“Fluttershy, nope. AJ, nada. Rarity, zilch. Sunset, empty. Pinkie Pie, zero luck.” Rainbow sighed. “And me… no medal. We’re getting nowhere on this thing.” With an exasperated groan, she buried her face in her hands… and peeked out.

“Wait a sec… Twilight! Maybe she’s got-”

Her phone buzzed like a bee, breaking her thoughts. Her hand grabbed it instinctively and she glanced at the caller ID.

Applejack? What does she want now? This better be something good…

She pressed “answer”, holding the phone to her ear. “Hey, AJ. Sup?”

“Sorry to bother you, Dash, but I’ve got a situation. I think I’ve got critters again.”

Rainbow groaned. “Are the little trash pandas back?”

“Those masked varmints? Maybe. I heard a huge ruckus, so there’s probably more than one. You’d best come over and help clear him out.”

The athlete smirked. “I call dibs on the tranq gun.”

“What?” AJ spoke up. “No, no, no! You’re not using that thing! Fluttershy hates that idea and you know it! Besides, it’s for bears!”

“Well, now I know it works. And besides, Fluttershy doesn’t know what we’re doing, and she never will.”

Rainbow heard the cowgirl groan on the other end. “Fine. Just get over here as quickly as you can, please?”

“Ha! Quick is my middle name!” she chuckled, her thumb moving to hang up.

“Uh, that doesn’t roll off the-”

Rainbow ended the call, taking off from the house without a moment to waste. But, unbeknownst to her, her phone still had a notification: a text from Twilight.

With a cringe on his face, Sonic lifted his foot from the smashed flower pot. He took a deep breath and dropped to the floor of the barn, making sure his backpack was still with him.

“Okay, I’m in,” he whispered, shaking some dirt off his shoe. “With minimal damage to Applejack’s property.” He reached into his bag, taking out a gold magic ring that twinkled in the sunlight from the barn’s window. “Here we go, things didn’t work out on Canterlot, but that’s okay. You’re going to a safe place. A place that isn’t as big or lively as Canterlot, but you can lay low… oh, that sounds awful! I can’t do this!”

He took out the blue Gem of Miracles, clutching it tightly. “No, you have to. You have to do this. Maybe the Rainbooms are still known over there. But there’s no other option!” He could feel his spine tingling in anxiety. He held out the ring, took another deep breath, and…

“Alright, you little miscreants! I know how to use this! Paws in the a-”

Rainbow Dash kicked open the doors of the barn as if she was an action movie hero, tranquilizer at the ready. That line didn’t sound as good as she hoped, but she could work on it. The girl looked around the barn, magenta eyes peeled for raccoons.

But what she didn’t expect to see was a kid. A boy with emerald green eyes and blue hair fashioned into a spike ball shape. Two red backpack straps could be seen over his shoulders, and a small brown pouch was by his left thigh. A cobalt t-shirt with a light blue lightning bolt and a pair of jeans with holes in the knees were his standard attire and an old pair of taped up running shoes were on his feet. A wristwatch was on his right arm. In one white fingerless glove was a gold ring. In the other… was a glowing blue diamond.

And his face was in a frozen state of shock like he had been caught breaking curfew. His mouth was slightly hung low in a state of surprise… and the boy turned it into a sheepish grin with a nervous giggle.

“Wh-what’s up?”

Rainbow’s only reply was…

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

Amid their little scream-off, her finger pulled the trigger. The small dart shot from the barrel and lodged itself right into the boy’s side. The kid jolted back. “Ow!”

Rainbow didn’t move, her chest was slowly rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath. The boy’s eyes started to get heavy, his body gently swaying.

“Mane...hat...ten…?”

Rainbow glanced down to her shirt. Sure enough, there was the name and the city clear as day. But why would he want to know about-

The ring from the boy’s hand dropped to the floor of the barn rolling towards Rainbow on its side. It fell onto its side… and expanded in size. Inside were the buildings and roads of the metropolitan city.

“Huh?” Rainbow gasped, her eyes trained on the ring. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing! Was this some new kind of magic?

The boy staggered towards the ring like a zombie. His eyes drooped until they were nearly closed… and he collapsed with a moan. The diamond fell out of his grip, its glow dimming away. Rainbow watched in shock as the gem fell through the ring… and onto the top of a skyscraper. The tranquilizer gun dropped to the floor as her mouth hung open in surprise.

The boy crawled toward the ring, but it slowly began to shrink down.

“N… no…”

The boy slumped into unconsciousness, his outstretched arm falling limp. The ring flashed with a dinging sound, fading into nonexistence. Rainbow Dash found herself alone, staring down at the teen with wide eyes.

“What?”

“Rainbow Dash!” Applejack’s annoyed voice cut in. “You told me you were only gonna use the tranquilizer to scare ‘em off! Not shoot ‘em like real bandits! And WHAT was with all the-”

The farm girl stopped in her tracks, her eyes going as wide as Rainbow’s. In front of both girls, the passed-out body of the boy sprawled out before them. AJ took off her hat. “Who in tarnation is that?!”

“We…” Rainbow managed to speak. “We gotta get him inside.”

“He had this diamond with him! And he had this ring that I thought was a ring until it opened up to Manehatten and the diamond fell through and then he passed-”

AJ clamped a hand over the jock’s mouth. “Whoa there! We just need to stay calm! Especially me, since I’ve never had any trespassers before. You said he had some kinda backpack with him?”

“Yeah?”

“Maybe he’s from out of town or something. You should search it.”

“But what about the rings?”

“If they can be used for travel, we’ve gotta keep ‘em safe. You take a look through the backpack, and I’ll keep an eye on this Flash Sentry wannabe.”

“O… okay. You sure your lasso can hold him?”

“No one’s ever gotten out.”

Nodding in reply, Rainbow headed into the house’s living room. Applejack stayed behind in the kitchen, arms crossed and eyes never leaving from the tied-up boy in the chair. She wanted answers from this guy when he came to. Like why he had tried breaking into her family’s barn.

“Whoa, cool! A jacket! Hmm… All-Stars number ninety-one. Nah, never heard of ‘em. Huh? Hey what’s… oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, OH MY GOSH!”

AJ spun her head to the living room. “What? What is it?”

“He has the entire Daring Do comic collection!” Rainbow’s ecstatic voice shrieked. “All two hundred issues! And collector’s editions, too?! How did he get these?!” Applejack just rolled her eyes, turning back to the boy as Rainbow continued her search.

“Hey, what… is this a hedgehog? Why would he keep a hedgehog in a backpack? Fluttershy’s not gonna like that… and what’s with this weird hat?”

“Uhh…”

Applejack stood at attention. The boy’s light groan was enough to give her a sign that he was coming to. “Dash!” she called. “He’s waking up!”

“Coming!” A moment later, the athlete rushed into the room. Both of them turned to the kid, who seemed to be mumbling something.

“Waking up? No, I wasn’t sleeping, you were sleeping… grzt! Wha?”

He shot awake, his green eyes flashing open. “Rainbow Dash! Applejack! I didn’t mean to- oh, come on! Tied to a chair? What is this, a crime scene?”

“Uh, how does he know our names?” Applejack asked with a nervous tone.

“Well…” Rainbow responded, running a hand through her multi-colored hair. “We have saved the day from magical catastrophes on several occasions.”

“Fair enough,” the cowgirl responded. She turned back to the boy, placing her hands on her hips with a stern expression. “Alright, you little blue scamp, what’s the deal with you breaking and entering into my family’s barn? Granny Smith ain’t gonna be too happy about that!”

“Look, I’m sorry about that,” the teen answered, sounding a little drowsy. Apparently, the tranquilizer’s effects hadn’t worn off a hundred percent yet. “I needed somewhere safe. I just needed to get away from… from… wait wait wait, where are my rings? Why am I still in Canterlot? And where- oh, NO! The gem! I lost the gem!”

“Hold your horses,” AJ interrupted. Rainbow, on the other hand, was in deep thought. “I got your little sack of handwear right here.”

“But- but the gem! I needed that gem!”

“Wait, you mean that glowing diamond?” Rainbow asked. “You used one of those rings, that I can now assume are magic, to open up a portal to Manehatten and the diamond fell through.”

“Manehat- no, no, no! That wasn’t where I was supposed to go! And- ugh! It’s there! The gem is there! After all this time of searching, now I’m back to square one! Thank you so… wait a second, wait a second, did you say it was glowing?”

“Uh, yeah. Why?”

The boy just looked down. “It’s never glowed before…”

A loud rumbling sound came from just outside the house. The girls looked out the window, moving closer for a better look. And just by the fence to the property was a large black truck.

“Expecting someone, AJ?” Rainbow asked. “Weird time, if you ask me.”

“I… I didn’t call for anyone, Rainbow Dash…” AJ replied. “Hey, wait a minute… that looks like the same truck-”

“AH!” The curtain flew shut, prompting both surprised girls to turn… and see the boy right next to them.

“What… how… I don’t… how in tarnation did you get out?!” the farmgirl snapped angrily.

“They’re coming for me!”

“Who is coming for you? What’s that got to do with us?” Rainbow asked anxiously.

“I don’t have time to explain, but you have to help me!” the boy shouted.

“No, we don’t!” Applejack protested while Rainbow said “Why?” at that same exact moment.

“Well, my legs, which normally would be classified as lethal weapons, feel like spaghetti,” the boy summarized. “I need your help. Please. It’s life or death.”

The girls sat in silence, looking at both each other, the boy, and the truck outside before concluding.

“Alright, fine,” AJ said. “But one more time, how the heck did you get out from my lasso?”

“What?” the boy asked. “You’ve never heard of a skill called untying a knot?”

The cowgirl raised a brow. “In five seconds?”

The boy just shrugged. “I’m just someone who likes to get things done quickly. Now can you girls hurry up and help me already?!”

“Okay, okay, come with us,” Rainbow quieted him. She moved down the hall, AJ right behind her. The boy took a step… and fell flat on his face.

“Uh, a little help?”

Rainbow cracked open the door and peeked out. Some weird guy in black was investigating a footprint on the ground. A red scanning ray emitted from his hand, which soon vanished and allowed him to fiddle with controls on the glove.

Rainbow looked back into the house. “Come on, AJ…”

Upstairs, AJ hustled the boy into her house’s attic. “Stay here and be quiet as a tumbleweed,” she ushered.

“Good plan. Great plan. We’re already working so well together. Practically finishing each other’s senten-”

“AHEM!”

The boy stopped. “Sorry.”

Applejack descended the ladder, closing it shut behind her. She headed down to the front door, where Rainbow was waiting. With the athlete right behind her, she pushed open the door. “Just keep calm.”

Rainbow nodded. AJ cleared her throat, eyes focused on the man. “Howdy there! Can we help you?”

The man looked up and stood, walking towards the house’s front porch. “Good morning, my rural chums!” he greeted back. “I’m… from the power company investigating the blackout. If you don’t mind, I’d like to take a few readings inside your humble abode.”

“No kidding!” Rainbow spoke. “You’re from the power company? You must know my buddy, Silver. We used to play soccer in freshman year, and he just took an internship there.”

“Silver Zoom,” the man replied. “He’s a good man.”

“Well, come on in,” AJ gestured, the man eagerly climbing the steps. However, he was stopped by AJ blocking the way. “Take all the readings you need, but… the power company usually takes their readings from outside houses in this city. That way, they can check, uh...”

Seeing her friend was faltering, Rainbow stepped in. “Also, Silver works for the gas company. And he was one of the offensive players who did a terrifyingly good job at it, speaking from experience, so you wanna tell us why you think we’re dumb enough to just let you walk inside Applejack’s house?”

The man put one hand behind his back, and the girls heard beeping noises. Soon, a faint buzzing noise cut through the air. They looked up to see small drones with rotors on them fly through the air and into every window and opening of the house. Unbeknownst to the girls, two of them slipped into the attic.

“Well, young ladies…” the man replied, taking some steps back. “You may have noticed this city has been experiencing a power outage.”

“Yep, no lights,” Rainbow coolly replied. “Picked up on that.”

“Twenty minutes ago, I tracked an energy pulse with a similar signature to the one that caused that disruption.”

Rainbow and AJ turned to each in disbelief. Could this mean that the kid they found was the one responsible?

AJ cleared her head. “Uh, listen, Mister…”

“Doctor. Doctor Robotnik.”

“Well, Doctor Robot-skis…” AJ continued. “I’m sure what you’re here for is very serious, but it’s got nothing to do with us.”

“Yeah, you can ask anyone in Canterlot,” Rainbow added. “Everyone knows us.”

“I bet they do,” Robotnik answered, climbing back onto the porch. “I’m sure and the others in your little group are very popular in the whole city. You may have pulled off some incredible stuff, but lemme tell you: I have surpassed everything you’re ever going to do!”

AJ cocked a brow at the man’s raised tone. Was he trying to threaten them now?

“When I was a toddler, I was spitting out formulas while you were still spitting up formula,” he continued, staring both of them in the eye.

Rainbow looked almost insulted. “I was breastfed, actually.”

“Nice. Rub that in my orphan face.”

Touchy subject. AJ noted.

“Rainbow Dash and Applejack,” the man said. “Are you familiar with what happens when a citizen attempts to aid an enemy of this country?”

“Don’t tell me,” Rainbow stopped, holding up a hand. “Curtains?”

“And if I’m the one that catches you… it’ll be even worse.”

The girls were confused. “What could be worse than ending up six feet under?” AJ questioned.

The man only turned to her with a sadistic smile. “Me.”

A scanning ray swept across the attic, moving over boxes and family heirlooms. From behind one, Sonic laid motionless. “Oh… please don’t let that be an x-ray,” he whispered, clutching his stomach. “I had quite an embarrassing lunch.”

The drone and its red beam were getting closer to his position. As quietly as he could, Sonic snuck to the other side of the box. Maybe he could sneak around it and get out of the attic. He peeked out… and gasped, ducking back into cover.

Another drone was now coming from the other side. He was trapped. If those things did have x-rays, they’d see right through the tall crate shielding Sonic. His eyes darted from left to right to left again, taking in the sight of the scanning beams inching closer and closer…

He could hear the shrill buzzing of their rotors like a swarm of angry wasps. It was almost deafening. “Don’t freak out,” he murmured, clutching his head with both hands and tucking himself inward. “Don’t freak out, don’t freak out…”

The beams were at the edge of the box. The buzzing was seeping into his ears.

“Don’t freak out, don’t freak out, don’t freak out…”

They inched closer to his position.

“Don’t freak out, don’t freak out…”

The scans were barely touching him.

“I’M FREAKING OUT!”

He jumped from cover in a blue spinning ball of light, sailing over the drones and smashing the cover of the attic door. He rolled down the stairs and into the hallway…

“Why! Don’t! You! Have! Your! Stair! Case! Carpeted!”

CLANG! Sonic collapsed on his back, stunned from the impact. Weakly opening his eyes, he blinked away the drowsiness. His breath left his throat when he saw what he had crashed into: a table with utensils and pots underneath.

“Oh no…”

“...compared to what I-”

A crashing noise from inside the house drew the attention of all three. Applejack had a ready response. “Sorry about that, I’ve been having a little critter problem as of late.”

“Then you won’t mind me getting rid of them for you!” Robotnik replied, making his way past the startled farmgirl. With panic on both her and Rainbow’s faces, they ran after him.

“Uh, you know what? That’s not really necessary!” AJ called. “I’ve been taught to handle little varmints ever since I was five! I can-” They both entered the kitchen… to see Robotnik staring at a raccoon on the table munching through a discarded cereal box.

For once in her life, Applejack had never been so happy to see an animal in her house. She let out a quiet sigh, and Rainbow gave her a thumbs-up.

“Here’s the thing…” Robotnik sneered. “I’m never wrong.”

“Well, first time for everything,” Rainbow responded as calmly as she could. “Right?”

While AJ shooed the critter out the back door, Robotnik turned to walk out of the house. Rainbow couldn’t help but smile when he wasn’t looking. The athlete turned to the attic door just up the stairs and down the hall… and saw that it was open.

Her smile slightly dropped. She looked back to Robotnik… and her smile fell completely when she noticed him down on one knee, picking something up from the ground and smirking to himself.

AJ returned to Rainbow’s side, also catching a glimpse of what the man was doing. The scientist turned to them… holding a tiny sprig of blue hair that buzzed with an electric current.

“Look at that…” he boasted. “I was right. Note the lack of surprise. Should we try this again?”

Before the girls could reply, the scientist whistled to the tune of “Ride of the Valkyries”. A hovering sound echoed through the house… and a white oval-shaped drone flew into view. Rainbow swallowed nervously while AJ tried to stand her ground.

The sides of the drone slightly opened, revealing two machine gun mounts. “I’m going to give you five seconds to tell me where he is,” Robotnik spoke. “Five.”

“I, uh, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Rainbow replied. I could use my super speed to dodge when it shoots, but if it goes for AJ first… oh, what I wouldn’t give to have Rarity here!

“Four.”

“Now, listen here! I come from tough stock!” Applejack told him sternly. “And if Granny and Mac learn about this…”

“How can you threaten somebody who never existed? Three.”

The suspense was killing Rainbow. Her eyes never peeled away from the drone, and she could feel sweat starting to run down her face.

“COME ON! Rack your brains!” Robotnik shouted. “You might come up with some lame excuse to go on living in two!”

The drone spun up its weapons. Rainbow instinctively snagged AJ’s wrist, her other hand slowly reaching for the geode around her neck.

“ONE!”

“WAIT!”

The trio whirled to see the blue boy with hands in the air. “Don’t hurt them!”

Robotnik’s eyes widened. “It IS you!”

WHAM! Rainbow’s fist plowed across his face, knocking the man in black to the floor. In response, the drone extended four flaps: its attack mode. “Target identified. Engaging.”

“Run for it!” Rainbow cried, grabbing the surprised boy by the hand and taking off. AJ chased after them with the drone in hot pursuit. The three rushed into the living room, the sound of firing guns and bullet holes appearing in the walls out of nowhere all they could comprehend.

The trio dove under the couch, the drone continuing to fire. One bullet shattered a vase, a second broke a window, and another cracked a photo of the Mane Seven (to Rainbow’s horror).

“This feels excessive!” the boy shouted over the bullet storm.

“You THINK?!” Rainbow snapped back. AJ grabbed tightly onto her hat, yelling when a few bullets nearly hit her and smacked into the carpet instead. She took whatever cover she could… but the guns stopped.

Rainbow peeked open an eye. The drone was just hovering there, its guns smoking. They had time to get out!

“Kid, stay behind me,” Rainbow whispered… but no reply came. “Uh, kid? You still-” She turned behind her… and saw only Applejack peeking out from under her hat.

The girls were wide-eyed. “Wh-where’d he go?”

Applejack looked around the living room, gasping and pointing. Rainbow followed her gaze… and saw the kid climbing on top of a shelf behind the drone.

Her heart began to race. What was he doing? He was gonna get himself killed! The boy’s eyes met her, and she frantically shook her head.

The boy gave her a reassuring smile, his thumb pointing to his face. Before Rainbow could object any further… he jumped.

“Hi-yah!” he called, grabbing onto the drone. It started to spin wildly, its guns firing off in every direction. “Don’t worry, I got it right where I want it!”

A few bullets hit the window, shattering it and making glass rain down on the floor. Rainbow scooted back against the couch, a stray cushion bursting apart and letting feathers fly free.

“Can you believe they’re gonna be delivering packages with these things?!” the boy shouted, riding the drone like a wild bull. He seemed to be struggling to stay on. Suddenly, AJ’s eyes lit up.

“Stay here!” she called, running from cover.

“Wait! APPLEJACK!” Rainbow called, only for three bullets to rip right through the couch. The drone managed to fire in her friend’s direction, but the cowgirl managed to disappear into the kitchen. The boy grunted and a few “whoa”s escaped his throat.

Rainbow peeked out from the couch, a stray bullet whizzing past her face. The drone was in an all-out tumble, the kid temporarily losing his grip and grabbing the drone again. He tried to hold on tight, but Rainbow doubted he could last much longer.

“This was a HORRIBLE plan! What was I thinking?!”

That was a good question. But her primary concern was Applejack. Just what was taking her so long?

“I’m! Gonna! PUKE!” The boy was ripped from the drone, tumbling to the ground. The machine turned its attention to Rainbow, who was frozen in fear…

“Hey, rustbucket!”

The drone spun around… and something smashed against its side. It crashed to the floor, where the object struck it again. Applejack rose back to her full height, tossing her frying pan aside. “Hustle! We gotta hightail it outta here!”

Rainbow rushed to the backpack of the kid’s stuff, quickly packing everything up and putting the ring bag over her left shoulder. She took the hedgehog in her hands, slung the backpack over her right shoulder (grunting at its weight as she did so), and made a dash for the door. AJ picked up the groaning boy.

“Oh, don’t tell me that’s all you got!” he called to the non-functional drone. “I’m just getting started! Lemme know if you wanna go round two with the blue!”

“Come on! My truck!” AJ shouted, rushing over to the vehicle and fishing out the keys. Having received it a year earlier, the pickup looked similar to her grandmother’s own, complete with a dark green color and an apple symbol on the front. It had a backseat that allowed for four people inside and an attachable wooden barrier for transporting cargo. The latter was not needed right now, as it was against the side of the house’s garage.

AJ placed the dizzy boy in the backseat, and Rainbow tossed the backpack in with him. With the ring bag and the hedgehog in hand, she hopped into the passenger seat while AJ started up the engine. In no time at all, she peeled the truck out onto the road… where a man from one of the black cars spotted them. He turned to the other agents.

“Well, don’t just stand there! After them!”

“Right away, Agent Stone!” someone replied, the cars roaring to life and screeching off in pursuit. Now alone, Stone rushed into the house to check on the doctor.

“Doctor? Doctor!” Stone called, rushing through the ransacked living room and kitchen. Robotnik groaned from nearby, drawing Stone to his location. “Are you alright? Three teenagers just ran out of here, and I thought-”

“That you should stop them?” Robotnik snapped. “Open up your flimsy little mouth, and say that you should’ve stopped them.”

“The other agents are in pursuit now, Doctor,” Stone explained. “I decided to stay behind and check up on you.” he helped the genius up to his feet.

“And you should’ve gone with them!” Robotnik shouted. “You know what’s the hardest thing about being the smartest person in the world?!”

“Everyone else is stupid?"

“YES! Way to go! You got that one!” Robotnik mockingly congratulated before calming himself down. “Soon, that thieving rat will give up what is rightfully mine. And when he does, nothing can stop me!” He placed his glasses on his face… which were twisted and bent.

“Agent Stone?”

“Doctor.”

“Call Optical Illusions. Tell them I need new frames. They know what kind I like. Oh… and bring that hair sample.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

Applejack’s truck sped down the straight open road toward Canterlot City. Inside, everyone was trying to catch their breath after what had just happened.

“Oh, man… that was crazy!” Rainbow breathed, clutching the hedgehog to her chest and tossing the ring bag into the backseat. The boy caught it without giving it a thought.

“You call that crazy? I’ve seen crazier.”

“You telling us you’ve seen some stuff?” AJ asked curiously. Rainbow, on the other hand, realized something. The athlete turned in her seat before the teen could reply.

“Hey, I just remembered. You never told us your… your…”

“Rainbow? What’s wrong?” AJ questioned, noticing the other girl’s voice go silent. “You cut yourself off back there.”

“Applejack… we’ve got company!”

“Huh?!” the cowgirl looked into her rearview mirror. Sure enough, several black cars were speeding towards them. From inside, she could see men and women with determined expressions on their faces.

“Aw, fiddlesticks! I can’t lose them out here! And we can’t just lead them into the city!”

“Don’t bother!” the boy shouted to them. “I’ll take care of this! The tranquilizer should’ve worn off by now!”

“Wha- you?!” Rainbow gasped in disbelief. “But-”

“Relax, Rainbow Flash!” the boy replied. “Just keep Needlemouse safe and I’ll be back in ten seconds flat!” He reached over for the door and swung it wide open.

“HEY! W-whaddya think you’re doing?!” AJ shouted, now realizing she had forgotten to lock the doors before peeling out. “If you jump outta here-”

“Just drive!” the boy snapped back. “I said I can handle this!” Before any of the girls could object, he jumped out of the truck…

...and ran off with a boom.

A blue bolt of light blasted down the road, blowing the minds of both Rainbow Dash and Applejack. The cowgirl slammed on the brakes, and the truck screeched to a halt. Both girls were wide-eyed as they witnessed the following events.

The boy ran down the road at high speed right for the cars. He bounded off the hood of the lead car to land on top of another. He grabbed onto the edge, swung right through a window and shattered it, kicking the driver out of the vehicle in the process. Landing back on the road as the car tumbled onto its side, he raced to another and gave it a strong kick. This car skidded off the road and into a ditch.

The boy backflipped into the air, slamming down onto the hood of another car. The vehicle’s back end raised into the air, the force from the boy’s impact damaging the engine. He jumped and sped off, grabbing a stick from the side of the road. Running over to the last car, he jammed the wooden object right in the front left wheel.

The vehicle flipped into the air, crashing down onto the lead car and sending them both flying. The boy burst forward, sliding right underneath the crash. In a blue flash, he zoomed back to the truck…

...and zipped back into his seat.

The girls were stunned. Fire and smoke rose from the crash, and disoriented agents tried to clamber from their wrecked vehicles. The hedgehog in Rainbow’s arms just twitched its nose.

“What did I tell ya, ladies?” the teenager said with crossed arms and a calm smile. “Ten. Seconds. Flat.”

Applejack took off her hat. “Land sakes…”

“That… was… AWESOME!” Rainbow screeched at the top of her lungs. “Possibly the coolest thing I have ever seen! You have super speed, too?! How did you do that?! Where’s your geode?! Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?!”

“Whoa, whoa!” The boy interrupted, holding up two hands. “Easy there, Dashie!”

Rainbow froze at the nickname, sitting down into her seat with a small blush and a clear of her throat. “Sorry, just… got waaay too excited there. I think I became Pinkie for a moment. A-anyway, back to what I said earlier… you never told us your name.”

The boy gestured to himself with a thumb and a smirk. “I’m Sonic.”

“Sonic… Sonic…” Rainbow repeated. “That’s a pretty cool name. And just how fast were you going back there?”

“I just clocked it at two twenty-five. Speed sign from the opposite lane told me. I can go much faster than that, by the way.”

“Ditto! Hey, I could’ve done that a whole lot better!”

“What’s that? You think you could’ve done that faster than me?” the boy told her with a knowing smirk.

“Duh! I’ve saved Pinkie from tripping over a dog chasing Fluttershy’s cat, stopped her cupcakes from hitting a biker, saved a kid’s ice cream from hitting the sidewalk, and stopped Twilight’s coffee from staining her shirt all in the span of a second!”

“That sounds like a challenge…”

“Maybe because it is a challenge!”

“Oh, ho, ho! You’re on! A race fifteen miles from the city and back!” Rainbow paused, turning to see Applejack staring at her. "What? I can't say no to a friendly competition!"

“Well, I can see you two are hitting it off,” AJ butted in. “And I couldn’t help but think… this blackout was your doing, wasn’t it?”

Sonic froze. “Uh, heh heh! That’s a, uh, that’s a funny story…”

“Wait a sec. Did you also spray paint on those speed limit signs?” Rainbow asked him.

“I had my reasons…”

“And that guy back at my house… Twilight texted us about a strange man in black at the soccer field, where she figured out that was the origin point of the wave.”

“What were you doing at the soccer field?” Rainbow questioned aloud… before she realized what AJ had just said. “Wait, Twilight texted us?” She fished out her phone, noticing the said message that was sent earlier.

Guys, this is urgent.

I’m at school right now. It looks like the soccer field is ground zero for the blackout. I don’t know how it could’ve happened here, but that’s not the point.

Spike and I saw a weird guy with a mustache in a black coat. He’s got robots and loyal people by his side. I’ve got a bad feeling about him.

Meet me at my place as soon as you can.

“Aw, man!” the athlete groaned. “She could’ve warned me ahead of time about that guy! Ugh, I really need to start checking my texts more often!”

“Like that time at the mall wasn’t enough to convince you…” AJ said. Rainbow opened her mouth to retort… but the buzz of her phone caught her attention.

RD! AJ! Where ARE you guys??!!

“We gotta get to Twilight’s. Now.”

"Ooh, it's him! That's the guy I kept telling you guys about!" Pinkie cried in excitement.

“So… who exactly is this?” Twilight had a stern expression on her face as she said this. AJ’s truck was parked on the side of the street, and its three occupants had now met up with the rest of the Mane Seven. “And what took you so long, anyway?”

“The name’s Sonic,” the boy answered her. “A little blue ball of super energy in an extremely handsome package.” He flashed a seemingly cool pose with a wink… before dropping it. “And I need your help.”

“That weird man you texted us about was looking for him,” Rainbow explained. “AJ and I caught him in her barn, and we helped him escape. I think the guy’s name was… Robotnik or something like that.”

“Hmm… Sonic sounds like a weird nickname,” Pinkie said. “Oh! Maybe it is a nickname! So, what’s your real name?”

“Hey, come to think of it… she may have a point,” Rainbow agreed, turning to the boy in blue expectantly. To her confusion, he was frozen in place with a look of horror on his face.

“Uh, that’s, um, not important right now,” he said quickly. “What is important is that I-”

“Find a good place for your hedgehog?” Fluttershy guessed. “I can look after him if you want.”

The boy looked caught off-guard. “Uh, that’s fine. Needlemouse is kinda okay with me.”

Fluttershy became confused. “What kind of name is that?”

“Long story short, that’s what I used to call hedgehogs as a kid,” he summarized. “Anyway, as I was saying, I need your help to find the Seven Gems of Miracles.”

“Ooh!” Rarity piped up, intrigued at the concept of gems. “That sounds fascinating! But… what exactly are they?”

Having expected this, Sonic pulled out a piece of paper and unfurled it. He held it out to the girls, who could see seven diamonds in a circle around a magical aura. “The Seven Gems of Miracles are legendary relics said to be scattered across the world,” he told them. “If someone gathers all seven of them, they can achieve immense power. And that power is just what I need to save my home from a terrible fate. Short version: think of the planet's strongest energy source, multiply it by a billion, and you get the idea.”

“Relics with that kind of power…” Sunset realized. “You can’t be the only one looking for them.”

“Right. Someone else could be on the hunt. I need to get all of them before they do, or else that power will be used for bad stuff. I’m talking really bad: doom-us-all level. But if used right, it could be enough to save everything I know. And right now, my rings aren’t much help.”

“Rings? What good could they possibly do, besides make yourself look more stunning?” Rarity asked.

“These aren't ordinary rings,” Sonic said, taking one out from his pouch. “Where I come from, they’re used by my people to get from one place to another instantly. Watch.” He tossed the ring in front of him…

...and it grew to the size of a small car. Inside it, the girls were treated to the sight of Canterlot High.

“The rest is simple; I just jump through,” Sonic told them. “As for where I want to go, I just think of where the other end is gonna be. Unless it’s somewhere I’ve never seen, so, yeah. Nothing.”

“Why don’t you just use those to get to where the gems are?” Sunset asked him.

“See, that’s the problem and why I need your help!” Sonic groaned. “One of the gems in a city called Manehatten, and I have no idea where it is!”

“It’s east.”

The boy paused. “East?”

“Yep,” Sunset approved, Applejack nodding in agreement. “Straight shot from here. You can’t miss it.”

Sonic smiled at her, placing the ring back in his pouch and putting his hands on his hips. “Fine. That’s cool. I’m totally cool saying goodbye now.”

And in a blue streak of light, he was gone. In the dust that followed, the girls’ faces were in complete shock… all except for Rainbow Dash and Applejack.

“Oh, yeah…” the athlete said with remembrance. “He has super speed just like me. Forgot about that.”

“But… I didn’t see a geode on him!” Twilight gasped. “How can he do that?”

“How rude! He left without saying goodbye!” Rarity harrumphed. Applejack just stared at her with a raised brow. “Uh… he kinda did.”

“So… I guess that’s it, then?” Sunset asked, Pinkie hanging her head in shame. “He’s back on his own again?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Rainbow answered. “He should be fine finding those gems all by him-”

SHOOP!

Before any of the girls could blink, Sonic was right in front of them again. He was dripping wet, had seaweed and a fish in his hair, and clothes sopping with water. And he had a look that said “you are dead wrong” on his face.

“So, as I crashed into the cold, dark water of the Celestial Sea, I realized a few things,” he said, the girls still in surprise at his sudden, unexpected return. “A: I have no idea where I’m going. B: Saltwater stinks. C: I should still have one gem with me right now, but I don’t. Why? Because you shot me!”

He pointed an accusing finger at Rainbow Dash, who looked slightly embarrassed while her friends looked at her in horror. “I-I know…”

“YOU. SHOT. ME!” he repeated loudly in a dramatic tone that almost rivaled Rarity’s.

Rainbow cringed. “Okay, okay! I heard you the first time! You don’t have to pile it on!”

“You shot him?” Sunset hissed.”Why would you do that?”

“I’d… rather not talk about that right now,” Rainbow answered. “Let’s just say I had a tranquilizer and we didn’t hit it off immediately.”

Sonic looked mad, counting off on his fingers. “I’m wet. I’m cold. There’s a FISH ON MY HEAD! And clearly I’m not gonna be able to do this on my own!” He stared at the girls with a pleading look in his eyes. The fish flopped atop his head, prompting him to snatch it with an annoyed expression and throw it to the ground.

The girls looked at each other, each of them wondering if they should do this. Well… it was the start of summer break, so what better way to kick it off than with a drive out of the city? One by one, each of them got an approving smile.

“Alright,” Twilight said. “We’ll help you, Sonic.”

“Really?!” the boy shouted in excitement, shaking the seaweed off himself so quickly his hair poofed up. Spotting this, Pinkie’s eyes grew wide and she struggled to hold back laughter. With a smile, Fluttershy brought a hand to her mouth. “You’re gonna help me?!”

“I guess I gotta,” Rainbow told him. “After all, it’s a little bit my fault all of this is happening to you.”

“Not a little bit,” Sonic reminded her harshly. “Entirely. It is entirely your fault.”

“Fine. It’s entirely my fault. You game?”

The boy smiled at her, shaking his hair back to its normal spiky state. “Yes. But… what about my stuff?”

“Well…” Twilight spoke up, looking to Needlemouse in Fluttershy’s arms. “Your backpack could stay at my place for now. And besides, Spike has been wanting a playmate for some time now.”

Upon hearing his name, the dog trotted to his human’s side… and froze at the sight of the spiky hedgehog. The other animal just stared at him.

Author's Note

Rainbow Dash and Applejack finally meet Sonic, but they also run afoul of Robotnik. Not long after, the rest of the HuMane 7 (properly) meet Sonic and vice-versa. Now, the heroes have to travel to Manehatten and retrieve the blue Gem of Miracle while also trying to get to know each other better, and avoid being hunted down by Robotnik and his goons. Which will be showcased in the next chapter!

Comments, reviews and opinions are appreciated, thank you.

Note: I don't own My Little Pony: Equestria Girls nor Sonic the Hedgehog.