Sonic and Rainbow Dash hurtled through space towards the planet seeking desperately to halt this deadly gambit the Doctor had played. It wasn't long before they had caught up with Metal Sonic, who had a fist buried deep into one of the warheads, yanking out wires and components before leaping away and watching the large rocket erupt in a small explosion into scrap.
"We must hurry," the robot announced catching sight of the two of them. "If we can get to the missiles before they reach the upper atmosphere, they won't have reached their terminal Area of Effect. The nuclear payload will be disengaged before it reaches that distance. I calculate we have less than three minutes to stop them before they reach that point. Move with speed and sense of purpose." After Metal had given them this instruction, he blasted off to the next rocket.
"You heard the bot Sonic, you need to move with speed, so you better keep up!" Rainbow Dash taunted as she took off, leaving Sonic in a Rainboom she created in her wake.
"Speed?!" Sonic asked incredulously to no one in particular before rearing back to charge. "Don't you guys know? I am Speed!" he called out as shot forward, leaving a golden ring similar to the Rainboom behind him.
Sonic blazed past Rainbow Dash, nearly clipping her and sending her tumbling through space head over heels in a dizzying spiral. She recovered the flip and glared competitively at Sonic.
"Oh no you don't! You're not beating me this time!" she yelled out as she resumed the task, pushing herself to move faster than before.
The two quickly closed the gap between themselves and the nukes. Sonic went to work smashing the missiles before they reached their detonation range by plowing into them, crushing them into smithereens, then moving on to the next and repeating the process. Dash followed suit, spurred by such a dangerous threat approaching her planet. She flew from rocket to rocket, smashing through them as quickly as she could. Metal moved at Sonic's pace, systematically clearing the sky of the nuclear threat and moving to intercept any that the others missed in their haste. They sky was almost clear, there were just a few more, and the three quickly dwindled them down. Then there were two left in the sky, their cones began to glow a bright red as they entered the atmosphere. Metal reached them first. He landed with a loud clang on one of their steel shells and reached his fist back to smash it but held off. Sonic and Rainbow Dash joined him and stood on the hull as well, full of fear as to why he hadn't disabled it.
"Metal!" Sonic yelled out over the rocket engine. "Are these tw-"
"Yes. These two have reached their terminal radius. They have become active and have become armed to detonate. Both will explode and cover their blast radius with fallout," he responded. "I can deactivate this one; you need to alter the course of the other. Send it over the ocean where it will do the least damage. You have fifty-two seconds."
Sonic nodded his agreement and flew to the other rocket as Metal shot cords from his arms that attached to the one he was on and began to hack it. Sonic's eyes flew across the hull for anywhere to grab on to, but he soon realized there were none. He heard Rainbow Dash land next to him with eyes full of expectation of being told what to do. He looked beyond her and saw through the red haze of the rocket entry the form of a continent take shape. Sonic recognized it from his trips around the world earlier as the city of Wyndia below them. He knew they had little time, and he signaled to Dash to meet him on the side, and once there, the two began to push as hard as they could. The hot metal burned them and made it difficult to see, but luckily all they had to do was push. Degree by degree they felt the rocket alter course. They screamed with effort as they poured everything they had into the task and thankfully, just a few miles above the city the great missile veered and headed towards the ocean. Sonic and Rainbow Dash watched it go till it was but a point on the horizon. Just when it was beyond view, a terrific light filled the sky that caused the two to shield their eyes. As the light faded, a gigantic mushroom shaped fireball filled the sky as it raised high into the stratosphere. Moments later, a thundering boom echoed from the explosions that caused the two cover their ears and be thankful they were nowhere near the blast. Sonic looked up and saw metal release from the other missile and saw it collid, inert, against the ground just outside the city before joining them. He breathed a sigh of relief, and then looked approvingly at Metal.
"Up top!" Sonic called out cheerfully, raising his right hand above his head for a high-five.
Metal stared at him with a complete lack of emotion.
"Oh c'mon man, don't leaving me hanging," Sonic goaded.
Silence.
"Oh man," Rainbow Dash said, wrapping her hooves around her body and forcing herself to shiver."Anybody else feel that icy chill that blew by here? I think it's coming from that cold shoulder you just got," she mocked while attempting to stifle a giggle, drawing an annoyed look from Sonic. She quickly raised her ams up in surrender before offering him a hoof bump as a peace offering which he smiled at and fist pounded.
Then the three of them took off back to space to see if they could find the whereabouts of the Doctor and Shadow. Once there, Rainbow Dash took in the amount of twisted metal and debris floating about.
"Whoa…sure is a lot junk up here," she said, disgusted at all the trash.
"Debris of this size will eventually fall into your planet's gravity and burn to dust in the process," Metal reassured her. A beeping sound came from his PA system. "I've located the energy signals consistent with the Ascended Shadow."
"Then let's get going," Sonic announced as they fell in line behind Metal Sonic who led them to an unexpected sight. Shadow was floating through space, clutching a drifting piece of steel hull from the Egg Carrier. If they didn't know any better he looked genuinely hurt. Sonic felt his hopes rise. Had they drained him? The explosion from the Egg Carrier may have done him in. Cautiously he hovered closely to Shadow's body, Dash and Metal where close behind. He was inches away and Shadow didn't stir. He reached out and touched his arm. "Shadow…You alright?"
"Sonic…" Shadow called out weak and tired. "That you?"
"Yeah buddy," Sonic answered as his heart leapt with joy. "It's me!"
"Sonic…did I…did I ever…" He managed weakly with a cough.
"Easy Shadow, you've had a rough day."
"Did I ever…ever tell you," Shadow's arm snapped out and grabbed Sonic tightly by the throat as the hedgehog looked up at him, his eyes glowed brightly. "Just how stupid you are?!" He laughed as he blasted him in the face, sending him flying backwards before turning his attention to Metal and Dash and blasting them at point blank range. Before they could recover they were struck again and again as Shadow sent salvos of eye blasts at them.
"SONIC!" Shadow roared as he continued to rain down death at them. "You know what I'm gonna do after I kill you!? I'm gonna go to the flickie zone, I'm gonna find Knuckles and that two tailed freak, and then I'm gonna kill'em! Then I'm gonna kill Amy, but I promise you, I'll take my time with her!"
Something clicked in Sonic's head. He stopped dodging and balled his fists tightly together. His teeth ground together as his body hunched over itself. Tears of rage streamed from his eyes as he yelled a pathetic scream of anguish sorrow and hatred. Dash heard him and moved close to see what she could do.
"Sonic I-"
"Get me close to him!"
"What?!"
"I SAID GET ME CLOSE DAMN YOU!" he roared at her as he rolled into a super spin dash.
Dash was shocked, Sonic had never yelled at her like that before, and he had certainly never swore at her. She quickly spun around took aim and bucked him violently at Shadow.
Shadow blasted Sonic, but his beams bounced harmlessly off of the spin dash, and in an instant he was upon him. Sonic rolled out the dash; fist cocked back and struck him with a right cross hard against his cheek. Metal saw his opening and struck Shadow with a punch to his face as Shadow was still careening from Sonic's blow. The force of this sent him falling into another punch from Sonic. Rainbow Dash saw what was happening and joined , the three forming a triangle around Shadow. Each one struck Shadow just as the other finished, sending him falling into their waiting attacks. Sonic struck with a right hook, which sent him into left cross from Dash that sent him tumbling into a haymaker from Metal. A fist to the temple, another to the left jaw, to the right jaw, square to the nose, an upper cut, a spin kick to the ear. Shadow went limp and felt his body hunch over, only to feel the cold steel of Metal's finger tips gently lift his chin to have him stare into the emotionless eyes of Super Metal Sonic, whose right fist was cocked.
"Terminating," he said coldly as he drove his fist hard in the side of his face, sending him into Rainbow Dash, who back hooved him into the path of a left hook from Sonic, and another elbow to the face from Metal. After several more hits, Shadow's body slumped over and he desperately tried to float away from their onslaught, only to feel hooves grab tightly to him.
"Aww what's the matter…Not feelin' good?" she cooed mockingly as she lifted him upright and then struck him with an uppercut, which sent him into a kick to the spine from Metal after which Sonic grabbed the sides of his head and drove his knee into his face, sending him spinning away into a hard buck kick from Rainbow Dash to the stomach. Shadow felt another three numbing punches go by, believing the only reason he was upright was simply because he didn't have time to fall. Then, with a sickening crack given off from a strong blow from Metal, Shadow whirled around in a 360 as blood flung from his mouth, splattering across Sonic and Rainbow Dash. "Gross, I got some on me," Rainbow Dash complained, looking at the blood staining her pure white coat.
Sonic looked down and saw Shadow wheezing and coughing up blood at his feet and reached down and yanked him up by his quills. He raised him to eye level and stared at the blood covered super hog. Shadow looked back at him with an evil grin, almost taunting him. Sonic's lips drew back into a scowl as he seethed at the monster before him that took his friend.
"Don't know why you're happy, I'm not done yet," Sonic commented before reaching back and punching him several more times over and over as he held him. Then, letting go with his left hand, he pummeled him with both fists until he had trouble landing good hits since his knuckles became so wet with blood he could not prevent himself from slipping off target. Finally, he grabbed him by the shoulders and head-butted him roughly against the nose, emitting another crack and sending gouts of blood floating outward in the zero gravity of space.
"Now…now I'm done." Sonic said, exhausted with effort. "Well, what do you say Shadow?…You done being crazy?"
No answer.
"Got nothing to say Shadow?!" he yelled out.
"Os...Ast" he mumbled.
"Huh? What was that! SPEAK UP!" Sonic shouted angrily.
"CHAOS BLAST!" he screamed as energy shot out from him, burning and flinging the three of them back and away before Shadow collapsed again and floated about.
Sonic shook off the attack, taking a quick view of his surroundings and spotting Shadow slumped over. Rainbow Dash recovered and made her way to Sonic as did Metal. Sonic couldn't bear to look at Dash, he knew she would be looking to him for ideas and truth be told he had none. Then he felt Metal's hand on his shoulder and looked up at him as he began to speak.
"You know what we must do," the machine began, even though Sonic knew what he was going to say it still hurt to hear it. "We need to put an end to this."
Sonic looked down at his hands, covered in Shadow's blood and no matter how much he wished it weren't so, he knew what it was that he had to do. Metal's plan had fell through when Shadow destroyed the Egg Carrier. He had tried simply beating the evil out of him, but that had failed too. The Shadow he knew as gone, the friend that had saved him from death and brought him to this new world was dead. All that was before him now was monster…the yellow devil. Sonic would have wept, but he had no more tears left to shed.
"How," he said softly. "How do we stop him Metal?"
"You remember our fight?"
"Yeah?"
"Then you know how."
Sonic nodded and turned to Rainbow Dash. "Get a running start, and hit him hard…everything you have."
Without a word, she took off to get the distance needed as Sonic and Metal flew to Shadow and grabbed a hold of each arm, pulling taught.
"What is this?" Shadow coughed as he stirred, struggling to say conscience. "Another plan, Sonic?"
"No Shadow," Sonic said, flatly refusing to look at him. "It's a solution."
A brilliant rainbow shockwave filled the sky a rainbow trail issuing forth from it signaling the coming event. Sonic looked past Shadow's head at Metal and nodded, signaling to him to position Shadow forward to receive the brunt of the strike.
"Gotta say…didn't think you had it in you Sonic…but you know what?"
Rainbow Dash neared them; Sonic could now see the mare as she closed in.
"You could have never have done this on your own! I just want you to know that! You'd never be able to beat me one on one. You always were weak, always will be weak and will never be anything more than loser. A sad excuse of a-"
"Hey Shadow?" Sonic interrupted as Rainbow Dash's attack was imminent. "Do me a favor will ya?"
Metal chimed in. "Taste the Rainbow mother fu-"
When Sonic came to, the ringing in his head had not yet stopped. He rose upwards and moved to massage his flesh beneath his quills from the pain. He looked down and saw that he was his fur was still gold, which was good seeing as he was still drifting in space. However, he was beginning to feel tired, the telltale signs that even his super form had had enough. He spied a hint of blue metal bouncing off the rays of the distant sun. He rubbed his eyes and squinted and saw that it was Metal; he flew over to him and saw that his LED lights had gone dim. Sonic looked him over and banged him roughly on the head.
"Metal? Those gears still spinning?" he asked. Metal Sonic's eyes blinked back on and he craned his head to Sonic. Sonic smiled seeing he was still with him. "You doin' all right?"
"I am not doing all right. However I function regardless."
"That's my boy," Sonic responded with a grin. "You see the girl?"
Metal's systems whined and if Sonic didn't know any better, the sound of his backup power sources kicking in sounded like an annoyed groan as he righted himself. "Scanning…Target acquired." he said, as he raised his hand and pointed. Sonic followed his direction and felt a lump in his throat. Her hair was now in strands instead of a burning rainbow flame, her coat was still white but Sonic had a bad feeling.
Sonic quickly flew to her side to check on her as Metal puttered behind him, small jets of sparks shooting off of various joints along his casing. Dash was awake, but looked despondent. Sonic shook her shoulder. She turned to look at him and gave him a wry smile, then Sonic felt his heart seize in his chest as he saw her eye color return to Magenta. However, Metal yanked him back to reality.
"Get her planet side. I will follow," was all he said, but it was all Sonic needed as he scooped up the pegasus and began to move as fast as he could, bringing her back down. Time dilated and slowed down to a crawl as soon as he began moving and as he traversed the space to the planet, he was able to see her white coat slow turn back to cyan from her hoof tips and slowly move upwards. Sonic's heart raced and fear and doubt consumed him as he hadn't even passed the moon. He looked down and saw that the color had faded to blue all the way to her waist and was moving up to her chest. He pushed his fears down, there wasn't time for them. He cleared his mind of all but thoughts to spur him on.
'Speed…I am Speed…I'm faster than fast…I excel at accelerating…'
He had been fast enough to save Angel Island, he had been fast enough to stop Perfect Chaos, and he had been fast enough to stop Shadow at the Ark. There was no way he was going to lose her. He was the fastest thing alive, and he was fast enough to save his friend. He had to be.
"SPEED!" Sonic roared to all in the heavens that had the ears to listen. "I AM SPEED!"
Sonic's hearted pounded as he poured everything he had into getting her back home in time. The only thing he could hear was blood pulsing in his veins. He approached the moon, which had now moved in his way and he veered to avoid it, flying close to its surface, the sheer ferocity of his pace ripping a great gouge into its rocky ground by only virtue of his proximity. The thin trail he forged across the surface was left hissing and radiant from the friction being so great it melted the hardened rock and turned its surface to glass.
He soon overtook the moon and now the planet took up his whole range of vision has he charged forward carrying his precious cargo. The haze and heat of re-entry began grow as they approached the atmosphere. He looked down and saw the color fade from her face and her eyes shoot wide open as she began to gasp for air in terror. Sonic looked her in the eyes and his confidence put her mind at ease as she ceased writhing and held on to him tightly. Sonic flipped around and put his backside between her and the burning heat as he pushed onwards. He twisted his head and made out the outline of a country below. He remembered Rainbow Dash drawing of Equestria, where did she say she was from…Cloudsvale? Cloudskale?…It didn't matter now as he flew them to the heart of the country. He felt her bury her head in his chest, as her chest began to rise and fall rapidly. He breathed a sigh of relief that she could take in oxygen. He turned his attention back to the ground as he saw it rushing closer. He spied a city suspended in the sky on top of clouds, and figured that was the place. He turned and shifted her around and slowed his face so he know held her long ways across his body and went to touch down on the floating city. Unfortunately, he passed right through the ground and continued his path downwards. Sonic was puzzled at that, but figured he worry about it later as he spied an extremely tiny city below him. He veered and touched down in the streets of the small town. There were ponies of all different colors surrounding him suspiciously. A few of them noticed Rainbow Dash in his arms and made worried looks to one another. Sonic paid them no mind as he set her down on her hooves. Her legs were shaky but she was able to stand. She looked in to his eyes as he exhaled deeply and his golden quills quickly turned back to blue.
"So," she said, tired and out of breath. "Did we win?"
"'Course we won," he said putting on a smile when all he really wanted to do was break down and cry. "C'mon Dash, have you seen how cool we are? We are way past being too cool to lose. Like, twenty percent cooler."
The Pegasus saw through the fake smile and into the hurting friend behind hit and rose on her hind legs and hugged him. "It's over Sonic, it's all over. We won okay?"
"Yeah," He muttered hugging her back. "Doesn't feel like it."
"I'm so sorry we couldn't save him…I know it hurts," she sympathized.
A loud bright flash drew their attention away from each other and sinister sound of Shadow's voice chilled them to the bone.
"If you think that hurts," Shadow said, battered and blood-soaked and could barely stand, but his super form was intact and his cruel grin was still on his face as his eyes burned brightly. "Then this is gonna down right kill ya!"
Rainbow Dash gripped Sonic tightly and flipped him around as Shadow fired and let out a scream. The blast struck her in the back and sent them both flying through the air and through the wall of a nearby store. The small town filled with screams as the inhabitants quickly ran for cover or to hide in their homes.
Sonic recovered to look in the eyes of a wound Rainbow Dash, his eyes wide with shock as lifted her off of him and gently set her down. She whined and moaned in pain as he gingerly set her down. He took her hoof in his hand as she breathed quickly before closing her eyes. His hand quickly moved to her neck and found that she still had a pulse. He sighed a breath of relief. But then he felt hate swell in his chest at the sound of Shadow's footsteps behind him.
"I told you that you didn't have it in you to kill me," he said in his condescending voice that burned straight to Sonic's core.
Sonic balled his fist, shifted his weight and swiftly began to rise. He turned and as he stepped, he dug his fist deep before coming up as hard and fast as he could. All the while he let out a furious scream, swiftly transforming back into Super Sonic, bathing his surrounding in the bright golden glow of his anger. His fist struck home and knocked Shadow off of his feet and onto his back. Sonic quickly advanced and jerked him off the ground, spun him around and put him on his knees. He gripped his chin and the topside of his head. Shadow's arms quickly found their way to Sonic's lower forearm as he felt Sonic begin to twist. Sonic struggled to accomplish the deed, even though he was so close to death, desperation fed Shadow's strength.
"No…You can't!" Shadow cried out in fear. "I'm the….I AM THE ULTIMATE LIFE FORM!"
Sonic steeled his mind and with a final jerk, felt and heard the crunch of Shadow's neck snapping, and released his head, which was now twisted in an unnatural position. Shadow slumped forward and his white golden fur faded to black as his lifeless body crumbled onto the ground.
Sonic looked down. Normally, Sonic would have replied with something clever, something witty, but not today, today he stood silent. A wind blew through the air as Sonic dropped to one knee as he craned his head skyward and closed his eyes. His super form faded and the Chaos Emeralds dropped to the ground around him, faded and dull from being expended. He exhaled deeply before rising up to his feet. He moved to check on Dash but another voice came from the shadows that stopped him dead in his tracks.
"Bravo, Sonic," Robotnick announced as heavy metal footfalls neared them. "I must say I really have to thank you for killing Shadow for me." Sonic turned to face him; he was still encased in the Egg Beater and slowly walking towards him. "I find this whole evening to be rather fortuitous, wouldn't you? I went from having to fight four super powered beings, to one half-dead hedgehog. I'm going to kill you, take those Chaos Emeralds. and. thanks to you, get to work on terraforming and Robotacising this new planet. Then I think I'll pay a visit to the Flickie Zone."
"What!?" Sonic said shocked that he would mention it. "Why, why would you do that?!"
Robotnik typed into his wrist pad and displayed a hologram video of Sonic's battle with Shadow. Sonic winced as he heard Shadow give away his friends' position. "You know what I'm gonna do after I kill you? I'm gonna go to the flickie zone and kill Knuckles and that two tailed freak! Then I'm gonna kill Amy, but I promise you, I'll take my time with her!" the Hologram said before Robotnik turned it off.
"You see Sonic, no matter how hard you try, I always win, and you'll always lose." Robotnik bragged.
Sonic dropped his head in defeat saw the dull Emeralds at his feet. He knew he couldn't defeat the Egg Beater, not like this anyway. He scooped up one of them and stared at it. All of this, the war on Mobius, the reason Robotnik killed all his friends, chased him across the stars, all of it was because of these cursed rocks. Their power had corrupted Shadow and now was about to doom another world. Sonic's eyes hardened as he gazed into it. He hated them.
"I'll be taking those Sonic…they belong to me now."
"You want them," Sonic hissed. "Come and take them!"
"My pleasure, rodent!" he responded and began to charge Sonic.
Sonic braced for impact but it never came. Instead, salvation came from Metal. The robot landed hard on the back of the Egg Beater suit and began to wrestle him.
"Hack commencing," Metal boomed over his PA. Sonic swore there was malice and hate in his dead pan voice. As Robotnik flailed about wildly, chunks of his armor flew off, first his shield detached, then his torso and back armor blew away from his body in a wash of sparks, exposing his human body. His helmet fired off, striking Metal in the head, causing him to lose footing. This was more than enough for the Egg Beater's arms to reach and grab him.
"Metal! You worthless pile of scrap! I'll tear you apart! BOLT! BY TRAITOROUS! BOLT!" Robotnik roared as he grabbed tightly to his body and leg and ripped his leg from its socket, sending sparks, oil, and other vital fluids through the air before tossing both his leg and body aside. Then, turning back to Sonic who was in shock of what he just saw. "Now…Rodent…Give me that Emerald."
Sonic gulped and looked at it, then looked at Robotnik. He saw his exposed body, and knew what Metal had done. He had given him one last gift. Sonic tossed the gem up and down in his hand as he began to walk through the streets, Robotnik followed him. He needed a little bit of running room and figured if this small town had a decent road of some sort it would...
'Mane street?' he chuckled inwardly at these ponies naming everything after horses, but he figured it would make sense if they all were horses. But something stuck in his head about the name. 'Mane Street…Mane Street…' The name wouldn't stop bothering him.
"Sonic, I don't have time for your games, so would you be as so kind to hand me that Emerald so I can KILL YOU?!" Robotnik shouted impatiently.
'Mane Street…Mane Street…MAIN STREET!' It clicked, this was the road! The road that Dash told him about…He looked at Robotnik with hate and death in his eyes. This was happening…and it was going to happen now.
"You want this so bad Ivo? Here, catch!" Sonic said, tossing it high into the air towards the Doctor. As soon as the Doctor's eyes locked on the gem Sonic tore off down the road in his super eight peel out, tearing up the ground and busting windows in buildings that he passed.
The gem floated high into the air and the Doctor's arms rose to catch it.
The world blurred past him at high speeds, as he crossed rivers and mountains ranges. An instant later he was once again in the burning city of Balitmare and U-turned hard, his feet slipping and squealing against the pavement. His ears pounded and all he could hear was his heart beating, all he could see was blood. The only thing in his mind were distant voices.
Robotnik's mouth drew back into his toothy smile as the gem reached its apex of travel to him.
Sonic erupted forward, thundering through the city streets and into the woods as memories played in his head of when Shadow first brought him to this planet.
'This is my gift to you, forget about Mobius. Forget about Robotnik, about everything…'
He passed mountains as Shadow's words haunted him again…
'The guy who let Robotnik slip through his fingers more times than I can count? The guy who let all his friends down and let a raving lunatic burn down his home and take over the planet? You're not in any position give out second chances here.'
He passed rivers and finally saw the sleepy little town that he had brought so much havoc too. The last thought he had was the conversation between Rainbow Dash and himself…
'You want another shot at the guy huh?'
'If Metal's here, than the Doctor can't be far behind.'
'What are you gonna do if you run into him?'
'I'll figure it out when it happens.'
The Chaos Emerald landed softly in the Doctor's hands.
Sonic saw him, screamed at the top of his lungs as he zeroed in… and then his world went black.
Sonic's eyes slowly opened, the light hurt his eyes but eventually his vision cleared as he saw that he was lying in bed in what appeared to be a hospital. He wasn't sure how long he had was asleep, but all he could think about was Robotnik, he began to get up, but felt something weighing him down, and looked and saw a sleeping Rainbow Dash sitting next to his bed with her head, chest, and fore hooves resting on his bed side on top of the cover that held him. A book titled "Daring Do" rested on the nightstand beside them.
"Easy hero," a soft voice came from his side. Hhe turned to see Spitfire standing at the doorway. . "She just fell asleep, no need to wake her. You guys got banged up pretty bad, and you're both gonna be stuck here at Ponyville Hospital the next couple of days," she commented as she closed the door behind her. She walked up to him and reached into her saddle bag and tossed a piece of fabric atop his covers. Sonic took it and examined it, seeing that it was the eye patch from Robotnik's eye before gripping it tightly. It was over, it really was over.
"You looked pretty good out there hero," Spitfire said looking over the charts next to his bed, still minding her tone before trotting back beside him.
"Thanks Cap," he said just above a whisper. "Gotta be honest though, I always look good."
Spitfire rolled her eyes before looking back and noticing Sonic was staring at her. "What?"
"Nothin," he said coyly.
She cocked an disbelieving eyebrow. "Yeah, okay."
"Seriously, it's just uhh, I thought you were really brave getting ready to fight Shadow back there."
"Uhh huh," Spitfire said questiongly before turning and beginning to head out the room. "I'll be leaving now."
"What, that's it?"
"You were expecting something else?"
"Well yeah sorta…"
Spitfire craned her head around and looked at him. "Like what?"
"Oh I don't know, just got done saving the world from total annihilation, no bigs of course, stopped the big bad guy, all in all generally saved the day…so you know."
"What? You wanna kiss or something?"
"Just sayin'…" he mused as he brought his arms behind his head as a cocky grin appeared.
Spitfire sighed, walked back the bed and leaned over, caressing the side of his face gently with her hoof as she looked at him with her soft, seductive eyes. She brought herself close enough that Sonic could feel her breath before she spoke in an almost inaudible tone that sent shivers up his spine."If you wanted a kiss, Hero…" Spitfire quickly jerked back and shot a angry look at him while pointing to Rainbow Dash with the hoof she caressed him with. "Ask her when she wakes up!"
"I can't ask her, she totally into this Soarin' dude!" Sonic said, chuckling at Spitfire's stunt.
"Yeah, well, so am I, and she's got NO chance with him!"
"That's not what she said," Sonic whispered back in sing-song voice. "She said the whole thing was complicated."
Spitfire scowled and then pressed down roughly on Sonic's shoulder with the tip of her hoof at a wound he had received causing him to clench his eyes and wince in pain.
"That's for bringing up the extremely convoluted love lives of Soarin', the twerp, and myself," she glared.
"Sorrysorrysorrysor-Hmmph!" Sonic began but could not finish as Spitfire let go of his shoulder and grabbed his head and pulled him into a deep kiss. Sonic's eyes shot open, he hadn't really expected her to kiss him, but then he allowed his eyes to slowly close as he kissed her back for an amount of time that both of them had lost track of before the two parted.
Spitfire was now the one with the cocky grin as Sonic was stunned and didn't know what to say.
"That's for saving the world," she whispered as she left the bedside and headed to the door. "And for the record…I'm VERY complicated," she commented as she closed the door behind her.
The sound of the door closing startled Dash, and her eyes sleepily crept open. She gazed into Sonic's who reached down and grabbed her hoof tightly. She smiled back at him and dozed off back to sleep as Sonic turned to face the open window next to him. The sun's rays flooded the room as it rose over the sleepy town of Ponyville as all of Equestria welcomed a new dawn.