Project ART

Mount Canter - Peak...

"You know you're not gonna win."

Rainbow sat in a chair, bound by reinforced metal cables; under the close watch of Metal Sonic. "Yo!" she called. "Buckethead! You're ears shorting or something?"

"ALTHOUGH IT MAY BE IMMENSELY AGGRAVATING," Metal said. "THE SYSTEMS CONNECTED TO MY EARS ARE FUNCTIONING AT 99.99% CAPACITY; I CAN HEAR YOU PERFECTLY."

"But you do know you're gonna get your flank handed to you." Rainbow said. "He took down the Goddess of the Moon... with our help, but a bucket of bolts like you 'aint gonna be much of a challenge."

"YOU ARE MISTAKEN, RAINBOW DASH." Metal Sonic said. "I AM SUPERIOR TO ANY ORGANIC LIFEFORM, EXCLUDING LORD ROBOTNIK, IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE."

"But Sonic isn't gonna give you your 'Chaos thingamajig' right?" Rainbow asked. "I know my bro, and he would never do something so incredibly lame."

Metal chuckled, sounding more like actual metal being scraped together. "YOU ORGANICS ARE SO PREDICTABLE." it said. "COCKY UNTIL YOU HAVE A BULLET LODGED INTO YOUR SKULL."

"What's a bullet?" Rainbow asked.

'NONE OF YOUR CONCERN." Metal said plainly, turning his back. "IF SONIC TRULY CARES FOR YOUR WELL BEING, HE WILL GIVE ME THE CHAOS EMERALD WHEN HE INEVITABLY ARRIVES."

"And if he doesn't show?" Rainbow asked.

Metal turned to her, pressing the tip of his pointed steel finger to her throat. "IF SONIC IS TO REFUSE MY OFFER, THEN YOU DIE." he said, "EVEN FOR A MEATBAG, IT IS A FAIRLY SIMPLE CONCEPT." After hearing Rainbow audibly swallow, Metal turned away; satisfied with his work. With the robot's attention no longer on her, Rainbow sighed and waited for somepony to come to her rescue.

"Twilight, my faithful student. What brings you back to Canterlot?" Princess Celestia said.

"Didn't you see the messages?" asked Pinkie Pie. "They were kinda loud."

Celestia shook her head. "I'm sorry my little ponies." she said. "I have been busy in day court for the last little while. The courtroom is soundproof and has no windows; to protect the current clients' privacy. I had only left the courtroom a few minutes ago. Why? Did something happen?"

"That, there, is the understatement of the century." Jawsome said sarcastically. "You see, we have... a problem."

"What kind of problem?" asked Celestia.

Twilight opened her mouth to explain, but Sonic placed a hand over her mouth to silence her. "Your majesty," he said with a bow. "My name is Sonic the Hedgehog; as you might remember from the Summer Sun Celebration."

Celestia nodded. "Yes, I remember." she said. "You were one of the two who; according to Twilight, managed to allow the energy of the Elements of Harmony to bypass my sister's barriers. You are also supposed to be Rainbow Dash's brother, but; no offense, I see little family resemblance."

Sonic chuckled. "Yeah..." he said. "That's why I brought my friends here with me. I promised to explain the situation to them while I'm explaining it to you."

"Then let's hear it." Celestia said, the motherly tone in her voice replaced by a stern, serious tone.

Sonic took a deep breath and started to explain. He told them everything; about the Chaos Emerald, about the dream state it put him in, about Tikal and the memories she showed him, the life he never lived, about Metal Sonic and finally about Robotnik. At the end of it all, Sonic's friends and the princess, Jawsome excepted, were flabbergasted, their mouths hanging open in awe.

"Now Metal Sonic has Rainbow Dash," Sonic said. "and from the little I actually remember about him, he would burn Equestria, kill her, me and anypony else to get his hands on the Chaos Emerald."

"And if I recall, my Metal Copy was just as ruthless. Except he was hard wired to go after the Flame Emeralds, and get them by any means." Jawsome put in. "Eggman even went so far as to try and replicate my Monado, but you can't recreate a sword like this."

Celestia closed her eyes, deep in thought. "If what you say is true, then I have a duty to do whatever I can to defend my subjects."

"But that mechanical monstrosity said he'd kill whoever else entered the area!" Rarity said. "And even if he cannot kill you, your majesty, he might attempt to destroy the city like he claimed he could!"

"Rare's right." Sonic said. "Metal is my responsibility. I let him know the Chaos Emerald existed, it has to be me that stops him."

"Still," said Twilight. "Last time you faced Metal Sonic, you almost died in combat; then he would've gotten the Emerald anyway. We have to come up with a plan to stop him."

Celestia sighed. "I was hesitant to do this, but I'm afraid there is little choice in this matter." she said, getting off her throne and walking towards one of the pillars. "I was not perfectly honest about not knowing anything about the Chaos or Flame Emeralds. It is true I know very little, almost nothing; but I knew that they were very powerful, and there was more than one."

"But how?" asked Fluttershy.

Celestia touched her horn to a specific spot on the pillar, and it started glowing a light blue. As the princess's magic flowed into the stone, it started rippling like water. Standing upright again, Celestia's horn glowed its normal golden glow as she grabbed hold of something with her magic. Slowly, a glass case was pulled through the pillar, revealing a massive cyan gem and an equally massive purple gem with a flame dancing inside it hovering inside.

"These gemstones crashed into the royal barracks 20 years ago." Celestia said. "The Captain of the Guard at the time; a pegasus mare named Flare Warden, brought the artifact to me before any of her men found out about the 'Massive, glowing gemstones' that broke through the roof." She opened the case, and the Emerald fell harmlessly to the ground. "At the time, the only thing I could do with them was scan and hold them. Even being a Princess and the Goddess of the Sun, I could not use my magic to lift them. As previously mentioned, I was able to scan them, and matched their energy signature to fourteen others in Equestria."

"Twelve of them would be the other Chaos and Flame Emeralds," said Twilight. "But what about the thirteenth and fourteenth?"

Pinkie laughed and started hopping around. "It's Sonic and Jawsome you silly fillies!" she said. "He did say Nightmare Moon said that the Emerald's energy whosie-whatsit matched theirs!"

"I trust Twilight, and through her; you, Sonic and Jawsome the Hedgehog." said Celestia. "I am giving you these Chaos and Flame Emeralds in hopes that you can use their power to defeat Metal Sonic, and make Equestria safe once again."

Sonic chuckled, despite the circumstances. "Princess, if I remember one thing about my past life other than ol' Egg-face," he said, walking over to the Emerald lying on the floor. "It's that if one thing isn't threatening the world," he reached down and grabbed the gem. "It's another." Sonic's eyes started glowing as more images and visions flooded his mind, which then turned off as he fell unconscious.

"Believe me, he's not lying. Back there, we had to deal with the Monster of the Week. So, count yourselves lucky you don't." Jawsome said, pulling his Monado off his back, but not activating it. With his other hand, he grabbed the purple Emerald, and eyes glowing molten hot, fell to the floor, sword at his side.

Carefully lowering Sonic to the ground, Twilight looked at her teacher. "Princess, can I see the Library's section on advanced Illusion spells?"

"Welcome back, Sonic and Jawsome." Tikal said. "I was wondering when you'd find the next Emeralds."

Sonic reached his arm up and stretched. "Yeah," he said. "I wasn't really expecting it to be sitting in Canterlot waiting for me to pick it up."

Tikal laughed. "Well, in any rate; I'll start deciphering the memories this Emerald has brought with it."

"You do that." Sonic said, continuing to stretch. "I've got this nasty kink in my back that needs stretching. It's been there since you gave me that Homing Attack way back when."

"Your body is unused to the phenomenal amount of stretching it has to do to curl into the spin-jump form needed." Tikal said. "Perhaps I shall give you the Spin-Dash this time, so you can adjust to it."

Sonic smiled. "That'd be awesome." he said. There was a light pop and Sonic gave a pleasured sigh. "Much better."

"There." Tikal said. "It seems this Emerald will return to you the memories of your group; the Freedom Fighters."

"Yeah..." Sonic said, rummaging through his head. "I remember Egghead saying that he hated the Freedom Fighters. I just assumed he was talking about somepony... er... somebody else."

"Your Freedom Fighters have been at odds with the Robotnik Empire since there was an Robotnik Empire to be at odds with." Tikal said. "You used to be the co-leader, along with your fancy Princess Sally Acorn."

"Waitwaitwaitwaitwait." Sonic said. "I used to date a Princess?"

"Princess Sally is very different to Equestria's Princesses." Tikal explained. "Ms Acorn may not be an all-powerful embodiment of something, but she was an excellent strategist and a gutsy leader. I can see why the old you fancied her."

"Well." Sonic said, scratching his ear. "I always did have good tastes."

"Either way, the clock is ticking." Tikal said. "You have been unconscious for almost an hour at this point, combined with the hour you spent waiting for an audience with Princess Celestia, you have just over two hours left."

"Hold up." Sonic said. "I've only been here for a few minutes, not an hour."

"This is a pocket-dimension." Tikal said. "Time flows differently than in most other dimensions. A few minutes here can be an hour in the real world."

"Well then." Sonic said. "Let's get started, bring on the memories!"

"Alright." Tikal said. "Brace yourself, there are many things I saw in these that may not sit well with you."

"'Kal." Sonic said, resting a hand on her shoulder. "I've beaten an evil super-genius, like; forty bajillion times, I can handle a few sappy moments."

Tikal sighed. "Very well..." she said, a hint of remorse in her voice.

Sonic's eyes glowed brightly as his head filled with detailed pictures and sounds. A forest civilization, a massive robotic city, a floating island. A squirrel, a two-tailed fox, a half-robotic rabbit, a coyote with a sword, a massive walrus; all Mobian, all like him. One memory, seemingly as large as all the others combined, flashed through his mind. He felt pain in his arm and watched as a robotic hand punched through the debris covering the ground.

As the images stopped flashing through his mind, a single tear formed on his eye. "Sal..." he said quietly, before falling unconscious.

Jawsome turned to her, "Again, why'm I still here?"

"You also will gain that move, but you now posses two Flame Emeralds. You now have the power to use Flame Spear. You have also gained a new Monado Art."

"Hold up, Flame Spear? Monado Art? What are you talking about?" Jawsome questioned.

"Concentrate. Delve into your body. Do you not feel the flames? Now, channel them into your hand, in the form of a spear."

Jawsome did as he was told, then looked it over. A short shard of energy was in his hand. He threw it off in the distance.

"As for your Monado Arts, all you must do is activate your Monado and say the words. They will come to you naturally."

"But-"

"Until we meet again, Jawsome the Hedghehog."

Sonic awoke, finding himself lying on a very comfortable bed. He wiped his eyes, finding tears staining his blue fur. "I can't believe I'd forgotten." he said to himself. "Forgotten about Tails, Bunnie, 'Twan." He shut his eyes as more tears threatened to form in his eyes. "Sally..."

Sonic smacked himself, snapping himself out of his depressed trance. "No." he said sternly. "I never met her; any of them. Eggman made sure of that." His lips curled into a smile. "And I know just the bot to take my anger out on.

Smiling, he made his way towards the door, opening it with gusto. His smile widened as he was met with the warm faces of his friends and Princess Celestia. "Sonic!" Twilight said. "You're awake!"

"Yep!" Sonic said. "Awake and ready to get back in action!"

"Good." Celestia said sweetly. "Because Twilight believes she has found a way to defeat Metal Sonic."

"In that case..." Sonic said, disappearing for a second before reappearing with a chair in hand. He sat down and rested his chin on his hand. "Let's hear it."