god the writer's block be hittin' harder than a falcon punch already

When Ruler and her entourage returned to their hideout at the end of the night, they weren't expecting to find a blue hedgehog lounged out on the roof with a half-eaten chilidog in his hand.

"Uh, Ruler...?" Tama muttered. "What is that?" She asked, pointing towards the hedgehog.

"It looks like some sorta hedgehog." Yunael said, flying up closer to him. She was going to leave him when one of his emerald green eyes opened slightly, then shut. The hedgehog tossed his chilidog into the air slightly, hopped up with a flip, caught his chilidog and slid down the roof shingles to ground level.

"Heh, looks like I've got some company! More Magical Girls, judging by the outfits? One of you's probably the one Top Speed was just talking about." The hedgehog surmised, finishing the last of his chilidog and dusting his gloved hands off.

"Top Speed? You mean you've met other Magical Girls before?" Ruler questioned.

"Yeah, like, three of ya, in person at least. Gotta say you lot have got to be some of the most unique people I've ever seen. Been in town one night and I've found someone able to shove a truck into me and someone capable of handling Mach 1."

"How are you so sure Top Speed is capable of moving faster than the speed of sound?"

"'Cause I was, too. I needed to get my nightly run in anyway." The hedgehog chuckled, putting his hands behind his head in a show of arrogance.

"Wait, you can move Mach 1?" Tama asked.

"With ease. I'm not called the fastest thing alive for nothin'"

"Hey, Minael." Yunael whispered to her sister. "You think this guy might be that blue streak we were asked to hunt down?"

"I dunno, I think he is."

"What are you two birds rambling on about!?" Ruler demanded.

"That notification we got. Fifty million Candies for the capture of a blue streak? We were thinking this guy might be it. Surely he leaves some sort of trail with how fast he can supposedly move."

Ruler hummed in consideration, before opening her icy blue eyes and turning back to the hedgehog, who was tapping his foot on the ground impatiently. "Well?"

"Just who are you, anyway?"

"Y'know, a little birdie just told me that I might regret telling you that." The hedgehog said, a smug grin forming on his face, completely unaware of Swim Swim, already having snuck up behind him. However, as the quiet girl launched a lightning-fast kick towards the hedgehog's head, yet he simply turned, his eye catching a hint of moonlight, and he batted the strike away effortlessly, spinning into a ball and striking Swim Swim with just as much force, sending them both a few feet into the air before he flipped out of his attack and drove his foot into Swim Swim's stomach, sending her flying into a nearby tree. "Alright, jig's up." The hedgehog stated. "Who sent ya?"

"The admins will pay quite handsomely for your capture." Ruler explained.

"Heh, well, tell 'em I said good luck. Later!"

And the hedgehog sped off in a streak of blue, confirming the Peaky Angels' suspicions.

"Why, that little-!"

"That little blue rodent!" Eggman roared, having seen Ruler's team attempt to capture Sonic to no avail. "Whatever. This is only a minor setback! The next phase of the plan can begin tomorrow!"

"Doctor?" The voice of his robotic assistant Orbot called.

"Yes, Orbot?"

"I was wondering if you would like a latte. Steamed Austrian goat milk."

"Of course I want one, I love the way you make them!" Eggman shouted, taking his latte.

"And how are your plans going?"

"Somehow, that blue rat found himself here right as I was about to begin the second phase of the plan. But no matter! We almost have enough energy to start phase two. Tomorrow night, Orbot, mark my words! Oh ho ho ho ho!"

"My my, Doctor. The last time I saw you this excited was when you finally took over the world with the Phantom Ruby." Orbot remarked.

"Yes..." Eggman muttered. "And this time, it's going to stay that way!"

"I don't doubt it."

Fav had called a meeting that every Magical Girl was required to attend, and it very quickly was known why.

"I've decided to cut back on the Magical Girls in this region, pon! We're going to halve the number to eight!"

"Explain yourself, Fav!" Ruler demanded, still kind of ticked at her encounter with Sonic earlier that night.

"Currently, there are a total of fifteen Magical Girls in Nabuka City, pon."

"But, wait, aren't we getting a new one next week?" Minael asked.

"Yeah, what's the point of cutting back on everything now?" Yunael said.

"Because sixteen of you is just too many, pon!"

"Cutting half of us is too many..." Yunael muttered.

"For real!" Minael agreed.

"So this is a bad thing, right...?" Tama questioned.

"The mana of a Magical Girl is dependent upon the land, pon!" Fav explained. "Think of it as kind of a limited resource, pon. I've realized that even though Nabuka City is a large area, its mana is still going to dry up rather quickly with sixteen Magical Girls draining it all the time, pon."

"Seriously!?" Top Speed stated. "But aren't you the one who's been going around creating new Magical Girls?"

"Looks like I miscalculated, pon!"

"A miscalculation...?" Sister Nana said in confusion. "But that's not..."

"It's not fair that we have to pay for your mistake!" La Pucelle shouted.

"I really am sorry, pon."

"Yet despite all that, you're still going to add a new Magical Girl?" Winterprison questioned.

"She already former her contract, so I can't take it back now, pon."

"So..." A western-sounding voice said from the side of the Chatroom. Calamity Mary was the owner of this voice, easily the most volatile of the Magical Girls. If she wanted answers from Fav, she'd get them, one way or another. "Spit it out, hun. How ya choosin' who stays?"

"Yes..." Ruler chuckled. "There's a good question."