Maretime Bay

Sonic rolled his eyes and shook his head after Eggman finally showed up, as usual, making a big scandal.

"You can't ever make an entrance without calling everyone's attention, can you, Egghead?" Sonic deadpanned.

"And where would the fun be in that, Hedgehog?" Eggman asked with a grin. "If anything, you're one to talk! Aren't you the one that loves to make dramatic entrances?"

Sonic rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Touché. By the way, you really seem to feel nostalgic lately. This is the second time in two months that you use the OG Death Egg Robot."

"What can I say? I'm feeling nostalgic!" Eggman replied, and soon, he turned to see the Mane 6, and while he raised an eyebrow, seeing Misty hiding terrified, plus the other five ponies standing over his badniks made him grin. "And looks like these little dolls for sale can strike quite the punch!" He mocked up. "I gotta admit that's impressive... For walking merchandise that barely gets sold out, that is!" He laughed maniacally.

"Should we be offended by that? I feel like we should," Hitch commented with a slight frown.

"Well, I guess you're for the usual, right? A little beat on your ass before throwing you away as you curse my name..." Sonic asked, stretching a bit to warm up.

"You think you can beat me up?! Ha! Don't make me laugh, Hedgehog! I gave you a humiliating defeat before even arriving into this pitiful land!" Eggman reminded with a grin.

"Great, now he's never getting it over..." Tails rolled his eyes annoyed.

"So? It's your first win against us versus a thousand!" Sonic reminded this time with a cocky grin. "We had beat you down so many times that loosing once feels like a little, meaningless trip!"

"Except for the fact that, I don't know... YOU TOOK MY ISLAND FROM ME!" Knuckles screamed in rage.

"Then why don't you come over here and make me return it, huh?" Eggman challenged the echidna.

"Oh, and I will!" Knuckles declared, punching his fists together and trying to approach Eggman... Only for him to be stopped.

"Wait!" Sunny spoke, as she suddenly got in-between Eggman and Knuckles, confusing everyone else.

"...What?" Eggman questioned first, completely confused.

"The hell?" Knuckles asked as well.

Meanwhile, Sonic turned to Sunny's friends. "Guys, sorry if I offend you or her, but is your friend stupid or what?!"

Although Hitch did seemed to take offense by the question, both him and the other four mares had no idea on what to answer, because even though they were fine with the idea of giving anyone that's done terrible things a second chance, they had to admit that Sunny was choosing a TERRIBLE moment to try and do that.

"Um, sir?" Sunny called out with a little smile, as she stepped closer to Eggman. "I wanted to ask... Had you considered that everything you do is not helping anyone and it's actually harming a lot of people?"

"...Is this real?" Eggman asked confused, now looking all over the place. "I'm not being recorded for some kind of dumb sitcom or TV comedy section, am I?"

"No, this is unfortunately real..." Sonic replied from behind with a deadpan, then he facepalmed on disbelief.

"Look, sir. I don't know what leads you to think that conquering us all is gonna do any good, so how about you tell us how you really feel? Or at the very least why you do this!" Sunny suggested with a smile.

Eggman had no clue if he had to laugh at her or cry, but one thing's for sure: What she said just makes him believe there's no brain on her head. Or maybe there is one, but is not really that smart.

"Well, I don't know what you wanted to accomplish with that little speech, but..." Eggman spoke, then closed the head of the robot and extended one of the Death Eg Robot's arms to crush Sunny down.

Seeing this, Sonic quickly ran and grabbed her to take her away, just in time before the arm actually crushed her.

Eggman retracted the arm back and then tutted a bit. "That's a great disappointment from your part, little pony. Did you hoped that sharing that would make me feel bad or regret my actions?"

"...Kinda?" Sunny replied with a sheepish smile while Sonic put her down.

"Well, let me disappoint you, then: People like me don't change. And if we do..." Eggman began, then he started to spin both arms of the robot. "WE DO IT FOR THE WORSE!"

After saying this, he launched the two arms of the Death Egg Robot towards everyone else, making them retreat or jump back. The arms hit the ground instead, but instead of retracting them, Eggman used them to propel himself towards his enemies, forcing them to separate: Izzy, Misty, Hitch, Tails and Knuckles on one side; and Sunny, Pipp, Zipp, Sonic and Amy on the other.

As they all stood up, Sonic looked at Sunny with a frown. "Did I told you, or did I told you?! What where you even thinking?!"

"I thought I could get through him somehow!" Sunny countered. "I mean, he can't really be that rotten to the core!"

"My gosh, you are stupid!" Sonic said with anger. "Get the news, Carly: Not everything's solved with a stupid song, huggies and glitter! Sometimes, when you have to do the job, then you DO the job!"

After saying this, Sonic charged up his Spin Dash and accelerated against Eggman, jumping in the air and then making a Stomp Attack, something that Eggman blocked by placing the left arm of his machine over him for protection.

However, Sonic was not giving up that easily, and after Eggman pushed him back into the air, Sonic charged up an attack called Homing Shot, where he curled into a ball and got surrounded by several spheres that looked like his Spin Dash. Then, he threw the spheres at Eggman and hit him in the chest, making him step a bit backwards.

Soon, Knuckles hit him from behind out of surprise, knocking the robot to the ground and making Eggman grunt, both in pain and anger. And before he can get up, Knuckles lifts the robot from the side where he fell and throws it towards Amy. As Eggman screams, Amy smiles holding her hammer, and then swings it to hit the robot and knock it back.

Eggman dug the spikes of the robot's arms into the ground to slow its fall, which worked, but he was so distracted that he couldn't see Tails hit his robot's right arm with a drill, and then the arm fell off the machine, with sparks flying from both sides.

Eggman growled and look at Team Sonic with anger, as they stood in front of them ready to fight with grins, except Knuckles who is frowning in rage.

"You four are always gonna be a pain in the ass..." Eggman said, then he looked behind and saw that the Mane 6 were helping out the only ponies left that haven't got to safety just yet, and that made him grin. "But I fight you everyday, and I know none of you would ever let anyone DIE!"

After saying that, Eggman jumped and landed right behind Misty. She let out a sort of squeal, and slowly turned around, only to feel the air leave her lungs and her ears droop as she saw Eggman's machine right in front of her. And although the robot's eternal smiling face covered her pilot, she was sure that the doctor smiled the same way, and perhaps even in a more macabre way.

"Hello there, little pony!" Eggman said with glee, and Misty gulped, as her pupils trembled and she stepped back, but each step she took backwards, Eggman took it forward. "I saw your soul when I showed up. The terror in your eyes was just blissful! You seem to be the only little girl of your group that actually fears me."

Misty stepped even more back, but then she tripped with a Crabmeat's pincers, and she fell on her back, which just made her panic increase as Eggman got closer.

"Your fear only makes me stronger, little pony. The more you try to get away, the closer I'll get!" Eggman declared happily, then stopped once he had Misty cornered against a overturned stand. "I am what every kid sees on their nightmares, but to you? I am real! As real... AS THIS!"

Eggman then raised the still-intact Death Egg Robot's arm and attempted to crush Misty. She closed her eyes and covered her face, waiting for the blow that would kill her... But the blow never came, and instead of her, she heard the sound of something metallic hitting.

Misty opened her eyes, confused to still be alive, then turned around and was surprised to find Tails holding a wrench larger than himself as he used it as a shield to contain the robot's arm.

While Tails continued doing this, he put his feet up and began to push with all his might. "Misty! Go! I'll hold him back!"

She didn't had to be told twice, and she ran away desperately, while Tails managed not only to push the arm of the Death Egg Robot thanks to a small impulse from his tails, but he was also able to use them as a saw to cut off the arm and thus leaving the machine unarmed... or so the young fox believed.

Eggman took his robot back several steps and growled angrily as he saw Tails cut off not just one, but both of the Death Egg Robot's arms. "Well played, little brat..."

However, the doctor soon turned to see Sunny, who was using her Alicorn magic and levitating several pieces of badniks to free a small trapped colt, and that made him smile sinisterly inside the robot.

"But I have new toys I want to try!" He declared, followed by a maniac chuckle.

Soon, the doctor pressed several buttons on his machine, and with that, managed to make the robot's eyes light up, before launching laser beams aimed at Sunny and the foal alike.

Noticing this, Sunny barely managed to make a shield with her magic that kept her and the foal protected, but Eggman began to walk in her direction in order to intensify the attack and, hopefully, kill them both.

Sunny, for her part, could barely keep her hooves steady, so she caught a glimpse of the colt next to her, who was trembling in terror at the situation. "G-Go! Get to safety!" The Alicorn said, while she continued trying to keep the shield afloat.

The colt obeyed and ran to hide in the Sheriff's station, where Hitch had put several ponies to keep them safe in that place. Eventually and unfortunately, Sunny didn't last long and she was thrown backwards, rolling several meters and leaving herself all dirty and beaten.

"Sunny!" Hitch screamed in panic upon seeing this, and quickly moved towards her to help her.

Eggman just laughed after doing this, but then he felt something hit the robot from behind. Soon, more objects trickled in, and the doctor finally turned around to find Izzy levitating whatever he had near her and throwing it at Eggman.

"Get away from my friend!" Izzy said in anger.

Eggman just laughed lightly. "Have courage, girl. Something the other horned pony falters in. But no matter how brave you are, you're still mortal!"

He shot laser eyes at Izzy, but Sonic came and saved her by pulling her away from the fight, and then ran back to Eggman with a scowl. Seeing this, Eggman grinned, and then began firing more eye lasers in an attempt to roast Sonic.

"Laser eyes? Really?!" Sonic exclaimed, jumping up and doing a Homing Attack against the robot's head. "This is already too much, Eggman!"

"You talk like you don't know me, you disgusting blue rat," Eggman replied, while he blocked a Homing Shot with what was left of the robot's only arm. "For me, there is no limit!"

Eggman continued to try to destroy Sonic with his laser eyes, but soon stopped attacking as soon as he received a call signal coming from Allura.

"You couldn't call at a worse time!" Eggman complained angrily.

"Well, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have the pegasus city your daughter mentioned in my sights," Allura replied.

And then, Sage surprisingly joined the call. "Father. I am in the unicorn forest with my brothers."

"No one even knows we're here," Orbot's voice added.

"Everything is very colorful, boss!" Cubot also commented.

"So everyone is in position... Perfect!" Eggman said with a sinister smile. "Then get to work, and stick to the plan! I'll stay here to ensure that everything works as it should."

Receiving nods, the calls were cut off, and Eggman then fired up the Death Egg Robot's rockets to begin rising into the air.

"It was fun messing with you, but I have an empire to prepare and Crystals to steal." Eggman declared as he left. "Until then, you bunch of idiots!"

And so, Eggman fly away back to his Egg Fleet, but while three of the ships returned to Angel Island, the other four moved in the opposite direction, and then two split to move into a different direction as well.

Noticing this, Sonic raised an eyebrow confused. "Where are those two going?"

Yet he choose to ignore that for the time being and approach Sunny, who was surrounded by her friends as she hardly stood up and shook her head.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Hitch asked her concerned.

"No... Just really beat up, but that's it..." Sunny replied with a weak smile. "I'm fine, ponies. Really."

"Yeah, because whoever you adore as your God in this dimension had mercy," Knuckles said with a frown and his arms crossed, while he and the rest of Team Sonic approaches.

"Rather, because you have incredibly good luck as a protagonist, otherwise Eggman would've killed you," Sonic said with a bored expression.

"I keep wondering why you eve thought that talking with Eggman was gonna work..." Amy rolled her eyes.

"I just did what I thought was the right thing," Sunny replied, not angry nor frowning, but kinda hurt and annoyed at the remark.

"Hey, no one's saying you did bad for trying, you just tried at the worse possible moment," Tails pointed out.

"See? Even he knows you choose a bad time!" Zipp said with a worried frown. "That guy could've killed you!"

"And now, he's on his way to whoever knows where to bring more chaos down..." Sonic said with a frown. "Eggman's moving part of his Egg Fleet to whatever's beyond this town."

That made Misty gasp, since she remembered that the evil creature of her nightmare, know with a name face in Eggman, made a lot of chaos across all Equestria, and Maretime Bay is just the beginning.

"He's aiming at Zephyr Heights and Bridlewood as well!" Misty exclaimed out loud in panic. "That's the next thing that happens in my nightmare!"

"Which I actually believe is a premonitory dream, considering everything from it has happened so far..." Tails commented.

"Wait, so he's going for––" Pipp tried to add, then she gasped in panic. "Mom could be in danger!"

"And so could be my dad!" Misty added in panic.

"Wait, you think you know where Eggman's heading?" Amy asked.

"Zephyr Heights and Bridlewood are the other pony towns in Equestria," Sunny explained. "They accept all ponykind, just like Maretime Bay, but ZH is mostly Pegasi, and Bridlewood is mostly Unicorns."

"And Eggman's aiming after them too..." Sonic muttered with a frown. "But why? He wants your magic crystals, so it makes sense he attacked this place, but why go to two cities where there's nothing he can gain?"

"I don't know, and I don't care!" Zipp said with a frown. "I'm gonna go and save my mother, and I don't care if this Eggman guy is in my way!"

"Ditto, sister!" Pipp declared with the same frown.

And so, the two pegasi took flight and went towards their home without waiting for anyone else's answer.

"Pipp, Zipp! Wait!" Sunny called out, but the sisters were already too far to hear her.

"Ugh, they're really just gonna go in and hope they can beat Eggman without a plan?" Sonic asked on disbelief, but then his eyes widened as he realized something, then turned to his friends. "Wait, is that how you guys feel with me all the time?"

All his friends deadpanned and nodded, with Knuckles even saying, "About time you realized, jackass."

"Huh... Now I feel kinda dumb..." Sonic scratched his neck a bit. "Anyways. Tails! You think you can lean a hand and two tails two those two, even though I feel they won't want your help?"

Tails nodded with a smile. "Count we me, Sonic!" He declared, then fist-bumped with him and started to run away to prepare and fly. Yet as he was about to leave...

"Tails!" Misty's voice called out, and Tails stopped moving to turn around and see that the mare was approaching, and she barely stopped before accidentally crashing on the young fox. "Hey! Um, first of all, thanks for saving me back there when that robot almost crushed me."

Tails smiled after hearing this. "Helping is my pleasure, Misty! I just did what I know I had to do."

"Well, um, if that's the case, then... Can you take me to Zephyr Heights, too?" Misty asked with a sheepish smile. "My dad told me this morning he was gonna meet with Zipp and Pipp's Mom, and I need to make sure he's fine!"

"Um... Sure, I can take you, but are you absolutely sure you wanna go? You seemed scared from Eggman before..." Tails pointed out. "Nothing wrong with being afraid, but I'll hate if something happened to you because of your fear."

"And I'll never forgive myself if something happens to my dad and I'm able to help him, but then I'm not there..." Misty countered with a slight frown.

That actually seemed like a really good point for Tails, so he smiled at her and nodded. "Alright, then I'll take you with me." He then approached her and picked her up bridal style, which seemed a bit strange and awkward for Misty. "Now hang on! This is gonna be a little shaky ride!"

After saying this, Tails propelled his tails and flew into the sky at top speed, making Misty scream a bit startled and panicked.

"I'm going to Bridlewood! My fellow unicorns could be in danger, and I cannot allow it as long as I can do something, or die in the attempt!" Izzy declared, then she dashed towards the town's exit to head to Bridlewood.

"Well, Eggman's right: She's got the guts!" Knuckles pointed out with a little smirk.

"Yeah, but he's also right that he's as mortal as everyone else around." Sonic pointed, then turned to Amy. "Think you can bring her support with your hammer, Ames?"

Amy smiled and nodded. "Whatever Eggman's got on his head, I'll smash the idea out of him!"

She then was about to leave and follow Izzy, but then Sonic grabbed her from her arm and stopped her, which made her turn to face him slightly confused.

"...You probably don't need to hear this, but... Be careful out there..." Sonic told her, and his eyes sparkled with worry.

Amy's heart skip a bit after hearing this, and her cheeks flushed slightly red as well, but she still smiled back at him and nodded. "I will." She assured.

She was about to leave now that Sonic let her arm go, but then she quickly zoomed to him and kissed his cheek slightly, before letting him go again and now rush after Izzy.

This, of course, left Sonic stunned and blushing, as he chuckled like an idiot for a minute before shaking his head and clearing his throat. He did noticed Knuckles mocking grin, as well as Hitch and Sunny's, but he choose to ignore them. He didn't really cared for their opinion.

"Well, I'm staying around. Someone's gotta clean all this mess," Knuckles pointed out. "Once I'm done, I'll keep an eye on Angel Island. I may have no wait to reach it yet, but I'm still its guardian. I'll fulfill my duty, even from afar."

"You do you, Knucklehead." Sonic said with a grin.

"I'm staying, too. I gotta check on everypony that's hiding around town and tell them danger's over for now," Hitch declared. "Maybe I can even convince some to help Knuckles and I clean all this mess."

"Then I guess that leaves you and me to watch over your magic floating Crystals." Sonic told Sunny with a mocking smirk.

"They're called Unity Crystals..." Sunny deadpanned.

"They could be called the Elements of Harmony or some bullshit name like that, and I wouldn't give a damn." Sonic replied, then he turned around and started to run on his place, making the shape of an 8 with his feet. "Come on, Ballerina Math Monitor! Try to keep up!"

He then boosted away, leaving Sunny behind groaning annoyed. "Does he ever stops nicknaming everyone?!"

"No, and get used to it. You don't have other choice," Knuckles told her with a bored expression. "No, seriously: You don't have."

Sunny groaned again, then made her Alicorn form appear and spread her wings to follow Sonic towards the Crystal Brighthouse and watch over the Unity Crystals.

As they did so, Hitch approached Knuckles. "Hey, um... Sunny said something about Eggman not being so rotten to the core, but after what he did today, I gotta ask... Is he capable to be even more dangerous than this?"

"Eggman once took the Master Emerald off from its pedestal and made the island fall into the ocean," Knuckles replied. "That almost killed the entire wildlife and ecosystem in the island. If Sonic didn't helped me recover the Emerald, I would've eventually died as well. That should tell you everything you need to know."

As Knuckles finished, he picked up some badniks' scraps and started to pile them up as he usually does, but his words got right through Hitch, who gulped nervously and couldn't help but wonder... What awaits Zephyr Heights and Bridlewood if Eggman is this heartless?

Author's Note

Yeah, I have nothing to say this time around, more than next chapter on is fully focused on how the characters will interact within each other.

Constructive criticism is appreciated. Thanks for reading, and see you next time!