“…you got to be freaking kidding me!”

Everyone flinched from Tempest's angry shout, some backing away in fear.

After Sonic managed to calm down Tempest, he explained to her to the best of his ability what happened leading him and the others to visit her. Meanwhile, the CMCs, Spike, Tails, and the mysterious male human sat on Tempest’s couch as they let Sonic explain the situation while only filling in occasionally.

Speaking of the human, he was able to receive an ice pack from Tempest and held it against his right cheek where Tempest punched him earlier to ease his pain*. Throughout Sonic’s story, Tempest often gave the mysterious man wary glances, still unsure about him and how he came to know the kids.

By the time Sonic finished with his tale, needless to say, Tempest was not happy with what she just learned.

“Robotnik's back!? How!? How is that possible!? Wasn't he on another planet? How did he get back? Are you sure it was him?” Tempest demanded before facing Tails and the mysterious man. “And how are you two fit in all of this!?”

“...do you really want to know the answers, or are you just gonna keep on yelling?” Tails asked meekly.

“I wanna keep on yelling!” Tempest screamed, frightening the young fox further. “And on top of that, he was with another creature!?”

“Yes, that red creature called himself Knuckles!” said Apple Bloom.

“And he's tougher than Sonic,” Sweetie Belle added.

“But unlike Sonic, he doesn't chuckle!” said Scootaloo.

This statement caused Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle to look at Scootaloo strangely.

“Scoots, what the heck does that have to do with anything?” Apple Bloom asked in disbelief.

“What? I was trying to lighten the mood, okay!?” Scootaloo crossed her arms. “It's been a stressful night!”

“That's putting it mildly!” Spike muttered.

Without wasting any time, Tempest took out her hi-tech communicator from her pocket and quickly dialed it.

“What are ya doing?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Calling my fa– Commander about Robotnik!” Tempest replied. “We need to nip this in the bud as soon as possible!”

Tempest placed her communicator to her ear as soon as she finished dialing. “This is agent Shadow to G.U.N.! Come in, G.U.N.!”

To Tempest’s confusion and frustration, no one picked up from the other side of the line.

“G.U.N., come in!” Tempest shouted. “Is anyone there? Hello?”

Unfortunately, no one from G.U.N. picked up her call, which was unusual for her. Normally, they would pick up her call almost as soon as they heard the first ringtone. However, this time, they just let her call ring nonstop as if they were deliberately ignoring her call, which raises a huge red flag for her. Why is everyone at G.U.N., especially her father ignoring her?

“Um… is no one answering?” Sweetie Belle asked uncertainly.

“...no,” Tempest responded with a huff, putting away her communicator. “G.U.N. isn’t picking up my calls! Heck, they never communicated with me since I moved to Canterlot City to watch you and your sisters!” Her eyes narrowed. “This never happened before!”

The mysterious human, let out a loud knowing hum, which got Tempest’s attention.

“What?” Tempest demanded.

The man clicked his tongue as he put his ice pack down. “I may not know much, but do you find it odd that they place you here to watch them, only to not communicate with you, let alone answer any of your calls? It’s almost as if they place you here on purpose just to get you out of their way!”

Tempest narrowed her eyes at him. “What do you know! You’re just some weirdo who just came out of the Star Trek Convention!”

“A weirdo that you nearly killed!” The man remarked.

“I thought you were some enemy trying to assassinate me! No one visited me or gave me any notice!” Tempest defended with a scowl. “And how do I know you were still trying to kill me!”

“He will never do that!” Tails jumped up in the man’s defense, only to wither nervously under Tempest’s glare. “He… has amnesia and he’s been with me for a while.”

Tempest gave Tails a skeptical frown. “Amnesia? How convenient!”

“It’s true! He doesn’t remember who he is and wouldn’t hurt a fly!” Tails insisted before rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Except maybe bounty hunters!”

“Bounty hunters!?” Tempest exclaimed.

“Long story!” The human interjected. “Look… the fox kid saved my life one day by chance and I decided to help find this talking blue hedgehog on this planet, which also happened to be where I originally came from. I was hoping to finally get answers as to who I am and why I left this planet in the first place!”

Everyone, save for Tempest, gave the human a look of pity. While they don't know what it was like to lose a memory, they can imagine that it was a horrible feeling. On top of that, he was somehow stuck on the wrong planet, which was even worse.

“So you… don't remember anything?” Scootaloo asked.

“Some bits and pieces, but otherwise… no,” the Human answered. “Not even my own name.”

“And you’re all alone… not knowing who ya are?” Scootaloo whispered.

“Well, not completely alone!” The human shrugged with a small grin. “Tails here kept me company as he was figuring out where I came from, despite being a stranger.”

Tails blushed bashfully from the human’s praise, rubbing the back of his head. “Well, you’ve been kind to me since we met. So I wanted to help in some way.”

“In any case,” Tempest crossed her arms, keeping her eyes on the human. “Since you have no memory, or so you claimed, then what do we call you?”

With a smirk, the human pointed at himself. “For now, you can call me, Prism!”

“Prism? Seriously?” Tempest remarked with an unamused expression. “Let me guess… is it because of your rainbow hair?”

“That obvious?” Prism said sheepishly. “Ever since I woke up and discovered that I have rainbow hair, I decided to call myself that.” He then frowned. “I always wondered if my hair connects to my past in some way.”

Scootaloo tilted her head in wonder at the man in front of her. She noticed his hair the moment she first saw him, but was distracted due to being chased by Knuckles earlier. Now after looking at Prism more properly, he reminded her of a certain other person with rainbow hair but was not sure if it was a coincidence. Before she could speak up, Sonic interjected.

“Sorry to interrupt, but we gotta focus!” Sonic announced with a serious expression. “We need to figure out why Knuckles thinks I'm the key to finding the Master Emerald. And why did he mention Longclaw?”

“He has a point!” Tails rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “There must be a connection!”

Apple Bloom tilted her head. “Did Longclaw give you some kind of clue about the Emerald before ya arrived on Earth, Sonic?”

Sonic furrowed his brows for a moment in deep thought before his eyes widened in realization. “Wait a minute, there is!”

Sonic quickly dove into his ring pouch and took out his old trusty map for everyone to see. “Look!”

“What’s that, Sonic?” Prism asked.

“It’s a map to other worlds that Longclaw gave me,” Sonic explained. “But never mind, look over here!”

Everyone gathered around as Sonic pointed at a certain part of the map, specifically, at a certain image with a banner of ancient text over it. There were also three red question marks over the image as well.

“Hey! The map has an Emerald symbol!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

“Could that be the Master Emerald Knuckles been talking about?” Scootaloo inquired.

“It must be!” Sonic nodded. “I’ve seen this Emerald symbol all the time and never knew what it meant before… until now.”

“Interesting,” Tempest muttered, peering over the map. “Does this map of yours say where the Master Emerald is located right now?”

“That… I don’t know,” Sonic replied with a droop. “Nothing on the map says where the Emerald is.”

“Of course!” Tempest sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. “Why is nothing easy?”

“Since when are things ever easy?” Spike remarked.

“Hey Sonic, may Ah see the map?” Apple Bloom requested as she looked at the map in interest.

Sonic shrugged before handing the map to Apple Bloom. “Knock yourself out, Apple Sister!”

Apple Bloom gently took the map before studying the Emerald on the map. “Ah wonder if there’s a secret code or a message on this map?”

“There is, but that text is so old, I doubt it’ll help,” Sonic replied as he pointed at the ancient text over the Emerald.

“Well, at least it’s something,” Apple Bloom muttered in thought before noticing a mark on the Emerald. “Wait, hang on! There’s a bit of a smudge on this map.”

Apple Bloom proceeded to wipe the smudge off of the image of an Emerald when all of a sudden, the black outlines around the Emerald began to glow green. But it didn’t stop there, the green glow quickly spread throughout the outlines of the map to the point that the whole map nearly glowed in green. As the lines were glowing, they were also changed into a brand new location on the map while replacing the images of different worlds in the universe. On top of that, due to the sudden magic of the map, Tempest’s house suddenly lost power, leaving everything but the map in darkness, and catching everyone off guard.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Apple Bloom shouted in panic as she quickly let go of the map, letting it fall onto the floor.

“Apple Bloom, what did you do?” Sweetie Belle yelled.

“Ah don’t know!” Apple Bloom cried. “Ah was trying to clean off the smudge! Ah sware!”

“Look! Something's happening!” Tails exclaimed, pointing at the map.

Everyone stared at the map with wide eyes as light green smoke was coming out of the map in the middle of the room. The map gleamed brighter as something slowly emerged from the map and grew into a large hologram image. The hologram continued rising until it revealed itself to be a large female owl and then she spread out her wings.

Everyone gazed at the large hologram owl in shock and awe, never expecting this amazing magic to come from an old map. But they were also puzzled about this mysterious owl appearing in front of them.

“Whoa… who’s that?” Apple Bloom said quietly in wonder.

Before anyone could guess, Sonic uttered both in shock and longingly.

“...Longclaw?”

The CMCs and Spike gasped. “Longclaw!?”

“Longclaw’s an owl?” Scootaloo clamored, nearly dropping her jaw.

Their shock was short-lived as the hologram of Longclaw began to speak.

“Hello, Sonic,” ‘Longclaw’ greeted gently as she closed her wings. “If you're watching this… then something has happened to me. And I pray that you've made it to Earth unharmed.”

Everyone was engrossed in her words, especially Sonic who was trying to keep himself together.

“This world has been chosen for a very important reason,” she continued. “It's the secret location of the Master Emerald.”

As Longclaw mentioned the Master Emerald, she spread out her wings again and revealed another hologram image of a large Master Emerald, floating in front of the spectators.

“Whoa!” Sonic, the CMCs, and Spike uttered, amassed at the sight of a shiny Emerald while the adults stared at the Emerald in stunned silence.

Despite only a hologram, they can all sense a huge amount of power radiating from the emerald itself, which puts the Rainboom’s geodes into shame. As if she could hear their thoughts, Longclaw explained.

“The emerald has the power to turn thoughts into reality!”

Apple Bloom's eyes were as wide as dinner plates. “This big Emerald can do that!?”

“Rarity would have a field day if she heard about this Emerald!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

“If I have that kind of power, I can have my very own Transformer!” Scootaloo spoke quickly with a look of glee.

Tails immediately shushed the girls and silently gestured to let Longclaw finish.

“In the wrong hands, it can threaten all life in the universe,” Longclaw stated gravely as she folded her wings again. “Protecting the Emerald was my sacred duty, and now… I must pass that responsibility to you.”

Sonic's eyes widened at Longclaw’s words. “This… is my moment!” he whispered.

“Follow the map, find the Emerald, and keep it safe!” Longclaw instructed. She paused for a moment before speaking again in a softer tone. “My dear Sonic… you have a heart like no creature I've ever known. I love you so much… Goodbye.”

With that, “Longclaw” bowed her head as she sank into the map and faded away.

“No, no, no, wait!” Sonic exclaimed, extending his arm.

Despite Sonic’s pleas the hologram ended, and “Longclaw” vanished completely except for her glowing blue feather. Everyone watched silently as the feather slowly descended downwards until it landed softly on Sonic’s outstretched hand. As the feather began to fade away, Sonic clenched the feather into his hand with a pained expression as if he didn’t want to let that part of Longclaw go.

Before the glowing light of the map went out, Apple Bloom could have sworn for a split second that she saw a lone tear trailing down Sonic's right cheek. A second later, the lights in Tempest’s house got their power back and the lights came back on. As everyone was speechless about what they had just seen, Sonic opened his eyes with a solemn and sad expression.

“I won't let you down, Longclaw,” Sonic said quietly while looking at his fist, which was where Longclaw’s feather used to be.

“Sonic…” Apple Bloom whispered as she, her friends, and Tails stared at Sonic in concern.

There was dead silence within Tempest’s living room for what felt like a minute until Spike spoke up with a thoughtful expression.

“If that Emerald can turn our thoughts to reality… you think it’s possible I can think of a big bone to appear for me to chew on?”

Everyone turned to stare at the purple pup, to which Spike noticed.

“...What?”

“Sweet Celestia!” Princess Twilight exclaimed. “This room is ginormous!”

Sometime after meeting with Rosette about their issues with Spoiled and the Dazzlings, Autumn Blaze led the Rainbooms to their hotel room for them to relax throughout their trip. What they did not anticipate was that Autumn personally updated their room to a higher level at no cost. When asked why, Autumn simply smiled and said that it was the least she could do after everything that happened and wanted them to have fun before she left the room.

“I know, right!?” Pinkie Pie grinned as she zoomed from one room to another. “They’ve got eight beds, a huge kitchen, a coach with a flat-screen TV, a bathroom with a jacuzzi, and a balcony with an ocean view!” Pinkie then quickly zipped back to Princess Twilight, holding a basket with various treats. “They even left us some sweet snacks!”

Pinkie grabbed a handful of treats, placed them in her mouth, and then munched on them with a delightful hum. “Mmm… tasty!”

Rainbow Dash grinned while rubbing her palms together. “This is beyond awesome! We hit the jackpot!”

“It was certainly nice of Autumn Blaze to give us this room,” Sunset agreed. “She even went as far as upgrading our room to a suite room free of charge.”

“Yeah, she didn't have to do that,” Applejack nodded with a grin of admiration. “But Ah got to say, that was very generous of her to give us the best room possible. She really knows how to make people happy.”

Unbeknownst to Applejack, Rarity frowned deeply at the comment about Autumn Blaze, especially how she described how “generous” that tour guide was.

“Um… you okay, Rarity?” Fluttershy asked quietly in concern.

“Yeah, you usually would gush nonstop about luxury things like this room,” Rainbow Dash added.

Rarity blinked before she quickly gave her friends her reassuring smile. “Oh, I'm fine, darling! I'm… just feeling tired from traveling here.”

Rainbow Dash cocked an eyebrow. “...we only stepped into the ring portal.”

“It still took a lot of energy to come here!” Rarity insisted with her nose up. “A lady needs her rest!”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes at Rarity’s response.

“We shouldn't relax for too long,” Princess Twilight advised. “Especially now that we're in a luau competition later on.”

Applejack frowned. “Ah still can’t believe we were even in a competition to begin with, even though we were supposed to be the one performing for the competition.”

“And I certainly didn’t expect that we would run into the Dazzlings again, let alone compete with them again!” Fluttershy whimpered in worry.

“Yeah, it’s déjà vu all over again!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

Sunset sighed. “Well, it’s no thanks to Spoiled Rich that we’re in this position in the first place!”

"Even Rosette looks stressed out by Spoiled's antics," said Rarity. "The poor dear needs a spa to get rid of all those wrinkles on her face."

“Yeah, just who the heck does Spoiled think she is, anyway!?” Rainbow Dash scowled.

Rainbow Dash then started imitating their “Principal” in question with her tongue sticking out while acting silly in an over-the-top fashion. “Look at me! I'm a whiny brat who can never get what she wants without any of her husband's money! I never put thought into my actions and three-year-olds can figure out better passwords than me! I use intimidation and abuse my power to hide that I'm an insecure sissy with a brain the size of a pebble!"

Pinkie Pie and Applejack laughed hysterically at Rainbow’s performance, while Sunset, Princess Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rarity had amused smirks.

“Oh my gosh! That’s too funny, Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie howled with tears in her eyes due to her laughter.

“And accurate!” Applejack guffawed.

“As much as I would like to see her reaction, we can’t have Spoiled Rich hear you say that!” Sunset advised, despite chuckling herself.

“No promises!” Rainbow Dash smirked. “Jokes aside, we'll show that crooked-nosed lady that we're the best! We beat those sirens once and I'm sure we can do it again!”

Most of the Rainbooms hummed in agreement.

“I wouldn't underestimate them,” Sunset warned.

“What do you mean, Sunset?” Rarity inquired.

“Before we even set foot into Rosette's office, the Dazzlings were acting too calm about this,” Sunset explained, furrowing her brows. “Something's not right about this and I don't like it.”

“They probably think they’ve gotten better since the last we met,” Rainbow Dash theorized. “But so do we! If anything, I've been itching to play my instrument and an excuse to kick their butts again! We still got this in the bag!”

“But Rainbow Dash, they got their voices back again!” Fluttershy pointed out. “Aren’t you at least worried?”

“Course not!” Rainbow Dash replied confidently. “They may have their voices back, but their magic didn’t! Am I right, Sunset?”

Sunset nodded. “Yeah. Despite that their voices nearly returned, I couldn't sense their magic at all.”

“Me either.” Princess Twilight chimed in. “But all the same, I wouldn’t underestimate them. We should keep up our guard!”

“No sweat! As long as we are all together, we can take them!” Rainbow Dash grinned. Her expression then changed to curiosity. “Speaking of which, where’s Twilight!”

“She’s right there, silly!” Pinkie pointed at Princess Twilight.

“No, I mean our Twilight!” Rainbow Dash clarified. “When is she coming back from her meeting with Nebula?”

Before anyone answered, they heard their main apartment door open, and their genius friend in question walked in.

“Hey, girls! Sorry to keep you all waiting!” Twilight announced with a blush. “I… was lost because I wasn't familiar with the place.”

“No need to apologize, Twilight,” said Sunset with a warm smile. “We didn't wait long.”

Twilight smiled as she took her seat on the couch.

“So what did Rosette want to talk to you about?” asked Princess Twilight.

Twilight paused from the question as she thought back to Rosette's last words before she was dismissed.

“One more thing, Twilight… I think it would be for the best that we keep this conversation between us, even from your friends for the time being,” said Rosette.

Twilight blinked, surprised by Rosette’s request. “Why's that? Wouldn't it be easier if we're all in on this? I'm sure my friends will understand and are willing to help.”

“I'm sure they will,” Rosette nodded in agreement. “But my main concern was with the Dazzlings and especially Spoiled. If they learned what we're doing, Spoiled will put a stop to this and declare it to be ‘too dangerous’ while putting you and your friends in trouble.”

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense,” Twilight frowned, rolling her eyes. “And knowing Spoiled, she'll then take our project for herself and take all the credit!”

“Exactly!” Rosette stressed. “Which is why we must keep this a secret!”

“While I understand your reasoning, I'm sure my friends will keep this a secret too,” Twilight reasoned.

Rosette raised a brow. “But will they?”

Twilight opened her mouth to argue but stopped herself. As much as she hated to admit it, not all of her friends would understand the severity of their secrecy, including Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash could unintentionally brag to everyone she sees, Rarity would gossip to the wrong people, and Pinkie Pie is a walking motor-mouth.

“This won't be the whole time, I assure you,” Rosette added. “We'll tell them once we're close to our goal.”

“...what about my mother?” Twilight asked quietly.

“That's up to you, Twilight,” Rosette responded. “As long as you leave out the project of course.”

Seeing Twilight conflicted about the subject, Rosette gave her a look of sympathy.

“I understand your frustration, Twilight, but it's necessary in order to stay on top without any of our info falling into the wrong hands.” She then straightened her papers. “But in the meantime, you should join your friends in the contest as an opportunity to keep an eye on the Dazzlings in case they pull a move.”

Twilight furrowed her brows. “You really think they will try something while we're competing?”

“I wouldn't put it past them based on what Luna told me during the Battle of the Bands,” Rosette's eyes narrowed. “Even in my line of work, sometimes it's best to keep your friends close… and your enemies closer.”

“Um, Twilight, did you hear me?” said Princess Twilight, which brought Twilight back to reality from her memory.

“Oh, she… asked me to help her with her research from time to time as her temporary assistant… and I accepted,” Twilight responded.

Sunset tilted her head slightly, sensing there was more going on based on her friend's response. Before she could voice her concern, Applejack interrupted.

“Oh wow, Twilight! That’s amazing!” Applejack praised.

“Yeah, good for you, Darling!” Rarity added. “You’ll be working alongside your idol!”

“Even I'm impressed!” said Princess Twilight. “I bet you're excited working with her.”

“We're happy for you Twilight!” said Fluttershy with a smile.

“We all are!” Pinkie cheered! “We should celebrate by throwing a ‘Twilight becoming Rosette's assistant’ party!”

“Maybe later, Pinks!” said Rainbow Dash as she faced Twilight. “But about the contest? We still need ya to beat the Dazzlings!”

“No worries! I have a balanced schedule in between assisting Rossette and the Luau contest,” Twilight assured. “Speaking of which, when should we practice?”

Before Rainbow Dash could answer, there was a knock on the door, catching the girls by surprise.

“Huh? Who could that be?” Princess Twilight wondered.

“Room service?” Pinkie guessed.

Curious, Sunset made her way towards the door and opened it. To the Rainboom’s surprise, the ones behind the door were the Shadowbolts: Sunny Flare, Sour Sweet, Indigo Zap, Sugarcoat, and Lemon Zest.

“Sup, Rainbooms!” Indigo Zap greeted with a peace sign before she let herself in.

“Zap! It’s rude to let ourselves in without asking!” Sunny scolded before facing Sunset. “I do apologize for her behavior, but may we come in?”

Sunset chuckled as she invited the Shadowbolts in. “Don’t worry about it! Come in!”

As soon as the Shadowbolts entered the room, they were immediately shocked to see two Twilights sitting on the couch together.

“Whoa! Are my eyes seeing things, or are there two Twilights?” Lemon Zest exclaimed.

“Oh, she's Twilight's twin sister from Prance! Twilly!” Pinkie Pie explained in a bubbly tone.

Princess Twilight bowed. “Twilly Sparkle, it's nice to meet you!”

“Oh, it's nice to meet you too!” Sour Sweet said sweetly before she faced the other Twilight in a sour mood. “How come you never told us you have a twin?”

“You've never asked,” Twilight crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. “In fact, you never even bothered to get to know me!”

Sour Sweet was taken aback, not expecting that kind of response, especially from Twilight of all people.

“She has a point!” Sugarcoat spoke up in a flat tone. “You never really bothered to get to know her.”

While Sour Sweet scowled at Sugarcoat in annoyance, Sunset frowned at Twilight in concern.

Rarity cleared her throat to break the awkward tension. “So… what brings you all here?”

Indigo smiled. “Well, we were about to play some volleyball on the beach. We were wondering if you all wanted to join us?”

“But for fun, not for being the best!” Sunny Flare added hastily.

“Volleyball on the beach? Count us in!” Rainbow Dash agreed.

“Wait, what about the competition, Rainbow Dash?” Applejack spoke up.

“We’ll be fine! A little fun won’t hurt,” said Rainbow Dash, waving her friend’s concerns before smirking at Indigo. “Just so you know, we’re the best at that game!”

“Oh, yeah? We'll see about that!” Indigo challenged playfully before facing Twilight. “How about you, Twilight? You don’t mind a quick game, do ya?”

Twilight hesitated for a moment before giving an uneasy smile. “Oh, yeah… that’s totally fine! …I would love to play some volleyball!”

“Great! Then let’s hit the beach!” Indigo grinned, oblivious to Twilight’s behavior.

“Sweet! Race you there!” Rainbow Dash declared before she dashed out of the apartment room.

“Hey! No fair!” Indigo shouted before running after Rainbow Dash. “I’m the one getting there first!”

The two groups shook their heads at the two athletes' behaviors.

“Honestly, Rainbow Dash always jumps by the seat of her pants without consulting us first!” Rarity sighed.

“Yeah, Indigo does the same thing,” Sunny rubbed her forehead. “I swear, her competitive spirit can be so overbearing at times.”

“Dashie is right about one thing though!” Pinkie chirped. “We should have some fun! Since we’re in Hoovaii, we might as well enjoy ourselves while we still can!”

“Right on, dude!” Lemon cheered. “Let’s hit the beach!”

Both Pinkie and Lemon ran out of the apartment with excited cheers, leaving the others behind.

Applejack shook her head but with an amused smile. “Alright, we’ll have some fun, but only for a little while! We still got to practice for the luau musical competition.”

“Ooh, that sounds lovely!” Rarity squealed. “Can’t wait to start tanning in my new swimsuit!”

“Ooh, me too!” said Sunny.

Most of the Rainbooms and Shadowbolts left the room except for Sunset, Twilight, and Princess Twilight.

“While I don’t know what a volleyball is, it’s certainly nice of them to invite us to play with them,” said Princess Twilight as she walked out of the room.

“...except they never let me play with them before!” Twilight muttered bitterly, to which Sunset heard her.

“What was that, Twilight?”

“Nothing!” Twilight blurted loudly, shaking her head. She then quickly walked ahead of Sunset. “Let’s… just go!”

Sunset frowned. She once again noticed her friend’s behavior from the way her friend acted and responded to her former classmates. Sunset felt very concerned for her friend but decided to put a pin on her conversation with Twilight later. Sunset walked out of their apartment and shut the door behind her to join her friends at the beach.

Some time has passed since the “Longclaw” hologram appeared on Sonic's map, everyone was sitting around the couch studying the map. They were shocked earlier to find that the usual maps of different planets were replaced with a new location somewhere on Earth of all places. Sonic was holding a map, trying to identify the location while Apple Bloom peered over Sonic’s shoulder, marveling at the map.

“Ah can't believe that your map changed to a different look!” said Apple Bloom.

“Well, I can't believe this map gave us a light show!” Sweetie Belle squeaked.

“Do you know that this map can do that, Sonic?” Scootaloo asked.

Sonic shook his head. “No. I have had this map all my life and I never knew it could do that!” He frowned. “I just don’t know why she never tells me.”

“It’s possible that she cast her hologram magic in your map just in case anything happens to her,” Tails theorized.

“...including me being separate from her?” Sonic craned his neck in sadness.

Tails winced, realizing his carelessness with his words.

Spike gave Tails his deadpanned look. “Smooth!”

There was an awkward pause for a moment before Prism spoke up. “Um… is the map telling us where the Master Emerald is at least?”

“Well, yes… and no,” Sonic answered.

Tempest raised her brow. “What do you mean?”

Sonic placed his map on the coffee table. “Well, according to this map, the first clue is in *Simare-ia.” He then pointed at that location of the map with his index finger in question. “And here is where it held the key to the Master Emerald’s location!”

Prism tilted his head. “And what’s this “key”?”

“It’s a compass!” Sonic replied with certainty. “That will lead us to the Emerald!”

“And with Knuckles already here, it’s a race!” Tails added with a nod.

Tempest narrowed her eyes. “You said this ‘Knuckles’ is super strong, right?”

“So strong that he easily punched Sonic through our house!” Sweetie Belle answered before turning to Sonic sheepishly. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Sonic shrugged.

“Heck, that guy was also strong enough to easily punch through a huge truck like it was paper!” Scootaloo stressed with wide eyes.

“I see,” Tempest hummed, furrowing her brow. “Even with my limited gadgets and weapons at my disposal, I don’t know if I can take him down. Heck, I had a hard time taking you down when we first met!”

“Which we stopped you with our rocket from our science project*,” Apple Bloom pointed out.

Tempest frowned in annoyance. “Don’t remind me!”

“That doesn’t matter how strong Knuckles is!” Sonic stood up from his chair, along with the others. He then faced them all with his confident grin. “Because we’re gonna get there first!”

Tails laughed nervously, fiddling with his hands. “Um… what do you mean, “we”?”

“You’re coming with me!” Sonic clarified, amused with the young fox.

With wide eyes, Tails raised his hands while shaking his head. “Oh, no no no no no! I just came here to warn you! I’m not a field guy!”

“Could've fooled me!” Prism crossed his arms with a smile. “The way you saved my life and what you did just now with the car, you are a one tough fox!”

“Prism! Not helping!” Tails squeaked.

Sonic chuckled before giving Tails his assuring expression. “Don’t worry, I got your back! I won’t let anything happen to you!”

Sonic then made a fist and stretched his arm towards Tails with a friendly smile. Tails stared at Sonic’s fist in confusion, not sure what Sonic wanted him to do.

“It’s a power bump!” Sonic explained. “On Earth, it means an unbreakable promise!”

“It’s true!” said Apple Bloom, getting Tails’ attention. “You could say it’s an Earth’s custom!”

Tails blinked nervously before facing Sonic again. He glanced at Sonic, then his own fist unsurely. After another moment of seeing Sonic’s encouraging look, Tails smiled and gave Sonic his fist bump.

“Okay… I’m in!”

“Don't forget about us!” Apple Bloom said with an exciting grin.

“Yeah, we got your back too!” Sweetie Belle cheered.

“For sure!” Scootaloo agreed heartily.

“Absolutely not!” Tempest shouted, causing the three girls to flinch by her voice. “I may not be your parent, but even I find this trip to be dangerous… especially for kids!”

Scootaloo frowned indignantly. “Hey, we're not kids!”

Tempest cocked an eyebrow. “What grade are you in?”

“Freshman.”

“Then you’re kids!”

While Scootaloo pouted, Apple Bloom cuts in the conversation. “But didn't you say that you joined the army when you were young?”

“That's different!” Tempest crossed her arms. “I was forced to join just to survive!”

Apple Bloom opened her mouth to argue, only to shut down when Tempest raised her hand to silence her. “Look, I don't want to argue with you three! I can't have a good conscience to let you all join in on our mission, knowing this will worry your siblings.”

Sweetie Belle blinked in surprise. “Wait, you're going too?”

“Of course, I'm going!” Tempest replied as if the answer was obvious. “Since that madman is back and G.U.N. isn't responding to my messages, it falls on me to get the job done!”

“Why?” Sweetie Belle pressed.

Tempest rolled her eyes with a huff. “Because as a G.U.N. agent, it’s my responsibility to put a stop to whatever and whoever threatens our home, including Robotnik!”

“Well, in that case…” Scootaloo gave Tempest her sly grin. “You could say that since our sisters are away on their trip, the responsibility of getting the Emerald and stopping Robotnik falls on us too!”

“...nice try!” Tempest deadpanned, much to the CMCs frustration. Tempest then took out her phone. “Anyway, I better call Sunset and the girls and let them know the situation.”

Before Tempest began to push a single button, Apple Bloom suddenly screamed.

“WAIT!”

Tempest glanced up at Apple Bloom in annoyance, silently telling her to speak up.

Apple Bloom stood nervously. She couldn’t believe she blurted out without thinking and possibly poking the bear with her action. Despite that, she decided to use this moment as a last-minute opportunity to delay Tempest from calling her sister, even for a short time.

“Ah, um… let me talk to mah sister!” Apple Bloom requested almost desperately. “A-ah'll tell them what's happening with Robotnik and Ah'll even ask mah sister's permission to go!”

Tempest frowned, not amused with the young apple in the slightest. “You seriously expected your sister or anyone in your family to let you travel to the other side of the world to hunt some super-powerful emerald before Robotnik?”

“If Ah can explain the situation, she will understand!” Apple Bloom reasoned. “Besides, this ain't the first time we made a long trip to save the world. After all… we outran ya a couple of times!”

“She has a point!” Scootaloo jumped into Apple Bloom’s defense. “We’re not as defenseless as you think!”

“Until Robotnik nearly dropped you from the top of the Crystaller’s building!” Tempest pointed out with a glare.

Before Scootaloo could argue, it was Sweetie Belle who interjected this time. “Please… please give us a chance! At least allow us to talk to our sisters!” Her eyes narrowed. “You still owe us for all that trouble eight months ago!”

Tempest continued to glare while the CMCs stared back at her with a mix of pleading and assertive expressions. After what it felt like a minute, Tempest sighed heavily as she put away her phone.

“Alright, fine! …you can call your sisters and tell them what happened.” She then gave them a stern look. “But if she says no, that’s the end of it. Got it?”

The CMCs nodded.

With that, Tempest turned and walked away, leaving the CMCs alone.

“Do you think Applejack and the others will let us go to Simare-ia?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Ah… don’t know. But we have to try!” Apple Bloom answered, trying to convince her friend as well as herself.

“I doubt they’ll let us,” Scootaloo remarked with a frown. “We stayed behind because we were grounded from our stunt at the school in the first place. What are the chances that they’ll even let us leave to find the Master Emerald… especially to another country?”

Apple Bloom furrowed her brows. “Ah’m… still going to try.” She then pulled out her phone to dial her sister’s number. “We still have to inform them about Robotnik regardless.”

Scootaloo sighed, irritated. “Whatever! Then they’ll go out on another adventure and save the world while we’re stuck here and do boring things as usual!” She crossed her arms into a pout. “You know, because we’re “kids” as most people refer to us… even our sisters.”

Apple Bloom stopped dialing, thinking about Scootaloo’s words. Their current circumstances aside, everyone always underestimated them and never took them seriously because they were younger than them. They even assumed that Apple Bloom and her friends would cause trouble or were not capable before they could even try because of their ages.

Apple Bloom frowned as she recalled some earlier words from her sister.

“Apple Bloom, to put it nicely… yer just a kid. And quite frankly, you shouldn't be worried about this stuff.”

“That may be so, but you still have a lot of growing up to do!”

“So until yer ready to grow up, Ah want you to really think about what you are planning and try to be more responsible before you make a decision.”

Even that Knuckles creature never takes them seriously because of their ages.

“Now, move aside! The battlefield is no place for children!”

Apple Bloom frowned deeper, squeezing her phone tightly in frustration. ‘Kid this, and children that! She thought. ‘Just who do they think we are? We’re not just useless kids! We can be capable! If only they take us seriously!’

Sometimes Apple Bloom wished that she could magically make herself big and do whatever she wanted because being big is all it takes, but that was just wishful thinking. If only she could prove to her sister and everyone else that she was more than just a kid and was more capable of handling anything.

Suddenly, Apple Bloom widened her eyes in revelation. “Wait… maybe there is!” she whispered.

With her mind made up, Apple Bloom hung up her phone and put the phone away, catching Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo by surprise.

“Apple Bloom?” Sweetie Belle asked in her confused tone.

Ignoring her friends, Apple Bloom walked past them and slowly approached Tempest and Prism with their backs facing her. By the time Apple Bloom reached them, Tempest noticed the young Apple and faced her.

“Well?” Tempest asked expectedly. “Did you get their approval?”

For a brief moment, Apple Bloom felt intimidated by Tempest’s hard gaze but pushed herself past that to proceed with her plan.

“Y-yeah! Ah got her approval!” Apple Bloom lied with a convincing smile, much to Sweetie’s and Scootaloo’s shock. “And so do Sweetie’s and Scoot’s sisters!”

Tempest raised her brow in surprise. “Really?”

“Uh huh!” Apple Bloom nodded rapidly. “The only condition is to listen to whatever ya have to say and to stay out of your way when things go south!”

Tempest rubbed her chin. “Huh. I’m surprised that your sister agrees to this!” Her eyes narrowed. “Seems a little uncharacteristic of them.”

Apple Bloom grinned nervously with a gulp, her heart beating rapidly under Tempest’s stare.

Tempest studied Apple Bloom a little longer before she shrugged. “Eh, whatever! If the three of you get your sister’s permission, that's good enough for me!”

Apple Bloom let out a sigh of relief.

“...unless you're not telling the truth!” Tempest added with a suspicious glare.

Apple Bloom froze in fear as she stared at Tempest's piercing eyes.

“Oh, quit torturing the girl, Tempy!” Prism spoke up nonchalantly. “Her sister permitted her, right? As long as we keep an eye on them from harm then it's fine! And there's nothing wrong with giving them a little adventure!”

With a frown, Tempest marched up to Prism. “Okay, one: this is a mission to save the world from a mad doctor, not a field trip! So you better take this seriously! And second…” With narrowed eyes, Tempest poked hard on Prism’s chest. “Call me ‘Tempy’ again… and I'll finish you off!”

Prism smirked. “Don’t you mean “or”?”

“...don’t push it!” Tempest growled before walking away to get her gear.

“And just so you know,” Prism called out, dropping his smirk. “I am taking this seriously. You just need to learn to lighten up!”

Tempest glanced back at Prism. “I'll lighten up, once we get that Emerald and put a stop to that man once and for all!”

“And how exactly are you going to stop him?” Prism inquired.

“Let's just say…” Tempest turned her back on him. “I have a permanent solution!”

With that, Tempest left the living room, leaving Prism with his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo immediately run up to Apple Bloom so they can get an explanation.

“Apple Bloom, what’s going on!?” Scootaloo demanded.

“Yeah! You hung up before you even di–”

Before Sweetie Belle could finish her sentence, Apple Bloom quickly covered Sweetie’s mouth and shushed her. Apple Bloom then glanced behind her to see if Tempest was overhearing them. Satisfied that Tempest wasn’t in their hearing range, Apple Bloom uncovered Sweetie’s mouth, which had an annoyed expression.

Before Sweetie Belle could say anything, Apple Bloom quickly spoke in a hushed tone.

“Alright, listen girls! What Ah’m about to say, stays between us, got it?”

Confused, yet curious about what their friend had to say, both Sweetie and Scootaloo nodded.

Apple Bloom sighed. “The truth is… Ah lied.”

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo’s eyes widened in shock.

“You what!?” Sweetie Belle screamed.

Apple Bloom shushed her again while glancing back briefly in a panic. “Be quiet! You don’t want anyone to hear us!”

“I gotta say… that’s bold Apple Bloom!” Scootaloo remarked, both stunned and impressed at her friend. “But why the hay did you do that?”

Apple Bloom sighed through her nose. “You were right, Scoots! Our sisters would never let us go on an adventure!”

“Because we were grounded?” Sweetie Belle guessed in a flat tone.

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “Well, that too! But it’s also because they never respected us because we’re kids to them! Y'all tired of everyone treating ya like kids, yeah?”

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo nodded.

Apple Bloom smirked proudly. “So Ah figured, if we want everyone to stop treating us like kids and take us seriously, then we should help Sonic and Tempest save the world from Robotnik. And then we'll be praised as heroes!”

Unfortunately for Apple Bloom, her friends' reactions to her plan weren’t as receptive as she had expected.

“Apple Bloom, are you out of your mind!” Sweetie Belle screeched, despite speaking at a low volume. “This is a very bad idea written all over it!”

Scootaloo nodded. “Yeah, this whole thing is way too dangerous for us, and that's coming from me!”

“But think about what our sisters will think once they learn that we save the world by ourselves!” Apple Bloom explained convincingly. “Not only do they finally respect us, they won't treat us like kids anymore! We'll even be forgiven by everyone at school for our blunder at the auditorium!”

Apple Bloom then grasped both of her friend's shoulders and looked at them in the eyes. "This... is our moment!"

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo paused as they absorbed Apple Bloom’s words, considering the idea.

Sweetie Belle rubbed her chin. “That would be nice if everyone stopped being angry at us.”

“And it would be a nice feeling if Rainbow Dash praised us for being heroes for once,” Scootaloo mused.

Apple Bloom grinned. “See? Y'all get it!”

“But that's a big if!” Sweetie Belle frowned. “Tempest barely let us come with her to Simare-ia to find that Emerald if you haven’t convinced her with your lie!”

“And she's smart too!” Scootaloo added. “She'll eventually figure out that you lie to her and you're a terrible liar!”

“Relax girls! Just leave her to me!” Apple Bloom assured with a grin. “Ah'll keep convincing her long enough until we save the world. She won't find out!”

“Not unless she overheard your conversation.”

The girls jumped at the sudden voice behind Apple Bloom. They immediately turned to see Sonic standing there with a look of amusement.

“S-Sonic!” Apple Bloom stammered nervously. “H-How long were you there?”

“Long enough,” Sonic replied with a smirk. “Pro tip: if you three are having a private conversation, you should do it quietly.”

The CMCs felt even more nervous by that, but Sonic raised his hand with a look of assurance.

“Chillax! I'm a hedgehog, not a rat. I won't say anything to Tempest that you lied.”

The CMC blinked, with a look of surprise.

“You won't?” uttered Apple Bloom.

Sonic shook his head. “Nope. Quite frankly, I also think it was for the best that we don't tell them that Robotnik is back… at least not yet.”

Sweetie Belle tilted her head. “Why's that, Sonic?”

“For one thing, they're trying to have a fun graduation trip,” Sonic explained. “The last thing they need to worry about is an evil doctor coming back for world domination. And the other reason is the same as yours: to prove to everyone that I have what it takes to be a hero!”

Sonic then had a serious look. “With that said, our trip will be dangerous, more so than last time. I want you three to promise me that if things go bad and I tell you to run, you do it! And also never try to fight Eggman or Knuckles alone! Promise?”

The CMCs quickly nodded their heads.

“We promise, Sonic!”

“We'll do as you said!”

“Yeah, CMCs honor!”

“Good!” said Sonic before giving them his confident smile. “Now, let's head over to Simare-ia and find the Emerald!”

“Yeah!” The CMCs cheered.

Just then, Tempest, now wearing her GUN gear, entered the living room, along with Prism, Tails, and Spike.

“So, Scar Lady and Rainbow Warrior, are you two ready to head to Simare-ia?” Sonic asked.

“...Rainbow Warrior?” Prismed asked in confusion but Tempest cut him off.

“We would be, if not for the fact that Simare-ia is practically on the other side of the world!” she frowned. “Even with G.U.N.’s fastest jet, which I don’t have access to, won’t be fast enough to beat Robotnik to the punch!”

To Tempest’s confusion, Sonic smirked. “Jet? …we don’t even need a jet!”

Before Tempest could ask, Sonic took out a golden ring from his satchel and threw it behind him. The ring then floated in the air and grew into a huge portal with an image of a snowy mountain in the center of the ring. Tempest stared at the huge floating ring in front of her with wide eyes.

“What… sorcery is this?” Tempest inquired in shock and awe.

“It’s a warp ring!” Sonic revealed. “With these special rings, you can get to certain places of the world or even another planet within the same universe as long as you have a good clear image in your mind. You’ll be able to travel there in an instant!”

“...extraordinary!” Tempest muttered. “This is the same one you used to send Robotnik to the Mushroom World?”

Sonic nodded.

“Where'd you get these?”

Sonic shrugged. “Longclaw had these for a long time before she gave them to me. But she told me they're pretty common items across the universe for the means to travel.”

Tails frowned. “And if I can wager a guess, Knuckles must have some warp rings of his own too. And with Eggman on his side, this will make things difficult!”

“But we have the advantage!” Prism pointed out with a smirk. “They don’t know where the compass is, but we do!”

“All the more reason to get there as soon as possible!” Tempest remarked as she faced the warp ring, letting out a long sigh. “Alright then… let's go!”

With no warning, Tempest ran towards the warp ring and jumped right into it, disappearing into another location.

Everyone blinked at the warp ring after Tempest jumped in.

“Well… she certainly doesn't waste time,” Prism stated.

“Yeah… she's a mystery!” Sonic agreed. “But she has the right idea. We should get going!”

Everyone nodded as they headed straight towards the warp ring.

Tails turned his head at Prism. “Prism… maybe this is where you stop and look for your family. You did so much for me already!”

Prism smiled. “Tails, I said that I'll help see this through to the end and I mean it! And when it's over, I'll find my family.”

Tails frowned. “You sure?”

Prism shrugged. “Hey, I waited this long to find my family… what's a couple more days will harm?”

Before Tails could respond, Prism hopped into the warp ring and into the other side.

Despite his friend's assurance, Tails couldn't help but worry for him. While Prism has been very loyal since they first met, he couldn't help but think there was a different reason for his delay in finding his family. Whatever the case, Tails put a pin on that topic for now as he suddenly jumped into the warp ring after him.

Only Sonic, the CMCs, and Spike remained as they approached the front of the warp ring.

“Welp, that's our cue to leave,” said Sonic with a confident smile. “See you all on the other side!”

Sonic jumped, curling himself into a ball, and flung himself into the portal.

“Yeah! Time for another adventure!” Scootaloo cheered before she too jumped into the portal.

“Ooh… I've got a bad feeling about this!” Sweetie Belle remarked before following Scootaloo into the portal.

“Wait for me!” Spike yelped as he leaped into the portal after them.

Apple Bloom was the only one remaining, as she stood in front of the portal. She hesitated to jump in when her sister’s words from earlier entered her mind once again.

“Every decision or action we make, whether big or small… always has consequences. And they can affect not just you… but also everyone around ya.”

‘...am Ah about to make a huge mistake?’ Apple Bloom thought.

She hesitated a bit longer before she shook her worries away. She and her friends have made their decision to join Sonic on this quest. And she will prove to Applejack and everyone else that she is more than capable of handling this quest. And most importantly, she and her friends are not just some useless kids.

They can do all of that by stopping Robotnik and getting the Master Emerald.

“There's no going back now!” Apple Bloom muttered.

She took a big breath before she jumped into the portal. As soon as Apple Bloom entered the portal, the portal ring shrunk itself before disappearing completely, leaving an empty house behind.

Somewhere in a hotel room, Adagio was sitting on a lounge chair with a bored expression. Ever since their arrival to Hoovaii, she was placed on guard duty by her “partner” much to her reluctance. She eventually grew bored and decided to leave their hotel room for a half hour so she and her sisters could go to the beach and soak up some rays. Unfortunately for her, they ran into the Rainbooms a short while ago, resulting in an unpleasant reunion. If that wasn't bad enough, her “partner” found out that she neglected her duty and scolded her for leaving their “luggage” behind.

Adagio rolled her eyes at the memory. She couldn’t understand what was the big deal for being absent for over half an hour. Their precious little “luggage” isn’t going anywhere while she is gone. Not that it matters since her partner ordered her to wait for the remainder of her guard duty until they arrived much to Adagio’s annoyance.

Speaking of which, Adagio heard a door open behind her. Adagio turned her head just as her “partner” walked into their apartment.

“About time you showed up!” Adagio huffed as she stood up from her chair. “Where have you been?”

“Just finishing with my business,” her partner explained vaguely with a sneer. “But never mind that, how is my luggage?”

“Your ‘luggage’ is right where you left it!” Adagio rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms. “I don't get why I’m on guard duty! It's not like anyone noticed or suspected to come here!”

“Well, first of all, you are far more capable than your sisters for the job!” Her partner said snidely. “Those two don’t seem to grasp this situation as seriously as you do.”

Adagio frowned. While she agreed with that statement, that doesn’t mean that she’ll admit that out loud just for her partner’s satisfaction.

“And second,” her partner continued with narrowed eyes. “You of all people should know how wise these girls can be, as well as anyone else! It's always best to be cautious!” Her partner then adjusted her glasses. “Anyway, you're done here! You three better prepare yourselves for the competition later today!”

“I don't see why we even bother to entertain these human scums with this competition, but whatever!” Adagio narrowed her eyes at her partner. “Just don't forget the deal we made when we first met!”

Her partner tilted their head somewhat and their eyes were hidden due to the reflecting light on their glasses. “I assure you, Miss Dazzle, once we get what we want, you will be the most powerful being in this world. You’ll have my word.”

“...I believe it when I see it!” Adagio remarked with a humph.

With that, Adagio walked across the room with her head high before leaving through their apartment door.

The partner lingered for a moment before they slowly turned and walked towards one of the doors, leading to another room. They then slowly opened the door, which led to the apartment’s bathroom. However, they weren’t in the bathroom to do their “business”, they were there for an entirely different reason.

In the middle of their bathroom floor, was the very “luggage” that they had Adagio to guard at high security; which turned out to be a person. That person was currently on their knees all tied up, with a rope around their wrist behind their back and around their ankles. They even had a white cloth around the mouth, which was used as a gag to silence the person in case they tried to call out for help.

The imprisoned person looked up just as the mysterious individual casually walked into the bathroom with a calm, yet amused expression.

“Comfortable?” The individual joked.

The captive didn't respond as they silently glared daggers at the kidnapper.

“You've caught on to my plans quicker than I anticipated,” the individual continued. “But unfortunately for you, I got allies by my side and got the drop on you before you had the chance. And despite some circumstances, everything is going according to my plan. So now all that's left is for them to do my bidding and I'll finally have my revenge for what they did to me!”

The Individual then smirked. “But don't worry, I'll be sure to keep your precious students safe… at least for the time being. Their well-being as well as having them enjoy their trip is all that matters. Am I right… Luna?”

Vice Principal Luna screamed at her kidnapper in rage, despite being gagged.

The Individual chuckled as they turned away from the bound Vice Principal. “Enjoy your stay!~”

Luna kept screaming through her gag as the mysterious individual shut the bathroom light and closed the door, leaving Luna in darkness.

…

…

…

...

...

-END OF ACT I-

Author's Note

Well... what a way to end the first volume!

So Team Sonic went out to Simare-ia to find the Master Emerald to save the world and to prove themselves that they're heroes, while the Rainbooms were preparing (more or less) for the luau musical competition to defeat the Dazzlings for their right to perform for the graduation.

Will Sonic and his companions, find the Emerald and take on Eggman and Knuckles?

Will the Rainbooms make it on top with any issues?

What were the Dazzlings and their "partner" planning with the girls?

And who will save Luna!?

Find out all the answers and more in Volume II of Equestria Girls: Sonic the Hedgehog 2!

Unfortunately, this story will be on hiatus and there won't be a new chapter until sometime next year.

If you want to know the details, please check out my blog, which will be posted at the same time as this chapter.

Anyway, time for some notes and references:

*In case anyone didn't catch it, the way Prism held his ice pack against his right cheek was similar to how Rainbow Dash held her ice pack on the exact cheek from the first story. Specifically, in Volume II - Chapter 11: Motel and Alleyway.

Yes, the way the CMCs described Knuckles, including Scootaloo's joke that he doesn't chuckle was another reference to the lyrics of the beginning of Knuckles theme music, Unknown from M.E.

That's the last time I'm referencing this song, I swear!

Scootaloo remarking about owning a "Transformer" was a reference to Hasbro also owning the Transformers franchise. The most interesting thing was Hasbro referencing the Transformers all the time in MLP:FiM/Equestria Girls and vise the verse.

@21

@1:01

There was even some IDW crossover comic featuring MLP and Transformers joining forces. And yes, this is real!

I don't know if this was intentional or not, but I felt the way the room suddenly went dark as Sonic was holding a feather for a brief moment was their way of hiding Sonic's face as he possibly cried over Longclaw.

1:28

I think that was because after their debacle with Archie's comics, one of SEGA's strange rules was that Sonic wasn't allowed to cry (It's weird, I know). He can be sad, but he can't cry, at least as long as his emotions aren't too "excessive" ...whatever that means.

They were able to get away a few times to allow Sonic to "cry" without actually showing too much, like in episode 52 of Sonic X, A New Start, we see Sonic's tears at the end of the episode despite not seeing his face.

@19:56

Anyway, it's hard to say if Movie Sonic cried in that scene, so I'll let you all be the judge of that.

Moving on, Rainbow Dash's mocking rant about Spoiled was suggested by my proofreader and friend, MLPSolarDash1907. Thanks pal! 👍

*Simare-ia is a pony pun of Siberia.

*Apple Bloom's mentioning of a rocket was a callback from the previous story when the CMC shot Tempest with their rocket in Volume II - Chapter 6: Tempest in the Woods.

And to keep up with the tradition, Sonic nicknamed Prism, Rainbow Warrior!

It has also comes to my attention that there isn't a new chapter of Equestria Girls: Sonic the Hedgehog Chronicles since...

*Checking the last post date*

...June 23rd.

We'll have to fix that!

To pass the time until the first chapter of Volume II's EqG/Sonic 2, I'll be posting some new chapters of Equestria Girls: Sonic the Hedgehog Chronicles. Be sure to check that out if you haven't already and I hope you all look forward to that!

Anyway, hope you all have a happy holiday and have fun watching the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie!

Remember: