Sonic Forces: The Sombra Wars

Rainbow Dash has spent what felt like an eternity chasing after a running Sonic. Even though her hindered speed slowed her down, the gap between the two remained relatively the same. Whether that was due to the blue blur slowing down or the pegasus slowly getting accustomed to her new wing, she seemed to be doing well with her mechanical appendage.

As Sonic skidded to a stop, Rainbow did the same, almost flying straight into him in the process.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked, leaning to the left to get a look at what was ahead. "Whoa..." It was now that she finally took the time to take a look at her surroundings.

Lush green plains with a plethora of palm trees and bright moving flowers covered the area. Checkerboard-like designs painted the ground to symbolize racing flags and going fast. Tree log bridges hung over a bright blue lake filled by a constantly flowing waterfall. The terrain was uneven, branching out into different paths.

"Well well, I was wondering where this place went." Sonic stated, slowly walking forwards.

"What is this place?" Rainbow asked, tailing close behind him.

Sonic turned his head and smiled. "Green Hill Zone. My home and place to have fun. Pretty cool, huh?" He then gave a light chuckle with a determined stare in his eyes. "How 'bout we go for a run? Just make sure you keep up this time."

The cyan mare returned the gesture. "Worry, about yourself, big guy."

"Okay, if you say so... 3-2-1 Go!" Sonic quickly shouted, speeding off towards the hills ahead.

Rainbow's eyes widened, taking a second to realize what just happened. "Hey, come back here, you!" With a leap, Dash spread her wings, pursuing the blue blur. Her balance had gotten much better from the trip here and she felt almost nothing holding her back in her mind.

Cue Back in Time)

As the music around him kicked in, Sonic slowed down looked behind him to see a determined Rainbow Dash flying a few feet behind him, but still keeping up at an equal speed.

"Hey, not bad!" he shouted, giving her a thumbs up before accelerating once more.

Rainbow narrowed her eyes and licked her lips. Feeling the wind rush past her body was just what she needed. "Just you wait! I haven't even kicked into second gear!"

After Sonic dashed over the grassy plains, he jumped up and pushed himself off of a jagged rock before dodging the others in mid air. Rainbow started to dart around the boulders in a similar fashion to Sonic. With one last jump, the blue blur boosted straight off the last rock and landed on the path below with the pegasus angling down and barrel rolling to the lower land as well.

As they continued on, Sonic and Dash quickly approached a shuttle loop. The blue blur jumped up and curled into a ball before landing and blasting off even faster than before. A blue streak tailed behind him as he tore through the area.

Rainbow then tilted to the side before preforming several full loops through the hole of the structure. A rainbow streak followed her as she lit up her path.

As Sonic finished the massive loop, he uncurled and bounced off of a flat topped red spring placed conveniently at the end of the loop. As he threw his arms forward, the blue blur smiled, seeing the breath-taking view of the world around him. It was moments like these that made him feel truly alive and savor every moment of his adventures.

He then snapped his head to the sound of Rainbow Dash finally catching up and flying right beside him. A single look was enough to tell she was having as much fun as he was. In fact, she looked kind of cute to Sonic. But he didn't want to think about it too much.

In a single move, Sonic started spinning to lower his altitude and quickly drifted at contact with the ground to turn towards the final structure. After running over the bridge with Rainbow flying through a waterfall, Sonic started running through a corkscrew loop while the young cyan mare flew straight through the middle.

Ironically enough, Sonic managed to make it through his route first with Dash coming out a second later. The two continued at high speeds into the forest, both experiencing and enjoying the thrill of their adventure with genuine smiles on their faces.

(Back in Time Fades Out)

The path they traveled on led the two through the entire Green Hill Zone and eventually found themselves watching the sun set over the horizon. The speed demons were currently sitting on a ledge that overlooked the main section of the area.

Sonic was currently regaling the tales of his adventures from his past. "...And then I started running. You should have seen the look on the doctor's face as the Death Egg blew up."

The mare rolled her eyes in amusement. "Your life is just one big adventure, isn't it?"

Sonic shrugged his shoulders. "Normal day in the life of the fastest thing alive."

"Hey, that title still hasn't been officially handed out!" Rainbow gave a playful punch to Sonic's side. "But anyways, what was with that music?"

"Huh?"

"You know, that whole 'Back in Time' song that was playing while we explored." She watched as Sonic chuckled to himself before giving an answer.

"You'd be surprised what kind of music that my world will give out. I actually really like it. Sets the mood for things pretty good."

"Yeah, I guess I gotta give you that, it was pretty awesome, but more importantly, what was the point of this? You know, besides getting me accustomed to my new wing." Rainbow asked, fluffing her wings out slightly.

The blue blur turned back to Dash and took a deep breath. "When was the last time you ever stopped and had a little fun since this whole war of yours started?" The mare seemed to think long and hard before shrugging. "It may be an ongoing battle, but ya' gotta learn to loosen up a bit." Sonic then started to smile again. "Besides, what good is an adventure if it's not any fun?"

Rainbow let his words sink in. Before the war, she had been a carefree mare living her life on the edge and seeking thrills just for kicks. When she became a Wonderbolt to combat King Sombra and his hypnotized army, she had lost a part of herself and it wasn't until not that she finally realized what it was.

"Well, we better get going." Sonic said, stretching his arms and walking away.

"H-Huh?" Rainbow stuttered, getting back on her hooves.

"It's getting real late. I don't know about you, but I usually like sleeping in a bed. Besides, we've got work to do tomorrow."

"Yeah. I guess your right. I wouldn't want to get Scoots worried 'bout me." As the two continued back, Sonic spoke up once more.

"The kid really likes you. She gave you nothing but praise when I talked to her. Reminds me of when I first met Tails."

Rainbow then tilted her head. "Your sidekick?"

"He's more than just my player two. He's my best friend and been by my side ever since good 'ol 1992" Sonic stated. Suddenly, the duo heard a buzz come from Sonic's quills.

Reaching in, the blue blur pulled out a yellow device similar to Tails' Miles Electric. Turning it on, a worried Tails popped up on screen.

"Sonic! We need you back here quick! Ponyville is under heavy fire!"

Sonic's expression darkened slightly. "Say no more, buddy. Hang tight!" Storing his screen back in his head quills, Sonic turned back to Dash as the two nodded to each other.

"Alright. It's go time!" Sonic and Dash then took off at breakneck speeds towards the town, hoping to make it in time to save as many as they could.