Episode Fifty-Five: Warping Ahead

The jungle rushes past in a blur of green as Sonic and Bunnie push their limits, with Mercury and Venus holding on tightly. The wind howls in their ears, the landscape almost a smear beneath their feet as they cover the vast distance in mere minutes.

*Venus: (laughing excitedly) "This is incredible! I could get used to traveling like this! It's like flying without wings! You guys do this all the time?!"

*Mercury: (clinging tightly to Sonic, her eyes shut tight) "I-I'm not sure how anyone could get used to this…!"

*Sonic: (smirking, holding Mercury protectively) "Hang in there, gorgeous. We'll be there in no time!"

*Bunnie: (grinning, looking over her shoulder at Venus) "Y'all better hold on tight, sugar. This here's only a taste of our speed! We gotta move fast if we wanna find Sally-girl!"

Within minutes, they reached their destination: the northernmost center of Soumerca, smack in the middle of the Wolf Pack Nation and País Misterioso. Sonic skids to a stop, and Bunnie follows suit, the sudden halt kicking up a cloud of dust around them. Ami looks slightly dizzy, while Minako's still buzzing from the thrill.

*Mercury: (gasping for air, holding her head) "I think... I might need a moment."

*Venus: (beaming) "I could get used to this kind of travel. No traffic, no delays… just pure speed!"

*Sonic: (rubbing Mercury's back softly) "Sorry. Next time, I'll ease you into it, Ami. Alrighty guys. We made it in record time."

*Bunnie: (looking around, scanning the horizon) "Now the real question is: Where'd Sally go?"

*Sonic: "If she's after Eggman's main bases, then Northamer's our best bet. It's home to some of the biggest and most important Egg Army bases he's got."

*Mercury: (calming herself, regaining her composure) "You think Sally would head straight there?"

*Bunnie: (nodding) "Makes sense. With her Warp Ring, she could already be there."

*Venus: (grinning) "Well, then what are we waiting for? Let's catch up to her before she tears Eggman's entire empire apart!"

Sonic cracks his knuckles and smirks, ready for the next sprint.

*Sonic: "Northward it is. Let's roll!"

With a plan in place, the four of them take off once again, speeding toward the northernmost continent, Northamer.

Meanwhile, in the Egg 'Stache Flyer, Eggman stands in his command room, his fingers tapping on the console as he processes the sudden destruction of his bases. Orbot and Cubot stand by, watching nervously as Eggman's frustration grows.

*Orbot: "Doctor, it's really a mystery how Sally managed to get from Soumerca to Northamer so quickly. Could she have...teleported?"

*Cubot: (chiming in) "Maybe she's got some newfangled gizmo! Ooh, or maybe magic powers!"

Eggman glares at the two of them, his mind working through the puzzle.

*Eggman: (muttering) "Teleportation? No, too much energy. Chaos Control? Absolutely not. She doesn't have a connection to the Chaos Force… But a Warp Ring…"

His eyes widen as the realization hits him.

*Eggman: "Of course… she has a Warp Ring. That's the only explanation. Which means she can be anywhere at any time."

He clenches his fists, realizing just how much more dangerous Sally has become with this new ability.

*Eggman: (grim) "This complicates things… significantly."

Eggman turns on his heel, storming toward the hangar bay, Orbot and Cubot scrambling to follow him.

*Orbot: "Sir? What are you going to do?"

*Eggman: "If Sally's on the warpath, then I need my greatest weapon to stop her. It's time to retrieve Metal Sonic."

Eggman reaches the hangar, where the hulking form of his Big Arms mech awaits. He strides up to it, grabbing the Pink and Red Chaos Emeralds from a secure container and slotting them into the mech's control panel.

*Eggman: "These two Emeralds should be enough…"

*Cubot: "Uh... are you sure this is a good idea, boss?"

*Eggman: (inserting both Emeralds into the mech's core) "It's not just a good idea, Cubot. It's the only idea. With these Emeralds, I'll have the power to rip through spacetime and retrieve Metal Sonic from limbo. He's the only one who can stop Sally now."

The Emeralds glow brightly, and the mech hums to life as Eggman climbs inside, his grin widening as the power of the Emeralds courses through the machine. He manipulates the controls, using the power of the Chaos Emeralds to tear open a rift in spacetime — a swirling vortex appearing before him.

*Eggman: (darkly) "Metal Sonic, your services are required."

With a final, determined look, Eggman steers the Big Arms mech into the vortex, vanishing into the great unknown.

Cut to the Sky Patrol, where the air is thick with anticipation. Silver stands at the helm, giving orders to the crew as the Egg 'Stache Flyer comes into view on the horizon.

*Silver: (firmly) "Prepare for a ship-to-ship battle! Everyone to their stations! We can't let Eggman get away."

Sailor Moon stands to the side, gripping her brooch tightly. She's still distracted, her thoughts lingering on Sonic and Ami. Jupiter notices and steps up beside her.

*Jupiter: (concerned) "You okay, Usagi-chan?"

*Moon: (quietly) "I'm fine… It's just… Sonic-kun and Ami-chan…"

Jupiter places a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

*Jupiter: "I know it hurts, but we've got a mission to focus on. You're Sailor Moon, remember? You've never backed down from a fight before."

Sailor Moon looks up at Jupiter, her resolve hardening as she nods.

*Moon: (determined) "You're right. We have to stop Eggman. If we can take down the Egg 'Stache Flyer, we can take his Chaos Emeralds and cripple his entire plan."

Jupiter nods approvingly as the crew scrambles to prepare the Sky Patrol's weapons. The two Sailors share a look, ready for the fight ahead.

Sally stands amidst the ruins of another Eggman base, her chest rising and falling with heavy, but controlled breaths. Her hands are steady, her focus sharp. She pulls up the EggNet on a nearby console, scanning the locations of the remaining bases.

*Sally: (muttering) "The Artika Egg Army... deep in the frozen wasteland. You're next."

She prepares to warp, but a sudden, sharp pain grips her chest. Sally winces, clutching her side as the pain shoots through her. She stumbles for a moment, her breath catching.

*Sally: (frowning) "What... is this...?"

She massages her chest, the pain subsiding after a few moments. Shaking her head, Sally takes a deep breath and forces herself to stand tall.

*Sally: (coldly) "No time for distractions. Eggman's empire won't destroy itself."

With a flick of her wrist, Sally activates the Warp Ring, her body disappearing in an instant as she warps toward her next target.