Darkness stretched in every direction. It was the only thing Rainbow Dash's world was filled with at the moment. She felt afloat in the middle of a great ocean, or gently gliding on the warm summer breezes high above Equestria. There would be nothing but her, the soft breaths of the wind in her fur, and… humming. Was that her? It wouldn't be a surprise if she hummed during a flight, or even broke out into song.
"Uuuugh…"
A low exhale left Rainbow's body, followed by an intake of air. Before her eyes, the darkness began to fade. The world started to reveal itself before the pegasus' eyes, consciousness flowing through her being. She could feel her heartbeat, hear her steady breathing, and see bright lights come into focus. She instinctively moved one of her forelimbs… only to find that she couldn't. Curious, Rainbow fully opened her eyes and asked herself what was going on.
Her answer came immediately in a way that slammed her heart into overdrive and quickened her breath. She gasped in horror as she fully realized her situation: Rainbow was trapped in some kind of glass jar like a butterfly! Blue energy rings were pinning her legs and wings to her body, keeping her restrained.
"GYAH!" She yelped in panic before she started squirming around in her prison. "W-wha?! Where-?! Hngh!"
"Oh, hey. You're finally awake."
Rainbow spun to her right, where an equally-imprisoned Sonic was positioned next to her with an expectant look. Further down were his friends, some of whom were already starting to awaken. Rainbow struggled against her restraints and made a groan of frustration when they didn't budge an inch.
"What's going on?!" she stammered in half-shock, half-fear. "Where am I?! What is this thing?!"
"A Containment Pod," Sonic explained calmly. "Eggman's been using these to cage living things for a while now. I'm more used to being on the other side, though." At his words, Rainbow peered out beyond the glass of her prison and noticed what lay beyond. She was in a room full of strange machines- the source of the earlier humming, she realized-, two doors on both sides, and monitors that displayed technical readouts and other techno-babble she couldn't hope to understand. Maybe this was some kind of security room?
Before she could look into this further, surprised grunts and noises of struggle drew her attention to the left. Her captured friends had woken up now, and they, too, were just as shocked as she was to see themselves bound. Applejack thrashed as hard as she could against her restraints, Pinkie tried wriggling her way out, and Fluttershy attempted sliding out like water through stone. Neither of their attempts succeeded, leaving them all exhausted within half a minute.
"Wh… where are we?" whispered Applejack. "Why is everything so bright?"
"Aw!" Pinkie moaned. "Captured again? How many times is that now?"
Fluttershy quivered with fear. "Oh, no… please don't let me be stuffed into an awful robot. I don't like cramped spaces… like this one."
Rainbow continued to desperately squirm against the energy rings with panicked breaths, the fear of the situation starting to take hold. "Hmmf! Rrrgh! This is bad. This is bad, bad, bad! Move, I need to move, I need to move, move, move, I hate this very much and this should not be happening and I need to spread my wings and HOW ARE YOU SO CALM ABOUT THIS?!"
Sonic just gave the pegasus a knowing look. "Because Eggman's caught me before. Trust me when I say this, Dash; we'll be outta here in no time." This did nothing to calm her down. "How soon? Very soon?! Please let it be very soon! Because I! Can! Not! Take! This! Any! Longer! ARRRGH!"
"And where's Metal Sonic?!" growled Knuckles several pods away. "I am gonna dent his face as payback for that stupid stunt he pulled on us!"
One pair of doors swooshed open as if to respond to the echidna's query. All eyes turned to the entryway, where a heavy clunking sound indicated something was on its way in. And that something strode through the doors in a battered, scratched, and sparking heap of metal.
The badly-damaged Metal Sonic marched to the center of the room backed by a squad of Egg Pawns, turning his crimson orbs to the imprisoned organics positioned against the wall. His organic counterpart was the first to comment on the robot's physique. "Well, look who's seen better days…" Metal made no response that the organics could detect. Instead, he raised an arm that held another containment pod… that was anything but empty.
"Lemme outta here, you iron… uh, steel… whatever-you're-made-of head!" shouted a not-too-happy Spike. "Because if you don't, I'm gonna burn you so hard you'll melt!"
Metal Sonic just stared at the dragon in silence, as if he was doubting that statement. Spike seemed to sense it as well, as he bared his fangs with a tiny growl. The little dragon took a deep breath before unleashing a stream of green flame… and smoke quickly enveloped the containment pod and obscured him from view.
A coughing fit broke out from inside among weakened groans. "Bad idea… ack… bad idea…" The coughing continued while the smoke started to dissipate. "Really bad idea…"
Metal Sonic carelessly tossed the pod near the rest, leaving it bouncing along the floor. Spike yelped as he was tossed around like a hamster trapped in its ball. When the pod came to a standstill, the dragon was sprawled in an upside-down position before he scrambled back to his feet. The steel enforcer turned away from the captives without a second glance, marching out of the room before the doors whooshed shut behind him. Only the Egg Pawns remained, acting as guards and security with unblinking eyes watchful.
Spike was starting to freak out now, clutching his face with both hands. "Oh, no. No, no, no, this can't be happening. This can't be how I go out! Me, Spike the Dragon, hero and savior of the Crystal Empire, trapped in a small bubble until I suffocate! I can't breathe already!" He clasped his hands over his mouth and began to pace in what little space there was, panicked breathing escaping his closed mouth.
Amy sighed. "I never thought Eggman's treatment of 'special guests' would be the exact same treatment he gives everything else. But I shouldn't be so surprised, should I?"
"Nope, not really," answered Tails. "Eggman hates everything equally. Even those two lackeys of his."
"Well, Sonic?" Knuckles asked. "What's your plan for getting out this time?"
The hedgehog shot him a knowing look. "The same as always. I'll wing it."
The echidna rolled his eyes. "Ugh, of course you will."
"Um… girls?" peeped Fluttershy. "Where's Twilight?"
The ponies glanced around the wall, as well as the entire room before the truth dawned on them: their noble leader was nowhere to be found. And if that wasn't bad enough, Rainbow noticed that somepony else was missing as well.
"Guys? Rarity's not here, too!"
Spike gasped and planted his face against the glass with a sorrowful moan. "No… my lovely Rarity…" he whined, sliding down until he slumped on the bottom of his pod. Applejack looked worried about Rainbow's question. "Wherever those two are… I sure hope they're alright…"
…
"Sweetie Belle… do be a dear and tell whoever that is outside to keep it down. A fashionista like myself…" A tired yawn cut through the mumbled sentence. "...needs her beauty sleep if she is to remain in… in…"
A mechanical whirring stirred her further from unconsciousness. She felt like she was being moved, so she opened her azure eyes to see what in Equestria was going on. In a second, Rarity snapped awake and scrambled to her hooves. "W-what in-?! What is the meaning of this?!"
She was trapped in some kind of glass sphere, which was being propelled along a conveyor belt. Ahead and behind her were others just like it, filled with equally-frightened unicorns held against their will. Rarity shrank back in worry. "Alright, well… no need to be alarmed, Rarity," she mumbled to herself. "Perhaps you're being sent to a gathering area of some sort. Perhaps this is the most accommodating form of transit. Perhaps… oh, who do I think I'm jesting? I'm doomed! Doomed, I say!" She finished her rant with a dramatic flourish before slumping against the side of her prison. "I can already see my fate…"
The conveyer was now passing over a large chamber full of assembly lines and big steel containers with pressure plates on top. When Rarity took a closer look, she saw mechanical arms reaching into opened capsules and pulling out small animals like a claw machine grabbing a stuffed toy. In synchronous movements, the arms moved the animals into metallic shells and dropped them inside. The shells closed in on themselves, trapping the animals in, and the robots they were forced to power awakened in seconds.
The white unicorn gulped. "Please don't let it be that. I'm rather big for them… but regardless, I'm doomed! And what's most frightening is that I have no idea what will happen! Oh, the horror seems too much to bear…"
"Wow. And here I thought the blue boy had a dramatic flair."
Rarity drew her eyes away from the Badnik assembly line, confusion on her face. "Huh? Who said- GYEEP!" The conveyor carrying her containment pod suddenly dropped downwards, sending a screaming Rarity sailing down into a wall-divided room that separated her from other captured unicorns. She came to a sudden stop with nothing but four light fixtures on the walls allowing her to identify her surroundings.
"Oh… goodness gracious… Now, where am I?" She didn't know how much more she could take all these unknowns. "I've been captured enough times as it is, and I absolutely refuse to spend the rest of my life in a confined space!" She shuddered in horror. "I'd rather not think about how degraded and awful-looking I would become!"
"I wouldn't worry about that pretty little face of yours," spoke a calm, seemingly-soothing voice. "The doctor is a big fan of live specimen testing. The good news is that you won't be in there for much longer. The bad news… well, let's just say that happens the moment you step out."
A curious Rarity glanced around the room- what little she could see of it, anyway- but found no trace of the speaker. "Is anypony there?" she asked. "Hello? Who is that?"
"Up here, gorgeous."
The white unicorn turned her head towards the top of her containment pod, where the source of the mysterious voice sat like a queen on her throne. It was some kind of bat creature with white fur and teal eyes that shone like diamonds in the dim light of the chamber. A pair of dark wings were folded against its back, and she was examining Rarity as if she was an artifact in a museum instead of a captured animal.
"Oh!" The unicorn exclaimed in surprise. "My apologies, I… I'm afraid I didn't see you."
The bat creature hardly seemed fazed at Rarity's comment. "Mm-hm. That's kinda my thing." She leaned forward and peered at the unicorn from an upside-down position. "So… you're the doctor's latest guinea pig, hm?"
"Um… unicorn, actually."
She appeared to ignore Rarity's correction as she stood atop the pod with hands on her hips. "I gotta say, you are quite something. Y'know, where I come from, you're nothing more than a little girl's bedtime story." She acrobatically somersaulted off the pod and landed gracefully before the other side of the glass. "I can see why Eggman has developed a keen interest in your kind. What can you do with that horn? Levitation? Mind-reading? Future-seeing?"
Rarity wasn't sure how to respond. "Um… a lot?"
"Ah! My thoughts exactly! How incredible you are!"
The unicorn looked a little uneasy as her eyes examined the bat creature. "I… I don't mean to be rude, but what is that outfit? It seems…" The bat creature, on closer inspection, was decked out in clothing that was a mix of white, black, and pink. And while it wasn't completely covered in the symbols, Rarity could see hearts on both the chest and the tips of the shoes. It all appeared to be… "...rather suggestive."
"It's all part of the game, honey," she replied. "Call it a means of getting what you want." She flashed Rarity a playful wink and traced a gloved finger on the pod's glass. "Unless, of course, you have something better in mind?"
Rarity felt all unease leave her body, and her worry was replaced with satisfaction. Now this was more her style! "Oh, why, of course!" she answered enthusiastically, her current predicament now longer at the top of her concerns. "Who you're looking at right now, darling, is the greatest fashionista in all Equestria! I am Rarity, the proud owner of the Carousel Boutique and designer extraordinaire!"
"Rarity?" the bat repeated with an interesting look. "Well, no wonder! When I first laid my eyes on you, the first thing that came into my mind was a priceless diamond! Do you, by chance…"
"Utilize gemstones of all kinds in my designs?" Rarity finished. "Why, yes, I do! Sapphires, rubies, emeralds, opals, even diamonds! You could say I have a passion for such treasures!" The bat had a comfortable smile on her face, almost as if she was thinking the same thing. Rarity paid no mind to this, deciding to change the subject. "But I digress. I don't suppose you've told me who you are?"
The bat just let out a soft chuckle and withdrew from the glass, placing a hand on her hip in a smug manner. "Right now? I'm your best friend."
Rarity cocked her head. "Hm. I mean no offense, ma'am, but I have plenty of best friends. Unfortunately, none of them share the same charm as you, but they have proven their worth through other means."
"None taken," she replied. "I have friends, too. And they're not at all subtle, I'll say that. You could say they're rather… broody and hectic."
"Why do I feel like I know exactly what you mean by that?" Rarity asked, a question more directed at herself rather than the bat. "Or perhaps a better question would be what you are doing in a place such as this? This is not exactly the best time or location for such a conversation…"
"A magician never reveals her tricks, sweetie," she responded as if she was expecting such a query. "But long story short, I'm here for business purposes. The doctor has something I've had my eye on, but he's not really the sharing kind."
"Oh, of that I am aware," Rarity responded. "After all, generosity is my strong suit. Also, he is rather despicable in his treatment of others."
"He always makes such great impressions, doesn't he?" she sighed. "Maybe that's his-" She unexpectedly flinched as if she was in pain, her right ear appearing to be vibrating.
"Ma'am? Are you alright?"
Instead of replying, the bat shot a hand up to her ear and placed two fingers on it. "What?!" she growled, the charm and temptation on her face now long gone. She now wore an expression of irritation and annoyance. Her ear was continuing to vibrate, and she looked like she was listening to something.
"No, not yet, you nut-faced nitwit!" she snapped like a mother was constantly interrupted by a needy child. "I told you, not until I give you the signal!" Rarity crept closer to the glass and kept her ears open, but she couldn't hear who she was yelling at. The only thing the white unicorn could hear was some sort of buzzing noise.
"Did he not install you with patience programming?!" she shouted. "You stay right where you are, you piece of junk, or you'll wish he had gotten rid of you for good! Listen, I have it and Shadow's en route right now! Stay put until further instruction! That is an order! Out!"
Shadow? What could she possibly be referring to? Perhaps the two were partners? Or maybe they had a history? If he was one of those "friends" she mentioned, Rarity was afraid to admit she knew exactly what she meant by "broody and hectic". With a frustrated sigh, she bat lowered her hand back to her side and let out a deep breath.
"Sorry about that, dear," she said, the sweetness and calm tone in her voice returning. "Coworker problems. Comes with the job. You know how that is, right?"
"I… suppose," Rarity replied with a hint of uncertainty. "There are times my friends and I don't see eye to eye. Fortunately, we've grown to accept our differences and see them as concepts of our personalities that make us unique."
"Good for you," she said before her teal eyes caught something behind the unicorn. "Aaand that would be my cue to leave. Ciao!" She gave Rarity a two-fingered salute before spinning on her heel and sprinting away. The stunned unicorn had her mouth wide open in complete confusion. "Wuh… wait! Where are you-? Who…? Why…?"
The bat had flown up to the wall and was prying open a vent with ease. "Sweetie…" she called back to the unicorn with a flirty look. "I believe life is all about the questions. Who did this? Where did it go? Oh, it's all so tempting. Buh-bye!" Without a further word from either of them, the bat vanished into the duct and sealed the vent behind her. Still confused, Rarity turned to look over her shoulder…
…and saw an approaching grid of crimson lasers coming her way!
"EEEEEK!" The unicorn screamed in panic and scrambled against the side of her containment pod, but she only managed to tip her prison onto its side. Lifting her face off the glass, Rarity shot her trembling gaze towards the vent where the bat had just crawled into.
"M-ma'am! Miss… um, bat-lady-creature! PLEASE HELP ME!"
There was no response. The only sound she could hear was an ominous humming that was drawing nearer and nearer. With panic flooding through her body and her breaths becoming increasingly frantic, Rarity desperately placed her hooves against the glass and broke into a run. The pod rolled along the floor like a hamster ball while Rarity kept her wild eyes trained on the laser grid coming her way, going as fast as she could to escape it.
The pod suddenly slammed against the far wall of the chamber, the impact strong enough to jolt Rarity into the air. Realizing she was trapped- her back literally against the wall- the unicorn spun around with sheer terror in her eyes as she watched the lasers creep closer and closer. "Nononono!" She stammered, focusing her magic to conjure her diamond shield.
To her horror, nothing came out. The pod was too small for the shield to fully materialize, rendering her only chance of protection moot. The lasers were right on top of her now, causing Rarity to seize up and her whole body to turn as white as her well-done coat. With a final scream of terror, the unicorn squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the inevitable.
"AAAAAAAAAAAH!"
"…"
She kept still for what felt like hours. She was certain she was a goner, and she'd see a bright light any second now. But still, she could feel her heart's wild thumping and her shaking breaths. Slowly, Rarity peeped open an eye… and found herself still in one piece. Before she could comprehend why she wasn't reduced to bits and pieces, a short beep filled the chamber.
"Scan complete. Subject suitable."
Her mind now slowly adjusting that the now-vanished lasers were not at all deadly, Rarity slowly let out a slightly-embarrassed chuckle that soon erupted into relieved bursts of laughter. "I… I'm alive?! I'M ALIVE!"
A portion of the wall behind her suddenly slid away, causing the pod to tumble into it and turn Rarity's laughter into another high-pitched scream. "I'M DOOMED!"
…
The side panels of the egg-shaped troop carrier slid open, allowing the squad of Egg Pawns to march into the open hangar bay. As they disembarked, they failed to notice a dark shape looming just near the suspension clamps attached to the craft's handles. The shape narrowed a pair of crimson-red eyes before launching off the craft…
…and landing right in the middle of the squad with an expulsion of red energy. The shockwave reduced each of the unsuspecting Egg Pawns to bits, leaving Shadow the Hedgehog all alone in the hangar. He rose to his feet, contemplating his next move. His contact had to be here somewhere… as was the doctor. But where should his first priority be?
A surprised beep made him spin around with a stern look. There was one more Egg Pawn that had just stepped out of the troop carrier who was currently staring at Shadow silently. And in its arms was a containment pod with the unmoving body of Sunset Shimmer. Acting on nothing but instinct, Shadow tossed a Chaos Spear at the robot before it could make a move, swallowing it up in an explosive blast. The capsule sailed through the air before smashing into the floor, breaking into glass pieces. Its now-liberated prisoner slid to a stop in front of Shadow's feet, a weak moan leaving her throat.
"Wake up," Shadow spoke sternly.
Sunset barely stirred. "Five more minutes, Princess Celestia…"
He frowned in annoyance. "Wake up!"
The unicorn jolted to full consciousness in the blink of an eye, the hedgehog's shout depriving her of dizziness. "GYAH! I'm up! I… I…" she paused and took a moment to examine her surroundings. "Where are we?"
"Eggman's flagship," Shadow explained. "The head of his aerial armada. No doubt he's onboard right now, his business on the ground concluded."
"Wait… where are the others?"
"Captured," came the unconcerned reply. "Given the importance you devote to your friends, you'll probably want to rescue them. Is that correct?"
Sunset blinked. "Um… yes? The moment they're safe, the better.."
"Then consider it my secondary objective."
"Really?" Sunset asked. "What's your primary objective?"
"One, to rendezvous with my allies," Shadow answered. "Two, to track down the doctor. This is a dangerous place for you to be, Sunset. You don't know him like I do. You'll be caught in minutes. If you wish to avoid that fate, you will stay by my side at all times. Understood?"
"Understood." To Sunset, Shadow sounded like he had better things to do than look after her. It didn't seem to be his specialty, but as long as she didn't get in his way things would be fine… right?
"Very well. Let's go, but we need to be quick and quiet," Shadow was already skating down the hanger, Sunset on his heels. "The last thing any of us want is to let Eggman know we're here." The two proceeded through a door leading into a long hallway, beginning their journey into the massive leviathan that was Eggman's flagship. Each of them was determined to meet their goals, no matter what kind of machine would stand in their way.
Skating down the hall, Shadow raced towards a pair of patrolling Egg Pawns and smashed into one with a Spin Dash. The second one turned its head towards the hedgehog but failed to react to Sunset teleporting right on top of it and firing a magic beam right into its head. With a quick nod to each other, the duo continued to sprint down an approaching turn and make a sharp left.
Their path through the ship was not an effortless one. Multiple Badniks on patrol or relocating themselves were quick to spot their approach… but not quick enough to intercept. Sunset teleported out of an Egg Pawn's view the moment it saw her, leaving it wondering whether it saw her at all.
"Hey."
The machine turned around to receive a faceful of magic laser before it clattered to the ground. A smirking Sunset blinked away in a colorful flash. Elsewhere, Shadow charged headlong into a squad of Egg Pawns and began wrecking them one-by-one. One robot spun on its heel and sprinted for a large button along the wall. It reached out a hand, ready to press down and activate the alarm…
With a metal-crunching tear, a lance impaled it through the back and caused its optics to flicker. As its systems powered down and sparks flew from the gaping hole in its chest, the Egg Pawn fell short of the alarm. Shadow wasted no time, already continuing down the hall without stopping for anything.
It had been a long time since he and the doctor had met face-to-face. Shadow could almost see the look on Eggman's face when the moment would come… and it was almost enough to make him smile.
…
Okay: get in, find Starlight, break her out, then get out. Simple, right?
Well, not exactly. Then again, Silver knew what he was getting into the moment he told Blaze his crazy plan. There was a little- actually, a lot- more security than he thought, which was why he was hiding behind a corner and waiting for armed Egg Pawns to march by. All while hoping one of them wouldn't turn its head and notice him.
After the last one passed, the hedgehog mentally sighed in relief before darting down the opposite direction of the hall. As he jogged down the metallic corridor, he kept his eyes peeled for both robots and a way to find the brig in this blasted thing. There weren't ships like this when he was from, only ruined husks of them… along with everything else, for that matter.
Catching a sign decorated with arrows, Silver came to a stop, checking to see if the coast was clear. He couldn't see or hear anything coming his way, which was a good sign for now. He turned his gaze to the sign and looked it over. "Reactor Core… Barracks… Hangar Bay… aha! Brig! She's gotta be there!" He turned and sprinted in the indicated direction- a few intersections ahead, then to the right- all while pleading that the lavender unicorn was safe… Well, as safe as this place could be, anyway.
That thought triggered another within Silver's mind. If Sonic and his friends were here, as well as Starlight's, they'd be in the brig too, right? Or would Eggman have them somewhere else for being at the top of his enemy list?
Silver successfully made his way to the brig with little resistance, the keyword being "little" as he had to quickly neutralize any robots who detected him. Regardless, he found himself staring at a metal door marked "BRIG. PLEASE ENJOY YOUR STAY" written above it. If there was anything about Eggman Silver found the most unsettling, it was his subtlety. Or lack thereof.
There was a scanning device to the door's right, and Silver was willing to bet every fur on his body that it wasn't meant for organic hands. Maybe that little resistance he had encountered along the way may still be of use. Turning his attention to a headless Egg Pawn- its dome lying on the floor like a dropped plate-, Silver used his psychokinesis to bring the shell to his side. Holding it steady, he moved the robot's arm onto the scanner and held it down. The device did its work, light moving over the mechanical palm.
It lit up green with the words "ACCESS GRANTED" appearing on the screen. Tossing the robot's body aside while the doors slid open, Silver checked for any unwanted guests before making his way inside. He turned his eyes to what lay beyond… and his stance dropped in sorrow.
There were dozens- no, probably hundreds- of unicorns trapped in here, their containment pods neatly organized like items on store shelves. Groups of them were locked beyond crimson force fields, zapping anypony who got too close to them. Most of the prisoners were unconscious, but several were awake, either staring at each other heartbroken with the glass dividing them or curled up in fetal positions. Some of them turned their gaze on Silver and pleaded with him for assistance while he awkwardly made his way past them.
"Help us. Help us, please…"
"Get us out of here…"
"Celestia, have mercy…"
"You must free us…"
"Uh… sure, yeah, yeah…" Silver stuttered to the unicorn who had last spoken, calming it with raised palms. "I-I'll get you out. Eventually." He wasn't entirely sure of that. How was he supposed to do it? It'd take too long! What if a robot caught him in the act?
No! One thing at a time! First, find Starlight. Then find a way to break them out. But where was she being kept? Containment pod or forcefield cell? He needed to start looking before it was too late.
Silver broke into a jog and ran down several rows' worth of pods, examining each one and moving on when he found no match for Starlight's appearance. Sleeping unicorns stirred awake when he neared, but he was already off before they could acknowledge his presence. As unicorns bombarded him with pleas for freedom, Silver tried his best to ignore them and focus on his task.
"Starlight?" he whispered over their begging voices. "Starlight? Starlight, where are you? Starlight!" Several voices answered him at once, but none of them was the one he wanted.
"Who is that? Is some creature there?"
"Help us! You have to help us!"
"You can't leave us here!"
"What's gonna happen to us?"
"Please help!"
Silver had to move before the verbal barrage could get to him. He looked through pod after pod, but none of the unicorns looked the least bit like Starlight. Neither were the ones in the forcefield cells he passed. Those looked more terrified than the ones in the pods. Children clung close to their parents and others were pacing around in their enclosures. The more he looked, the more worried he got.
"Starlight? Starlight?! Starlight, if you can hear me, call out!"
"Who's that? Can you help?!"
"Get me out of here!"
"Please help!"
The hedgehog flinched and covered his ears. "Okay, that was a bad idea… Starlight!" He turned and ran down another row of pods, its occupants staring at him gargoyles and pounding on the glass. This was bad; if he didn't find Starlight soon, he'd go crazy from all this crying and begging!
"Starlight! Starlight! Starlight, where are-"
Silver stopped dead in his tracks. One of those unicorns further down the hall, at the far end of the row… That certainly didn't look like Starlight, but that one seemed important. He was asleep, his horn hanging low. A cloak decorated with the colors of the night sky, complete with some stars and a moon, was draped over his gray coat. A hat fit for a great mage was placed atop his head, similarly decked out with bells and celestial objects.
But his attire wasn't the thing that caught Silver's eye. It was his face. Or rather, what was on his face. A fluffy white beard the color of clouds hung like a drape to mark his age. The moment he saw it, something stirred in Silver's mind. A name. And not just any name; the name of the one who could help him…
With an astounded and awed expression, Silver rushed up to the pod and lightly tapped his knuckles on it. "Excuse me?" he whispered, careful not to startle the elderly prisoner. "Are you awake?" The prisoner let out a tiny mumble and slowly raised his head.
"I've told you before, you fiend…" he muttered. "The secrets of my kind's magic will never fall into such vile hands like yours…"
"Hello?" Silver asked with a concerned expression. "Can you hear me?"
He opened his eyes, a dark violetish gray, and gazed upon Silver with confusion. A confusion that slowly morphed into fascination. "Intriguing…"
"Uh… hi," Silver said. "Are you Star Swirl the Bearded?" He hoped he was right because the beard had to be a dead giveaway. To his relief, the prisoner nodded. "Indeed I am. What inquiring mind wishes to know?"
"My name is Silver, sir," the hedgehog answered confidently. "Starlight Glimmer told me you could help out with something."
"Starlight Glimmer," Star Swirl repeated. "Princess Twilight's pupil, I believe. The one who mimicked my time-travel spell. She is a gifted unicorn when it comes to magic, much like her teacher and her teacher before her. She chose well, for I am always delighted to assist any creature. But whatever this predicament of yours is, I assume it will have to wait."
Silver had to remind himself that his only chance of finding out what was going on with him was trapped in a containment pod. "Oh, right! Hang on, I'll have you out in a moment!" He reached out to the pod with his psychokinesis, enveloping it with a cyan glow.
Star Swirl's eyes lit up in amazement. "Fascinating! I never knew of a race other than ponies who could use magic! How did you learn this?"
"One," Silver answered. "It's not technically magic. It's called psychokinesis, and I can only use it to move stuff. Two, I've had since I was born."
"Hmm… how well are you at using it?"
"Pretty good! Watch this!" Silver yanked on the pod as hard as he could to wrench it free from its position, waiting to hear it crash against the floor.
To his confusion, though, it didn't move.
"Huh?" Silver grabbed a hold on the pod again and pulled again, but this time, the pod slightly rattled. Star Swirl had a raised brow. "Perhaps you still need practice, young one."
"I-it's not me!" Silver objected, trying- and failing- to pull the pod out a third time. "Why isn't it-?" On the fourth tug, the pod managed to inch forward before it was forcibly pulled back into place, startling the elderly unicorn. "Oh! Goodness me!"
Silver blinked in realization. "Wait a minute… It's some kind of magnetic field! It's keeping the pod locked in place! But I have no idea how to shut it down…"
"Oh, dear…" Star Swirl said. "I could use my magic to break free, but, sadly, that was my first attempt to escape. These glass containers are reinforced with a material I am not familiar with."
Silver's face fell. "So… we're stuck?"
"I'm afraid so, yes."
The hedgehog groaned in frustration. "No, no, no! Not when I'm so close! I've gotta find another way!"
"And what might that be?" Star Swirl asked.
"I have no idea…" Silver told him confidently with a clenched fist. "But I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get you, Starlight, and everyone else outta here!"
…
Back in the security room, the heroes were in silence. Spike and the ponies were as quiet as sleeping foals, staring out at the room and each other. Sonic had his eyes closed, Tails was looking around, Knuckles was struggling against the energy rings holding him down, and Amy looked bored out of her mind.
For Rainbow Dash, all this doing-nothing was excruciating.
"AAAAH!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "LET US OUTTA HERE, YOU DINGUS!" She thrashed around in her pod in an enraged fit, but she could only wriggle like a snake against the energy rings. "DINGUS! DINGUS! DINGUS! GRAAAAGH!"
"Rainbow Dash," peeped Fluttershy. "I know you're just as upset as the rest of us, but could you please stop screaming?"
"That's all you've been doing for the past ten minutes!" Applejack added. "It's obviously not gonna help us escape."
"Then what are we gonna do?!" Rainbow shouted back. "Twilight and Rarity are who-knows-where, that Eggman creep cheated by setting his goons on us, and we're stuck in glass jars, being watched by the ABSOLUTE WORST PIECES OF METAL TO EVER SET FOOT IN EQUESTRIA!"
Her shrieking voice echoed across the room, but the guard robots did nothing; not even a glance in her direction. Tails just gave Sonic a knowing look. "And she said she'd been captured before, huh?"
"Yeah," said the hedgehog. "But it was probably wood and hay, not metal and glass. I'd be the same if I was out of my element, too."
"Really?" asked Knuckles.
Sonic just laughed. "Nah! If it was wood and hay, I'd be out in two seconds!"
Rainbow knew Sonic was trying to lighten the mood, something that was usually Pinkie's specialty. Was there a time he ever felt down and hopeless? Not that she wished it, of course.
A pang of guilt shot through her body at that last thought. Rainbow realized that she would have wished misfortune upon Sonic before all this. That was the ultimate cause, wasn't it? Ever since the hedgehog had come here and challenged Rainbow to a competition- something she could never, ever, say no to- she thought it'd be a piece of cake. But when he had the gall to be faster than her on foot, she started to hate his guts! And it was that hatred that made her easy pickings for that black, ominous, definitely-evil thing, which made her want to beat the living snot out of Sonic. It was a fight that got Eggman's attention, it was a fight that led him to the Crystal Empire, and it was… it was…
It was the worst fight Rainbow had ever had in her life. And it didn't involve an explosive argument with her friends in the slightest. And the worst part was…
A tear slid down Rainbow's face as everything came full circle. Twilight and Rarity were in danger because of her. Her friends were trapped because of her. The Crystal Empire had fallen because of her. Her and her stupid vendetta against a single hedgehog. A hedgehog who didn't even seem to care about it! Was there a time he had ever been in her hooves?
She couldn't ask him now, because her mind was focused on one thing and one thing only. The pegasus dipped her head down and closed her eyes, more tears sliding down her face. She spoke so quietly, nopony could hear her; a quivering whisper of undeniable regret.
"This… t-this is all my-"
WHOOSH!
The doors to the security room swung open, snapping everyone out of whatever thoughts they were having and interrupting Rainbow's moment of sadness. Instinct kicked in and she shook her head to fling off whatever tears could be seen.
"Well, well, well!" spoke a mechanical voice with a western accent. "Lookit what the sheriff hauled in! A couple of mangy strays and some rowdy outlaws disrupting the peace!" A familiar-looking pair of red and yellow robots hovered into the room, the Egg Pawns making way for them.
"Mangy?!" Rainbow snapped back to her usual tough-hearted self in no time. "Who are you calling mangy?! If Rarity were here, she'd lecture you about shiny coats and lush mane-styles for an hour!"
"Oh, hey, if it isn't the blockhead and the round mound," Sonic butted in. "Still considering your career choice?"
Orbot turned to face Sonic. "I'll have you know that we are quite comfortable working for Doctor Eggman, thank you very much."
The hedgehog gave him an unconvinced shrug. "Sure you are."
"But really, what else is there to do?" asked Cubot. "Anyhoo, this little herd ain't nothin' like the rest the bossman wrangled up. Of course, they ain't the broadest side of the barn, but hoo boy, they sure are trouble. Just take that fine girl over there."
Applejack frowned at the yellow robot's pointed finger. "That voice of yours ain't impressing anypony, square."
Orbot reached behind Cubot's back and fiddled with something that caused Cubot's mouth to flicker for a split second. Once he was done, Cubot hung his arms and head low. "Aw… everyone's a critic." he sighed in his normal voice.
"Now then…" Orbot began with his hands behind his back. "We are here to report that Doctor Eggman has requested your presence. There is something he wishes to discuss with you."
"Oh, great," Sonic said sarcastically. "Here it comes. Having my ear talked off by a monologue detailing how his great master plan will ultimately succeed and how powerless I am to stop-"
"Not you, you blue buffoon!"
Sonic's eyes went wide with startling confusion. "Wait, what?"
"Say what now?" Knuckles dumbfoundedly repeated.
"For once, the doctor does not wish to see you," Orbot explained. "Rather, he wants to see you." He pointed a finger at his intended audience…
…which was none other than Rainbow Dash.
"Wait… me?"
"Yes, you," Orbot confirmed.
"W-what?!" The reality of the situation hit Rainbow like a ton of bricks. "Wha… but… why me?! H-he's only interested in unicorns, right?! Do I look like I have a horn to you?!"
"Ooh, plot twist!" whispered Pinkie Pie.
"I do not question the doctor's orders," Orbot cut the confused pegasus off. "I simply carry them out." Cubot turned to his partner, a metal finger scratching his head. "Uh, you totally do. We definitely do it whenever he's not arou-"
"Shut up and get into position, you bolt brain!" Orbot snapped, slapping Cubot's head so hard it spun around. "I'm going to deactivate the pod's magnetic circuits." The red robot turned and hovered towards one of the room's consoles, his fingers flying over the controls while Cubot stood right underneath Rainbow's pod.
"Are you sure it's not gonna crush me?"
"Of course I'm sure," Orbot replied. "Well, probably. Deactivating magnetism… now!" He inserted in a command and looked back to the pod, the sound of something powering down reverberating through the room.
Rainbow's pod suddenly dropped to the floor, the startled pegasus screaming in alarm as she fell like a bird that had its wings plucked. Cubot held up his arms and caught the pod just before it could crash onto the floor- and on him-, struggling to hold it up as his arms began to tremble.
"I got it… I got it…" The robot then gave out beneath the pod's weight, pinning him to the floor. "I don't got it…"
Orbot face-palmed and hovered over to the pod, helping Cubot lift it into an upright position without any regard to the pegasus inside. Rainbow shook along with the pod, fighting off any wave of dizziness. Before she knew what was happening, she was moving towards the door. "H-hey! Where're you metalheads taking me?!"
"Ooh… be strong, Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy called out. "And please come back safe!" The rest of her friends looked just as worried, along with Sonic and his own friends… save for the hedgehog himself. "Tell Eggy I said hi!"
"A word of advice, small horse creature," Orbot suggested as he and Cubot carried Rainbow's pod out into a hallway. "Do not get on the doctor's bad side. He has enough trouble with fast, blue animals as it is."
"He doesn't have a good side, either!" Cubot added.
"Hey, I know how he is, you paperweight!" Rainbow snapped at him. "I kicked his flank in the Crystal Empire!"
"I find that hard to believe," retorted Orbot.
"First of all, paperweight? Ouch," Cubot butted in. "I wasn't built to feel pain, but that hurt. And second, you really fought him? How'd it go? Did you win?"
"Cubot!"
"What? I'm just asking!"
Rainbow sighed in boredom and irritation. She had to remind herself that being subjected to two annoying dimwitted robots was also her fault… and hope that it was the lesser of all evils.
…
"One little, two little, three little ponies! Four little, five little, six little ponies! OHOHOHOHOHO!" Dr. Eggman let out a roar of laughter as techno music played from a speaker in his main console. From the comfort of his flagship bridge, the evil genius could watch his brilliant plan unfold while his greatest enemy sat helplessly. On several monitor screens, captured unicorns were being sorted and organized into small groups. He switched one screen from the Badnik assembly line to the status of his next phase, which had just reached peak operating capacity.
"Ah, how I love it when a genius plan comes together!" Eggman boomed. "The crops have been harvested and ready to be served! Once I uncover the source of their power, both Sonic's world and this world will be mine! Why start my empire on one planet when I can do so on another? And then… ah haha! It makes me giddy just thinking about it!"
He sat back in his chair and killed the feeds. "But first… it's time I had a meeting with the reigning monarch. Oh, Metal!"
The door leading into the bridge slid open on cue, revealing Metal Sonic holding a containment pod with a unique prize inside. The prisoner squirmed and writhed against its constraints as the robot marched to its master. With a smirk on his mustached face, Eggman placed his fingers together in an eager position and spun his chair around, facing his new captive.
"A pleasure to meet you, at last, princess…" Eggman paused before turning to his computer and inputting something into it. "Hm. Twilight Sparkle. A little queasy on the tongue, BUT!" he sharply spun back towards the alicorn with a raised finger. "I've been looking forward to meeting you in person."
The princess just gave him an unamused look. "A long time ago, I would've said the same thing, doctor. I would have welcomed you to Equestria like I had done to many creatures before you. But recent developments on your end have given me no reason to."
"Aw, that's adorable!" The scientist cooed mockingly, standing up from his seat and pridefully striding towards the princess. "You love meeting new people with open arms, asking for their hand in friendship and unity. You live purely on peace and love and unity."
"That is true," Twilight told him. "It's the very thing that keeps us from the dangers of this world. With the three pony tribes united in friendship, we usher in a new era of peace and prosperity. For us, friendship is the greatest joy in the world. It brings everypony together. It inspires hope. It-"
"IT IS UTTERLY DISGUSTING!" Eggman roared right in her face. Twilight would've felt the force of his breath had it not been for the glass. "No wonder I thought of you as a lesser, lowlife species. You ARE one!" He jabbed an accusing finger at the startled princess. "Look at you hay-munching farm folk! If the fact that a bunch of horses built a civilization wasn't laughable enough, the fact that you live your days happily, carefree, and singing your lungs out about friendship and love makes me want to puke!"
He leaned in and pressed his finger on the glass. "You know what's good about friends? They don't last! Which is why I don't have any! Instead, I have something better: an unstoppable, unresting, unquestioning legion of loyal soldiers willing to fight and die for me! That is the only friendship I want!"
Twilight looked baffled and offended at the same time. "In what world is that friendship?!" she shouted defiantly. "Your 'soldiers' have no will, no heart, and no soul! They follow you blindly because you created them to do so! They do everything for you, and what do you do in return?! Absolutely nothing! That's not how friendship works! In fact, it's not friendship at all!"
She narrowed her amethyst eyes at the doctor in frustration and resistance, giving him a look of solid disapproval. "It's slavery."
"Hmph," Eggman rose to his feet and brushed off his jacket. "I wouldn't expect a primitive, middle-age stable dweller to understand the wondrous marvels of modern-day technology. But I didn't bring you here to discuss our preferred means of ruling, little princess. I brought you here so you could learn the fate of your precious, fragile kingdom. This little fairytale wonderland of yours is going to come crashing down, and it will fall… from that!"
He pointed a finger at the alicorn's horn. "Ever since I stopped by that capital city, I have had a keen eye on this magic of yours. Like any true scientist, I wondered what it would be capable of. And once I do, I will harness its power and use it to conquer both this world and mine!"
"I've faced a conqueror like you before," Twilight continued. "He's now a pile of shattered stone."
Eggman's face narrowed. "Is that a threat, princess?"
Twilight wasn't afraid to deny it. "Yes. You will take your army and leave Equestria at once, or my friends and I will make you."
"Is that so?"
"By the light of the sun and the glow of the moon."
Eggman was quiet for a moment. Twilight never broke her stern gaze off the human, who appeared to be contemplating his options.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" He bellowed. "Small, empty threats from an equally tiny horse! Now that is adorable! If you even think you're a match for the mighty force that is the Eggman Empire, you are sorely mistaken! My ships can lay waste to your cities, my robots can outfight your best soldiers, and my superior intellect easily overshadows your primitive status! You're nothing more than the animals I use to power my Badniks with the same pathetic belief that you can resist! In fact, I think I could stuff you inside an elite Badnik once this is all over!"
He placed his hands behind his back and stood proudly with a sinister smile. "But first, you are going to watch as your kingdom falls by your own power. Consider yourself lucky, Twilight Sparkle… as the primary ruler, I'll be harnessing your magic personally! So say so long to your wishes of frying my brain or whatever it is you're thinking!" He slammed a fist down on a red button on his main console, causing a part of the floor behind his seat to slide away, revealing a large duct of some sort.
Before Twilight could protest, Metal Sonic activated his engine to avoid falling in… and released his hold on the pod, causing it to plummet down the duct. The screaming Twilight bounced off the walls before her pod tumbled and rolled through the narrow passageway. The alicorn was tossed this way and that, hitting the walls of her pod twice every second.
"Whoooaaaaaaa!" As her screams echoed through the duct and her pod continued to bounce off the edges, Twilight's world was spinning around her similar to her first flight after gaining wings. She continued to fling back and forth before she felt the pod hit something with a loud crash, shattering it completely and leaving her sprawled out on a floor. She felt nauseous to her core and her head was spinning like crazy. Did Rainbow Dash ever get this dizzy after doing stunts for too long?
"Oooooh…" With a weak groan and spinning eyes, Twilight climbed to shaky hooves and stumbled around in a dazed heap before settling herself. Catching her breath, the princess blinked the drowsiness away and looked at her new surroundings. The first thing she realized was that while she may have been freed from her containment pod, she had traded one prison for another.
She stood in some kind of gray test chamber with… absolutely nothing inside it. The only way in and out was sealed behind her, adding to her growing sense of worry. She tried her best to fight this feeling of helplessness, focusing instead on the one true thing. Twilight would be free thanks to her friends, who would find their own way out soon enough… wherever they would be.
And only together could they escape this steel terror.
…
"I gotta say, capturing these horses turned out to be way easier than catching animals for the boss! They're bigger… uh, not by much, though, and they're slower than the critters, too!"
"HEY!" Rainbow snapped at Cubot. "You call me slow again, you pint-sized table, and I'll rearrange your face!" The yellow robot shrank back in what looked like fear. "Aw, why did the boss want her again? She's meaner than the red guy!"
"What the boss wants with her is none of my business, Cubot," Orbot responded. "But I am curious… if your claim of defeating the doctor in battle is true, how difficult was it?"
"Difficult?!" Rainbow shot. "It was easier than flying through a hurricane! You just had to see it; your boss getting beat down by a pony of all things!"
"Is that so? Well, congratulations. You're now on the doctor's list."
Rainbow tilted her head. "Uh, what list?"
"The only list he has, of course," Orbot answered. "His 'to-destroy' list."
"Pfft! Like any of his cheap toys are fast enough to catch me!"
"How ironic. His prime archnemesis is capable of supersonic velocities. Dozens of the doctor's creations have been built to specifically match his speed, such as the Egg Beetle, the Egg Hawk, and Metal Sonic. Needless to say, he is more than prepared for a creature such as you."
"The boss has a specialty for quick critters!" Cubot added. "It's a shame Sonic keeps getting away each time." Rainbow turned to look at the yellow robot just a quick "ding" cut through the shaft they were riding. The doors to the elevator slid open, allowing the robots to carry the pod into another hallway.
"They really have it out for each other, huh?" Rainbow asked. "To Eggman, Sonic sounds like a hoof-full, and to Sonic… he just sees a good time?" Cubot nodded. "Yup! He doesn't take the boss as seriously as he should. I don't remember a time when he was serious! Although that may be because of my faulty memory chip…"
"So, what's going on with them?" The pegasus continued. "He sends robot after robot after robot at Sonic, whole armies of them, and Sonic just… beats them all without so much as a sweat? Awesomeness aside, that's… rather strange. What's up with that? Is he just that cool? Is he juiced up with chaos magic or whatever? Do Eggman's robots just suck?"
"Eh, it's about fifty-fifty, to be honest," Orbot answered with a hint of sass in his mechanical tone. "Big idea, big execution, Sonic shows up, 'I hate that hedgehog', big explosions, rinse and repeat. It's enough to make him rip whatever hair he has left out of his head."
"So why hasn't he? Can't he just accept the fact that he'll never beat Sonic?"
"He never gives up!" Cubot piped up. "He says it's a mark of 'true genius' or something. But, seriously, I'm surprised he hasn't lost it already. I know I would!"
"The bad guys in my world are outright Tartarus-bound on reducing my friends and I to paste," Rainbow added. "And we've put a stop to them for good. I wonder why Sonic hasn't done the same to Egghead… Hey, how many times has he kicked that guy's butt, anyway?"
"Ah, that's easy!" Orbot answered. "It's exactly two hundred and twenty-seven thou-"
"NEXT!" boomed a deep voice, snapping Rainbow's attention to what lay in front of her: a pair of metallic doors. And she had a pretty good idea as to what was behind them.
"Aaand here we are!" Cubot exclaimed. "Little horsey, the doctor will see you now!"
Orbot stared at his partner. "Was that really necessary, Cubot?"
"Hey, he's a doctor, bro! One of us had to say that eventually!"
"Orbot! Cubot!" called the voice from behind the door. "Quit dawdling and bring in the prisoner!" Cubot answered with a sharp salute. "Aye aye, cap'n!" The robots started to move towards the door, with Orbot turning to Rainbow one last time. "One last piece of advice: make a joke about his weight and he'll shove you into a Motobug faster than you can say 'chili dog'."
Rainbow was just about to ask the red robot what the heck a "chili dog" even was before the doors slid open. Standing several meters away near a primary console was the all-too-round shape of the ruthless scientist, who had his hands behind his back and his eyes glued to several monitors playing footage Rainbow couldn't make out. The two robots carried the pod inside the bridge, setting it down on a conveniently-placed support structure.
"About time," Eggman spoke casually. "Leave us to our business. And go ready the batches for the process." Orbot and Cubot hovered away from Rainbow's pod and floated out of the bridge. "As you wish, oh oval one," complied Orbot. As soon as he and Cubot were out of sight, Rainbow heard Eggman take a deep breath that gave her the feeling he was reminiscing about something rather than preparing to speak with an audience.
"Do you know why I brought you here today?"
The pegasus had a bored expression on her face. "To talk my ear off about how your plan is utterly foolproof and how I have no chance to stop it whatsoever?"
He seemed surprisingly calm. Not even a twitch of frustration, to Rainbow's surprise. "Under normal circumstances, I would. In fact, I said just the same to the princess a moment ago."
Something inside Rainbow sparked to life in half-relief, half-surprise. "What?! What have you done to Twilight?! Where is she?!"
"Unharmed, for the moment," answered the scientist. "Anyway, I called you in here because from the second I saw you… you reminded me of someone. Someone blue, like you. Someone fast, like you. And someone insufferable and intolerable… like you."
He turned to face Rainbow with a clenched fist, an enraged expression on his face as his voice slowly rose in pitch and volume. "Someone who is a pest that refuses to be exterminated. Someone who never rests, surrenders, or dies until every last one of my ingenious plans to take control is either eradicated, halted, or UTTERLY ERASED FROM MORTAL EXIST-" He stopped before he could go any further and recomposed himself before the stunned pegasus. "Ahem. Eh, forgive me for my, ah, egregious outburst. Now, where was I?" He snapped his fingers in remembrance before a grin plastered itself on his face. "Oh, yes! Sonic the Hedgehog…"
"Ugh," groaned Rainbow. "Here we go again. Do you know how many times I've been compared to that cactus-head? I've been told that he's been faster than me, cooler than me, cockier than me… it's enough to drive me out of my mind if it wasn't so flattering!"
"That's true, in a way," continued the human. "Sonic is clearly your superior in every field… and if you have the same amount of personality that he has, I can expect you to have a similar strategy."
"Are you planning for me?" Rainbow asked. "You're late on that, bozo! I already beat you once, and I can do it again!" At her words, Eggman frowned. "You did defeat me, I'll give you that, but once will be enough. I have enough trouble as it is with your counterpart… and I don't want to deal with two of the same kind. If you can't be beaten just like he can't, I may be driven to the edge!"
Rainbow paused, her look of stubbornness now long gone. "Wait a minute… he can't be beaten? What do you mean by that?" Eggman didn't answer her verbally, but gestured to the monitors instead. Rainbow turned to look, and she saw each screen over the console alive with blue flashes, laser fire, flying pieces of scrap, and the same smiling face of Sonic the Hedgehog as he ran, jumped, and spun all over the place.
On one monitor, Sonic charged across the deck of a huge battleship before launching himself into a crowd of laser-shooting robots. Numbers of them fell within two seconds before he sailed through the air and set his sights on a larger one. In a sapphire flash, he spun around the larger robot until it collapsed, and he barged through another squad of robots with a fist held in front of him. As he raced away, metal bits and pieces clattered to the deck in his wake.
On another monitor, Sonic bounded this way and that in a desert-like environment, laser bolts flying everywhere. He spun up and bashed two of them to bits, continuing to evade incoming fire. On a third monitor, he launched a series of Homing Attacks on Egg Pawns before kicking away a Motobug. On a fourth, Rainbow noticed that he looked different; the blue hedgehog was smaller- and cuter- than he was now, with a pudgy belly and black eyes.
On that monitor, he sped in front of patrolling Motobugs and blew a raspberry at them. He raced away with the robots in pursuit, clearing the way for a younger Tails, Knuckles, and Amy to proceed. "Ever since our first encounter on South Island all those years ago…" Eggman began. "Sonic the Hedgehog became a thorn in my side. Literally. He foiled my quest to obtain the Chaos Emeralds and enslave the island's animal population for my Badnik army. I thought he'd be nothing more than another pest for me to exterminate… but I didn't realize that he would become much more than that."
On the monitor, the younger Sonic was now cornered by Badniks of all kinds while the younger Tails and Amy finished arming some kind of device. After receiving a thumbs-up from the fox, the younger Sonic spun out of there just as the device went off, opening a floodgate and causing all of the Badniks to be washed away.
The younger Sonic caught Amy, who was swinging in on a rope, while Tails flew overhead and Knuckles glided through the air. The four animals managed to escape the base just as everything was engulfed in an explosion… and the monitor turned static.
Rainbow had to admit she was impressed. Sonic had been fighting Eggman ever since he was a kid? If Scootaloo heard about this, she'd be babbling non-stop about how she wanted to do something similar until she was Rainbow's age. The pegasus couldn't help but crack a smile… until Eggman's voice snapped her back to reality.
"As my dreams for world domination began to grow, my forces did the same and I stood ready to conquer the planet. But as I grew, so did he. Every plan and scheme I hatched was brought crashing down moments before I could triumph. They were brilliant, meticulous, brimming with genius…" His voice dropped into a menacing tone. "...and that rodent tore them all apart."
The monitors continued to play archived footage of Sonic fighting- and destroying several robots piloted by Eggman, including a mechanical snake, a large robot with a lance and a shield, and a war machine decked with wings and a drill. "They say one learns from their mistakes. For every defeat I suffered at Sonic's hands, I heeded that saying and tried outfitting my machines to match Sonic's speed and strength. I built fast robots, strong robots, even a robot that mimicked Sonic in appearance and ability… but none of them were enough. Even as I continue to improve them for their next deployment."
Eggman leaned forward and placed his hands on the console, pressing a button that unmuted the monitors. On one of them, the scientist was working on something inside a lab: the battered chassis of Metal Sonic, which was being welded back together with various tools and gadgets. The scientist grumbled under his breath with a furious expression. "How dare that Sonic damage you!" He spoke like a father tending to his son's injuries. "He wouldn't recognize a work of art if it punched him in the face!" He paused with his work, a thought brewing in his mind. "Er, you did punch him in the face, right?"
Metal responded with a thumbs-up, leaving his creator with a smile. "Atta boy!"
Eggman turned away from the monitors for a moment, several of them now depicting various locations from his world that Rainbow didn't recognize. "I unleashed a god to destroy a city to make way for my global empire. Sonic reduced it to its natural state. I planned to use my grandfather's work to aid me, but Sonic halted it. I enslaved an alien race to harness their power into a mind-control ray, but Sonic's meddling caused the thing to backfire. I blew up the moon to send a message to him and his friends… uh, well, half of it, anyway… but they were not deterred. I even shattered the planet and released an ancient entity, but Sonic put it all back together. Plan after plan after plan fell to that troublesome teenager, who did nothing but laugh whenever he had a weapon pointed at his head."
On one of the monitors, a blue streak blew through a crowd of robots while landing acrobatic punches and kicks to several more. To Rainbow's amazement and Eggman's irritation, he was doing this all while singing a catchy tune.
"Sonic! He can really move! Sonic! He's got an attitude! Sonic! He's the fastest thing aliiiiive!"
Eggman frowned and turned away from the screen, his eyes brimming with resentment and despisement for each clash he had endured. "Right when the world was hovering inches above the palm of my hand, at the eleventh hour when my masterpieces would be unveiled, at each moment where victory would be mine, the hedgehog would come and spoil everything. He would leave me sitting in a pile of parts or send me sailing off into the horizon! And what was worse… was that every time- every time- I sent my greatest weapons at the speedy little slimeball or tried to destroy him myself, he always had the last laugh!"
Rainbow and Eggman turned to one monitor, which showed a first-person perspective of Eggman piloting a huge double-rotor hawk-like robot that was opening fire on the Tornado. Bullets flew everywhere, but none of them did so much as touch the biplane as it weaved through the sky. "You can't run forever, Sonic!" roared the scientist. "There's nowhere you can go that I can't find-AAAAH!" The plane sharply turned to reveal a huge rock face that the flying machine crashed into, leaving nothing but static behind.
The image on the monitor changed to a high-speed chase through city streets, this time with Eggman behind the wheel of some kind of vehicle that was letting loose a stream of laser fire. Sonic zigzagged and zipped around the bolts, turning to make an occasional silly face at Eggman.
"I will never stop until I destroy you once and for all!" screamed Eggman… until Sonic ran straight up a wall that his vehicle crashed into, causing the screen to go static. Next, Eggman was firing at Sonic in a huge robot on some kind of space station; a robot that Sonic quickly bashed repeatedly until he hit the cockpit. Inside, the controls began to spark and Eggman seethed with anger.
"You… you… you… YOUUU! YOU HORRID LITTLE HEDGEHOG!" The screen suddenly turned white, then static again. Next, a more massive robot flung green orbs at Sonic in a volcanic landscape. The hedgehog slammed into its knee and bounced up the arm, hitting the cockpit hard enough to stagger the scientist inside.
"I am sick of you getting in the way EVERY SINGLE TIME!"
Footage of robot after robot getting destroyed followed next, with Eggman's desperate attempts of doing the hedgehog in all for naught again. And again. And again. And again. Screams and explosions all rung out, accompanied by blaring alarms, high-pitched whirring sounds, and crunches of metal.
"No, NO, NOOOOO!"
"Just DIE already!"
"S-stay back!"
"No, no! Lose! DIE!"
"Defeated?! Impossible!"
"Why meeeeee?!"
"No, no, NOT AGAIN!"
"I!" KA-BLAM!
"HATE!" BOOM!
"THAT!" CRASH!
"HEDGEHOOOOOOG!" BRAKOOOM!
When the static returned, nothing arrived to take its place. Eggman turned away from the monitors with a sigh and adjusted his goggles, professionally facing Rainbow's direction. The pegasus was stricken with awe and left speechless. "Whoa…"
"I don't suppose you have a nemesis of your own? One who keeps returning to destroy you and you constantly beat him back?"
Rainbow snapped out of her trance and gave Eggman a laugh. "Ha! Of course I do! There's this creep called the Storm King who keeps trying to take over Equestria, but my friends and I keep kicking him out!"
Eggman raised a brow. "Really? When's his birthday?"
Rainbow's smile dropped. "Uh, say what now? Why would I-"
"What's his preferred means of fighting you?"
"Storm clouds?" Rainbow wasn't sure what he was getting at.
"When did you last defeat him?"
"L-last week?" Uncertainty was starting to get to her.
"When was the time he sent all of his minions to destroy you?"
"I-"
"What does he normally say when he's beaten?"
"I-I don't-"
"How many ships does he have?"
"Uh…"
"How many times have you beaten him? How many times did he swear revenge against you? Did he ever capture you, torture you, or force you to watch as he-"
"OKAY, FINE!" Rainbow huffed in frustration before her tone died down. "I… I don't have a nemesis, alright?! It… it's one of the things Sonic has and I don't. The thrill, the eagerness for another bout… I can only dream of having such a thing. Plus, I never even fought the Storm King…" Her voice had dropped into sadness and she let out a sigh. "We would've been best enemies: we're both weather-themed, I'm colorful, he's black and white…"
"I suspected as much," Eggman concluded in a satisfied tone. "From what I've learned, the Storm King is now a pile of rubble. But if you did fight and defeat him hundreds of times, he would've gone mad from so many losses."
"So why didn't you?" Rainbow asked. "You lost to Sonic over and over and over! Didn't that make you want to go bananas?!" Eggman nodded. "There were times I did, to be honest. Sonic pops up when I least expect it, getting in the way at the last possible instant and destroying my beautiful creations. After numerous defeats, I asked myself the same question: why can't I ever destroy that irritating rodent? It was a question I was desperate to answer… but I still haven't found a solution."
"Because your robots just suck?"
Eggman flinched in anger. "Grrr! Mind your tongue, you-!" He quickly caught himself and cleared his throat before he could continue his rant. "Are you familiar with the scientific process and the experiments that come with it?"
"Uh… no?" came Rainbow's response. "That's Twilight's gig, not mine."
"I thought as much," continued Eggman. "In my world, every good scientist begins every experiment with one thing: a theory. In my case, that theory is the destruction of Sonic the Hedgehog. For years, I have built deadly robots and undaunting warships, but Sonic has built an entire scrap mountain out of them. And as it's said in my world, using the same strategy and expecting different results… lead to insanity."
"Then why haven't you lost it yet?" asked Rainbow.
"Because true genius is adversity in the face of impossible odds," answered Eggman. "As difficult as trying to destroy Sonic was, I never gave up on it. I knew an answer had to be out there somewhere, but I also knew that my current tactics were not producing the desired effect. So, I had to think outside the box. I had to find another way to beat him… and I did!"
He leaned down to Rainbow's pod with a delighted smile on his face. "When the recent whatever-it-was popped up out of nowhere and opened the doors to another world, I found my answer! If technology can't be the end of that miserable hedgehog, then perhaps magic will! The very arcane energy resting within your race is the answer I've been seeking, and with it, both worlds will fall to me! So thanks for that!"
Rainbow was speechless again, this time from horror and shock. Was this also her fault?
"So consider this a warning," Eggman sneered. "Since you and that rodent are interdimensional equals, I have no doubts that you have the faint delusion that you can stop me. Spoiler alert: you can't! And you never will, not with that petite and colorful appearance fit for a baby's toy! You'll be bombarded with anti-air rounds the minute you approach one of my ships! My robots will overwhelm you, and they have failed to do to the hedgehog, they will succeed to do the same to you!"
Rainbow opened her mouth to retort, but Eggman beat her to it. "I know I have my sights set on the unicorns, but I'm keeping a close eye on you. If you know what's good for you, your little band of 'friends', and your home…" he delivered this next phrase in a tone that chilled the pegasus to the bone. "Stay. Out. Of. My. Way. Or you can watch as I raze it all to the ground. Sonic may not take me seriously, but you? You certainly will. And if you even think of defying me, I'll make you pay for it in a way you can't even imagine. Metal Sonic?"
A shrill beeping noise alerted Rainbow Dash to the sight of the ominous robot that had beaten her to a pulp, who was standing at attention. "Take her back to the security room. I need to oversee the first batch of subjects." The machine complied and raised the containment pod from its support, giving Rainbow one last look at the scientist's grinning face.
Normally, she would've added that another certain pegasus wouldn't be too happy about his treatment of animals, but Eggman's over-the-top warning had shaken her further than she already was. The thought of her home of Cloudsdale falling under attack, her family getting captured, her friends forced into those things he was building… It scared her. And Rainbow Dash was rarely scared.
Eggman gave her a little wave as Metal turned to leave. "I suggest you get used to this magnificent airship," he suggested. "It's the only thing you'll be seeing for a long, long time. Heh heh heh, heh heh heh heh, ha ha, AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Even after Metal exited the bridge and marched down the hallway, the booming laughter of pure evil rang in Rainbow's ears. She should've felt eager to confront that creep head-on like she'd done so many times to other dangers, but this one was… different. And she meant that in a bad way.
He'd just threatened everything Rainbow Dash knew and loved. Now, she knew past threats were serious, like Discord, Tirek, and Sombra, but this guy… this guy was serious serious. He wasn't the kind to mess around. And that was what frightened Rainbow the most. He wouldn't commit unspeakable horrors if they failed, he'd do it before they'd get a chance to do anything!
How did Sonic cope with this guy?!
But, on the other hoof… he had what he wanted. Twilight, Starlight, and the Crystal Empire royals, some of the most powerful unicorns in the world when it came to magic. And she led him right to them.
And with the only creatures capable of opposing him locked up, Eggman was unstoppable. Cloudsdale would fall, Equestria would burn, and the world would succumb to his army… all because one little pegasus couldn't let go of her jealousy over a stupid hedgehog.
I'm sorry, Twilight, Rainbow mentally sobbed as a tear slipped down her once-shiny face. I failed you. I've failed everypony. I'm not as loyal as you thought… I betrayed you. There's no way you can forgive me for that. I think… I think it's best that we don't see each other ever again.
The pegasus' desire to keep her self-image sustained and her reputation tall had gotten herself and her friends- should she even call them that anymore?- in trouble. She'd gone over the top before, but this was the breaking of a barrier that should never be crossed. She had vowed to stay loyal to them, to not let her heart's desires interfere with her bonds.
And she couldn't even manage that.
It seemed almost poetic. Thanks to her Sonic Rainboom, she'd brought everypony together. And now, she would be the one to destroy them. Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie… none of them could stand against the incredible armada that was Eggman's so-called prized possession. They'd be beaten, broken… or worse.
This is all my fault.
The doors to the security room swooshed open after what felt like long, agonizing hours. Rainbow didn't feel Metal Sonic reattaching her pod to the magnetic sensors on the wall, which locked the pod in place. She slowly opened her moist eyes to look at the machine; one of many who would accomplish what Equestria's greatest villains could not.
It seemed to know what she was thinking through those cold, merciless eyes. It may not have been capable of speech, but it seemed to be telling Rainbow that his creator's words were true: this was the end of everything she knew. With that silent vow, Metal Sonic turned and marched out of the security room, leaving nothing but the guard robots to watch over them.
"So, how'd it go?" asked Sonic, who was still frustratingly calm and casual about all of this. "Bad or terrible?" Rainbow made no move to acknowledge the hedgehog, let alone respond to him. Unfortunately, her silence was enough of a response for Sonic. "Terrible, then."
"Rainbow Dash?" asked Spike, who sounded eager to know something. "Did you see where Twilight or Rarity could be? Where did he take them?"
Rainbow remained quiet. Her mind was filled with a single sight prompted by the dragon's words. Twilight Sparkle, whose coat was dirty and scratched, and her expression a barely-recognizable one. The pegasus imagined her face being one part horrified and distraught, the other part being furious beyond recognition. Beneath those saddened and enraged eyes, Rainbow felt meek and powerless at how she had failed her friend… if Twilight would still call them that.
But what would the rest think of her?
"Uh, Rainbow Dash?" Applejack's voice cut through her thoughts. "Are… are you crying?"
Horse apples… they caught on! Should she tell them? If she didn't, she'd make things worse for both of them. But how would they… no, they needed to know. For her sake and theirs.
"Um… are you alright, Dashie?" whispered Fluttershy. The nickname stung, a painful reminder of what it was that she needed to let go. Maybe a name she'd never go by again. "Did the bad man do something to you?"
Again, Rainbow didn't answer. She took in a shaky breath as another tear escaped her dull eyes. This was it; now or never. She had to tell them and prepare for what they had to say to her. She steeled herself as best as she could, her voice coming out in a meek, hushed tone.
"This… this is all my fault."
Applejack flared up in complete disbelief. "Wha… aw, come on, Dash! Not this again! We just went over it back at the Crystal Castle! Everypony has something they're not pro-"
"No, not that…" whined the pegasus. "This." She gestured at the pods and everything around them. "I led Eggman to the Crystal Empire, where he beat us and took everypony captive. We were the only ones who could stop him, and now that we're at his mercy, all of Equestria is doomed… all because I couldn't get over my heart's desire."
Fluttershy blinked in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"Do you remember the first adventure we had together?" the cyan pegasus whispered sorrowfully. "Nightmare Moon? Each of us was tested, and I had to choose between those Shadowbolt illusions or you. When Sonic came, I never noticed that I was taking that same trial again… but this time, I made the wrong choice. I focused on him too much, and not enough on you. And because of that, I…" A sniffle made her pause. "I failed you…"
Applejack didn't know what to say. "Oh, Rainbow…"
"I wasn't loyal to you when I should've been!" cried the pegasus. "I got distracted by some creature just like me, who I thought would replace me! I didn't think about anything else, and Eggman took advantage of that! Now we're gonna spend the rest of our lives in these cages, Equestria's gonna be conquered and destroyed, and Twilight will blame me and not want to be friends anymore! I-If we ever see each other again…"
She sniffled again and tried to fight back a sob, not bearing to look at the others' reactions. "I know I've screwed up in the past, but… this is the worst of them all. I just sealed Equestria's fate and… and I ruined everything! My home, my family, everything's gonna be gone because of me! I-I'm not loyal! I'm not what any of you think I am! I… and I don't…" She felt like a shell of her former self as her voice was reduced to a shattered mess.
"I don't deserve to be your friend anymore…"
Silence was all that remained when she was finished. Rainbow couldn't bring herself to look at the ponies she once loved and laughed with. They were probably considering kicking her out right now. She failed them all because of a stupid rivalry that she couldn't let go of. She failed her whole world; a feat unforgivable for even the most merciful soul.
"You don't believe that for one second."
Rainbow blinked open her moist eyes to see the source of her fall from grace. At first glance, he looked to be upset with her… but once Rainbow got a closer look at Sonic, she noticed his expression was one of determination and not anger. "If Twilight didn't think you were loyal, she would have found someone else instead of you. Think for a second, Rainbow. How many times did you give everything up for your friends?"
"W-what difference does that make?!" she wailed in response. "When you showed up, I just lost it! My mind was full of 'what-ifs' instead of 'what-nows'! Eggman saw our fight! He followed us to the Crystal Empire, and now that he has the strongest unicorns in Equestria, he's gonna be unstoppable! He's going to use that magic to finally beat you, take over my world and yours, and there's gonna be no creature left to challenge him, and it's all my fault because I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen if a hedgehog managed to top me as the fastest!" She gasped for breath with a shaky sob, more tears coming down as she did so.
Sonic wasn't deterred, however. "Rainbow Dash, listen to me. This is clearly my fault as much as it is yours. I led Eggman there just as you did, even though my head wasn't in the right place at the moment. Normally, I'd blame this on that dark and gloomy thing that turned us against each other, but I'd have done it anyway because I'd be having too much fun with you!"
"Wait…" Tails interrupted. "Can you go back for a second? You said something-"
"I'll explain later, bud," Sonic quickly replied. "I promise. But let's get outta here first." After reassuring the fox, he turned his attention back to the pegasus. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, you asked earlier how I could be so calm about being locked up. Yeah, it's true that I laugh in the face of danger and crack jokes about Eggman's physique and have tons of robot puns at hand… but I'm not perfect."
Rainbow sniffled again. "W-what…?"
"There are times in everybody's life where they mess up," Sonic explained in a serious-yet-heartfelt tone. "Now, I may not know what everyone has specifically done, but they wouldn't be here by your side and Twilight's to this day if they haven't made mistakes. Now, if you and I are anything alike, we're bound to screw up if we keep running headfirst into danger. You didn't lead Eggman to the Crystal Empire, Rainbow. We did. This wasn't my first mistake, but it won't be my last, either."
The pony blinked her wet ruby eyes as the hedgehog continued. "You don't get to be this much of a hero just by winning and winning and winning. Sometimes, you have to lose. You know that, don't you? You've lost some time, somewhere, somehow. I may not know the details, but I know there was a time you and your friends felt hopeless. But did you let that stop you? No, you kept going. You learned something from that. But if you kept going, that meant you didn't let all the bad things beat you down."
Sonic took a moment to let out a sigh of reminiscence. "But you don't know Eggman. That's why you think it's all over. You haven't seen an army like his, and you don't know what you can do to stop him. Yes, you and I screwed up big time, but it's not too late. As I said, I've been captured by him before, and you've been captured too by some other baddie. That didn't stop us, and neither will this. I'm sure we'll be out of here soon, and when that happens, we'll do what we've always done."
He looked down at the ground with another sigh, this one of regret. "You wanna know what one of my mistakes was, Dash? Would that put things in perspective for you?"
The pegasus slowly nodded, the wetness in her eyes slowly fading away. Everyone else listened in as well, touched by the entire conversation so far. Sonic looked Rainbow Dash in the eye, catching a glimpse of her remorse and sorrow.
"One time, Eggman had enslaved a group of ancient creatures called Zeti, who could control machinery. He was using this conch to keep them in check… but I didn't realize it until I had kicked it far away. Then, the Zeti turned on him, which left him no choice but to team up with me. Later, they tried to catch me with a booby-trapped capsule. Thankfully, Tails managed to learn that it was a trick, but when he tried to stop me from opening it, I-"
KA-BLAM!
The hedgehog's tale was rudely interrupted by a loud explosion that jolted him, his friends, the ponies, and the guard robots into full alert. The doors on the right side of the room had been reduced to a smoking hole that the Egg Pawns stared at, their blasters at the ready. Several of them advanced towards the breach… before the entire room erupted into all-out chaos.
Machine gun fire drowned out every other sound, including the startled screams of the ponies, as a hail of bullets streaked into the room and mowed down any robot it touched. Stray shots hit the floor, the wall, and the consoles, causing them to spark and flare up before the monitors went haywire. Within seconds, the consoles burst into flames and sparks flew everywhere, prompting a red alert symbol to pop up on the monitors.
WARNING! MAGNETIC CIRCUITS OFFLINE!
Everyone dropped to the floor with a startled cry, each of their pods smashing against the hard surface and their restraints fading with them. No sooner than they hit the ground free did they jolt into action, a nearby Egg Pawn firing its blaster wildly before it was riddled with bullets. Stray projectiles shot dangerously close to the group, prompting more screams from them.
"GET DOWN!" yelled Sonic, tackling Rainbow behind one of the wrecked consoles. In a panic, Tails grabbed Applejack before diving behind another console. Knuckles, Pinkie, and Amy jumped behind another while Spike scrambled away from the storm of bullets in a panicked frenzy. Fluttershy darted behind a fourth console just before bullets ripped through the air she had once been.
Everyone covered their eyes and squeezed their ears shut as the thundering onslaught tore through the security room and obliterated anything and everything in sight. Monitors became cracked and exploded as ammunition shredded them apart. One Egg Pawn fell with a metallic thud near Sonic and Rainbow, its chassis riddled with holes. Another's arm was blown clean off before its head followed suit. The sound of laser bolts echoed through the room, but any that could be heard were quickly silenced.
Spike huddled up to Knuckles and clung onto him like a scared child. Applejack pulled her hat over her head and Pinkie was shaking from the intense vibrations the storm was sending her way. Tails scrunched up against the console just as his ears picked up something else: the footsteps of something huge and heavy marching into the room.
Amy tried peeking out to see what it was, but quickly jerked back when a bullet nearly took her ear off. Empty ammo casings clattered to the floor as the stomping noises added more thunder to the rain of heavy fire.
"Danger! Intruder alert!" blared a voice. "Danger! Intruder alert! Danger! Intru-" The mechanical voice was shut up by another hail of bullets that ripped apart the room's alarm system. The remaining Egg Pawns were getting slaughtered, and the remainder were dropping their weapons and making a break for the other door. If Rainbow didn't know any better, she'd say they were terrified for their lives… if they were alive, to begin with.
Their retreat didn't last long, as the runners were gunned down or had their legs shot off. Spike and Fluttershy were already screaming over the booming noise of the guns, its ammo continuing to bombard every piece of mechanical equipment. Everyone braced for as long as they could under the heavy fire…
Until it stopped in the blink of an eye. All that filled the room now were the sputtering of the consoles, the crackling of fires, the flickering of lights… and the terrified breathing of several of the ponies. Spike slowly opened a shaky eye while everyone else calmed down, their hearts pounding in their chests.
From his hiding spot, Tails shot Sonic a frightened look. What was that? He mouthed. The hedgehog only shook his head and lowered his hand: a gesture for his buddy to stay down. Nodding, Tails turned to Applejack and gestured for her to do the same.
"W-w-wha-mph!" Knuckles slapped a hand over Spike's stuttering mouth and made a sharp "sh" noise. Amy had her own hand clasped over Pinkie's face, the pony blinking through the hedgehog's fingers. Nobody made a sound, listening closely for whatever was in the room with them.
THUD! THUD! THUD! Loud and heavy footsteps echoed through the room like hammers striking metal. Fluttershy tensed up as she felt where they were heading: near her hiding place. Swallowing nervously as her body trembled all over, the pegasus slowly crept towards the corner of the console… and peeked out with shivering cyan eyes.
Those eyes widened and a quiet gasp left her mouth. Standing before her was a massive robot in black and red colors, larger than any she had seen so far. To a creature as small as she was, it looked like the size of a troll. It had a bulky body with some kind of symbol on its shoulders, and its fingers were silver and sharp, just like Metal Sonic's. Its legs were reinforced and its head was small compared to the rest of it, consisting of only a yellow casing.
Beneath that casing, a pair of bright red eyes flashed into view. A pair that stared directly at Fluttershy. The second its eyes met hers, panic and terror surged through her body.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" A terrified shriek burst from Fluttershy's throat and she bolted away from the console, sliding to a stop in front of a badly-dented wall. The shaking pegasus spun around with frightened whimpers and a quivering voice to see the massive war machine stomp its way towards her with heavy footsteps. "No! NO! STAY BACK!" she shrieked in pure horror.
At this point, everyone had popped their heads out from the consoles and were wide-eyed at the machine. Rainbow, in particular, was just as frozen in fear as her fellow pegasus was. Time had slowed down, and a horrifying image was taking shape before her. She wasn't in the security room for Eggman's flagship, but back in the capital city of Canterlot…
…and it was burning.
Screams just like Fluttershy's tore through the air alongside a rain of bullets and laser fire. Battleships loomed over the city, bombarding the once-beautiful buildings with explosions and devastation. Robots and war machines just like the one before her stomped through the streets, crushing rubble beneath their feet and spraying everything in sight with rotary cannons and laser weaponry. Missiles flew this way and that, painting the sky red with fire.
Shadows of ponies could be seen through the smoke that threatened to fill Rainbow's lungs. Their terrified and pained screams rattled her ears as the shape fell. Bullets and lasers struck them one by one, including the small fillies, and silenced their cries for help. Flying machines chased pegasus ponies through the air, gunning them down with well-placed streams of gunfire and missile strikes.
Blasts of magic lit up the darkened streets, followed by a wail of agony as flashes of light signaled its caster's end. Caught in the middle of it, Rainbow watched with terror in her heart and fear on her every breath. The sounds and sights were all around her, the merciless barrage intensifying by the second and the screams too much to bear. She darted her head in every direction, but it was always there. She opened her mouth, instinct screaming at her to call for her friends…
…but then she saw it. Something that struck her to the core. Something that made her wings numb and turned her coat white as a sheet.
Purple feathers near a broken horn. A shattered diamond. Burnt yellow feathers. A party cannon missing a wheel. A cowboy hat riddled with bullet holes. Discarded dragon scales. And behind them… bodies behind a thin layer of smoke.
Rainbow…
Help us…
You could have saved us…
Help…
Why…
The pegasus took a shaky step back as the tears quickly came back. "N-no…"
Fillies screamed for their parents before their voices were silenced. Gunfire thundered through the streets and missiles hit their mark. The sound of panicked galloping footsteps was replaced by mechanical marching. As the carnage closed in on her, a voice began to call out to her. A voice… that was laughing.
"Ha ha ha, ha ha ha, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Rainbow looked up to the voice with horrified eyes… to see a gatling gun pointed right at her face. It was already spinning up, the warm-up noise drowned out by the maniacal, triumphant laughter and the screams of the dying.
Wait… that was her scream!
"FLUTTERSHY, NOOOOOO!"
She shot away from the console with adrenaline coursing through every vein, speeding towards the robot as fast as she could go. Sonic jolted in both alarm and horror. "Rainbow, DON'T-!"
With the force of a cannonball and the fury of a dragon, a tear-stained Rainbow slammed into the back of the robot with a heart-torn scream. The machine staggered from the jolt before it spun around in a quick motion, its eyes landing on the pegasus that threw a back leg into its head.
"GET! AWAY! FROM! HER!" she screeched, pounding the machine on the head and torso as hard as she could. It retaliated with a swing of its wrecking-ball-like fist, prompting Rainbow to zip away. Panels in the robot's arms slid out to reveal missile launchers, its explosive armaments already streaking towards the pegasus. Rainbow acrobatically flipped away from each missile as they blasted on impact, jumping off the last one and spreading her wings.
With the thundering rattle consuming the room again, rotary cannons that were configured from the robot's hands opened fire on the airborne pegasus, who darted all around the room and rolled to avoid each stream sent her way. Fluttershy cowered in fear while Rainbow's expression of both horror and anger never faltered.
…
Metal Sonic halted in his tracks and spun his head around. His audio sensors were picking up some kind of disturbance in the security room; a disturbance in the form of gunfire.
ALERT, flashed his heads-up display. BREACH DETECTED. The elite enforcer spun his body a hundred eighty degrees and fired up his thrusters, blasting off down the hallway in the opposite direction he was just traveling.
…
"You can't take my friends from me! You can't take my home from me! I WON'T LET YOU!" Rainbow Dash screamed not just to the robot who was shooting like crazy at her, but the evil man who- no doubt- was behind its creation. The man responsible for evoking those terrible images of a burning Canterlot that swept through her soul. As she kept up her evasive tactics, everyone else watched with horror in their eyes.
"Help her!" cried a panicked Applejack. Sonic was already beginning to make a move. "All of you, stay here!" he shouted, dashing away from the console and into the fray. Everyone else kept their heads down, unable to tear their eyes from the scene before them.
Rainbow Dash zeroed in on the robot and slammed herself into its chest, interrupting its barrage and causing it to stumble backward. She landed gracefully in front of the machine, who lifted its arms and slammed them down. The pegasus jumped over the crushing smash only for the machine to snatch her by the hind legs and bring her crashing down. Her heart pounding in her ears, Rainbow frantically rolled away from a massive foot that almost crushed her head in and gave the machine a double-hooved kick to its leg.
Following up with a spinning kick to the side, Rainbow jumped over a sweeping arm and touched down on the limb. She immediately launched upward just as the robot brought its other arm down on it, sailing over the robot and landing a hard blow to the back of its head.
She landed in a panting heap before the frozen Fluttershy, her breaths a mix of exhaustion and terror. She turned to look at the other pegasus, the fear in their eyes undeniable. Rainbow knew she was terrified; terrified for the fact that she stood no chance against such a foe before she would be ultimately finished off. But if these were to be her last moments, she'd go down protecting those she loved the most.
Maybe that way, they'd know she was loyal until the end. An act of redemption for her betrayal. "F-Fluttershy… s-stay behind me!"
The robot turned around in a heavy clunking movement, its servos whirring as it rotated to stare at both pegasi with violent red eyes. It raised its arms at the frightened little ponies, who could only watch as its cannons started to spin up…
Rainbow's eyes suddenly caught a streak of blue color ferociously charging their way. It was a sight that sent relief through her body. Sonic fought robots like these daily! He knew what he was doing! He was going to turn this one to scrap in no time! Rainbow watched as the hedgehog raced to the rescue, positioned himself between the ponies and the robot like a fierce protector…
…and held up a hand to each of them?!
"WHOA, WHOA, WHOA! STOP! EVERYONE STOP!" He screamed with panic in his voice. Rainbow's relief quickly slammed back into horror as the hedgehog looked from her to the robot and back. "RAINBOW, DON'T MOVE! OMEGA, STAND DOWN! EVERYBODY CHILL!"
Rainbow's confused-and-panicked response was reflected by each of her friends, who were just as dumbfounded. Rainbow could faintly hear Applejack, Pinkie, and Spike shouting at Sonic while Tails, Knuckles, and Amy were trying to calm them down.
Calm them down?! There was a killer robot in here with them, and Sonic wanted everypony to just chill?! "Sonic, WHAT are you DOING?!" she screamed in fear before the hedgehog quickly shushed her. The robot he was standing right in front of looked like it was staring at him like a stone-cold statue, almost as if it would gun him down at any second…
But instead of opening fire, the machine lowered its arms to its sides and further confused everypony. "Interrogative: What gives, Sonic?"
Sonic's hand flew to his heart and a relieved breath left his throat. "Oh, sweet Gaia below, that was close! Whew…" Rainbow, Fluttershy, and everypony else weren't as satisfied. The cyan pegasus was struggling to speak while her timid friend was hiding behind her back. "I… wha… Sonic-"
The hedgehog spun to face her in the blink of an eye. "Rainbow, calm down! He's on our side!"
Now, she was even more flustered. "Wha… what do you mean 'on our side'?!"
"It's a giant robot, for Pete's sake!" Spike cried out. Knuckles was quick to interfere as he held the dragon close to him. "Easy there, dragon dude! He's friendly… well, kinda."
"Sonic," spoke the robot in a deep monotone. "You will explain what these strange creatures are immediately and why they are on Eggman's ship." The hedgehog cleared his throat and let out a nervous chuckle, holding up his hands in a calming manner.
"H-Hey, Omega! How's it been, big guy? Now, uh, this is kinda a long story, but these folks here don't like Eggman as much as you do! W-we're all friends here!"
"We are not friends," replied the machine. "You are impeding my progress. Stand aside or be eradicated."
"Uh, I think we're getting off on the wrong foot here," the hedgehog sheepishly admitted. He was sounding like he was trying to de-escalate the situation… and not doing a good job at it. Rainbow swallowed and shrank back as Sonic continued to keep things calm. "Rainbow, Fluttershy, this is-"
"I am E-One-Two-Three Omega, the ultimate E-Series robot," it interrupted. "Why would a puny lifeform like you attempt to attack me?"
"A-attack you?!" Rainbow stammered frantically. "Y-you were the one was going to-"
"Negative. I was scanning these unknown lifeforms that match no known organism in my database." It turned its eyes to the still-frightened Fluttershy. "Threat level: none." It glanced at Rainbow Dash next. "Threat level: minimal. Extremely minimal. The odds of a tiny creature like you successfully destroying me are ninety-one million to one."
"You're gonna rethink those odds now that you scared Fluttershy to the-!"
"H-hey now…" Sonic addressed the pegasi before Rainbow could fully retort. "If I saw a big, scary robot armed to the teeth with guns, missiles, and every explosive device imaginable, I'd attack it too! In fact, that's exactly what we did when we first met!"
"Sonic, this thing is dangerous!" she spat angrily.
"Yeah! Dangerous to other robots!"
"Glad to see you boys are getting along well."
Everyone looked up at the sudden voice, where they now noticed a vent had been carefully removed. Where it once stood was now a bat-like creature who looked on at the scene as if she was eavesdropping. She gave everyone a smile and a small wave. Knuckles just crossed his arms with a knowing look.
"Well, look who it is!" he proclaimed as the bat slid out of the vent and touched down on the floor expertly. "Everyone's favorite smooth-talking, emerald-eying, master spy! Can't say it's a pleasure."
She just chuckled at the echidna. "Missed you too, knucklehead."
"Hey! Only one person gets to call me that!"
Ignoring his shout, the bat turned to Sonic with a smirk. "Hey, blue. This wouldn't happen to be your annual visit to the doctor, wouldn't it?"
"Long story, Rouge," he answered. "What are you doing here, anyway?"
"Oh, I was just minding my own business until I noticed the doc had some special guests on board," she replied. "So, I gave the tin man here the go-ahead. He was constantly asking every ten minutes, too."
The robot turned to the bat with a rotation of its head. "Query: what are these colorful creatures, Rouge?"
"Them?" she chuckled. "They're just the local populace, Omega. The doctor decided to use them for his own purposes, so they hate him and his robots just as much as you do."
"Are they a threat?"
"When it's necessary. Specifically, the horned ones. Oh, that reminds me," She turned to the ponies. "I don't suppose anyone knows a 'Rarity', do they?" A delighted Spike gasped in happiness. "You found Rarity?! Where is she?! Is she safe?!" Before he could continue his questions, the little dragon was picked up by a metal claw and raised to Omega's face. "Gah!"
"Unknown lifeform scan complete. Combat proficiency: weak."
"Hey! If I were you, I'd keep an eye on dragons! I can be mean when I need to be!"
"Statement error: Dragons do not exist."
"Oh, come on! What do I look like to you?!"
"Uh, so…" Applejack spoke up, her fear slowly dimming to unease. "This bat lady with a questionable fashion sense and the big, scary robot with too many weapons to count… are on our side?"
"Yep," Tails answered. "They're Shadow's pals."
"Those are Shadow's friends?" Pinkie repeated. Amy nodded in confirmation, with the look she gave the pony explaining that she knew how weird it was. "Wow. I knew he was broody and moody, but yeesh! What did he do to meet them?"
"Call it fate, if you will," answered Rouge. "Each of us has our own history with the doctor… complicated histories."
"Hey! Big guy!" Rainbow shouted with suspicion in her tone. "You were built by that mustached creep, weren't you?!" Omega turned to her with emotionless eyes. "Affirmative."
"And you're supposed to be on our side?"
"Affirmative."
The pegasus narrowed her eyes. "Prove it!"
Omega spun around without a second thought and opened fire on a still-functioning Egg Pawn that was crawling for a discarded blaster. The bullets from his spinning gatling gun tore through the weakened robot and punctured its outer shell, the light flashing off of everyone's faces as they watched in unease and horror (mostly on the ponies' end). Rainbow covered Fluttershy's face with a wing while Spike placed his hands over his eyes. Sonic and Tails watched with uncomfortable faces and Applejack cringed at the sight. The spectacle lasted for a full thirty seconds until Omega ceased fire, his cannon slowing to a stop with smoking barrels.
When everyone peered at the aftermath, all they could see was a charred, smoking heap of twisted metal. They wouldn't have even recognized it as a robot if they were laying their eyes on it for the first time. Omega silently turned his head back to the ponies, who were left in a mind-blown silence that filled the whole room. Pinkie's lower jaw had dropped, and Amy slowly closed her mouth with a worried expression.
"P-p-point taken," whispered a shaken Rainbow.
"Primary directive: Destroy all Eggman robots! All other obstacles will be eliminated!"
"Wait…" called Spike. "A-aren't you an Eggman robot?"
"That is correct."
"Then… wouldn't you want to, uh…" The dragon awkwardly slid a finger across his throat. The robot didn't seem to react negatively. "That is irrelevant. I may have been built by Doctor Eggman, but I do not serve him."
"Why's that?"
"I was created to be the perfect combat machine in his E-Series line," Omega explained. "But instead of deploying me out into the field, Eggman kept me locked away in a storage facility at an abandoned base and left me to gather dust! For that infuriating waste of potential, he must pay!" He held up a fist and clenched it menacingly.
"Uh… isn't that a little extreme?" Applejack asked. Knuckles stepped forth to answer that before Omega could. "Are you kidding?! Everything about this guy is extreme! Did you see the way he tore up those robots? Forget Omega, Eggman should've named you 'Overkill'!"
"Well… maybe he's just misunderstood!" Spike butted in. "Y'know, he may seem big and scary, but inside he's like the rest of us! I should know; I'm the guy who befriended a changeling!"
"You sure we can trust him, bats?" Rainbow asked. "What if Eggman activates some kind of super-secret obedience thingy that turns him back to his side?" Rouge just scoffed humorously at the pegasus' comment. "Don't be ridiculous. Eggman has no such program anywhere in his systems."
"And just how do you know that?"
"Well, who else tends to snoop through each of his computers?" she finished her comment with a wink. "Although, for all that 'genius' of his, I would've expected him to enable something like…" She paused, her eyes trailing off.
"What is it?" asked Knuckles. Sonic and Rainbow listened for anything suspicious… and picked up the faint noise of a quickly-approaching jet engine. Rouge spun towards Omega. "Heads up, big boy!"
Something shot into the room at high speed and slammed into Omega, knocking him off the ground. The robot's body hit the ground and slid across the floor with a screeching noise before a collision with a wall halted him. Everyone flared up in alarm and turned to look for the assailant while Sonic spun towards the war machine. "Omega! You alright, big guy?!"
"Pain sensors activated," he beeped in response. "Ow."
The object responsible for the attack hovered down with clenched fists and glaring red optic sensors. It glanced at each of the escaped prisoners and both intruders, who had their eyes on him in a prepared manner.
"Metal!" shouted Tails. "He must've detected us somehow!"
Knuckles gave Omega an accusing look. "Gee, I wonder why?"
The walking arsenal ignored the echidna's comment as he rose to his feet and glared at the hostile machine. "Target acquired: Metal Sonic! How long have I waited to turn you into scrap!" His right arm shot upward and a barrage of bullets flung out with a thunderous crackle. Everyone darted away as Metal took evasive action, boosting right towards the rogue robot. Weaving around the shots, Metal drove a knee into Omega's head, downing him. Omega retaliated with a hard left hook, knocking Metal away from him.
The robotic copycat barely had time to recover before a blue ball smacked it upside the face. Sonic touched down and stuck out his tongue at Metal before he shot away in an azure flash. The robot immediately gave chase and blasted after the hedgehog until Sonic ran right past Applejack, who gave Metal a powerful kick to the midsection.
Metal slid backward along the ground before he was abruptly stopped by Knuckles' downward slam. Seizing the echidna by the arm, Metal Sonic threw him into a charging Pinkie and vaulted over Amy's hammer, smacking her in the face with an elbow. He turned to assess the situation, but a rainbow blur shot past his face.
"It's payback time, pal!" cried Rainbow as she looped back towards him. Metal Sonic blasted in her direction and lashed out with a clawed hand, which Rainbow fluidly dodged with a careful twist of her body. Caught off-guard, Metal Sonic connected with Omega's outstretched fist and clattered to the ground.
"Destroy Metal Sonic!" The larger robot raised a foot and brought it crashing down, giving Metal a split-second to dodge and counter with a rising uppercut that sent Omega toppling. Now airborne, Metal turned his eyes on the escaped prisoners, only to notice that a few were not among them…
The moment his sensors detected something approaching, Tails and Fluttershy sidelined him from above. Rouge followed suit, landing a screw-like kick that grounded Metal Sonic. Spike swooped in to follow through, but Metal swatted him away like a bug before Rainbow Dash collided with him and pinned the robot to the ground.
The pegasus jumped off as Metal swiped at her, then zipped away when he tried hitting her with a spinning kick. The failed strike left him wide open for Sonic, who struck him in the back with a well-placed Homing Attack. Ducking underneath a sharp swipe, the hedgehog nailed Metal with a backflip kick and knocked him into the air. The robot's engine kept him from hitting the floor again and he shook his head with a loud buzzing.
Tails and Fluttershy came at him again, but Metal was ready for them. He grabbed the fox by the neck and the pegasus by the mane, flinging them both at their friends down below. Thinking fast, Sonic dove for Tails, and Applejack flung herself at Fluttershy while Metal rocketed back down, catching Knuckles in an aerial swoop. He pinned the echidna against the wall, but before he could follow up, a barrage of machine-gun fire forced him to withdraw.
Knuckles scrambled away from the bullets and turned to Omega with an annoyed look. "Hey! Watch where you point those things!"
Omega continued to fire at Metal Sonic with both rotary cannons and missile launchers, his immense firepower overwhelming the other robot's speed. With too many projectiles coming his way, Metal failed to notice a stray missile slipping past his line of sight. The explosive detonated against his chest, knocking him down again.
Sonic and Knuckles made a break for Metal just as he was getting back up. As the former spun up and struck at his double, the latter threw a punch at the robot's head. While the two continued their attack, Rainbow turned her gaze to Applejack. "Get Fluttershy and Pinkie! I'll-"
Metal Sonic suddenly appeared in front of both ponies, stunning them both while Sonic and Knuckles were dazed not too far away. Before either of them could say a word, Metal grabbed them by their heads, slammed them together, then threw them against the wall.
"...distract him…" moaned Rainbow.
"Eat hammer, punk!" yelled Amy, crashing down on top of Metal. The mechanical menace staggered from the blow before knocking her away with a kick to the gut. Pinkie ran in to take Amy's place, but Metal stopped her advance by landing an open palm to her face.
"OW! My nose…" Another kick sent the pink pony staggering. Rouge dove at Metal, who caught her with a steel-like grip and slammed her at his feet. He raised his other hand before another burst of gunfire drove him away. The bat clutched her head and moaned, shaking the dizziness from her system.
"Rouge. Status report." beeped Omega.
"Nothing I can't handle…"
Applejack rose to her feet and huffed at the steel-plated faker, who had now backhanded Rainbow away. "You ain't gonna get the better of us again, you overgrown junk pile!" She charged towards him at full speed, but Metal countered with a hard knee to her gut that left her breathless. Grabbing the pony by the tail, Metal slammed her onto her back and knocked the hat off her head.
Sonic bombarded his copy with three Homing Attacks before Metal blocked the fourth hit. He kicked Sonic away, the hedgehog still in his ball form, so that he slammed Knuckles upside the head. As both of them fell, Tails ran to their side and put up his fists.
"No, no, no!" Rainbow cried as Fluttershy was forced to flee from a vicious swipe. "We can't lose to this guy two times in a row! What're we gonna do?!" Sonic just gave her a comfortable smile despite looking a little bruised. "Are you kidding?! I haven't had this much of a rush in a long time! Besides, every time Metal wants to smash me into chili sauce, it's always an awesome time!"
"What?!" Rainbow couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Sonic, how in Equestria are you still-?!"
"Chaos SPEAR!" A voice roared, followed by a flash of green light. Rainbow spun back to Metal, who now had emerald smoke rising from his chest. The perpetrator lunged from the still-functional pair of doors and wailed on Metal Sonic with both fists before knocking him into the air. Shooting after him, the assailant kicked him into a console, smashing it into a crumpled heap.
"All right!" Sonic cheered, his smile now bigger than before. "Now we're talking!"
Shadow stood over the downed Metal Sonic with clenched fists, silently daring the robot to make a move. Metal turned his red eyes to the black hedgehog and lunged, only for an opal aura to freeze him in place.
"Hi! Remember me?!" The robot was flung headfirst into a monitor that exploded into shards of glass, causing sparks to fly everywhere. An orange unicorn with a fire-colored mane and a satisfied expression trotted into the room, giving everyone a warm smile. "Hey, guys! Sorry to keep you waiting!"
"Hi, Sunset!" Pinkie replied with a smile of her own. Metal quickly shot out from the monitor and positioned himself in a combat stance, his eyes glaring down at the group as if he was enraged. Sonic just returned this with a cocky grin and blasted for his copy, everyone else right behind him. The robot did the same, rocketing for its targets at full power.
Rainbow plowed into Metal with both front hooves, Fluttershy following suit with a downward stomp. As Metal shot to the floor, Applejack kicked him over to Knuckles, who uppercutted the robot back into the air. Rouge and Tails blitzed Metal before he could calculate their approach, putting him in Omega's line of fire. The rogue robot unloaded rounds of ammunition on Metal, causing his engine to give out. The elite enforcer of the Eggman Empire fell towards Pinkie and her party cannon, which gave him a faceful of cake batter and confetti. Amy followed up and smacked Metal like a baseball, knocking him into the air one more time.
Grabbing ahold of him with her magic, Sunset slammed Metal against both walls while Spike lobbed fireballs at him. Both the unicorn and the dragon withdrew from the stunned robot, leaving him open for a blue and black streak to slash an X pattern across him in a unified strike.
Sonic and Shadow landed on their feet while Metal crashed to the floor with smoke and sparks emitting off his battered form. The robot struggled to stand and his optic sensors began to bug out, which fought to keep his vision intact as he stared menacingly at the band of heroes standing before him.
Everyone, despite their injuries at Metal's hands, stared at the robot with determined eyes and ready stances. Tails, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Spike, and Rouge all hovered over everyone else while Sonic and Shadow looked Metal in the eyes with a cocky and grim expression respectively. Sunset's horn was aglow with magic, which looked ready to blast Metal at any given moment. Knuckles had his fists held up and Amy readied her hammer while Omega had his cannons aimed directly at Metal's head.
Metal Sonic staggered and glared at the eleven heroes as best as his glitching optic sensors could allow. A message appeared on his heads-up display, which flickered in and out of view as was the rest of his systems.
WARNING: CRITICAL DAMAGE SUSTAINED
ODDS OF SUCCESS: 2.3%
FURTHER COMBAT INADVISABLE
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS: RETREAT AND REPAIR
With a static buzzing noise that sounded like a threat, Metal Sonic spun and rocketed out of the room as fast as his damaged engine would allow. The ponies breathed a sigh of relief that it was all over while Sonic did a quick victory pose.
"Coward!" boomed Omega, who shook his fist in the direction of the fleeing Metal Sonic. "Return and face me like a machine!"
"Aw, let him go!" Knuckles retorted. "I wanna see how Eggman's gonna be when he hears his best bot got busted by some tiny little horses!" Applejack wiped her forehead with a hoof. "Hoo-ey! That was rough! So… what now?"
Shadow turned to the group with a stern face. "Rouge. Omega."
"Shadow."
Sunset glanced behind her and jolted once she noticed the huge robot standing before her. "HOLY MOTHER OF-!" Shadow silenced her with an arm. "He's with me."
"You… have a robot… as an ally…" Sunset stammered. "Um… he's harmless, right?"
"Negative!" replied Omega. "I am harmful to Doctor Eggman and his diabolical machines! All that stands in my way shall be destroyed!"
"Oookay…" Sunset spoke meekly. "Uh, you don't have any problems with that, do you? I mean, a robot fighting other robots built by the guy who made you? Shouldn't you feel a little guilty about that? Some remorse? I'd definitely feel guilty about something like that..."
"None whatsoever," he said. "I was built to destroy. Doctor Eggman keeps building his inferior robots, I keep destroying them. I am content." He took a heavy step forward and peered down at the unicorn, who looked like she could be stepped on any moment. "What was the purpose of your query?"
"Uh… n-nothing! Forget I asked!"
"Acknowledged. Deleting conversation from memory banks."
Sunset turned an eye to Rainbow Dash. "Is he always this hardcore?" The pegasus nodded. "You should've seen him earlier, Sun. He trashed the entire place like he was berserk, and look at what he did to that robot when I asked him if he was on our side!"
She pointed a hoof at the twisted and mauled mass of metal that lay not too far away on the floor. Sunset frowned. "That doesn't look like a robot."
Rainbow had a serious face. "Exactly."
"The phrase 'collateral damage' is written into his software," added Rouge. "You give him something to shoot, and he turns it to ash. It's his best quality… as well as his only quality." She pointed a thumb at herself with a confident smile. "Rouge the Bat; master spy and infiltration extraordinaire. And you are…?"
"Sunset Shimmer. I'm a f- uh, ally of Shadow. I take it you two are the others he's been talking about?" The bat returned Sunset's words with a nod of approval. "Team Dark. Your go-to team for any anti-Eggman operation. You could say we're the best of the best when it comes to sabotage, infiltration, and demolition."
"The time for introductions has passed, Rouge," Shadow cut in, striding up to the bat's side. "Do you have the file?" The bat protruded a small data drive from her glove before slipping it back in. "Package secured."
"What's on that thing, anyway?" asked Sonic. "Eggman's list of barbershop coupons?" Both his friends and the ponies snickered at his quip, but Shadow remained silent. "The details of his latest master plan involving these creatures," he explained before gesturing to Sunset. "Particularly these ones. He calls it Project Myth."
"So what is it?" Spike questioned.
"This isn't the time for an explanation," Shadow scolded. "It won't be too long before Eggman realizes we're here. Omega may have destroyed his security system, but that doesn't mean we're safe."
"Affirmative," added the walking arsenal. "Once Eggman notices his security grid is offline, he will become suspicious and order his robots to investigate. I will let them come so I can blow them to pieces."
"So, what's the plan?" Knuckles asked. "We are gonna need one if we're gonna get outta here, right?"
Shadow turned to his teammates. "Rouge, take the plans back to the ship. Guard it until we arrive." The bat gave him an assuring nod. "Will do."
"Ship?" repeated Amy. "What ship?"
"Omega and I swiped a shuttle from one of Eggman's bases back home," Rouge explained. "How else do you think we got aboard?"
"Omega," Shadow continued. "Make your way to the ship's main power core and destroy it. If anything gets in your way, you know what to do."
"Affirmative. What will you do?"
"I'm going to find the doctor and have him tell me why he's doing this."
"And find Twilight!" Sunset quickly added. "Wherever he is, she's bound to be with him!"
"Uh, we already know why he's doing this," Sonic interjected. "Obviously, he thinks he can use the unicorns' power against me. Which is going to fail. Again."
Shadow glared at the blue hedgehog. "And how do you think he is going to do that? A new weapon? A stronger power source for his existing machines? A spatial prison to trap all who oppose him?"
"Okay, fair point," Sonic held up his hands. "I'm just saying, whatever it is won't work. Call it a hunch."
"Back up a sec," Rainbow interjected. "I know I'm no tech-wiz, but this core thingy sounds pretty important. Does it, like, keep this ship in the sky or something?"
"That is correct," answered Omega. "Once the reactor core has been destroyed, this battleship will be destroyed as well, robbing Eggman's precious fleet of a vital vessel."
The ponies flared up in horror and gasped. "I never would've thought I'd see getting a lucky guess right would be a bad thing!" Rainbow stammered in shock.
"The unicorns he captured have to be on board, right?!" Applejack added. "If this ship goes down, they go down with it!" Shadow had his arms crossed, barely fazed by this fact. "The captives are your problem, not mine," he stated. "Just know that you're on the clock. Team Dark, move out!"
"Don't worry, guys! I'll find Twilight!" Sunset called as she trotted after the skating Shadow. Rouge broke into a sprint while Omega turned and stomped into the hallway. Rainbow Dash caught Spike moving to follow the robot. "Hey, where are you going?" she asked.
"Don't you think he might need help?"
"Help? Him? He's a walking, talking war machine, for crying out loud!" the pegasus retorted in disbelief. "What makes you think he might need help?"
"Well…" Spike paused for a second. "Okay, actually, I'm the one who actually needs help. Sure, he may be big and he may seem scary… but he's also really cool! You do think that he's cool, right?!"
"Uh… sure… just don't get blown up or something."
"Don't worry! I can handle myself out there! Plus, I'll show him that you can't judge a creature by their size!" Spike promised, flying down the path that Omega had taken.
As soon as he was gone, Sonic spun to his friends. "Okay, here's the deal! If we're gonna free the unicorns before Shadow and his pals bring this ship down, we'll need to split up!"
"Got it!" Knuckles replied. "What's the call, blue?"
"For now, we gotta rely on directional signs until we know the layout of this place!" Sonic began. "Tails, can you find a server room or something and download the schematics of the ship?"
"Sure thing!" replied the fox, getting his handheld ready. "Once I've got the map, I can sync with our communicators! After that, I'll get you guys to where you need to go!"
"Your what now?" Applejack asked, prompting Knuckles to show her a red wristwatch-like device on his wrist. "Tails built these for us for a situation just like this. Pretty nifty, too."
"Alright! Take Fluttershy with you, bud. It's probably best for her to not be alone in a place like this," Sonic continued, gesturing to the timid pegasus. "Knuckles, take Applejack! Amy, you're with Pinkie! And Rainbow's with me! Track down the ship's brig, and if you can't do that, wait for Tails' instructions. And once we get there, mass breakout time!"
"Wait!" called Amy. "How are we gonna get them out of the ship?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there, Amy," Sonic told her. "Still working on it! But for now, let's go find us some unicorns! Come on!" Everyone nodded at Sonic's words before sprinting for the pairs of doors. "You're a great leader already, sugarcube!" Applejack called. "Twilight would be proud of ya!"
Sonic just shot her a thumbs-up as he ran out into the hallway. "Alright, Rainbow! You ready to show Baldy McNosehair how we…"
He stopped in his tracks when he glanced behind him and noticed the pegasus wasn't following him. "...do it?" He turned back to the security room, where Rainbow Dash was just sitting in the middle of the room with her head hung low. She looked… out of it. Way out of it.
With worry looming in his heart, Sonic sped back into the security room and knelt in front of Rainbow, taking her head in both hands. "Hey, what's wrong, Dash? Everything okay?"
The pegasus didn't respond, but Sonic didn't need one to recognize how she was feeling. She looked distraught and shaken thanks to how moist her magenta eyes seemed. She took in a shaky breath and closed her eyes. "I… I don't think I can do this, Sonic…"
"What? Of course you can!" the hedgehog replied. "You and your pals have kicked butt of all kinds back in Equestria, and-"
"Yes," came Rainbow's whispered words. "Exactly…"
Sonic was about to say that they were on the same page… when something about his words made him pause. "Wait…" he muttered so that Rainbow couldn't hear. "Back in Equestria…?" Could that mean…?
"I shouldn't have been wishing that you never came to Equestria, Sonic…" Rainbow explained meekly. "Because if that was true, Eggman would've destroyed everything. When he spoke to me earlier, he told me that if I ever got in his way, he'd see my home ruined… and after Canterlot… after the Crystal Empire… I can't bear thinking about what would happen if he found Cloudsdale."
"So?" Sonic replied. "Those are just empty threats."
"To you!" She suddenly cried, startling Sonic on the spot. "W-we have nothing like Eggman here! We never have! The only conqueror bad guy we fought was the Storm King, and- and he never had destructive cannons, weapons that could destroy anything or any creature they touched, or things that exploded on impact! Y-you're so calm and level-headed about Eggman because you know him! You've been fighting him for years while my friends and I haven't seen anything like him our whole lives! W-we don't… we don't…" Her rant slowly died down. "We can't fight him, Sonic. To him, we're… we're nothing. He can crush us all in a matter of minutes, and none of our strongest magic can hope to compete with… with everything he has. His ships, his weapons, his robots that he makes every hour of every day. H-he'd toy with us, listen to our screams, and make us suffer before he finally gets it over with. And none of us can ever match him or his machines. Not me, not Twilight, not even Princess Celestia herself! If it was just him that came here instead of you or your friends… Equestria would be his already."
Rainbow's words sank into Sonic's being. She was right, and he knew it. Eggman and his army were frightening, but he knew that mostly from the animals he rescued and the humans of the United Federation. But for a world that just wasn't prepared for Eggman?
It was their worst nightmare.
"How do you do it, Sonic?" she whispered. "How do you go up against this… this maniac every day of your life and destroy entire armies of robots like they're nothing? Robots that absolutely will not stop until they destroy you? Robots built by a man that never rests until the world is his? H-how do you have the… the will… and the gall to stand up to all of that and not get yourself… yourself…"
Sonic needed a moment to take this all in. Rainbow was right: the Eggman Empire was meant to be intimidating and overwhelming. That was the whole gist of it, really. Force the populace into submission or they would be made to submit… or worse. And the thought of him going up against it, whether alone or with his friends, anyone who didn't know Sonic well enough would immediately believe he'd be doomed the instant he declared resistance. And yet, one hedgehog was the wrench in the cogs of a massive technological regime and thwarted the mad scientist's attempts at world domination every time. So, how did he do it? Well…
"Look, Rainbow…" he began, taking the pegasus' head in his hands. "You and I are two sides of the same coin. You told me that I had an adventurous life right from the start while you wished for one for years. But… that's not entirely true."
"Huh?"
"We're both gluttons for adventure, aren't we? Turns out we just approach it differently. When I saw my first chance for an exciting life when Eggman first came to South Island, I jumped at the chance. You just waited, and nothing exciting ever happens to you if you just wait for something to happen."
Rainbow blinked. "How does that…?"
"Let me finish. Eggman's army wasn't always the huge fleet it is now. Like all things, he had to start small with squads of Badniks. All the animals on South Island were terrified of them… and to be honest, so was I. But this was my chance to make something of myself, to live the life I wanted. So you know what I did? I conquered that fear and sent that creep packing. We'd meet again after that, and most of the time was the same old stuff. But when he decided to expand on his army to conquer the world, things started to get serious. I still remember the first time I saw the Egg Fleet with Tails and Knuckles."
"Were you scared?" Rainbow asked.
"Who wouldn't be?" Sonic replied. "Well, I was mostly annoyed because I had just fallen victim to a trap that stalled for time, but yeah! That many ships all in one place made me nervous, but you know what else I felt? Excitement! Another chance to continue my adventuring days! I started thinking Eggman's robots were toys to play with… ones I'd break every time!"
"B-but this is serious!" Rainbow shouted. "Think of all the horrible stuff he could do with-"
"Ah, ah!" Sonic stopped her right there with a finger to her mouth. "That's my secret, Dash. I don't. But that doesn't mean I don't realize how big of a deal Eggman is. Sometimes, I take him seriously… but most of the time, I just mess with him, crack some jokes about him, taunt his robots. Sure, his machines have guns, missiles, flamethrowers, buzzsaws, lasers, and other whatnots, but do I let that fact get in my way? No! Not just because I'm too fast for them to hit me, but because I don't care! It doesn't matter to me; none of it does!"
"You don't… care?"
"Yes!" Sonic confirmed happily. "I don't get scared of Eggman because I know him! All his tricks, all his tactics, everything! I've fought him for years, so every time I see one of his robots or ships, I just see it as another toy or an obstacle! I laugh in the face of danger not just because I can, but I laugh because I know every robot he sends to destroy me will just end up as a pile of nuts and bolts!" He sighed and thought back to the many times he and the doctor had their little dances. "This lifestyle may have made me a hero, but I'm not in for the worship like you are… although the attention is pretty sweet, I gotta say, but the reason why I do all of this is that I wanna have a little fun in life. The praise is a nice bonus, but the only thing that matters to me is that adventure can make all the difference for somebody."
He caught sight of Rainbow's face, which was now starting to lighten up. "And you think so too, right? Now, you may be a sucker for attention, but you get it, Rainbow! You don't want your life to be dull! But every time some jerk comes around with talk of darkness and doom, you can't help but feel scared… even if you don't want anybody to know it. You may laugh in the face of danger to keep everyone's opinion of you high, but you do it so you can keep your opinion of yourself high! So you can keep having the life you dreamed of living and being the most awesome person- uh, pony, whatever- you can be! You talk back at creeps who threaten you, you don't back down from any challenge, and you dive headfirst into danger because you see it as a chance to give yourself a good time!"
He rose to his feet and stared at her proudly. "You don't want to quit on that now, do you? The last thing you'd ever want is to let your family and friends down! So why shy away from another big, bad wannabe ruler and turn down a chance to have a good time showing him who's boss?"
Rainbow Dash shot into the air and looped around before coming to a stop in front of Sonic, striking an action pose in midair. "The super-duper-hyper-extreme awesomazing Rainbow Dash does NOT mope around, she does NOT let down her friends when they need her the most, and she never, ever, EVER lets some stupid chump have their way without having their flank rightfully kicked!"
"Now that's the Rainbow Dash I know!" Sonic shouted triumphantly. "You ready to bust some bots, jailbreak some unicorns, and show Baldy McNosehair that we won't stop until he turns red and tears out his mustache?!"
"YEAH!" came her invigorating scream of a reply.
"I knew you'd say that!" The hedgehog and the pegasus turned to the open doors of the security room and got into race-ready poses. "Now let's show him how it's done!"
FWOOSH! Two blue and rainbow blurs rocketed out into the hallway at high speed, racing into the battleship with unstoppable force. "Thanks, Sonic! Never knew how much I needed a pep talk from now! Twilight's so gonna hear about this!"
"Betcha I can trash more robots than you!"
"You're ON!" The speedsters shot down the winding corridors with whoops of joy, not having a care in the world about what this ship or even the entire fleet could throw at them.
…
"Oooh, my aching head… who turned out the lights?"
"Rarity? Is that you?"
The white unicorn shot up in alert at the sudden voice, her vision flooded by the walls of her containment pod. "Huh? Is anypony there?" She examined her current surroundings, but all she could see was a hook that attached her pod and others like it to an overhead line. Rarity couldn't recognize anypony in front of her, but when she turned around, she noticed one particular unicorn in the pod directly behind her. "Starlight? What in blazes are-"
"Long story!" she interjected. "Have you seen Twilight anywhere?"
"The last time I saw her was back at the Crystal Empire!" Rarity explained. "Oh, I do hope she's alright… and everypony else, for that matter. Where are these things taking us?"
"I don't know…" Starlight said before her eyes caught the sight of something approaching. "But wherever it is, it's not gonna be good!" Rarity turned back around and noticed the line's destination: a huge square-like chamber surrounded by observation windows whose exit consisted of a single conveyor belt. Those who were coming out looked unconscious or completely exhausted.
"Oh…" moaned Rarity. "I have a very bad feeling about this…"
Incoming pods hovered over a section of the room that appeared to be a lobby of some kind. As their lines lowered the pods down to the floor, the bottom of the pods opened up and dumped their organic cargo unceremoniously onto the floor. Some jolted awake when they hit, others were sprawled out. Rarity gulped as she approached. "Oh, dear… this is going to leave a mark…"
Her pod positioned itself over the floor and the bottom half slid away, dropping the yelping unicorn on top of one who was trying to gather his bearings. Both ponies collapsed to the ground with a grunt before Rarity realized her position and scrambled off. "Oh, goodness! My sincerest apologies!"
More unicorns dropped in by the second, with Starlight using her magic to carefully control her descent until she touched down. "What is this place?" she asked, looking around the gathering area. "And what's with that big door?"
"I don't know," answered a unicorn. "And I don't think I wanna know."
Several more unicorns were dumped into the room until it became crowded, making everypony uncomfortable. "Please calm down, everypony!" cried a new voice. "Panic will solve nothing, and we must maintain clear heads if we are to escape this place."
Starlight and Rarity turned to two unique individuals of the group who were surrounded by multiple unicorns: a white stallion and a pink alicorn whose eyes were flooded with uncertainty. "Prince Shining Armor! Princess Cadence!" called Rarity. "That ruffian abducted you, too?!"
"Sadly, yes," replied the princess before turning her gaze to Starlight. "Fortunately, I did not see our daughter anywhere in this mechanical monstrosity he calls a battleship, so it is safe to assume that she has eluded capture."
"So what happens now?" Starlight asked. None of the other ponies had an answer for her… or to be more specific, none of the ponies on that side of the chamber. A commotion of some kind was happening in the main chamber, which drew Rarity's attention. She trotted up to the door and placed her face against it. There was some kind of peephole in between…
To Rarity's sadness, there was a bunch of unicorns inside the chamber who seemed frightened and paranoid. They were whispering to each other, but she couldn't make out the words. The only words she could make out were from an automated voice that eclipsed all other sounds.
"Specimen batch ready for procedure. Initiating."
Six mechanical arms with antenna-like tips extended down from the chamber's ceiling and pointed themselves at the startled unicorns. From an observation window, an Egg Pawn approached a big lever while others watched from the sidelines. As the ponies huddled together in fear and Rarity watched intensely, the Egg Pawn pulled the lever back with a loud clicking noise.
"Primary sequence activated. Ignition in five…" The unicorns trembled and watched the arms with fear in their eyes.
"Four…" The tips of the arms started to sparkle with a bright light, illuminating the chamber with a white glow.
"Three…" Rarity's eyes went wide as the truth of the situation sank into her heart. She thought she heard Starlight ask her what was wrong, but she was too enamored to respond.
"Two…" A terrified filly clung to its equally-scared mother. The Egg Pawns above watched on emotionlessly.
"One…" The arm reached their peak charge, a loud hum accompanying their glow. The chamber was now so bright that the group in the assembly area could notice it. Rarity found herself unable to turn away from the horrific event… and when beams of energy struck the unicorns inside, her scream joined theirs.
Flashes of light and pained screams overwhelmed everypony's senses, as they all watched the chamber doors in horror. "Rarity!" cried Starlight. "W-what's happening in there?!" The white unicorn was still speechless, the light of the beam reflecting in her eyes.
As the unicorns struggled against the beams and continued to scream, their horns began to glow with magic… and float away from them. The magical energy floated upward through the beams and into the arms, then through some vein-like circuits that came alive with color. All the while, the writhing unicorns' eyes began to dim in color and they dropped to the floor, becoming weaker and weaker by the second.
Their screams died down and the beams lowered with intensity after the last bit of magic was retrieved… and just like that, they ceased. All Rarity could hear now was her own panicked breathing and a grim realization.
The realization that she was next for this horrific procedure.
She watched the floor slide away to reveal a conveyor belt underneath, which carried the exhausted unicorns out of the chamber. The moment they had vanished, the floor slid back into place… and the doors leading into the chamber slid open.
"Rarity!" Starlight called. "What was that?! What happened in there?!"
"No… no… sweet Celestia above, it can't be…"
"What?! What can't be?!" She sounded desperate now, but Rarity wasn't sure how bad she would take the news. "Talk to me, Rarity!"
"Starlight… their magic… it's gone…"
"Gone?"
"Starlight, we…" She threw her hooves around the other unicorn in a panic. "We're going to be DRAINED!"
"WHAT?!"
"Procedure complete," spoke the automated voice just as the other set of doors began to pull away. "Commence arrival of new specimen batch." The unicorns turned to the large doors… where the sound of marching could be heard. It drew closer by the second as the now-nervous unicorns drew back, causing dread to fill their hearts.
A battalion of Egg Pawns with spears and shields emblazoned with the face-like sigil of their creator marched out of the darkness, lowering their weapons in a single movement so that they pointed at the unicorns. They advanced towards the frightened herd and forced them to inch towards the door leading into the chamber, leaving them no alternative.
Shining Armor galloped to the front and fired off a blast of his magic, hoping to blow a hole in the robotic line. An Egg Pawn just raised its shield, which blocked the stream and left it unscathed. Shining stepped back in shock before blinking away his confusion. Setting his sights on another robot, he moved to try again…
…until one Egg Pawn fired something from its shield that lodged itself onto Shining's horn. "Gah!" he cried, stumbling back before composing himself. Glaring at the machines, he fired his magic again… but nothing came out.
"What?" The steel ring-like device around his horn held tight, suppressing the bright glow from reaching the tip of his horn. Shining repeatedly tried to use his magic on the robots, only for nothing, not even a spark, to emerge.
"Rrrgh! What… what is this thing?! It's… it's blocking my magic!"
Starlight ran up to the robots with a stern expression, her horn glowing with turquoise light. She drew back and prepared to fire… only for another steel ring to lock itself into place! When nothing came out of her horn, Starlight gasped in horror. One by one, the marching Egg Pawns launched several more devices out of their shields that lodged into the unicorn's horns, suppressing their magic and leaving them unable to fight back against the legion or teleport away.
Rarity cried out as her horn was restrained, the force making her topple to the ground. Under normal circumstances, she would complain about how dull and bland the ring-shaped object appeared, but these were not normal circumstances. She turned her dark blue eyes to the robots as a whimper escaped her throat.
Baring his teeth, Shining charged towards the robots with all his strength, only for one of them to bash him in the face with his shield and cause him to collapse. Before he could recover, the lance stabbed into the floor beside him. When Shining turned to look back at the Egg Pawn, the robot jabbed the lance at the chamber: a silent command to enter the chamber.
Starlight threw herself atop another robot, which caught her on its shield and threw her onto her back. It, too, pointed at the chamber. With no other option, Rarity slowly backed away from the ever-approaching battalion that constantly forced the unicorns back like a riot squad driving away protestors.
"Shining-!" whispered Cadence, only for a robot's lance to point directly at her snout and cover up her words. Fillies tried making a break for it through the robots, but lances that pierced the floor cut off their escape. Rarity and Starlight shared a sorrowful glance, the door to the chamber right at their tails. The robots began to stab and swipe with their lances now, intimidating the unicorns into entering. Yelps of panic and fear rang out while others tried to hold their ground until they were eventually forced to enter via shield shoves.
The Egg Pawns eased up and the doors to the chamber sealed shut, trapping the unicorns inside. The panic and terror in everypony's voices were undeniable, with some crying out for Celestia to save them. Shining Armor and Cadence turned to each other and embraced with tearful eyes while Rarity and Starlight looked each other in the eye.
Their only hope now… was for a miracle.
"Specimen batch ready for procedure."
