumbling parts of the castle while Starlight teleported out of harm's way. Up ahead, Shining Armor used his magic to stop a piece of debris from crushing him and threw it aside into some unsuspecting robots, instantly pulverizing them.
The second he looked back, two Egg Pawns with lances barred the royals' path and pointed their weapons at them. Shining Armor and Cadence slid to a stop, Flurry Heart slightly stirring in her mother's grip. The robots began to advance… until one became surrounded by a magical aura and was ripped apart piece by piece. The second one, confused from his comrade's predicament, was left wide open by a fireball to the head that blew off the top. The headless machine fell to its knees and collapsed to the floor, leaving the royals safe from harm.
"Cadence! Shining! Are you hurt?" shouted Starlight as she caught up to the couple. Shining spun around in alarm. "Starlight?! What are you doing here?"
"Saving your hides, that's what," came the unicorn's steadfast response. "This place is crawling with robots, and you could be ambushed at any time!"
"Consider us your temporary bodyguards," added Blaze. "Seeing as your normal bodyguards are occupied trying to hold off the invaders. And… failing, may I add. Hence Starlight's urgency."
"We need to reach the secret passageway out of here!" Starlight continued. "And you two are the only ones who know where it is! We've got your back!"
"We appreciate that, Starlight…" Cadence approved. "But where is your other friend?"
"Silver is busy at the moment," Blaze answered. "But I am sure he will rendezvous with us momentarily. In the meantime, we should-" Before the cat could finish, something was slammed into the wall several feet behind them. Everyone spun in shock, where Silver was struggling to hold off a persistent aggressor: Metal Sonic.
"You… won't… take…" Silver strained before his golden eyes caught the group staring. "Starlight! Blaze! RUN!" Metal grabbed the hedgehog's face in his hand and slammed it against his knee, knocking him out cold. As Silver slumped to the ground, the robot rose to a full stand…
…and spun its head in the group's detection, remorseless red eyes washing over them.
"Go, go, go, go, GO!" Starlight screamed, taking off as fast as she could while Blaze threw several fireballs to stall Metal Sonic. She spun on her heel and sprinted after the royals as her projectiles smacked against the machine's chassis in orange flashes. Stomping through the smoke and adjusting his ocular sensors, Metal Sonic locked onto four of the five targets attempting to flee, marking them for capture. Igniting his primary thruster, he blasted down the hallway in hot pursuit.
MULTIPLE TARGETS ACQUIRED
"He's gaining! And quickly!" Blaze shouted as the robot roared towards them at high velocity. The royals never stopped running, determined to escape the unrelenting aggressor. Starlight spun around with a narrowed expression and focused her magic, her horn glowing with turquoise light. A similarly-hued aura surrounded Metal Sonic, freezing him in his tracks. Starlight yanked her head to the right with a cry, flinging Metal down another hallway. This wouldn't stop him; something Starlight knew well. But it would slow him down.
"This way!" Cadence exclaimed, turning down a passage to the left. The moment everyone else followed her, Metal rocketed back on course and zoomed down the path they had just taken. He flew past the turn, unaware of his targets' change in direction. Starlight let out a small breath of relief. "That should keep him off us for a while," she whispered, carefully trying not to regain his attention. "Let's go."
The group continued to traverse the battle-scarred halls of the Crystal Castle, still bodies of unmoving guards and wrecked combat machines scattered all around them. The sounds of laser fire echoed somewhere in the distance, backed up by several more explosions. Among them, a booming voice laughed victoriously among screams and cries of defeat. The laughter made Starlight slightly uncomfortable.
"Up ahead," reported Shining. He gestured to what lay directly down the hallway, and Starlight looked to see… another wall?
"It's just a dead-end!" Blaze exclaimed.
"Is it?" asked Cadence, her horn shining brightly. The wall glowed with a raspberry blue color before shifting inwards. To everyone's eyes, it then slid away, revealing a hidden tunnel just behind it. "Whoa…" Starlight muttered. "That is cool."
"Glad you think so," Shining replied. "Okay, let's get out of-"
The unicorn turned to move into the tunnel, only to hit something hard. Shining stumbled back and looked at what he had bumped into: a mechanical hedgehog replica that was the only thing standing between his family and salvation.
"No…" Shining gasped in horror while his wife clutched their daughter tightly. "H-how did it get here so fast?" Starlight was equally stunned and at a loss for words. It couldn't be… not when they were so close!
"Starlight."
The unicorn turned to the fiery feline princess, whose courageous eyes never deterred from the robot's unblinking glare. Her fists were clenched at her sides and Starlight could almost feel the heat radiating from her soul.
"Get the royals out of here." Blaze's voice was just as ferocious as she strode past the couple and into Metal Sonic's field of view. "Now."
"B-Blaze? What are you-?"
"Buying you as much time as I can," came her stern reply. "Now go!" Her hands lit up in flame and an ember aura surrounded her being. Metal made no move to bypass her; the only action he performed was spreading his fingers like claws. Blaze growled through her teeth… and with a loud roar, charged towards the steel menace with the force of a raging inferno.
"RRAAAAAAAAGH!"
Starlight teleported herself and the royal family before the fighters could clash, Blaze's cry echoing in her ears even when it could be heard no more. The unicorn gathered her bearings and worriedly turned to the prince and princess. "We need to find another way outta here," she spoke. "And quick!"
"The main entrances are probably swarming with those things by now," Cadence said nervously. "Perhaps the balcony?"
"We'll be exposed," Shining objected. "And the secret passage has been blocked by that… thing. I-I can't think of any… wait!" His face lit up. "Starlight, can you teleport us away?"
"I-I think so!" she replied, ecstatic as to what Shining was getting at. "I'll get you to Canterlot!" She trotted up to the couple, finally relieved that all this chaos would soon be behind them. Her horn started to glow and she thought of the capital-
KABOOM! A huge explosion blew her away from the royal family, who were also flung away as well. Starlight hit the ground sliding until she collided with some kind of pillar. Groaning in pain, the unicorn blinked open her eyes, her mind blaring with one question: Now what?
The first thing she caught sight of was that the object in question wasn't a pillar at all. It was actually a large metal foot; the foot of a big mech loaded to the brim with weaponry! Its pilot peered over with a grin on his face.
"I'm sorry," announced Dr. Eggman. "Was I interrupting something?"
Panic flooded through Starlight's being, a scream tearing from her throat and her legs scrambling to escape. Motobugs barred her path from ahead, Buzz Bombers flew in to prevent further escape, and Egg Pawns moved to support their creator.
And not too far away, a squad of Egg Pawns was attacking the royal family. Cadence held Flurry Heart tight while blasting magic beams at robots while Shining held others back with a magic shield construct. But despite their best efforts, the couple was starting to get overwhelmed. An Egg Pawn with a lance and a shield sidestepped Shining's blast and slammed its shield across his face.
"NO!" Starlight screamed, desperately trying to move towards them. But she didn't get a single step in before searing pain shot through her forehoof and made her collapse. The Egg Pawn kept its blaster trained on her as she winced in agony. As Starlight took in pained breaths, Eggman groaned in dissatisfaction.
"Why do some of them always put up a good fight?" he sighed. "Robots! Neutralize her! And fast! I want a fresh batch to go with the six that Metal took care of!"
Six? Oh, no! Twilight!
A turquoise beam erupted from Starlight's horn before she spun in a circle, slicing open any robot it touched. Before Eggman could protest, Starlight vanished in a blink of light and reappeared meters behind his walker. "What the-? HEY! Get back here, you!" He fired a storm of missiles from his mech that streamed towards the fleeing unicorn. Starlight jumped away from several and flinched from the following explosions, feeling the heat and rushing wind on her coat. Grabbing the last missile with her magic, she redirected it back at the walker and let it fly. The explosive detonated against the mech's chassis with a loud boom, making Eggman nearly fall out of his seat.
"Argh! Why you fidgety little-!"
Starlight didn't hear the rest of that, as she was already racing in body and mind. Twilight's absence was all but unknown now; that blue robot had gotten to her! She and her friends tried to fight it off… but they had failed! Even though they had worked together! So how could they have possibly-?
Suddenly, something erupted through the floor and slammed into Starlight from underneath, knocking her into the air. The unicorn barely had time to get her thoughts together before something zoomed in front of her eyes: Metal Sonic, whose fists were brought together into a single bludgeon. He smashed them on top of the unicorn with the force of a battering ram, and she smashed against the floor so hard it cracked.
With adrenaline surging through her, Starlight rolled aside at the moment Metal slammed his fist into the floor. Expecting such a move, Metal quickly spun and connected his fist into the unicorn's head with a loud bang, causing a painful headache and Starlight's vision to blur. She desperately tried to stand, only to feel a steel foot stomp down on her horn and pin her to the ground. Starlight cried out in pain and writhed like a panicked dog trying to break out of a chain. Seizing the squirming pony by the nape, Metal hoisted Starlight off the floor and forcefully jabbed her in the stomach, the blow sending a wave of agony rocking through her weakened form. Starlight's world slowly began to go dark…
…and the last thing she saw was the machine's knee racing to meet her chin. There was a loud impact that put an end to her abrupt thoughts: thoughts that pondered what Starlight had done to deserve such a thing.
The unicorn slumped to the floor in an unconscious heap and a chortling Eggman stomped his mech close to her. "One down, three to go," he sneered. "Metal, it's time to break the crown. But remember, if Project Myth is to succeed, the subjects need to be alive."
Shining stabbed his horn through the last of the robots, its systems powering down as he tossed it aside. Out of nowhere, Metal Sonic rammed his foot into the side of his head and sent him sailing into a wall. The machine quickly followed up by landing a solid blow to the prince's throat, earning a pained gasp from the unicorn before he went limp… and a terrified scream from nearby.
Metal Sonic spun his head towards the frightened Cadence, a wide-eyed Flurry Heart held close to her chest. "St-stay back!" she screamed, firing a magic beam at the robot. Metal locked his arms around his chest and activated his Black Shield, absorbing the attack. Realizing her efforts were useless, the panicked alicorn concentrated her magic… until a surge of electricity surged through her form, making her drop her daughter to the ground.
"Ah, ah, ah!" Eggman shouted as his mech's cannon cooled down. "I've had enough of you people teleporting around the place! There's only one living thing who's had the gall of not standing still, and it is not one of you hay-munching livestock!"
He turned his walker down the hall. "Now, if you'll excuse me, your majesty, I have a fleet to return to. Metal! Finish the job!" Eggman drove the walker into a steady march, stomping out of sight and leaving his loyal minion to his task.
Metal marched towards Cadence with the body of Shining Armor flung over his shoulder and his other hand dragging Starlight by the tail. He unceremoniously dumped Shining by his wife's side before tossing Starlight on top of them both. His crimson sensors hovered over their unmoving forms, measuring their current life signs.
OPENING COMMUNICATION CHANNEL
RANGE: UNITS IN CURRENT PROXIMITY
TRANSMIT COMMAND: CAPTURE INCAPACITATED TARGETS
"Aba?"
Metal's optic units shifted to a smaller lifeform squirming out from beneath Cadence: an infant with both a horn and wings. His scanners were detecting an abundant energy source within it, enough to boost his creator's plans tenfold.
NEW PRIORITY TARGET IDENTIFIED
INITIATE CAPTURE PROCEDURE
The infant- Flurry Heart, daughter of Cadence and Shining Armor- looked at the ruthless robot with wide eyes. Recognizing this contraption to be the one responsible for hurting her parents, the baby alicorn shrank down in fear. Metal slowly stomped over to the infant, reaching out with silver fingers to enclose around her neck…
Flurry Heart abruptly vanished in a flash of yellow light, stopping the arm from progressing. Metal made no move, but his sensors were already at work. The target's magic signature was outstandingly immense, and it didn't take the menacing machine to lock onto its energy. Teleporting from place to place wouldn't save this one. His thrusters roared to full capacity and Metal hovered into the air.
PURSUIT MODE ENGAGED
With a loud boom, he tore through the hallways of the Crystal Castle. Already, most of Eggman's forces were beginning to withdraw following the capture of the two rulers. Most of the guards were dealt with, and those lucky enough to survive would know better than to face such an overwhelming army again. All that remained now was acquiring the last animal of the batch.
Metal's heads-up display informed him that the enormous magic signature was coming from the castle's higher level, so he rocketed up the nearest staircase he could find. Bursting through a pair of closed doors, the robot zoomed through halls at subsonic speed, carefully changing direction as he homed in on the signal. The said signal unexpectedly changed now and then, but this meant little to Metal Sonic. With his unique modifications to match the Fastest Thing Alive, he was sure to predict his target's next location before she even arrived.
Metal bashed open another pair of doors and was met with the sight of a guest bedroom. It seemed empty, but appearances could be deceiving: a fact Metal Sonic knew all too well. His sensors were telling him that the massive energy source- the infant- was in this room. Hiding, no doubt.
A futile maneuver.
Out of the robot's evil glare, Flurry Heart lay as still as possible beneath the luxurious-like bed, careful not to make a sound. The only part of the machine she could see was its crimson-plated feet, which clanked on the floor with each step. Eerie buzzing noises filled the air, accompanying the whirs of each movement it took. The baby alicorn was frightened out of her wits; she never thought it would find her this quickly. She couldn't leave, not while it was still here searching for her. Hunting for her.
She heard the sound of the machine throwing open a wardrobe, beeping after finding nothing inside. With a series of whirs, it turned away from the closet without bothering to shut the doors and marched to another part of the room. Its feet got dangerously close to the edge of the bed, prompting Flurry to slowly scoot back away from the edge.
The machine paused and turned his head, remaining as motionless as the alicorn. One of its eyes seemed to blink out for a moment, and a surge of fear spread from Flurry's heart. Had it spotted her?
The machine turned around and swept its eyes over the room as if it had missed something. Flurry continued to stay still under the bed, her heartbeat rising rapidly. The machine slowly advanced towards the bed, its footsteps ringing in Flurry's ears. A small buzzing noise began to fill the room, its tone enough to send chills up anypony's spine.
It stopped right in front of the bed. Flurry swallowed back a whimper. She didn't want this thing to hurt her like it did her mommy and daddy, she just wanted it to leave her alone. Pretty please?
The young alicorn's body shook with terror as she saw the metal legs bend down. Sharp, silver fingers latched onto the frame like the monster that would usually be underneath the bed instead of outside. Flurry squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for whatever it would do to her once those evil red eyes met her light opals…
"Hey, you! You're not allowed in… in…"
The machine abruptly stopped as the voice of the guard slowly faded away from fear. Flurry cracked open an eye to see an armored figure standing in the doorway, his expression one of complete and utter shock. "Wh… what the-"
The machine reached him with impossible speed, grabbed him by the throat, and threw him across the room. With a cry, the guard slammed against a wall and fell to the floor, his helmet falling off his head. The machine stomped towards it, a little faster than before. The guard could only struggle to stand and look on in horror as the machine picked up his helmet, staring emotionlessly at the armored pony.
"No… no… NO!"
With a loud bang, the machine forcefully smashed the helmet over the guard's head, knocking him out cold instantly. Flooded with horror, Flurry let out a terrified cry at the machine's ruthlessness.
Said machine spun its head in her direction, its eyes glowing like torches in the darkness. Her position compromised, Flurry felt like her hooves were frozen to the ground as she watched it rise to a stand, turn, and march in the bed's direction. In one solid motion, it grabbed the mattress with both hands and flipped it like a table, sending it flying into a cabinet. Its eyes focused on the alicorn, who wailed in terror.
A metal fist drove through the grate-like underside as if it was nothing, smashing the floor near Flurry. The panicked young princess crawled to get away, the robot tearing more of the bed frame apart to reach her. After tearing away a section, it stepped inside and grabbed at her, but missed by inches as Flurry scrambled out from the bed. The alicorn bolted for the door as fast as she could, hearing the whirs of the machine just behind her.
She was seconds away from freedom before she felt a sharp pain in her flank. Flurry fell flat on her face, feeling something hard and metal pinning her tail to the floor. It was replaced by a cold and chilling grip that started to pull, dragging her back into the room. In desperation, the screaming princess dug her front hooves into the floor until she was lifted into the air. A second hand ensnared her form and stopped her from struggling further, turning her to look into the evil eyes of the soulless machine before her.
Flurry's eyes were now tear-stained. She was going to be hurt just like her mommy and daddy, and there was nothing she could do about it. Her fear and sadness reached its peak, causing her horn to glow a bright yellow as she prepared for the machine's next move.
Suddenly, the machine was surrounded by cyan light and struggled to move. Flurry opened an eye in confusion as the light in her horn dimmed, curious as to what was happening. The robot flinched and jolted as the cyan light continued to take hold… before the machine was mysteriously flung backward, crashing through the bedroom window. Flurry fell out of its grip and dropped to the floor before another pair of hands safely caught her. The stunned princess turned to her rescuer: a white hedgehog with gentle golden eyes.
"You okay, little princess?" he asked softly. "Did he hurt you?"
Flurry slowly shook her head. "Okay, that's good. What was your name again?" The hedgehog furrowed his brow in thought. "Uh, Furry? No, that's not right… Flurry! Yeah, that's it! Flurry Heart?"
The princess smiled and nodded.
"My name's Silver," the hedgehog told her. "Don't worry. I'm gonna keep you safe. Just stick with me and everything's gonna be alright." No sooner than he said that Flurry heard the roar of an engine. Both of them turned to the smashed window, where the blue machine hovered outside. If it could show emotion, then it would be extremely mad.
"We're gonna go for a ride! Hang on!" Silver held the baby close and dashed out of the room, slamming the doors shut before using his psychokinesis to levitate himself. Metal Sonic burst through the doors moments after, knocking them off their hinges. Firing up his engine, he blasted after the futuristic hedgehog and the alicorn princess.
"Wheee!" Silver laughed, trying to keep a now-laughing Flurry distracted from the danger they were both in. "Isn't this fun?! Betcha wish you could fly this fast on your own!" Over the sound of the baby's giggling, the unmistakable noise of a jet engine made Silver glance over his shoulder. Metal Sonic was in pursuit, his sights locked on Flurry Heart. "Uh-oh! We got a visitor!"
Keeping Flurry close to his side, Silver telekinetically grabbed pieces of fallen debris and hurled them at Metal Sonic to slow him down. The robot weaved around each projectile and kept on Silver's tail, following him down wide turns and up several levels. After shooting down another hallway, Silver chucked a vase right at Metal's head, stunning the robot momentarily. Taking the opportunity, Silver shot up another floor and darted through an open door.
The castle wasn't safe for the little princess. The whole structure was swarming with robots, some of whom were turning their weapons on them both. Laser bolts zipped through the halls, prompting a startled yelp from Silver before he surged forth. The hedgehog flew low over the robots, every shot missing him by meters. Psychokinetic bursts sent several flying and crashing into walls while the remainder could only watch as Silver darted out of view. Said remainder was then blown off their feet as Metal Sonic turbo-boosted past them at jet-like speed. The robot kept his sensors on the hedgehog and his quarry as he blasted down the halls in hot pursuit.
Under normal circumstances, the individual known as Silver was an unpredictable foe thanks to his usage of psychokinesis and levitation. He was swift enough to evade Metal's sight, but he had one thing that would continue to give away his position: the baby alicorn's magical signature. Metal's sensors had a strong lock, and as long as he knew where it was, there would be no escape.
The two fliers dashed down hallways, weaved down corners, and darted through various rooms of the castle. Silver looked back at Metal with a worried expression. It seemed like it was no use; the persistent machine wouldn't back down. He couldn't lose him either, so there needed to be something else he could do!
Flurry stirred in Silver's grip, her mouth slowly opening. Her nose began to twitch and her eyes went shut as she took in several breaths. "Ah… ah…" Her horn lit up in yellow colors, its glow reflecting in Silver's golden orbs. Realizing what was coming, Silver smirked in anticipation.
"Ah… AH…"
Silver stopped in midair and spun around to face Metal, catching the robot by surprise. The hedgehog held the baby in front of her just as her magic reached its peak. "AAAAHCHOO!" A blast of magic so bright one could easily mistake it for sunlight shot from her horn, causing Silver to look away from the light. The beam struck Metal dead center, sending him flying across the hall and slamming him into a pillar. The robot collapsed to the floor, earning a sigh of relief from Silver. "Whew… nice work, kid. Now let's go before he gets really mad!"
He bolted away in a flash of cyan light, leaving a slightly-damaged Metal Sonic behind. The robot lifted his head from the ground, his red optical sensors staring at where his prey had once been. Without hesitation, he blasted back into action and raced after his targets. Silver had already gained some distance, his mind racing to come up with a plan. He didn't know a lot about Metal Sonic, but he knew enough to know that he was dangerous and unpredictable.
If he couldn't face him head-on, he needed to outlast him. But robots never tire, right? That probably wasn't the best course of action…
Silver flew through a pair of huge doors and halted at what lay beyond them. The hedgehog and the small alicorn in his arms stood before a huge gathering hall of sorts, decorated with shining pillars, gleaming tables, and a crystalline altar fit for a king or queen. Flurry looked just as awed to see it as he was. And how couldn't she? The place was huge?
Something flickered in Silver's mind. Maybe he could use this to his advantage? "Hey, Flurry… you ever play hide-and-seek?" The little alicorn looked up at him with curious eyes, which Silver hoped was a yes. "Okay! Let's play!" He psychokinetically slammed the doors in the rapidly-approaching Metal Sonic's face, a satisfying bang nearly making Flurry giggle. With a smile of his own, Silver barred the doors with a wooden plank, then darted off into the hall. The doors immediately began to rattle and shake as something from the other side pounded on them like a wrecking ball.
The board splintered to pieces within seconds and the large doors swung open, revealing an undeterred Metal Sonic standing behind them. The robot saw only an empty hall before him, but his field of view was deceiving. That magical signature was still within range… but it had become somewhat scrambled. No longer could it be pinpointed to a precise location. Metal would have to find the target the old-fashioned way.
His crimson optical sensors darting in every direction, Metal Sonic ominously marched into the hall. The steel clangs of his footsteps echoed through the large chamber and his servos whirred with each movement. His optics weren't picking up anything, but that was far enough to deter him. The robot snatched up a wooden bench and tossed it aside, not bothering to watch it smash against a pillar. Upon seeing nothing underneath, Metal Sonic continued to patrol the hall with clenched fists by his side. Why were these organisms wasting his time so much?
Crouching behind one of the hall's gargantuan pillars, Silver clutched Flurry Heart to his chest and held a hand over her mouth. The hedgehog peeked out of his hiding spot, his golden eyes immediately landing on the robot as it ransacked the hall in search of its quarry. Another bench sailed past the pillar, making Silver flinch from the sudden crunch of wood and the kickup of dormant dust near the wall.
With a shattering noise reminiscent of glass, Metal zoomed to the altar and smashed it to pieces with a solid foot, sending crystalline bits scattering among the floor. The robot saw nothing resting behind it, letting out a buzz Silver assumed was either annoyance or frustration. The hedgehog dismissed the latter, as it was the emotion boiling up within him right now at the machine's tenacity.
Come on, come on… leave already!
"Ah…"
His heart nearly jumped out of his chest at the sound of the baby in his arms. Doing his best to hold in the gasp that threatened to leave his throat, Silver spun his head down at Flurry Heart, who was doing the worst thing possible at the moment: dust had flown up to her nose, prompting an imminent sneeze in the next ten seconds.
"Ah…" Flurry had her mouth wide open now, sending Silver further into a panic. Her horn was starting to glow a yellowish hue as well, and if the noise she was making wasn't enough, the sight of that light would draw further attention.
"No, no, no!" Silver hissed as quietly as he could, clamping a hand over the alicorn's mouth. "Shhh!" The magical aura surrounding the baby's body only brightened further, her horn now shining as bright as a star. Silver had to raise his hands to his face or his eyes would be burned out. "Flurry-!"
Near the altar, Metal Sonic spun towards what his audio receptors perceived as a hushed voice. Near one of the giant pillars lining the hall, a sun-like glow illuminated the spot behind it: a glow that matched the magical signature he was tracking. With his target re-acquired at last, Metal beeped and blasted for the pillar.
He reached it in a full second, causing Silver to yelp in surprise. The hedgehog instinctively scrambled away until his back met the pillar, the glow from the alicorn now too bright to bear. As she was unable to hold back her sneeze for much longer, Flurry was oblivious to both Silver and Metal spotting her at the same time.
The robot acted in a heartbeat, snapping up the baby alicorn before Silver could intervene. "No!" he cried, only to get a backhand to the face. The hedgehog slumped to the floor, leaving Metal to examine his target… and an alert popped up on his heads-up display.
WARNING! ENERGY SIGNATURE OVERLOAD!
"ATCHOO!"
An explosive blast of yellow light erupted from Flurry's horn, sending Metal Sonic careening across the hall before he could deploy his defensive matrix. The beam smashed through a stained glass window overlooking the altar, causing both the damaged robot and a shower of shards to plummet dozens of feet to the ground below. The gathering hall fell into silence, save for the exhausted yawn of the baby alicorn and a pained moan from the dazed hedgehog unceremoniously lying on the floor.
Silver snapped awake in a flash. "Flurry?! Flurry! Are you o-" He froze at the sight of the shattered window and the absence of the burning glow. The baby was unharmed, staring at the scene in confusion with wide eyes. Silver felt a wave of relief wash over him as he rose to his feet and made his way to the young alicorn. "Wow! Great job, Flurry!" he called, scooping up the little princess. "You were so brave against that scary robot! Your mom and dad are gonna be so proud of you!"
There was no way she could have understood a single word of that, but what did Silver care about? There was a lot more to this princess than what could be seen… wait, why did that thought feel somewhat familiar? He turned his eye back to the baby alicorn nestled in his arms…
…and found a sleeping human girl in them instead.
She looked calm. At peace. Silver gently placed her against a tree, never taking his eyes off the still form of the flame-haired child. She stirred, yet not enough to awaken. His business done, Silver turned and walked towards a shimmering portal that beckoned him.
"Father…"
The future hedgehog paused, turning his eyes back to the dormant child. His gaze then shifted to a blue gemstone in the palm of his hand, glowing with incredible energy. Silver felt a wave of sympathy flow through him before he slowly walked up to the girl and knelt before her. With the care of a guardian, he gently took the girl's hand and placed the sapphire into it.
"It's a lucky charm."
And with that, he was gone.
Silver gazed at the baby alicorn, who stared back with wondrous eyes. For once since the visions began, the hedgehog thought nothing of it. He felt no confusion, no ache for answers… he felt only peace. He admitted that while he had an idea as to who that girl was, he did not have everything about her at hand. But he would know soon enough.
With a caring smile, Silver lifted a small crystal piece off the ground and levitated it close to Flurry Heart. The baby cooed at the sight of the gem-like fragment and clutched it with both of her tiny hooves. She cuddled it like a stuffed toy and turned her bright opal eyes to Silver's gold orbs. Silver said nothing; his only reply was a warm smile and a gentle rub of the baby's head.
The hedgehog turned and walked towards the busted doors of the hall, leaving the destruction of the once-beautiful hall behind him. No sooner did he step through the doors had the calm in the storm passed. Despite Flurry Heart's innocent nature and uncaring mind, it was not enough to entirely calm Silver from the carnage throughout the castle. Guards lay unmoving; an awful sight that Silver averted Flurry's attention from. The tranquility and regality of the castle were reduced to rubble and ruination, dulling a gleaming splendor. The hedgehog continued to stroll silently through the quiet, empty halls… why were they empty, anyway? Where were all the robots?
Where was anyone, for that matter?
…
Metal Sonic smashed into the ground with a loud bang, shards of glass tinkling like rain in his wake. The robot's systems flickered; a critical damage warning flooding his heads-up display. His vocalizer was busted, with any beeping noises resembling buzzes and glitchy sound clips. The damage was a painful reminder as to how far he had fallen, literally and figuratively, every time he went up against his organic counterpart. And if he was capable of it, it would have filled him with fury.
With a lag-like motion and flickering optics, Metal forced himself into a sitting position. A spark jumped out of his neck and an arm looked bent out of shape; his functioning limb snatched it and wrenched it back into place with a metallic crunch. The robot rose to a stand and turned his head to the window it had just been blasted out of…
"Metal, come in! Do you read me, Metal Sonic?"
Metal Sonic paused before adding a beep of confirmation.
"We have them all. Like picking apples from a tree, we've got ourselves a bountiful harvest. If we proceed as planned, Project Myth will be completed ahead of schedule. Return to the Egg Fleet, immediately! Eggman out!"
Without looking back at the castle, Metal Sonic turned around and engaged his thruster. His self-repair systems were working overtime, but he knew they would not be enough to sustain his damage levels. The sooner he returned to base, the sooner the doctor could fix him up with that special scientist manner… and the sooner he would return.
Damaged as his engine was, it was still functional enough to propel Metal Sonic into the air and steer him towards the looming fleet miles above the city. Already, ships were beginning to rise to an evacuation altitude. It was time to leave this city to burn and proceed with the doctor's plan.
…
"Hello?"
No reply came from the still hallways. All Silver could hear was the happy babbling and cooing from Flurry Heart, who had now begun to suckle on the crystal like a pacifier. The hedgehog wore an expression of unease as he finally reached the ground floor of the castle, bearing witness to the destruction and the litter that was a mix of fallen debris, discarded armor, and empty mechanical husks.
"Hello?" Silver called again, a little louder this time. His voice traveled down the stretches of hallways as if it were a cave. "Blaze? Starlight? Anybody?"
He received the same response. Silence. The entire castle seemed dead to him, just like everything else inside it. "Twilight? Sonic? Uh… Princess Cadence? Your daughter is safe! Hello?"
This time, the silence sent sadness into his heart. Silver was beginning to assume the worst… What if they were trapped? What if the robots got them? Was he really all alone? He hoped Flurry Heart was too distracted with her new plaything to take notice of her new protector's state, so he tried putting on the best smile he could for her. "It's okay, Flurry. We're gonna be alright. Your mommy and daddy will be here very soon, and your auntie Twilight will be so happy to learn what you-"
"Silver…"
The hedgehog whirled around towards one of the hallways leading out of the foyer with a delighted gasp, But that smile quickly dropped into shock when he recognized the figure's stature. Blaze the Cat limped towards the end of the hall with a hand clutching her side, her face bruised from something. She leaned against the wall with an exhale of exhausted breath, looking ready to drop at any second.
"Blaze! What happened?!" Silver shouted, running up to his friend with Flurry Heart in tow. "A-are you alright?! Where are the royals?! W-where's Starlight?!" The cat struggled to look Silver in the eye before she answered in a whisper. "Eggman… took them…"
"What?" Silver now had a look of horror on his face.
"I'm… I'm sorry," Blaze moaned, fighting to keep her posture. "I tried to stall Metal Sonic… buy them time… but he was just too powerful for me… I'm sorry, Silver…"
No… this couldn't be… Silver couldn't stop the helplessness threatening to take over. Flurry paused from playing with her crystal, curious as to what was happening right now. Silver hung his head in shame and closed his eyes, his thoughts drifting not just to Starlight, but everyone else out there.
They had lost. Eggman had beaten them all thanks to his ambush when they were least expecting it. He caught them off-guard and capitalized on it, and now Starlight, Sonic, Twilight, and everybody else were who-knows-where.
Wait a minute…
Actually, Silver had a pretty good idea where they were. Plus, Eggman had missed a certain critter in the herd. His eyes revealed themselves to the world, now full of confidence instead of despair. As Blaze stabilized herself, Silver turned to her and held out Flurry Heart, surprising the princess.
"Take her and find the people," Silver told her firmly. "Tell them everything's going to be alright."
Blaze blinked, taken aback by his request. "Um… what? Silver, what do you mean?"
"I'm gonna get them back."
"What?!" The weariness within Blaze gave way to shock. "Are you insane, Silver? You against the doctor's entire armada?!" Silver was aware of how crazy he sounded, but he had a good reason to do so. "Blaze, I did not come this far to not get answers. And without Starlight, we'll never know what's up with these visions. I'm going up there and getting her out… along with everyone else."
"Silver… are you sure about this?"
"Yes."
Blaze looked hesitant, comprehending the gravity of the situation. "I'll be careful," Silver assured her. "I promise. Everyone living in this city will be back before you know it. Just make sure those who are left know that."
Blaze looked her friend in the eye, seeing the fire within them: a fire she had definitely passed on to him. With a subtle nod and a determined smile of her own, she held out her arms. Silver passed Flurry Heart into them, the baby still holding the crystal like a prized possession. Blaze held the princess with great care before she bid Silver a temporary farewell.
"And you make sure you help me keep that promise."
The two turned around and sprinted in opposite directions, with Silver jogging for the exit while Blaze ran through the tarnished halls of the castle. The feline hopped over debris and weaved around fallen pillars, keeping an eye for any sign relating to the civilians' whereabouts.
It wasn't easy, to say the least. Blaze made a few wrong turns before calmly asking Flurry Heart for assistance. Thankfully, the baby had an idea as to where to go, presumably because her parents took her in case of an emergency. Before long, Blaze reached a pair of strong doors with hushed, mumbling voices inside.
She walked up to the doors and lightly knocked them with her fist, unsurprisingly startling the voices inside. Some cried out in panic until a guard barked for silence. The voice of a second called out into the hallway. "Who's there?! Identify yourself!"
"My name is Blaze," came the feline's calm reply. "I wish to inform the populace about the situation. I have Princess Flurry Heart with me."
"She has the princess?" repeated the first guard. "This could be a trap, Quartz…"
Blaze held the baby in front of the doors and took the crystal from her, earning a needy coo from the infant. As she expected, the voices on the other end returned almost immediately as she returned the crystal to the princess.
"Does that sound 'trap' to you, Lapiz?"
"Okay, let her in. Stand back, everypony!"
The doors slowly swung open and allowed Blaze to proceed into the room, where she was met with dozens of frightened faces. There were no unicorns anywhere to be seen among the masses, just standard horses and winged equines. The armored guards scanned the halls for robots, closing the doors behind them upon seeing the empty hallway. Blaze met the herd with an expression of sorrow while Flurry stared out at the crowd, eager voices reaching the ears of both princesses.
"Are they gone yet?"
"Where are Princess Twilight and the others?"
"Has Princess Cadence given the all-clear?"
"Why aren't there more guards?"
"Silence, please…" Blaze said politely, holding up a hand. The crowd immediately ceased their hushed whispers until the room filled with an empty silence. Closing her eyes for a moment, Blaze took a deep breath. It was just like addressing her own subjects back in the Sol Empire. She needed to be honest with them… and sympathetic while promising them relief. All the while hoping Silver would carry out his task.
"Citizens of the Crystal Empire," she began. "I am Princess Blaze, and I am an ally to Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. I am here to inform you of the outcome of the invasion." At this, she noticed the faces of some ponies light up with hope.
A hope she sadly needed to extinguish.
"The Crystal Empire… has fallen."
A series of gasps rang out among the crowd, including the guards. The tense silence was quickly beginning to erupt into fear and panic, and new questions were replacing the ones that were lingering in their minds.
"That can't be true!"
"What happened to the prince and princess?"
"Does that mean they're coming for us?!"
"What about Princess Twilight?!"
"Celestia help us!"
"Please, please!" Blaze called out. "Your sorrow and horror are understandable! When I first arrived in this kingdom, I was amazed by its beauty and splendor. Never would I have thought that glimmer would be dimmed, but the light it radiates has been snuffed. But not for the first time, I assume. This lush paradise you call a city has been threatened before, and while I may not know when this was or who the assailant was, I know this. Your kingdom has emerged stronger than before. And it will soon rebuild and tower over this new foe."
…
Silver raced out of the castle and turned his eyes to the ship-filled sky. Smaller transport shuttles were already making their way towards the massive armada, troops and prisoners on board. Setting his sights on the largest of the group, Silver levitated off the ground and flew off at rocket speed, flying close to a shuttle to avoid detection from the fleet's intimidating weaponry.
"The enemy you have faced today is unlike anything this kingdom has ever seen. That is why it has failed. But a dull crystal must be cleaned and polished, a task you have always accomplished when invaders have been vanquished. But today, that task does not fall on your shoulders. It falls on those who know this aggressor. I am one of those few… but the rest lie in his domain."
Amid the rubble of the city, a fist broke through the crystallized remnants that was once a vibrant house. With a frustrated groan of effort, Shadow the Hedgehog emerged from the debris and pulled himself out, his black fur covered in dust and soot. The black hedgehog panted heavily, turning his ruby eyes to the armada above… and his fists clenched by his sides.
"As we speak, they are captives. But I know these heroes well. Yours may have been easily overwhelmed by this formidable force, but my allies have been facing it for years. So, trust me when I say this, citizens… they will strike back. They will break the shackles thrown around your people. And they will return them to you."
A determined and unrelenting Shadow made his way to the street and broke into a steady skate, setting his sights on an egg-shaped transport that had just finished loading up Egg Pawns. Thrusters on its underside fired up, propelling it into the sky. Shadow jumped onto the roof of a building and launched off it, grabbing onto a handle meant for a release mechanism of some sort. The transport blasted off towards the large flagship with its stowaway in tow, leaving the ruined city and once-vibrant castle behind.
"If I have learned anything from this world, it is that one thing always persists above all else: hope. My only request to all of you is to hold onto that hope, for it is the prayer that has given you safety and comfort for so long. Your heroes use this hope, this passion, this friendship, to deliver you to a better tomorrow. They fight for you; so you must fight for them in return. But fear not, there is no need for any of you to pick up a weapon. The only one you need is inside you, one that has united you all across this realm. Listen to what your heart tells you. Heed it. Trust it. Believe in it. Your faith and love, a proud emotion of this wonderful kingdom, are the keys needed to unlock the path forward. Listen to your hearts, little creatures… for they are always right."
Aboard the main flagship, two Egg Pawns marched down a hallway illuminated by overhead lighting systems. They walked in perfect synchronization like the well-oiled machines they were, their optics trained to spot anything unusual.
The only problem with that: they weren't a hundred percent accurate.
As soon as they turned and marched down an intersecting corridor, a figure swooped out of the shadows and touched down near a wall, positioning itself underneath a security camera. The device swiveled to the right, pointing away from an electronic door with a keypad next to it. Wiggling its fingers, the figure punched in a 4-digit code into the keypad, resulting in a green light, a beep of approval, and the satisfying swish of the door sliding open.
The figure had darted inside the moment the camera swung back around, the door closing behind it. Inside, a monitor-filled room displayed troop movements, a music playlist fit for an evil genius, and some blueprints for some prototype robot designs. None of these caught the figure's attention… save for one at the very end.
"Project Myth, hm?" a sultry voice whispered, approaching a monitor with those words on it. Below them read "Classified. For Eggman's Eyes Only!" That warning only prompted a smirk. With a stretch of its fingers, the figure entered a carefully-memorized username and an equally-suitable password. The system had granted access in a second.
"Interesting…" The figure slipped a flash drive from its glove and inserted it into a USB port within the console. As data began to download into it, two fingers reached to an ear. "Shadow, do you read me?"
A beeping noise from the earpiece signaled an incoming response. "About time. What is it?"
"Objective complete. I've got the intel on the doctor's latest plan. What's our rendezvous point?"
"Don't worry about it. I'm coming to you."
"That is so you. See you soon."
Ending the communication, the figure electronically wiped the data transfer from the monitor's systems and retrieved the flash drive, erasing any evidence of the unauthorized presence. With a satisfied smile, the figure turned and strode out of the room with the prize in hand.
