Chaos and Elements

Sun to Moon, Moon to Sun

"So, Twilight. Fancy neighborhood??" Sonic asked as they walked through the streets of Canterlot.

"Gee, Sonic. You had to have been born in Equestria to figure that one out." She replied, voice dripping with sarcasm. Sonic chuckled. "You have any cities like this one in your world?"

'Well, technically, this is in my world, just in a computer... Sonic thought. "A few. Mostly gambling cities, but there's one or two that aren't run on mafia money."

"What are they like, darling? You simply must tell me." Rarity intervened.

"Well, the ones I mentioned running on mafia money like Casino Night and Radical City are bright and flashy on the surface, but they're a bit" 'Crappy.' "run-down on the inside. But the two that don't are futuristic wannabe-utopias. Grand Metropolis and Metal City are two of the best places to live on Mobius. Megalo City's not too bad, either, but it's more small-time compared to the rest."

"So, what did you mean by 'mafia money?'"

"Exactly what it sounds like."

"But what's a 'mafia?'"

"Oh. Well, it's kinda hard to explain, but basically they're gangs that are well known for some...... questionable legality. Ever since Shadow joined G.U.N. he's been trying to take them down, but Eggman really makes it difficult. Plus his "Team Dark" unit is the one G.U.N. calls in when they want something done..."

"What do you mean by unit? Is that like an army regiment? You said G.U.N. was your army, right?"

"Wow, Twi, I didn't know you knew all the army terms and stuff." Rainbow interjected.

"My brother is- well, he used to be the Captain of the Royal Guard! Even now, he's basically the same thing, just in the Crystal Empire!"

"Oh.... Heh heh, right."

"As I was saying," Sonic continued, "Sort of. If it was a regular unit, it would be, but Shadow's teamwork skills are.... lacking, to put it lightly. The Team Dark unit is him, Rouge, a close friend of his, and E-123 Omega, a renegade robot of Eggman's. Saying 'They get stuff done' is like saying I can run kind of fast. They're G.U.N's elite for a reason."

"Do ya live in any o' those cities ya mentioned?" Applejack asked, changing the subject.

"Ha!! Hardly. I live in a one-bedroom apartment in Mobius's largest city. Because villains like attacking places with lots of people to chase." Sonic had lost count of the countless number of times Eggman had attacked Station Square. Shadow had once told him that a quarter of G.U.N's budget went to repairing the city.

"Do they really? Because the villains we've fought always went for Ponyville, and it's hardly big." Twilight commented.

"Well, you don't have a megalomaniac with a god complex for a villain."

"True... But we did have an evil alicorn,  the spirit of chaos, the Changeling queen, and an ancient emperor, and two out of four on Ponyville is a pretty good track record."

'I remember the chaos guy. Cream loved that episode.' Sonic thought. "Well, I've fought two ancient gods, a failed experiment, an insane robot, on top of all my fights with Eggman."

"You win." Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack said in unison.

"So, spirit of chaos? Sounds like my kind of guy." Twilight looked at him like he was insane. So did the other four ponies around him. Pinkie was off doing god-knows-what. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

"Why would you say that? You and Discord are nothing alike." Twilight said.

"And would know about Discord because....." 'Passing the TV when it's on is not exactly educational.'

"Oh, right...... Discord's cruel, manipulative, and downright mean. You and he have less in common than Dash and Rarity."

"Ah. I kinda assumed that, you know, chaos."

"Well, chaos is kind of evil in Equestria..." Rarity said.

"And Discord embodies it. He's kind of a plot-hole."  While the others gasped at Dash, Sonic simply looked confused.

"What?"

"Oh, right. 'Plot' is a rather.... obscene word that refers to a pony's.... err.... flanks. Saying 'plot-hole....'"

"I get it...." Sonic said. 'Wow. I never would've seen that one coming. They actually have a replacement word for ass!

"Anyway, chaos is not very well looked upon in Equestria. Apparently, on Mobius it's different, but-"

"Well, it's not like we love it or anything. It's not our fault the planet generates it. But apparently chaos is more malicious here."

"Exactly. We're used to controlling everything because of the way Equestria works. When you get in the way of that...."

"Right."

"We'd better get going. Don't want to keep the princess waiting." Twilight said.

______________________________________________________________________

Upon arriving at the castle, they were escorted to the "War Room," a meeting room that most likely hadn't been used for that purpose in centuries. Only Twilight, Sonic, and Applejack had elected to meet with the Princess; the others either had prior engagements, or were just out who-knew-where. As they entered the room, Applejack and Twilight dropped to a quick kneel, while Sonic simply bowed. There was another pony there, as well. She was about half Celestia's height, in between Celestia and the rest of the ponies.

"Ah, welcome. Sonic, this is my sister, Luna." Celestia said.

"You were right, sister. He does look strange." Luna said with a snicker.

"Coming from the pony with stars for hair?" Sonic shot back, smirking.

"Good point.I shouldn't judge." She replied, smiling.

"Don't play games like that with me. I've perfected my pre-battle banter." Sonic said with a chuckle, sitting down.

"Are you suggesting we should battle?" Luna asked, incredulous.

"Not unless you want a prank war. I'm just used to shooting comments back as soon as I get them."

"Ah." Luna said. "A prank war would certainly be fun..." She stopped when her sister gave her a glare.

"Now is not the time, Luna." Celestia said simply. "We have more important matters to attend to."

"So, Twilight has a theory on who 'Tempest' is." Sonic said, gesturing in the purple unicorn's direction.

"Princess Luna, have you..." She stopped. She was apparently nervous. 'Well, she is suggesting that a god had something to do with the attack, even indirectly.... Sonic mused. "First things first, have you reinstated the Shadowbolt program yet?"

"Yes, I started just last year, shortly after Nightmare Night. Why do you ask?"

"Well..."

"Wait a second, Twi." Sonic said. The four ponies looked at him. "Something doesn't add up."

"What is it?" Twilight said.

"You said that the Shadowbolt program basically, for lack of a better term, cradle robs these pegasi."

"While that is certainly not my intention, that is essentially what happens." Luna clarified.

"Okay, that's all good, but that's where the inconsistencies start. You've been back from your.... Let's just say 'temporary lapse of sanity' to avoid pointing fingers for ... almost three years?"

"Yes." Luna was obviously bothered by the memories.

"So even if you took those ponies the very night you came back, and it was the oldest pony you took, which would be..."

"I've never taken a pony over ten years old...."

"Tempest was never a Shadowbolt. There's no way, she looked to be older than you, Twilight."

"Why do you assume she was a Shadowbolt?" Celestia asked.

"Twilight said that she was because she had these 'wingblade' things, that she said only the Shadowbolts used, or even had access to."

"While I never reinstated the Shadowbolt program after Luna's banishment, I never got rid of the weapons and armor. There's a possibility she got them from the old armory.... I haven't had many guards stationed there since it's in the castle's older parts, but it'd be worth checking out."

Just then, a guard entered. "Princess Celestia, news from the Crystal Empire!"

"Yes?"

"Princess Cadence says that a patrol found a... strange magical source, to put it in her words. She believes it's coming from an object that the patrol can't find, and she requests a small regiment of unicorns to help find it."

Celestia looked to Twilight, then to Sonic, before turning back to the guard. "Tell her I'll send someone better." She said with a smile. the guard nodded and ran out of the room.

"Well, I can guess where we're going next. Princess, will you follow up on the armory thing? We'll have to continue this another time."

"Of course, Sonic. Oh, and one more thing."

"Hm?"

"Pack heavy. It's cold in the Empire"