The Legend of Sunny: Tears of the Kingdom

by Sonic MLP Lover

Chapters

PART I
Prologue: The Mysterious Gloom
Chapter 1: The Calm Before the Storm
Chapter 2: The Awakening
Chapter 3: The Upheaval
Chapter 4: The Closed Door
Chapter 5: The Ability to Create
Chapter 6: The Ability to Combine
Chapter 7: The Ability to Rise
Chapter 8: To the Kingdom of Equestria
Interlude: Doing the Duty
PART II
Chapter 9: Fallen from the Sky
Chapter 10: Looking for Sunny

PART I

PART I

The Sky Islands

Prologue: The Mysterious Gloom

Peace.

A fleeting feeling that many wish would last forever. But in Equestria, that word has no place anywhere.

Three weeks ago, the deranged Doctor Eggman captured Sonic the Hedgehog, Sunny Starscout, Hitch Trailblazer, Izzy Moonbow, Zipp Storm, and Pipp Petals with the intention of stealing the ponies' magic and freezing Sonic for 50 years to wake him up in a world where everything was under Eggman's control.

The doctor achieved his goal: He stole the Unity Crystals and recited a spell that helped him steal the magic of the Mane 5 and Opaline, whom he betrayed in order to ensure that all the magic of Equestria, without exception, would be his. With that, Eggman left for Equestria to steal the magic that was left, and in turn, activated Sonic's capsule to begin the cryogenics process and thus get rid of his nemesis.

Fortunately, Sonic's friends and acquaintances—Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, and Rouge—came to rescue everyone. Once free, the ponies returned to Maretime Bay to try to calm things down, but Eggman had already arrived and had stolen everyone's magic, including Misty, who had just gotten her Cutie Mark.

Soon, Eggman used the stolen magic to build a gigantic robot he called the "Death Egg Titan", which he used to lay waste to much of Maretime Bay and destroy the Crystal Brighthouse. Team Sonic arrived and faced both the large robot and the army of magic-powered Badniks, while Shadow and Rouge tried to take down the machine and Eggman from within. But despite everything, Eggman was getting his way, and Sonic was badly injured during the fight.

All seemed lost, and although Sunny and Pipp tried to protect Sonic, their forces were not enough. However, before Eggman could get his way, the Chaos Emeralds came to Sonic's aid, transforming him into Super Sonic. With that power, Sonic defeated Eggman, sent his Death Egg Titan far away, and restored magic to all of Equestria.

He also repaired the Unity Crystals, which had been destroyed during the battle, and with everything back to normal, Sonic let go of the Emeralds, which scattered across the world. Pipp then put on a grand concert to celebrate his victory over Eggman.

And then, all was peaceful... but peace is fleeting, and doesn't last forever.

The full moon hung high over Equestria, illuminating with its cold, silver light the vast fields, thick forests, and majestic mountains that made up the magical land. The night's calm seemed undisturbed, but that night, something disturbing was stirring deep within the earth. An invisible shadow, dense and oppressive, began to spread from the very bowels of the kingdom.

In the Crystal Brighthouse, Knuckles the Echidna looked out over the landscape from the balcony of the Crystal Room. The air, usually fresh and invigorating, felt heavy, as if an unknown force was trying to smother life itself. In the distance, the deputy of Maretime Bay could see the lights of the city of Zephyr Heights, its inhabitants still unaware of the impending danger. But he felt it, he knew it deep within: an ancient darkness, beyond what the legends told, had awakened.

The next morning, the dining room of the Crystal Brighthouse was in a state of turmoil. Izzy and Misty murmured amongst themselves, exchanging worried glances as Hitch and Shadow reinforced the lighthouse's doors and windows. It was not an unfounded rumor; a dark, almost imperceptible mist had begun to brew in various points of Equestria for the past week. At first glance, it seemed like a natural phenomenon, but those who got too close to these pockets of darkness began to show signs of illness and disorientation.

"All the reports are consistent," Tails said after a while, as he scanned through notes and messages with a frown. "This mist isn't natural. Its origin is magical, and its spread seems to accelerate with each passing hour."

Knuckles nodded, his stern face showing concern. Sonic and Sunny were outside, trying to investigate the cracks and the gloom that comes from them, so he has, in a way, taken on the role of leader in their absence.

"What do the ponies in Bridlewood and Zephyr Heights know?" Knuckles asked, keeping his voice steady, although inside he felt the same uneasiness as everyone else.

"As expected, they are terrified," Zipp answered as she reviewed notes on her phone for herself. "Some claim to have seen shadowy figures in the mist, while others report a feeling of drowning, as if the earth itself were sick. I heard something about hallucinations of crimson red hands with eyes in their palms."

Knuckles was silent for a moment, weighing his options. He couldn't let panic take hold of his friends, nor the rest of Equestria, but he couldn't ignore the growing threat either. He made a decision.

"Word must be spread to everypony immediately," He announced. "They must be warned to avoid these areas contaminated by the mist. No one is to approach without proper protection, and the leaders and warriors of each city are to prepare to defend their lands. In the meantime, we must investigate to the point of exhaustion to determine the source of this mysterious gloom. The last thing we need is everypony to panic, specially after what happened with Eggman."

Zipp nodded, her eyes flickering with determination. "I'll handle the communication with Zephyr Heights. My mom can help calm the city while I gather a team of experts to examine the mist up close."

"I'll contact Alphabittle in Bridlewood," Izzy offered, stepping forward with confidence. "He can rally the unicorns to keep a safe distance, and I'll work with the ponies on counter-spells to see if we can contain it."

"Sounds good to me," Knuckles nodded, hoping that their efforts would be enough for the moment.

Discord had a feeling that something bad was about to happen.

Ever since that strange gloom began to emerge from the depths of the ruins of Canterlot Castle, the draconequus knew that something was not right. He had not felt this uneasy since the times of Opaline, the cause of the fall of Equestria so many centuries ago. Now, something strange and evil was emerging from the bowels of the earth, and Discord did not like it at all.

He knew that this was only the beginning. He could not rely only on the investigations on the surface that he knew were being carried out by ponies and unwanted visitors. He had to act personally, explore the secrets that the castle had kept for generations, secrets that not even he himself had dared to investigate so far.

Discord entered the castle and headed towards a door hidden behind an ancient tapestry. It was an entrance that only the monarchs of Equestria knew of, an entrance to the deepest levels of the castle, far below the dungeons where prisoners were usually imprisoned. These passages had been sealed centuries ago, after a legendary battle that occurred centuries ago, known as the Imprisoning War. Discord discovered this place by mistake a long time ago, and Twilight scolded him, making him bow to never go beyond the door, and Discord huffed before bowing to never cross that path.

However, an ancient urge drove the draconequus to venture further and brake that promise.

With a firm step, Discord snapped his fingers to create a floating torch that followed him closely, and descended the stone staircase, each step resonating with a hollow echo that seemed to be devoured by the surrounding darkness. The air grew colder and more humid as he descended, and a feeling of oppression increased with each step. Although he was a large and intimidating creature if he wanted it to be, Discord couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. This was not a place made for the living.

After what seemed like an eternity, the staircase finally came to an end, giving way to a wide corridor carved into the living rock. The torchlight barely managed to illuminate the arches and columns that supported the ceiling of the hall. On the walls, inscriptions in an ancient language, unknown even to the most erudite, seemed to tell stories of forgotten times. Some showed scenes of epic battles between heroes and dark creatures, others represented rituals whose purposes were incomprehensible.

Discord moved forward, guided by an impulse he could not fully understand. Something deep within him drew him to this place, a barely perceptible whisper that reminded him of another promise he made to Twilight long ago, to protect Equestria no matter what. He reached an imposing gate at the end of the hall, made of a black metal that did not reflect light, with engravings that seemed to pulse with an energy of their own. Discord stopped before it, feeling the atmosphere thicken, almost as if the air itself was trying to push him back, away from that forbidden threshold.

Before he could make a decision, however, the torch behind him began to flicker. The flame, which until then had been constant, flickered weakly, as if it were being smothered by an invisible presence. The draconequus felt a pressure on his chest, an overwhelming weight that forced him back. Something, or someone, did not wish him to continue. However, Discord knew that this was not a time to give in to fear. Equestria's survival might depend on what he discovered in this place.

With a titanic effort, he took another step towards the gate. But then, from deep in the corridor, a dull, rhythmic sound began to rumble, like the beating of a giant heart. The vibration ran through the walls, causing the ground to tremble beneath his feet. As the sound grew louder, the dark mist, the same one that had begun to invade Equestria, began to seep from the cracks in the walls and floor, enveloping the gate in a thick haze.

Discord took a step back, his mind filled with questions. Despite his determination, he knew that continuing forward at this moment would be reckless. He was not yet prepared to face whatever awaited in the depths of the castle. However, one thing was clear: This mysterious gloom, this dark mist, was not just an emerging threat. It was a harbinger of something far more sinister, something that had been waiting for its chance to surface for centuries.

Discord slowly retreated, the torch barely lighting his way back. The hallway, which at first seemed to lead to answers, now only seemed to offer more questions. As he ascended the stairs, his mind worked frantically, planning his next steps. He should summon Sunny and Sonic, willy-nilly, tell them about this place, and hope that they would have the courage to venture further. But above all, he had to keep Equestria calm and united. The kingdom had faced many threats before, but this... this was different.

When Discord emerged from the underground levels, the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon, but the light of the new day brought no comfort. The dark mist continued to spread, slowly but inexorably, across Equestria. Deep in his heart, the draconequus knew that dark times were coming, and that the future of the kingdom would depend on the decisions everyone made in the days to come. As Discord watched the sunrise, he realized that the fight would not be easy. However, he was willing to make any sacrifice necessary to protect the kingdom and preserve peace.

And so, with a mixture of determination and fear, Discord prepared to face the darkness that was coming. For deep within the earth, far beyond the foundations of the castle, something ancient and powerful had awakened. Something that would not stop until it consumed everything they knew and loved.

Author's Note

I honestly can't believe it's happening... Again!

After cancelling this story previously, I finally had come down to a new result that I can get behind to! Now is a matter of finishing the story at all.

As the description says, this story is taking place on BronySonicFan's saga that started with Sonic The Hedgehog x My Little Pony: A New Generation. However, I'll give context to all the important things that have happened there.

In case you wonder, Andy himself (a.k.a. BronySonicFan) gave me his "blessing" to put this story together. In fact, he made the cover art himself, and he even offered to help me put a timeline to when does this story happen so it won't mess with previous work, even though it messes with the upcoming one.

Take this story as an alternate outcome to what could've been the story's direction. No need to hate my story nor his in case you like one direction better than the other one.

Anyways. I really hope you guys can enjoy this story, and I also hope you like it, Andy! You're the reason why I made it, after all!

Chapter 1: The Calm Before the Storm

Darkness was rising from the depths of the earth, and Sunny Starscout could feel it.

Sunlight was just beginning to bathe the vast landscape of Equestria as Sunny found herself deep in thought in the Brighthouse breakfast room. The early hours of the morning had always brought her peace, a respite before the responsibilities of the day began to weigh on her shoulders. But lately, that tranquility was increasingly plagued by a sense of unease she couldn't shake.

Sitting at a wooden table adorned with ancient scrolls and dusty books, Sunny reviewed a series of texts her father had collected over the years. Each one had to do with the Zonai, an ancient civilization shrouded in mystery, whose ruins had intrigued archaeologists and scholars of Equestria for generations, including her father, Argyle. The wisdom of the Zonai, especially in regards to magic and technology, surpassed even what they had achieved themselves, and now, with the appearance of the mysterious gloom, Sunny felt that perhaps they had been the key to avoiding the danger that loomed over the kingdom.

She ran her hoof over one of the scrolls, brushing against the unknown symbols. She knew that many of these texts contained fragments of forgotten knowledge, but deciphering them was a challenge. Even with the help of the most renowned scholars, the secrets of the Zonai remained largely inaccessible. She barely knew that, in the distant past, they were considered gods who descended from the heavens and helped shape the world as it is today.

However, something deep within her told her that she should continue her research, that within these pages she might find the answer she so desperately needed. She was beginning to consider the idea of cutting her hair shorter. Cutting her mane would not only make her feel more comfortable, she also felt like it wouldn't fall off any time soon because of how stressed she was with this whole thing.

But her thoughts soon drifted to another issue that had been plaguing her since Eggman's defeat three weeks ago. After the victory, she had made the decision to train herself to learn more about magic and spells. After all, she was nowhere near ready to face a real threat, and her loss to Eggman was clear proof of that. She wanted to be ready for any other threat no matter how big or small.

However, now that darkness was beginning to emerge once again, she couldn't help but wonder if she was truly ready. What if she fell defeated again because she still wasn't ready to fight? What if, in her desire to advance and improve as an Alicorn and warrior, she had only set herself back?

Sunny sighed, her eyes scanning the vast collection of texts before her. She was caught between two eras: The past, with its mysteries and dangers, and the future, uncertain and full of challenges. As she reflected on the decisions she had made, a feeling of anguish washed over her. The peace she had achieved three weeks ago, though temporary, now seemed as fragile as a leaf in the wind.

Soon enough, Hitch entered to the Brighthouse quietly, his hooves barely making a sound on the floor. He'd become accustomed to Sunny's early morning rituals, knowing how much she cherished the quiet before the day truly began. But today, even from a distance, he could tell that something was different. There was a tension in the air that wasn't there before.

"Morning, Sunny," Hitch said softly as he approached the table. He gave her a warm smile, though his own eyes betrayed a hint of worry. "I thought I'd check in before heading to the station. There's… uh, been more reports about the gloom."

Sunny looked up from the scroll she had been staring at, her eyes meeting Hitch's. For a moment, the weight of her worries seemed to flicker behind her emerald gaze. She quickly masked it, though. She didn't want to burden Hitch with her anxieties. Not now.

"What kind of reports?" Sunny asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Hitch pulled a small device from his own saddlebag and placed it on the table. The screen flickered as it tried to display the data they'd been gathering over the past few weeks. Sunny glanced at it and saw the same distortion that had become all too familiar. The gloom wasn't just a physical phenomenon; it was disrupting everything they touched, including technology.

"It's spreading," Hitch said, his tone grave. "Every time we try to study it, the tech either malfunctions or outright shuts down. We're not getting any closer to figuring out what it is or where it's coming from."

Sunny frowned, her heart sinking further. If the gloom was affecting their technology, then their ability to counteract it was shrinking by the day. Worse still, it meant that the Zonai knowledge she was searching for might be their only hope—and she still had no idea how to unlock its secrets.

"I've been researching my father's old writings, but I haven't found anything yet that can help us stop this darkness," Sunny said with a concerned frown. "I'm worried that this will continue to spread beyond our control..."

She stared down at the scrolls again, her hoof tracing the ancient symbols. For a moment, she thought about telling Hitch everything—about her doubts, her fears, the way Eggman's defeat had left her feeling more vulnerable than victorious. But when she glanced up at him, she saw the concern in his eyes, and she realized he already knew.

"It's because of him, isn't it?" Hitch said quietly. "Eggman. What he did… it's still weighing on you."

Sunny's breath caught in her throat. She opened her mouth to protest, to say that she was fine, that she had moved past it, but the words wouldn't come. Because the truth was, Hitch was right. She hadn't moved past it. The victory over Eggman had felt hollow, like a temporary reprieve instead of a true win. The fact that Sonic's the one that defeated him on his own didn't helped. And now, with the gloom rising, it was as if everything she feared had come rushing back all at once.

"I just… I don't know if I'm ready, Hitch," Sunny whispered, finally giving voice to the doubt that had been gnawing at her. "I've been training, learning magic, pushing myself to be better. But what if it's not enough? What if I fail again?"

Hitch considered the idea of doing what he always did: Tell her she's amazing, that she's not at fault, that she's stronger than she believes. However, he has told her several times in the past, and repeating it now wouldn't make her feel better, just that he practiced this before meeting her in case he found her feeling vulnerable.

Hitch took a deep breath, choosing his next words carefully. He knew Sunny needed more than just encouragement. She needed reassurance that went beyond the surface, something that could ground her amidst the chaos swirling around them.

"Sunny," He began slowly, "I don't have all the answers. None of us do. But I think you've proven time and again that you don't need to have everything figured out to make a difference. You've already shown you're willing to step into the unknown, to face whatever's coming, even if it scares you. That's what makes you ready."

Sunny's eyes remained fixed on the table, though Hitch could see her mind turning over his words. He pressed on, his voice steady but gentle.

"I don't think any of us really know if we're ready until we're in the middle of the fight. And even then, it's not about whether we feel prepared. It's about what we do when the moment comes."

Sunny let out a soft sigh, finally looking back up at him. The weight of everything—the darkness, her self-doubt, the responsibilities she felt—was still there, but there was a flicker of something else now. Determination. She wasn't the type to back down, not when so much was at stake.

She then looked at Hitch and hugged him tightly with a smile, nuzzling slightly against him. Hitch blushed like mad at this, feeling his heart skip a beat at the unexpected gesture, but he found himself smiling regardless and returning the hug and nuzzle alike.

"Thank you, Hitch... I don't know what would I ever do without you."

Hitch felt a warmth in his chest at Sunny's words, though he quickly cleared his throat to shake off the flustered feeling. "You don't have to worry about that," He said with a grin. "I'm not going anywhere."

Sunny smiled softly, feeling a little lighter, but deep inside, doubt still lingered. As she looked out the window after breaking her embrace with Hitch, watching the sun rise in the sky, the Earth Pony realized that time for reflection was running out. The darkness that loomed over Equestria would not wait, and she had to be ready to face whatever was awakening in the depths of the earth.

With renewed resolve, Sunny headed to a large library in the Brighthouse, ready to continue her search for answers. She knew the road ahead would be arduous and dangerous, but she also knew she was not alone. She had Hitch and the rest of her friends by her side. Together, they faced challenges in the past, and together they would face whatever now threatened the peace of Equestria.

Yet deep in her heart, Sunny could not shake the feeling that this time the danger was different. Older, more powerful. And as she walked through the halls of the library, desperately searching through the ancient tomes, the mare couldn't help but feel that the coming storm would be the darkest Equestria had ever known.

Sonic faced a lot of challenges on his life.

From gods rising from the very depths of the planet itself to giant robots that loomed over the world and its conquer. But a mysterious gloom that made anyone that touched it fall sick out of nowhere? Now that was something new and dangerous, and for the first time ever, he didn't liked it.

He was standing with Tails, Knuckles and Amy near one of the cracks from which that mysterious gloom comes out. Since many have fallen ill and even schizophrenic because of the gloom, they had no choice but to study it from afar, but they all preferred it that way.

Tails pointed his Miles Electric to the crack, scanning it the best he could, but just like it has been happening with all the tech that's near the gloom, the device flickered, and the data that it was supposed to show glitched in failure.

Sonic crossed his arms, watching the Miles Electric flicker before giving out completely. He let out a frustrated sigh, tapping his foot in impatience. "Well, that's a bust," He muttered. "This gloom stuff is starting to get on my nerves."

Tails frowned, staring down at the malfunctioning device in his hands. "It's not just you, Sonic. This stuff is affecting everything—machines, magic, even the natural environment. We can't get any solid readings, and we're running out of options." He glanced up, concern etched on his face. "I've never seen anything like it."

Amy stepped forward, her usual optimism tinged with worry. "It's like the gloom isn't just a physical threat… it's something more. It messes with everything it touches—like it's corrupting reality itself."

Knuckles, ever the skeptic, folded his arms and furrowed his brow. "So what's the plan then? If we can't get close to it, we can't study it, and we definitely can't fight it. Are we just going to wait around and hope it goes away?"

Sonic shook his head. "No way. Waiting's not an option. Too many ponies are already getting sick because of this stuff. We need answers, and fast." He glanced back at Tails. "Even if the tech's not working, there's gotta be another way to figure this out, right?"

Tails scratched his head, clearly frustrated by the lack of progress. "I've been thinking about that," He said, turning away from the cracked screen of the Miles Electric. "If technology can't handle it, we might need to turn to something that's less reliant on electronics… or maybe something older."

"Older?" Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Magic," Tails replied, his voice uncertain. "Or ancient knowledge. Whatever this gloom is, it doesn't seem to play by the rules of modern science. But there are stories, legends even, about things like this. I think we need to tap into resources that date back way before any of us, just like Sunny's been doing."

Amy perked up at the mention of magic. "That might not be such a bad idea. If the gloom is something ancient, then maybe the answers are in ancient magic too." She paused, then added, "What about the Chaos Emeralds? Could they help?"

Sonic's face brightened slightly at the suggestion. "I've thought about that, too. The Emeralds have always been our go-to when things get out of control. But this gloom is something else." His voice trailed off, and he stared at the dark crack in the ground where the ominous substance continued to ooze out. "I just don't know if they'll be enough this time."

Tails tapped his chin thoughtfully. "It's possible the Emeralds could amplify magic that we don't even understand yet. But the problem is that this gloom isn't just raw power—it's more like corruption, like Amy said. And the Emeralds might not work the way we expect."

Knuckles, who had been listening intently, sighed. "So we need magic, we need ancient knowledge, and we probably need to find a way to use the Chaos Emeralds in a way we've never tried before. No pressure, right?"

Sonic smirked, though it didn’t reach his eyes. "Right. No pressure at all."

Suddenly, he heard a voice calling his name, and he instinctively started to look around for the source, as he has been doing for weeks now, until the voice spoke again and he looked in certain direction, where the voice seemed to come from.

Truth to be told, Sonic's been hearing that same voice ever since those cracks in the ground appeared all across Equestria. He had no clue on why only he could hear it, because he told his friends about it, and yet only he seems to be hearing it. The strangest thing of all is that he kind of recognizes the voice.

Sonic's ears twitched as the familiar voice whispered his name once again, distant yet unmistakable. It was soft, almost like a breeze, but with a strange resonance that sent chills down his spine. Every time he heard it, it pulled at something deep within him, like a forgotten memory trying to resurface.

"Sonic?" Amy's voice snapped him back to reality. She had noticed his distracted expression, her brow furrowed with concern. "Are you okay?"

Sonic blinked, shaking his head to clear the fog of the mysterious voice. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just..." He hesitated. Should he mention the voice again? Every time he brought it up, it only seemed to deepen the confusion for both himself and his friends. But this time felt different, more urgent.

"You heard it again, didn't you?" Tails asked, his gaze sharpening as he picked up on Sonic's hesitation. He was always perceptive when it came to his best friend.

Sonic nodded slowly. "Yeah. It's the same voice. And it's getting stronger. I don't know what it wants, but... I think it's trying to lead me somewhere."

"Lead you?" Knuckles crossed his arms, his expression skeptical. "Or is it trying to trick you? For all we know, this gloom could be playing mind games with you."

"I've thought of that," Sonic admitted, frowning. "But it doesn't feel like a trick. It's not... sinister. If anything, it feels like a warning. Like whoever this is, they're trying to help."

Tails looked at Sonic thoughtfully. "If that's the case, we might need to follow the lead. Even if we don't fully understand it, you hearing this voice could be a key to figuring out what's going on with the gloom."

Sonic bit his lip. It was a risk, but he trusted his instincts. And right now, every part of him was telling him that this voice was important. "I don't have any better ideas," He said with a shrug, trying to keep his tone light. "If it's trying to show me something, I'm going to listen. I'll take anything that helps at this point."

Knuckles grunted, still unconvinced, but he gave a nod. "Alright, but if this voice leads us into a trap, don't say I didn't warn you."

Amy, ever the optimist, smiled warmly at Sonic. "We trust you. If you think this voice is trying to help, then let's follow it. We've faced worse things before."

Tails adjusted his goggles, his face a mix of curiosity and concern. "Where is it leading you? Can you feel it now?"

Sonic closed his eyes, focusing on the voice that had been haunting him for weeks. It was clearer now, more insistent, as if it knew he was paying attention. "It's pulling me towards the forest near Maretime Bay. Huh. That place seems to draw attention most of the time. That's where I found the first two Emeralds the month after magic was restored for the first time. Now it calls me again..."

Tails tilted his head, clearly intrigued. "The forest near Maretime Bay… There's definitely something about that place. It's connected to magic and now this gloom. If that's where the voice is leading you, then it's worth checking out."

Amy gave a determined nod, her usual optimism shining through. "We should head there as soon as possible. If it's connected to the Emeralds, then it might hold the key to understanding this gloom."

Knuckles grunted, still skeptical but ready for action. "Sounds like a plan. If that forest's got answers, let's find them. Just don't expect me to trust any mysterious voices until I see the proof."

Sonic smirked. "Fair enough, Knux. But something tells me we're going to find more than just answers."

A few days later, Sonic and Sunny were walking through the forest near Maretime Bay.

Due to several factors, like Tails being chosen to open an investigation facility fully dedicated to study the Zonai; Knuckles supervising the Lookout Landing that's being built near the abandoned Canterlot City to study the gloom that's coming from beneath the ruins of the castle; and Amy, along Hitch and Team Dark, trying to recruit some ponies to form some sort of army—which she wants to call Monster-Control Crew—that dedicates themselves to fight against some strange monsters that have been appearing for the past weeks.

Not to mention that both Zipp and Pipp went to Zephyr Heights to help their Mom with preparing their army to fight, just in case; Izzy is in Bridlewood trying to show some spells to the other unicorns, and Misty is currently trying to research more about the Zonai. She's highly considering joining the team that Tails is trying to build.

With their friends busy with other stuff, that leaves Sonic and Sunny on their own to investigate the source of the mysterious voice that Sonic keeps hearing.

As Sonic and Sunny ventured deeper into the forest near Maretime Bay, the air seemed to grow heavier, the usual vibrant energy of Equestria dampened by an eerie stillness. The path ahead was overgrown, the trees towering high above them, their branches twisting into gnarled shapes that blocked out most of the sunlight. It was unsettling, even for someone as fearless as Sonic.

"This place definitely feels... off," Sunny remarked, her eyes scanning the dense undergrowth. She could sense the ancient magic that lingered here. "Are you sure this is where the voice is leading you?"

Sonic nodded, though there was a seriousness in his expression that Sunny wasn't used to seeing. "Yeah. It's getting stronger the closer we get. I can't explain it, but it feels like... it's guiding me."

Sunny glanced at him, sensing his unease. "You don't think it's a trap, do you?"

Sonic shrugged, trying to stay lighthearted. "Could be. But if it is, we'll deal with it like we always do." He shot her a confident grin, but Sunny could see the tension in his stance. He wasn't entirely sure, and that uncertainty made her nervous.

They continued in silence for a while, the only sound being the crunch of leaves beneath their hooves and shoes. The deeper they went, the more the trees seemed to close in around them. It was as if the forest itself was watching, waiting.

Suddenly, Sonic placed an arm in front of Sunny to make her stop.

"What?" Sunny asked confused, looking around. "What't the matter?"

Sonic shushed her, then he proceeded to quietly walk ahead, pass some bushes. Sunny followed him, being as quiet as she could. She had no clue what Sonic heard, but she trusted in his instincts.

Sonic moved the bushes aside, then immediately ducked down. Sunny followed his example, although confused.

"What's going on?" Sunny whispered to Sonic confused.

Sonic simply gestured with his head to whatever was at the other side of the bushes, also placing a finger on his lips, as if telling her to stay quiet.

Peeking through the bushes, Sunny's eyes widened at the sight before her. A group of creatures she had never seen in her life were gathered in the clearing. They were unlike any of the monsters or animals that roamed Equestria—twisted and menacing, their very presence unsettling. These creatures were roughly the size of ponies, with hunched bodies covered in rough, leathery skin that varied from sickly green to reddish-brown.

Their faces were grotesque, with large, beady eyes that gleamed with malice. Sharp, jagged teeth jutted out from their wide mouths, and their noses were small and pig-like. But what stood out most were the horns—long, twisted, and sharp. They curved menacingly from the tops of their heads, almost like blades. The horns seemed to glisten in the dim light filtering through the trees, as if ready to strike fear into anyone who crossed their path.

Sunny's heart raced as she watched the creatures, trying to stay as still and quiet as possible. The monsters, which neither she nor Sonic had ever seen before, moved in a coordinated manner, grunting and growling to each other as if communicating. Some of them carried crude weapons—clubs made of gnarled wood and stone, spears with jagged tips—but their horns alone looked dangerous enough to take down anything in their way.

"What are those things?" Sunny whispered, her voice barely audible as she crouched beside Sonic.

Sonic frowned, his eyes locked on the creatures. "No idea. Never seen anything like them, and that's saying something." He kept his voice low but alert, watching as one of the creatures sniffed the air, its ears twitching. "But those horns… they're not just for show."

Sunny swallowed hard, trying to keep calm. The creatures—Bokoblins, though neither of them knew their name—were monstrous in both appearance and behavior. They were clearly intelligent enough to work together, and their horns, curved and razor-sharp, added an extra layer of danger.

The Bokoblins moved with a feral grace, their long limbs carrying them swiftly through the clearing as they scavenged the area. One of them, larger than the others, let out a deep, guttural growl that made the others pause. It raised its spear, pointing toward a path that led deeper into the forest, as if signaling the group to move forward.

Sonic's instincts screamed at him to stay hidden. He could tell that these creatures were dangerous—more dangerous than the usual threats they faced in Equestria. He glanced at Sunny, his expression serious. "We need to be careful. Whatever these things are, they're not here for a friendly visit."

Sunny nodded, her mind racing. "Do you think they have anything to do with the gloom?"

"Maybe," Sonic replied, his voice tense. "Or they may be here because of it. But one thing's for sure—they’re not from around here. Let's stay quiet and keep our guard high up. I'd rather avoid conflict with whatever those things are."

Sunny's heart pounded as she crouched low beside Sonic, watching the Bokoblins move deeper into the forest. Every instinct in her screamed to run, but she knew better. These creatures were dangerous, and she and Sonic were outnumbered. Avoiding a fight was their best option for now.

Sonic, his muscles tensed and ready to spring into action if needed, slowly backed away from the bushes. He motioned for Sunny to follow, carefully retracing their steps to put some distance between them and the monstrous creatures. The two of them moved in silence, stepping lightly to avoid snapping twigs or rustling the undergrowth.

After two hours of walking, Sonic and Sunny reached an area of the forest that neither of them had ever seen before, just after crossing a large hollow tree trunk. Thankfully, they weren't followed by any of those Bokoblins, so they were sage—for now, that is.

This area they reached was quite bright, with the treetops being higher than usual, and yet, sunlight filtered through the leaves. The path was rocky, but there was a small stream in it. Some small creatures, so small that they didn't even come up to Sonic's knees, approached them. Their faces were hidden under masks made of wood, or maybe the masks were their faces. Truth be told, neither Sonic nor Sunny were sure if they wanted to know.

Throughout the journey, Sonic kept hearing the mysterious voice calling him, and the closer they got, the louder it became. He was convinced now that, whatever this voice was, it was trying to guide him to something.

Some of the small creatures approached to Sonic and Sunny, looking up to them as they jumped like little kids, some even holding small branches and making strange noises.

"You're finally here, Mr. Hero!" One of the creatures said in a high-pitched voice. "We've been waiting for you."

Sonic and Sunny looked confused at each other, then back at the creature. "Um... You're talking to me?" Sonic asked, pointing at himself.

The small creature, barely reaching Sonic's knees, nodded enthusiastically, its wooden mask bobbing up and down. "Yes! Yes, of course, we mean you!" Its high-pitched voice was filled with excitement. "The hero who can hear the voice! We knew you'd come!"

Sonic blinked, exchanging another bewildered look with Sunny. "Hero? Wait, slow down a bit. What are you talking about? Who's been waiting for me?"

Sunny crouched down to get a better look at the creatures, her curiosity piqued despite the confusion. "These little guys... they seem harmless, but how do they know who you are?"

"And most importantly: What are you?" Sonic asked confused.

The small creature hopped in place, almost like it couldn't contain itself. "We're Korok! We're the children of the forest, and it talked to us, and it spoke of you, the one who can hear the voice! We’ve been watching, waiting for you to arrive." It motioned to the other Korok, who were now gathering around, their masked faces turned up toward Sonic and Sunny with awe.

Sonic scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit out of his element. "Okay... so you're saying the forest knew I'd come here because of the voice I keep hearing? That's... convenient, to put it in some sort of way..."

The Korok nodded eagerly, its wooden mask wobbling as it spoke. "Yes, yes! The forest knows many things. It whispers to those who listen, and it told us that the one who could hear the ancient voice would come to help!" It gestured toward the path ahead, where the sunlight filtered through the trees in soft, golden beams.

Sunny stood up, her eyes wide with fascination. "This is incredible! These creatures... they must be connected to the ancient magic of Equestria and maybe even the Zonai. They seem to know about the voice that's been guiding you, Sonic."

Sonic, still trying to wrap his head around what was happening, looked down at the Korok who had spoken to him. "Alright, so if the forest is expecting me, what exactly am I supposed to do here? You said something about me helping, but what do you need?"

"Is not us who need anything, is Equestria," The Korok spoke, although their voice made them sound like a happy child that could not understand the gravity of their own words. They then got behind Sonic and pushed his leg, or rather tried to, because they were too small and weak to do so. "Come on, come on! Papa and the sword are waiting for you!"

Sonic raised an eyebrow, glancing down at the tiny Korok attempting to push him forward. "Papa and the sword?" he asked, his tone filled with confusion but also curiosity. "Hold up, who's 'Papa'? And what sword are you talking about?"

The korok didn't answered and just kept pushing Sonic to move forward. He looked at Sunny, who shrugged with a little smile, and Sonic sighed with an eye roll before moving ahead. The rocky path was pretty short, and led to a pedestal in the middle of the forest where a sword rested.

The moment Sonic saw the sword, he stopped dead in his tracks, completely frozen in place. The sword in question was long and silver, with gold detailing and a sort of crown-like ornament. The handle was silver with a gold tip, and a faint golden glint surrounded the blade of the sword.

"Excalibur?!" Sonic exclaimed in disbelief, taking a step back. "No... No, this isn't possible..."

Sunny frowned, looking at Sonic with concern. "Excalibur? What are you talking about, Sonic? You recognize this sword?"

Sonic nodded, his expression filled with disbelief as he took another hesitant step toward the pedestal. "Yeah, I know this sword. I used it when I got sucked into that weird King Arthur book. It's Excalibur—the legendary sword of the King. But..." He trailed off, his gaze fixed on the blade. "It shouldn't be here. That was a whole different world, a different timeline. How could Excalibur be in Equestria?"

Sunny’s eyes widened, both curious and concerned. "You mean... you've used this sword before? In another world?" She stepped closer, looking at the gleaming sword in the pedestal. "But if it's here now, maybe it's connected to the voice you've been hearing."

Sonic rubbed his forehead, trying to process everything. "I don't know. None of this makes sense." He looked at Sunny, his eyes filled with doubt. "I left that whole thing behind. After I freed the Knights of the Round Table and restored peace, I thought that was it. Excalibur disappeared, just like the book. I never imagined it could show up here."

"That's because the sword belongs to you, young hero," A voice suddenly spoke, shaking the ground beneath them.

Sunny and Sonic looked around confused, in search of the source of the voice, until they both looked up and gasped: A giant tree, in the middle of the forest, with big pink leaves at the top, and with a face looked at them. The tree could not move more than its bare face, and as it looked down at Sonic and Sunny, he did so with a calm expression.

"Is is good to see you..." The tree spoke with calm and wisdom alike. "Sunny Starscout, the Princess of Hope. And you, the rightful king of Camelot, Sonic the Hedgehog. After all this time, I'm glad we can finally meet each other. My name has vary from one person to the other, but most have called me Great Deku Tree. I am the guardian of this forest, a place only those with a pure heart can access, those like you two."

Sonic and Sunny stood in awe as the enormous tree, with its wise, ancient face etched into its bark, spoke to them. Its voice was deep and resonant, filling the forest with an air of reverence. The tree's massive pink leaves shimmered in the sunlight, casting a soft glow over the clearing.

"Wait, wait, hold up!" Sonic said, raising his hands as if to stop the entire situation. "King of Camelot? That's ancient history—literally. I'm just Sonic, and the whole 'king' thing was more of a... temporary gig."

Sunny, her eyes wide with astonishment, glanced from the tree to Sonic. "King of Camelot? You didn't mention that part!" She exclaimed, still trying to grasp everything that was happening.

Sonic sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's a long story. Let's just say I got pulled into this weird alternate universe where I had to play the role of King Arthur. But that was a while ago! I never thought that part of my life would come back to haunt me."

The Deku Tree, still watching them with a serene expression, chuckled softly, the sound like the rustling of leaves in the wind. "You may believe that your time as the king was temporary, but the sword has chosen you. Excalibur is bound to you, as it has always been. You were never just a visitor to that world, Sonic. You are the one destined to wield the sword of kings, no matter the world you find yourself in."

Sonic stared at the tree, trying to wrap his head around the revelation. "Destined? Look, I'm not the 'destiny' type. I just do what I have to—run fast, save the day, and move on. But Excalibur? I thought I left that whole adventure behind."

The tree's branches swayed gently, almost as if it were nodding. "The path of a hero is never linear, Sonic. Though you may have believed that journey to be over, Excalibur has returned to you for a reason. There is a great darkness spreading across the land—one that threatens Equestria. The sword is calling to you, as its been doing for a while now."

Before Sonic could question the tree, the voice he's been hearing talked again, and now it was clear who talked to him. His gaze drifted to the sword on the pedestal, glimmering for a moment in a golden light before it turned back to its regular silver color.

"Sonic..." The voice spoke, loud and clear. It was Caliburn's voice, coming out of the sword.

It made sense for Sonic, since Excalibur was Caliburn's final form. If it was talking to him now, but as Excalibur, then whatever danger loomed over Equestria was even bigger now if it required such a powerful blade to be driven from the world it belongs to this one.

"The voice..." Sonic said, stepping closer to Excalibur. "It comes from the sword... But why is Caliburn talking to me like this?" He looked up to the tree. "If I recall correctly, Caliburn had a face, and he communicated with me that way. Why is he now talking in my mind, and only mine?"

The Great Deku Tree let out a soft sigh, its branches swaying gently in the wind. "It is because the connection between you and Caliburn, or Excalibur as it now appears, has deepened beyond the physical form. In your previous journey, you unlocked the true potential of the blade, but its spirit now exists within you as well. Caliburn no longer needs a physical face to speak—he speaks directly to your soul, to the one destined to wield him."

Sonic stared at the sword in disbelief. "So, you're saying Caliburn's... a part of me now?"

"Indeed," The Deku Tree replied. "The bond between a hero and their sword is eternal. Caliburn has chosen you not just as a wielder, but as his equal. He senses the great threat that looms, just as you do, and he calls to you now because the danger is too great for either of you to face alone. Go on then, Sonic. Draw it once more."

Sonic looked down at the sword, knowing very well it belonged to him, yet still having doubts. He looked at Sunny for a moment, like if he looked for some sort of comfort or approval from her.

Sunny could see the distress on Sonic's face, and all she did was smile at him and nod, as a sign to assure him that this was fine, that it was his choice at the end of the day if he wanted to take the sword or not, even though it technically belongs to him according to the Deku Tree.

Sonic smiled back at her and nodded thankfully, then he looked back at the sword and took a deep breath before approaching it. He grabbed the handle with his right hand, which closed around it, as he felt a burst of power course across his right arm. Is as if the power of the sword mixed with his own the moment he touched.

After that, he effortlessly pulled the sword out of its pedestal, turning it around and wielding it without trouble. It was heavy, true, and yet he wielded it like nothing.

As Sonic held Excalibur in his hand, a wave of familiarity and power washed over him. The golden light that had briefly shimmered around the sword earlier now flared up, enveloping Sonic's arm and spreading through his entire body. He could feel the sword's energy resonating with his own, like two forces that were always meant to be united. The weight of the sword, though substantial, felt natural in his grip—an extension of himself.

"Sir Sonic..." The voice in Excalibur spoke again, but only on Sonic's mind. "Good to see you again..."

Sonic smiled slightly at the voice, yet he was more mesmerized by the fact it looked exactly as he remembered it. He looked at the blade from side to side, almost in disbelief, as if he were seeing it for the first time. The handle was so perfectly polished that it looked like it had just been made, and the blade shone so brightly that he could see his reflection in it. There were no nicks or scratches, it was untouched, as if it had never been used.

Sunny stepped ahead as Sonic looked at the blade, while she looked up to the Deku Tree with a smile. "Great Deku Tree, thank you so much."

The Deku Tree laughed, causing the ground to shake for a moment beneath their feet and hooves, although even then Sonic did not stop examining Excalibur. "There is no need for thanks. I merely watched over it, awaiting for its rightful owner to come and claim it once more."

For a moment, there was silence, during which Sonic kept checking the sword in his hands for any flaws. He couldn't believe for a second that a weapon like that didn't have any imperfections... And yet, there it was, looking brand new.

"I still remember when you talked about your adventure in Camelot," Sunny told Sonic as he kept checking Excalibur. "It is amazing that a sword can heal itself, no matter how badly damaged it becomes..."

"It can do more than heal," The Great Deku Tree spoke, surprising Sunny and even Sonic, who finally looked up to the talking tree. "The sword will continue to gain strength if bathed in sacred power. The stronger that power, the more powerful the sword becomes. The potential of this fabled blade may well be limitless."

Sonic had no words to describe how he felt. What could be stronger than this? The sword was able to wipe out Merlina's power at its peak. Is there anything even stronger than this?

"A sword... that grows even stronger," Sunny muttered in awe, now looking at the sword that Sonic held in his hand.

The blue hedgehog looked at it for a bit more, then it suddenly glimmered in a golden aura, as its power made a sheet suddenly appear on Sonic's back. Despite confused by this, Sonic also knew he might need it, considering the sword cannot move on its own anymore.

He finally finished checking the sword, then nodded and proceeded to sheathe it. That weight on his back, despite being somewhat uncomfortable, gave him the feeling of being almost invincible, even though he knows that is not the case.

"Great Deku Tree…" He finally spoke, clearing his throat, "the kingdom is plunged into fear by the gloom. Do we really need a sword as powerful as Excalibur to fight it back?"

For a moment, the Deku Tree remained silent. And then, he replied, "I only know that you must prepare yourself, you and all those you consider your allies. Equestria needs you again."

Author's Note

And here we are, with the first chapter of the story!

I'm glad to finally have this out, and Jesus Christ, I'm so excited to publish all the new stuff that's coming over. You guys are absolutely NOT ready for it!

Thanks again for reading! See you next time! :pinkiesmile:

Chapter 2: The Awakening

"YOU ARE WHAT NOW?!" Knuckles shouted with a twitchy eye.

"The voice comes from the sword?!" Tails asked in disbelief.

"YOU ARE A KING?!" Pipp asked in shock to her boyfriend. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TOLD ME THAT BEFORE?!"

"You talked with a tree?" Shadow asked with a bored expression, apparently that being the one thing he didn't believed.

After Sonic and Sunny returned from the mysterious and hidden Korok Forest—that's how the Korok's and Deku Tree's home is called—with Excalibur now on Sonic's hands, they had to explain everything to their friends, and its going as well as they both expected.

Sonic stood in the center of the group, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head as everyone bombarded him with questions. Sunny was next to him, trying not to laugh at how flustered he looked, especially in front of Pipp, whose wide eyes were demanding answers.

"Okay, okay, calm down, everyone!" Sonic said, raising his hands in an attempt to quiet the group. "Yeah, I guess I left out the whole 'King of Camelot' thing... but it wasn't like I asked for the title! It was a temporary thing, like I said!" He glanced nervously at Pipp, who was still looking at him like he had just revealed the biggest secret of his life. "It's complicated, alright?"

Pipp crossed her hooves and huffed. "You think maybe that was something you should've mentioned, Sonic?" Her voice was half-teasing, half-annoyed. "You're literally royalty in another world, and I had no idea!"

Sonic let out an exaggerated sigh, feeling cornered. "Well, technically I'm not royalty here..." He muttered, trying to dodge the heat. "Besides, that was ages ago. I didn't think it mattered!"

Tails, however, was less concerned with the royal title and more fascinated by the sword. He circled Sonic, eyeing the sheathed Excalibur on his back with curiosity. "So, you're telling me this sword can talk—inside your mind—and it's called Excalibur?" He stopped in front of Sonic, his brow furrowed in deep thought. "And it somehow followed you from another dimension? That's... that's amazing!"

Knuckles, still processing everything, crossed his arms and shook his head. "I'm more stuck on the whole tree thing," He grumbled. "A talking tree gave you back your magical sword? You can't make this stuff up!"

Shadow, meanwhile, leaned against a nearby wall, arms folded, his expression unimpressed. "A sword that talks, a mystical tree, and now you're a king. What's next, Sonic? You planning to open a history museum?" His voice was sarcastic, though Sonic knew it was just his way of processing the situation.

Sonic smirked, taking the teasing in stride. "Nah, too much paperwork for a king. Besides, I prefer to run fast and smash bad guys." He glanced at Excalibur, feeling its weight on his back. "But seriously, this sword is something else. If the Great Deku Tree is right, we might need its power to deal with whatever's coming. Although I'm still kinda lost on where he came from, or why this Korok Forest he lives in hasn't shown to anyone else besides Sunny and me."

"That's because you two have the purest heart out of them all, Hedgehog!" A voice suddenly spoke, one everyone could hears loud and clear.

"Oh no..." Sonic muttered in annoyance, knowing too well who was coming.

And then, a pot suddenly grew legs made of its plant's roots, walking around the group as it startled Misty and Amy, while Knuckles tried to smash it, Shadow tried to run over it, and Omega even prepared to shoot at it, but then the pot broke and the plant moved on its own now, trapping Sonic as it surrounded him, but the hedgehog's bored expression remained until the plant transformed into a strange creature.

The creature in question was made out of many animal parts, and it had very long white hair, a missing pinkie, and a long beard as well. The creature's face looked straight to Sonic in a mocking way, and Sonic looked even more annoyed than he was before.

"Oh yes, dear Sonic! It is I! The Lord of Chaos!" The creature presented himself, as more like him suddenly appeared, with some throwing flowers and confeti, while other clapped and whistled at him.

"Hello, Discord..." Sonic sighed and shook his head. "What do we owe the unfortunate visit you pay us today?"

"What a way to great a friend, Sonic. I expected better from you," Discord said with acted offense as he let hm go, crossed his arms and looked away of him.

"Intruder alert!" Omega shouted, pointing his weapons at Discord. "Activating defensive protocols!"

"Omega, wait!" Sunny shouted in horror with widened eyes.

But before Omega could shoot at him, Discord snapped his fingers, and so, Omega shoot... bubbles out of his weapons instead of the bullets he was supposed to. Izzy even started to chase some of the bubbles around, and Sparky wanted to pop some as well, thus leaving Amy and Team Dark confused, while the rest seemed... not used to this, but definitely not as lost as the newcomers.

"Uh... What's going on?" Rouge asked with an awkward chuckle.

"And who is this?" Amy asked with a forced smile and a twitchy eye.

"He's mine!" Shadow said in anger as he suddenly pulled out a sniper, charged it and pointed at Discord.

But before he could shoot, the draconequus yawned boredly and snapped his fingers, suddenly disappearing and also changing Shadow's gun for a water one instead.

And thus, Shadow shoot water of his weapon, hitting Knuckles and soaking him wet by mistake instead of shooting Discord as he wanted to. When the Ultimate Lifeform realized his mistake, he stopped shooting, and Knuckles coughed some water, glaring daggers at Shadow now, who looked confused at the water gun on his hands instead of the weapon he had.

"What the actual fuck?" Shadow questioned confused.

Discord reappeared, now laughing his ass off as he flew over Sonic, while the hedgehog groaned and rubbed his eyes with annoyance.

"Guys... this is Discord, the self-called 'Lord of Chaos'..." Sonic presented him tiredly. "He tried to destroy magic before a message of his death wife, girlfriend or whatever she was from him made him realize he was a fucking idiot and decided not to destroy it anymore. He's also to me what I am to Shadow, I believe..."

"An annoying prick I'd shoot any day of the week if I wanted to?" Shadow asked.

"Yeah," Sonic nodded.

"Dear God..."

"That's not a nice way to talk to your friends, Sonic," Discord said with an annoyed expression, mixing something on a cup before he ate the cup and left the liquid floating on his hand.

The scene had descended into absolute chaos, but that was to be expected when Discord was involved.

Discord took a sip from the floating liquid in his hand, slurping it obnoxiously as he hovered upside down, inches above Sonic's head. "Honestly, I expected a warmer welcome after all we’ve been through," He remarked, the liquid somehow not spilling out of the cup that wasn’t there anymore.

Sonic, still rubbing his temples, muttered, "We've been through this, Discord. You cause chaos, we clean it up. Classic you."

Sunny, ever the diplomat, stepped forward and smiled awkwardly. "Um, Discord, hi. Thanks for, uh, the bubbles? But… why exactly are you here?"

Discord flipped himself right-side-up, his tail twirling like a helicopter as he descended gracefully to the ground. "Ah, my dear Sunny," He began, conjuring a bouquet of sunflowers from thin air and handing them to her. "I came to offer my unique brand of assistance. After all, I couldn't possibly miss the chance to witness such a thrilling showdown against—" He paused dramatically, leaning in close to Sonic, "—the gloom!"

He then started to simulate that he got infected by the gloom, part of his body suddenly getting "infected" with a red malice that extended all over his chest until he fell to the ground "dead", his eyes now turned into a couples of X while his tongue lay out of his mouth.

"Should we cancel him for playing with actual ponies dying because of the gloom? I feel we should," Sonic said with a bored expression.

"Your modern terms mean nothing to me, dear Sonic," Another Discord said, suddenly appearing at Sonic's side and wrapping an arm around him, while the "dead" Discord in the floor disappeared.

Tails adjusted his goggles and gave Discord a curious look. "You know about the gloom?"

Discord grinned, his mismatched eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh, I know more than just the gloom. There's a storm of dark magic brewing, the likes of which Equestria hasn't seen in centuries. Its rising from the deeps of the earth itself, and most of it concentrates in the ruins of Canterlot. But I bet you already knew all of that."

"Yeah, we've been investigating on our own, Discord. We weren't born yesterday!" Knuckles said in anger, still soaking wet from Shadow's mishap with the water gun.

Discord smirked, floating lazily above the group as he twirled a cloud of cotton candy between his fingers. "Ah, Knucklehead, always so intense. I do so enjoy your attempts at seriousness." He flicked the cotton candy cloud, and it floated over to Knuckles, raining sprinkles on him. Knuckles grumbled but didn't even bother trying to wipe them off. He'd already learned that with Discord, resistance was futile.

"But really, you're all investigating this gloom business? How charming." Discord snapped his fingers, conjuring a massive, exaggerated magnifying glass over Tails' head, causing the fox to stumble backward under its weight. "Leave it to you lot to solve a cosmic mystery with good ol' detective work."

Tails managed to push the oversized magnifying glass away, his face determined. "It may not be as flashy as chaos magic, but we are making progress. The gloom started seeping out from Canterlot and spreading through cracks all across Equestria. We're trying to trace its origin—Wait, did you just said it's coming from the deeps of earth itself?!"

Discord's grin widened as he floated around the group, clearly relishing in the growing curiosity and tension. He snapped his fingers, and a miniature, three-dimensional map of Equestria appeared, hovering in the air between them. Dark tendrils of gloom began to rise from deep cracks in the map's surface, spreading ominously toward the landmarks they all recognized—Maretime Bay, Zephyr Heights, Bridlewood, and of course, the epicenter: The ruins of Canterlot.

"That's right, my dear Tails," Discord said, his voice dropping to a more serious tone as he pointed to the darkest part of the map, where Canterlot once stood tall. "The gloom isn't just some magical anomaly floating around. It's rising from deep beneath the surface, a byproduct of something much older... much darker than even I care to meddle with." He gave a dramatic shiver.

Sunny leaned in closer to the map, eyes wide with concern. "Older? Are you talking about ancient Equestrian magic? Could it be tied to the old legends of the princesses or even… the Tree of Harmony?"

Discord's eyes flicked toward Sunny, his expression unreadable for a moment before he waved a paw. "The Tree of Harmony? Pfft, that old sapling was a beacon of order, not chaos. No, what we're dealing with here is something else entirely. Something that pre-dates even Celestia and Luna."

Sonic narrowed his eyes. "Then how do you know about it?"

Discord paused mid-hover, then floated down to meet Sonic's gaze. His usually playful demeanor shifted into something more serious, almost calculating. "I may enjoy chaos, but even I have my limits. The thing buried deep beneath the earth, stirring because of the gloom... it's a force of pure destruction. Not chaos. Not order. Just... the end. I found a path hidden inside the ruins of the castle, but I couldn't venture as far as I would've liked..."

"Why not?" Sonic asked, now giving him a playful grin. "Did you chickened out?"

Discord looked at Sonic and glared in a mix of anger and annoyance, but instead of finding funny that he nailed it, Sonic himself seemed to feel terrified as well at the single thought that Discord chickened at something. Just how uncomfortable that path he found has to be for him to not explore it further?

Discord's glare softened slightly, but his discomfort was palpable. "Chickened out? I prefer to think of it as making a strategic retreat. There are forces down there that even I wouldn't toy with. Forces that don't appreciate visitors, no matter how charming or chaotic they may be."

Sonic now frowned upon hearing this. "What kind of path are we talking about here?"

With just a snap, Discord transported himself, Sonic and Sunny to the ruins of Canterlot Castle.

In front of them was a door hidden behind an ancient tapestry that Discord moved aside. Said door was big, metallic and ancient, with symbols that Sonic couldn't quite place, but Sunny did: Zonai symbols, some recognizable and even readable for her, some others completely unknown.

"I traversed this door, descended some stairs and reached a new door, but..." Discord cut himself mid-sentence, gulping a little. "Whatever's beyond said door... I don't even want to imagine it. I-I could barely step beyond whatever's the other side because... I simply didn't liked to be down there, not in the slightest."

Sonic glanced at the ancient door, feeling the air around them grow colder. The intricate Zonai symbols on the metal surface gave off an eerie glow, faint but persistent, as if the door itself was alive, watching them. He could feel the weight of something... unsettling just beyond.

Sunny, who had been quietly studying the symbols, took a step closer, her eyes narrowing as she traced the lines with her hoof. "These are Zonai alright," She murmured, her voice a little shaky. "Some of these symbols talk about protection, others... warnings. But this one..." She pointed at a symbol near the center. "It talks about something... sealed away. Something ancient and powerful."

Sonic's frown deepened, then he looked at Discord. "So, this is where the gloom's coming from?"

Discord, uncharacteristically serious, nodded, floating closer to the door but keeping a respectful distance. "Not just the gloom, my spiky friend. There's something down there—older than even I, older than any magic you've ever encountered. The gloom is just its... byproduct, seeping out like poison from a wound."

Sunny looked back at Sonic, her expression resolute. "If we don't stop it here, it's only going to get worse. We have to go in."

Sonic glanced at Discord one last time, then back at the door. "What else is down there, Discord? What aren't you telling us?"

Discord's eyes flickered with something that looked suspiciously like fear. "I told you I didn't go far. But... there were whispers. Not the playful, mischievous kind that I enjoy, but something... dark. Hungry. It's as if the very walls want you to turn back, to leave before you wake whatever's sleeping down there."

Sonic stood firm, his usual cocky grin replaced with a look of determination. "Well, too bad for them. We're not leaving until we get to the bottom of this." He then looked at Sunny. "It'll be better if it's just you and me, though. We can face whatever's down there together."

Sunny stepped forward, smiling and nodding at Sonic's words. "Together."

"You two are going into a suicide mission," Discord pointed out with an eye-roll, then he began to use Excalibur as a tooth stick.

Sonic's eyes widened, and he looked back at the empty sheet on his back, then he frowned at Discord. "Hey! That's not a toy, you idiot! It's my sword by right!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, 'King of Camelot'," Discord mocked with a save of his paw, then looked at the sword by closing his eyes and making the other one get out of its place and fly around the sword to look at it closer. "Are you sure this sword from a world that only exists inside of a book is going to help you fight the gloom and its source?"

"Unless you have a better idea, it's out best shot!" Sonic said in anger, jumping and snatching the sword from Discord's arms, then returning it to its sheet but still holding it from its handle in anger.

"Alright, be my guest!" Discord said, making a hat appear and then making a reverence, while a tiny Discord flew out of the hat and circled Sonic like a mosquito. "Just be careful to not brake your new toy!"

With that, Discord disappeared entirely, finally leaving Sonic and Sunny alone while Sonic sighed relieved. "Finally! I thought he'll never leave..."

Sonic stood before the ancient door, Excalibur now firmly in his grip, feeling the weight of the task ahead. The strange, cold air emanating from the door prickled at his senses, but he brushed it off, as usual. Sunny, however, remained quietly focused, her eyes still studying the Zonai symbols, though she had already pieced together as much as she could.

She turned to Sonic, her face set in determination. "So, what's the plan? Do we just… open it and go in?"

Sonic looked at her, his usual cocky grin returning as he spun Excalibur in his hand. "Yeah. It's just another adventure, right? No biggie. We'll get in, kick some ancient gloom butt, and be out before dinner." He paused, glancing at the glowing symbols again. "Though, I gotta admit, this place gives me the creeps."

Sunny chuckled softly, trying to lighten the mood. "You? Afraid? Never thought I'd see the day."

He winked at her. "Afraid? Nah, just... respectfully cautious. This whole thing screams 'trap.' But we're pros. We got this. That being said, maybe we should tell the others what we're gonna do before, you know, actually doing it."

"Yeah... That sounds like a good plan." Sunny agreed.

"You two are equally crazy, you know that?" Knuckles told them both with a bored expression.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Knux." Sonic deadpanned with his arms crossed.

Sonic and Sunny reunited with their friends in Lookout Landing and told them what they were gonna do. Of course, they hated the idea right from the go, but they both know that they won't talk them out of this idea, even though Sonic and Sunny themselves know it may be a very stupid thing to do. They were both thankful that Team Dark was out interviewing people for the Monster-Control Crew, or they'll be part of the scolding team.

Knuckles crossed his arms, leaning against a crumbling wall of Lookout Landing, glaring at Sonic and Sunny. "You realize you're walking into something even Discord didn't want to deal with, right? That guy thrives on chaos, and even he backed off."

Sonic shrugged, Excalibur resting on its sheet on his back. "Yeah, well, he might've chickened out, but we're not Discord. We're not running from this."

Tails, standing nearby with his arms folded, was clearly deep in thought. "Sonic... are you sure this is a good idea? We barely understand what the gloom is or what's causing it. Charging in there might—"

"—Might be the only way to stop it," Sonic finished for him. "Look, I get it. It's risky. But we can't wait for this gloom to keep spreading and making more ponies fall sick and even die. We have to do something now, or this thing could get worse."

Sunny nodded, stepping forward. "The more we wait, the stronger it gets. We've already seen how bad it's affecting Equestria. If we don't act soon, we might lose more than just some ponies."

Hitch paced back and forth, clearly agitated, his usual calm demeanor nowhere to be found. "This is a terrible idea, even for you two! Charging headfirst into the source of the gloom? You might not come back out!" His voice cracked with a mixture of worry and frustration, and Sparky hugged one of his hooves in an attempt to comfort him.

Zipp, leaning against a makeshift table, eyed Sonic and Sunny with a frown. "I get it—you're both bold, brave, and all that—but this? This is reckless! You could get yourselves killed! There's no guarantee you'll even find a way to stop the gloom, and we can't afford to lose either of you."

Misty, who had been quiet until now, stepped forward hesitantly. "Maybe it would be better if we all went together," She suggested softly, her wide eyes filled with concern. "If we face whatever's down there as a group, we'd stand a better chance. We don't know what's waiting beyond that door…"

Pipp, sitting nearby and clutching her phone, looked directly at Sonic. Her usual bubbly nature had been replaced by a serious expression. "Sonic, this whole 'going solo' or 'just the two of you' thing? It's not going to work here. We've always faced things as a team. Being bold is great and all, but now? Being smart is way more important." She took a breath, her voice softening as she walked to her boyfriend in concern. "We need to be united. If we're not, something worse could happen. And you, of all people, know that rushing in alone doesn't always end well."

Sonic glanced at Sunny, and they exchanged a look. The tension in the room was thick, the concern from their friends weighing heavy on their minds. But they had already made their decision. The gloom wasn't going to stop on its own, and waiting any longer could spell disaster for all of Equestria. Sonic's natural instinct to jump into action, combined with Sunny's unwavering sense of responsibility, wouldn't let them turn back now.

"I get it, you guys are worried," Sonic said, trying to ease the tension. "And trust me, we're not taking this lightly. But someone has to do this. The longer we sit around, the worse it gets."

Sunny nodded, stepping up beside him. "We don't want to put anyone else in danger. If it was just us two going in, there's a chance we can slip in, figure out what's really going on, and come back. If we all go, we might alert whatever's down there sooner." She turned to Misty and smiled softly. "We will need you, though. If things go wrong, we'll need all of you to be ready. We can't do this without you watching our backs from up here."

Misty’s eyes flickered with uncertainty, but she nodded. "Okay… I understand."

Zipp sighed, still frowning but nodding. "Just… be careful, alright? I'm not thrilled about this plan, but if you're really going through with it, we'll be ready to back you up. You just have to make it back."

Hitch sit on the floor and crossed his arms, clearly still not happy but resigned. "This is crazy... But alright. If this is what you're set on doing, we'll be on standby. But you better not make us come in there to rescue you."

Pipp frowned but sighed deeply. "Promise me you'll call if things get out of hand, Sonic. Don't go silent. We can't lose contact again like last time."

Sonic gave her a confident grin, reaching down for her hoof and kissing it gently, just like he did when they first met. "I promise. No going silent this time."

With that, the group stood in uneasy silence for a moment, the weight of the situation pressing down on them all. Sonic and Sunny had made their choice, and their friends, despite their concerns, knew they had to trust them.

Sonic gave one last look at his team, then turned toward the path leading back to the Canterlot Castle. "Alright, let's do this."

Sunny, her heart pounding, glanced at the others one more time before following Sonic. "We'll be back soon. Stay safe, all of you."

As the two headed out, leaving their worried friends behind, the atmosphere grew heavier, the enormity of the task ahead settling in. They were walking into the unknown, but that had never stopped them before. With Excalibur by Sonic's side and Sunny's determination lighting their way, they would face whatever darkness lay beneath Canterlot together.

Sonic and Sunny opened the ancient door inside the castle, and after that, they stepped through.

Sunny made her etherial golden horn appear and summoned a torch that she decided to levitate as she descended, with Sonic following close behind. The stone staircase beneath them made their steps echo through the passage, and the more they descended, the air grew colder and more humid, and a feeling of oppression increased with each step they took.

After what seemed like an eternity, the staircase finally came to an end, giving way to a wide corridor carved into the living rock. There were several inscriptions on the walls, which once again Sunny recognized as Zonai language, but she had no clue on what it said at all. Sonic, meanwhile, didn't even bothered trying to figure them out. Is not like he was interested on the Zonai or anything, so why bother?

They walked through the corridor for a while, until they reached another closed door at the very end, one they both knew was the same door Discord didn't dared to cross, and now they understand why: They felt the atmosphere thicken, almost as if the air itself was trying to push him back, away from that forbidden threshold.

"Well, shit..." Sonic muttered. "Now I can't blame Discord for retrieving once he reached this point..."

"Well, too bad we're not gonna do the same," Sunny stated, surrounding the imposing black gates with symbols with her magic, then pushing it open.

Ahead they only found darkness, and a vibration that emulated a heartbeat. That was concerning already, but they knew they couldn't stand back, so they choose to ignore it and moved ahead.

They began to descend through several long, dark corridors, which became increasingly difficult the further down they went. There were long remains of what were once structures that stood firm to allow passage to anyone who entered this place. At a certain point, the air felt heavier and unnatural. It almost seemed like the gloom was permeating the air. Breathing was starting to become a bit difficult, but neither Sunny nor Sonic let themselves be defeated.

Sonic, however, felt the urge to bring his hand to the handle of his sword every so often. With each step they descended, he felt more and more trapped. Maybe his face showed indifference, or at least he hoped it was, but in reality he was terrified. The gloom at his feet was little, and yet it made Sonic very nervous. Something was very wrong with this place, and he knew it. They both did, actually.

They reached a set of square stairs that led down what looked like at least 100 meters underground. They quickly exchanged nervous glances with each other, but nodded in silent agreement anyway, determined to see it through. They descended that large set of stairs, and when they got all the way down, they found a series of narrow hallways, which they decided to explore anyway.

The space was getting tighter and tighter, so they now had to descend side to side. They went down more stairs, in silence. It seemed like they would only find stairs by the bucketload down there. Their footsteps echoed through the stone walls, and Sonic found himself trying to make his steps lighter, as if he could drown out the sound. The gloom twisted around his shoes, though he didn't even feel the contact.

"This strange gloom keeps getting thicker..." Sunny commented after at least an hour had passed in which neither of them exchanged words of any kind. Their eyes were glued to the darkness of their surroundings.

By this point, the torchlight was not so comforting.

Finally, they reached the last step and turned a corner. Two ruined pillars preceded a shorter staircase. And, below, faint blue glints.

Sunny looked around the apparent cave that awaited them up ahead, while Sonic felt his right hand tingle. Something very bad was waiting for them, and he was beginning to like the idea of turning around and getting out of there.

"We've been descending for a while now..." Sunny said, looking at Sonic with concern. "These tunnels are deeper than I thought. What could be down here?"

"Whatever it is, it can't be good considering all this gloom." Sonic commented with a frown. "Let's keep moving."

They then resumed their march and began to advance. Sonic felt the urge to unsheathe Excalibur and carry it in his hands at all times more and more strongly. This place gave him a very bad feeling and, once again, he wanted to turn around and get out of there.

For some it would be an act of cowardice, but for Sonic, it is the most sensible option of all.

Inside the cave, everything seemed to be much more natural than what they had seen so far on the journey. The cave walls were pale, and sharp teeth of rock jutted out from the ceiling, threatening to fall on them. Small pools appeared near the rocks.

They continued on their way, discovering a winding path that stretched through the cave as far as they could see. Neither said anything about it and decided to keep walking. It's not like they have a choice, really.

Soon they came across more ruins scattered across the floor. Smooth walls, pillars with a strange lamp on top, even the occasional ruin with blurred manuscripts. The cave at the end wasn't as natural as they thought. It looked like it had swallowed everything.

When they reached a threshold, they stopped. Sunny wondered why there wasn't a door, though almost immediately afterward she assumed it had deteriorated over time.

There was a dying smell of embers in the air, and Sonic felt like vomiting. It wasn't embers from the torch, it was that disgusting smell of gloom. He sniffed the air for a moment, and realized that the smell of gloom was starting to permeate with the humidity of the cave. They almost seemed to smell the same, but the musty smell isn't as strong. The gloom? That smell made the hedgehog's stomach twist, and he just swallowed discreetly, hoping that he wouldn't throw up.

"Ponies have been falling ill after coming into contact with the gloom drifting through these caverns..." Sunny said after a while. Sonic assumed she was thinking out loud. "Though here it seems almost misty, and not concentrated enough to harm us." She lowered the torch, looking at the mist that barely touched her legs and hooves. "With it coming from beneath Canterlot Castle..." She then turned to Sonic. "We do not know what awaits below, so we need to be ready for anything. But I know we'll be okay as long as we stick together. Let's go solve this mystery!"

Sonic smiled at her and nodded in agreement after hearing this. "Ladies first!"

They continued to advance through those tunnels, which began to zigzag. A strange melody in reverse began to echo through the cave, and Sonic in particular felt a headache, since he heard that melody and whispers in his head at the same time. Either the lack of fresh air was making him lose his mind, or something more sinister awaited them.

"Sonic!" Sunny's voice brought him out of his thoughts, and he looked at the mare over his right shoulder.

As he did so, however, he could see that a golden glow was protruding from the sheath of Excalibur. And then he understood: The voice in his head came from the sword, who was trying to warn him of something. Seeing the golden glow only confirmed his worst fears.

The blade of Excalibur only shone in the presence of dark forces that threatened the world. Years ago, when he was summoned to Camelot, that blade helped him defeat Merlina. Today, that glow was back, but instead of feeling safe like in Camelot, he felt panic and fear in equal measure.

He refused to pull his sword out of its sheath. There was no need, because his right hand was tingling too much. He knew what he would find if he pulled the sword out.

"It seems that Excalibur is reacting to something in the surroundings," Sunny said fearfully, resisting the urge to hug herself. "This confirms what we suspected… There is no doubt that something is hiding here."

Sonic was about to suggest what he wanted with all his might: Turn around and get out of there as soon as possible. He wouldn't be a coward for doing the most sensible thing in the world under these circumstances… But he also knows that if they don't end the problem now while they can, they may never do so.

Determined to continue, the duo crossed a dark threshold, and then found themselves in a completely different cave.

These ruins are well preserved, with pillars adorned with alabaster flowers. The hallway continued to stretch out, disappearing into darkness, but the dim light made it difficult to see.

When they got a little further, Sunny gasped and hurried over, kneeling in front of a collapsed stone tablet. It had inscriptions and the symbol of an eye on it, but it wasn't something Sonic recognized. Still, he felt like he'd seen the style of inscriptions somewhere else.

"These are ruins from an ancient civilization." Sunny pointed out, before suddenly gasping in surprise. "Wait... Something is written here. Might these ruins be... from the Zonai?"

"If that's true, this place might be even older than we think," Sonic pointed out, kneeling down beside her. "Can you decipher what it says?"

"No, but I'm sure the Zonai research group Tails organized will be able to figure it out."

With that, Sunny took photos of the inscriptions with her phone, then put it away and they continued on. Sunny examined every curve and almost every rock she found along the way. On one of the walls, they found the ruins of a dragon-shaped sculpture that Sonic found most familiar. In some ruins north of Equestria, there were similar statues everywhere. Maybe they were the remains of this civilization.

"This is... Zonai architecture..." Sunny said to herself, before taking out her phone again and taking another photo. "This was built by them no doubt, but... How is it still standing? And why the hell did they build this under Canterlot Castle of all places?"

Sonic knew nothing about the Zonai, so he decided to ask. "What is known about these Zonai, exactly?"

"The Zonai lived a long time ago, in the time of legends," Sunny answered. "They are believed to have an almost divine power. Their culture thrived in the skies for a long time, but some descended to the surface. Maybe they were the ones who built this here."

"But why under the castle?" Sonic asked confused. "This place doesn't seem appropriate to leave a legacy like this..."

"Maybe the place fell down. Maybe they built the castle on top of it a long time later. What I don't understand is why they would hide it..."

"Well, maybe we'll find out if we keep moving forward."

Sunny nodded in agreement, and so, they continued on their way, this time stopping in front of a pair of statues that guarded the entrance to the next room. They were large and imposing, about 3 heads taller than Sonic.

Those statues had bodies similar to those of a human, but their heads were different. They seemed to have an animal shape, long necks and long ears, similar to the horns of a goat. They also had long robes on. Neither of them had seen anything like this before, and once again, Sunny took out her phone to take pictures of the statues. She couldn't wait to get out of there to study all of this.

Sonic, for his part, couldn't wait to get out of there and never come back, but he knew he had to go all the way if he wanted that to happen. Besides, it wasn't a good time to break Sunny's good mood. She was fascinated by studying ancient civilizations, and if she was happy, he could allow himself to be happy too, even if it was for a brief moment.

"They have huge ears," Sunny said, after taking one last photo and then putting her phone away. "Could it be that they represent a Zonai?"

The two of them continued walking after that. They went down a steep, narrow staircase. Down below, they passed a small hallway surrounded by other statues. Sonic stopped dead in the middle, putting a hand in front of Sunny as he sharpened his senses.

Sonic decided to move quickly, taking advantage of the cave's low lighting and finally taking his sword out of its sheath. It shone with that golden glow he first saw years ago. He knew it was partly a bad sign, but he decided to ignore it for now.

The monsters in question were small. They had a single eye from which a pair of wings emerged. When they saw Sonic, their eyes turned red and shone dangerously, but the hedgehog wasn't the least bit afraid of them. Therefore, when the 3 identical monsters launched themselves at him one by one, he only had to wave his sword and kill them without pain or glory.

He looked around, making sure there were no more monsters. When he was sure of it, he sheathed his sword, but not before noticing that the gloom at his feet had twisted a little at the glow of Excalibur.

"You're not hurt, are you?!" Sunny suddenly asked, running towards the aforementioned with concern on her face.

Sonic just nodded at the question with a confident smile, but Sunny decided to check him out anyway. When she saw that he was actually okay, she nodded in satisfaction with a smile.

However, something else called her attention, and she soon illuminated the rest of the place they were with the torch, then she gasped again before rushing over to what he saw. In this new cave, there was a long stone mural with figures carved into it. The mural was quite large, so much so that some ended up buried in the rubble.

Sunny was almost shaking with excitement, while Sonic felt his hair stand on end at the imposing structure. He knew Sunny was going to give him the context, though, so he didn't bother to decipher it for himself.

"Look at these murals..." The Earth Pony mare pointed out, as she illuminated the murals with her torch, then approached to look at them closely. "The written histories of Ancient Equestria include stories of a great war fought long ago. It was a conflict between allied tribes and someone only ever referred to as the Demon King."

"The Demon King?" Sonic questioned, frowning at the name. "I don't like the sound of that..."

"Is it possible? Do these murals depict the same legend?!" Sunny asked with a bit of hope, before she rushed to the very beginning of the murals, way to the left, while Sonic followed her close behind.

The first mural showed a character unknown to both of them. It seemed to have a body similar to that of a human, but its head was the same as that of an animal. Maybe a deer or a goat, there was no certainty. It had long ears and a suit that neither of them recognized. Seven spirals floated around it.

"This is similar to the statues we saw earlier—a Zonai," Sunny murmured, then looked at the figures below the supposed Zonai, which were looking up at the sky. "And these figures look like Earth Ponies." She then stepped back to look at the full picture, with Sonic standing at her side. "This depiction certainly suggests that the Zonai descended from the heavens."

Sunny let out another gasp and walked over to the next mural, which again showed a Zonai, but this time, clasping his hands to a female, equine figure. The tunic that the woman was wearing looked very similar to a dress. Two spirals floated above the Zonai and the mare.

"It is said that way before Celestia and Luna, Alicorns were born from the union with gods who had descended from the heavens." Sunny narrated. "These murals tell a similar story, and if they are accurate, then the gods mentioned were the Zonai... They must have forged a relationship with the ponies of that time, then helped to make peace among ponykind, and then worked together to establish... the Kingdom of Equestria!"

Sunny squealed excited like a filly after reading all of this, while Sonic raised an eyebrow. "I always wondered where the Alicorns come from... Guess we have our answer." He said with a smile, before his eyes widened as he realized something. "Hold on a second... Wouldn't that mean that the story about Wishday, a.k.a. what used to be Hearts Warming, half-true and half-lie?"

"Well, we know that the three pony tribes accomplished peace to make Equestria, but that's a story older than Twilight Sparkle herself." Sunny pointed out. "Maybe it was changed over time. Why? I don't know."

"It's weird... Is like if Celestia wanted everypony to forget the Zonai existed by removing them from history... But why?" Sonic questioned with a concerned frown.

"No clue..." Sunny said, before moving to the next mural. It showed the mare from before, but now it was floating in the air. A tall, imposing looking male creature stood beside it. His gaze showed a very macabre pleasure, and his smile was sinister. He looked like an anthropomorphic ram, and seemed to be removing one of those coils from the mare, with dark tentacles surrounding the man, as if they were consuming him.

Sonic felt a kind of strange hatred when he saw that figure. He couldn't explain why, but he hated it with his soul. It was as if he had known it all his life, or from a past life, it was difficult to explain, and he wanted to tear the mural in half. It was a strange feeling and thoughts, but a part of him told him that it would be the right thing to do.

"This figure... He seems to be stealing something of incredible power from the young Kingdom," Sunny narrated with concern. "This all aligns with what I've read during my dad's studies."

She then turned and rushed to the final visible mural, which was the very first one they saw earlier. Now that they had a better view, they saw that there were several monsters depicted, including the bokoblins they first saw near the Korok Forest. There were also ponies of all races on the left, armed with swords, shields and spears, ready to fight for the cause. And on the other side, on the right, was the same man from the previous mural, but now he was hideous. He had long white hair, long, sharp nails, and horns protruding from his temple. The title of Demon King suited him perfectly now.

Once again, Sonic felt a great hatred for that figure. If he could just break the mural with Excalibur, he would do it without hesitation, but he knows that Sunny would not like that. Still, he did not like the Demon King in the slightest, and if destroying him would get him out of his sight, then he would destroy him.

"If the creature depicted here really does represent the Demon King, then... Incredible!" Sunny said with a huge smile and excitement running though her whole being, an excitement that Sonic didn't understood nor shared. "This mural must be the great war recorded in my father's histories he researched about!"

Yet Sonic stared at these walls with a frown, but the Demon King in particular... He still couldn't come to understand why he hated that glyph out of all of them.

"This is the Imprisoning War and the events that led up to it!" Sunny said, before turning around to face Sonic in excitement. "Sonic! This is a huge discovery! Oh, Zipp has to know about this! Maybe we can even study all of this together!"

After saying this, she took out her phone again and took pictures of all the murals with excitement and joy, her brain already working on every possible theory and dots to be connected related to the Imprisoning War she's been talking about for the past minute.

Sonic, however, wasn't so sure if he was confused with all of this, or concerned for what could it mean, and for what could be hidden in the deeps of this tunnels.

"Oh..." Sunny's voice took Sonic out of his thoughts.

He looked that she stared at something with disappointment, then he looked in the same direction and noticed that she stared at some rock blocking two more murals.

"It looks like the rest of the murals are obscured..." Sunny said with disappointment.

Sonic frowned at this, then charged up a Spin Dash and launched himself against the rocks, but he ended up getting sent backwards, and he slid in the ground, looking at the rocks with a slight frown.

"Well, at least I tried..." Sonic said.

Sunny then began to look at their surroundings. "Just what is this place?" She questioned, before she turned and pointed the torch on a certain direction that showed they could still go deeper through the tunnels. "Maybe we'll find more answers farther ahead. Let's keep moving deeper, Sonic."

With that, Sunny set off again, but Sonic stayed behind, staring at the Demon King. He couldn't shake the thought that the figure wasn't as defeated as the legends say...

The duo found themselves descending the longest set of stairs yet. The hallway was so narrow that they had to go down in a row, as they couldn't even fit side by side anymore.

The further down they went, the worse the smell of evil aura in the air became. And not only that, but the echo of musical notes in reverse sounded louder and louder, as well as getting closer and closer.

However, the worst part of all had to be the dizziness and nausea they felt at the moment. They had never been so close to the gloom for so long, and that cave gave off that smell wildly, as if it were the natural smell of the place. If none of them vomited right now, it would be by a miracle.

Sonic now more than ever wanted to make up an excuse, any excuse, as long as everyone got out of there. He didn't even care if Knuckles or Shadow made fun of him or called him a coward as long as he revealed why he wanted to leave; he just wanted to breathe fresh, pure air again, something that wasn't down there. The putrid smell of the gloom was driving him crazy, and he didn't know how much longer he could hold out before he exploded.

But just when it seemed like Sonic was finally going to explode, Sunny suddenly stopped. Sonic followed him, and then he realized they had reached the end of the stairs. They were now in a much larger cave. There was a glowing green light, coming from a spiral in the middle of the cave. It reached all the way to the ceiling, surrounding a very large, pointed rock. Around it, there was dark mist, the same one that came out of the cracks in Equestria, but it was much thicker.

"What is that?" Sunny asked, squinting in hopes of seeing better, but she didn't seem to be able to see that well.

"I don't know, but I don't like it," Sonic said with a frown. His voice was shaking, but he didn't really care anymore.

Sunny took a step forward, but Sonic held her back firmly. Fear would make his will iron.

"Take a picture with your phone and let's get out of here," He told her, not taking his eyes off the room before them.

Sunny frowned, though her magic's grip on the torch faltered a little. She was just as terrified as he was. "We can't just leave. We're too close."

"I don't give a shit," He muttered. "We don't know what the hell that is. And don't tell me the gloom isn't concentrated enough to hurt us down there, Sunny."

He sounded harsher than he intended, but it was the only way to get her to see reason. One more moment down there and he'd go completely insane.

However, Sunny moved closer to him with a stern look, and suddenly she seemed more intimidating than Shadow himself.

"I want to get out of here," Sunny whispered. It was as if they were both afraid to speak too loudly. As if they would disturb someone down there if they raised their voices. "You don't know how much. I hate this place. But don't tell me you don't feel it."

"Feel what?!" He hissed, even though he knew what she meant. Oh, he knew all too well.

"Something is pushing you forward. It is forcing you to see the end of this. Sonic, if we leave, fate will haunt us until we come back here. We won't be able to pretend we haven't seen everything down here. And things will only get worse."

Her eyes were wide, her hoof pointing to the room ahead. Sonic searched for a convincing answer with all his might. It was dangerous. They needed reinforcements. This was a suicide mission; they didn't even know what they were up against.

However, he knew it would all be in vain. Sunny was right; an invisible force was urging him on. It wouldn't leave him alone until he obeyed. Leaving wouldn’t be the right thing to do.

In the end, he sighed regretfully, then looked at Sunny with renewed determination and nodded.

"Fine… Let's continue. But let's move forward very cautiously," He said at last, deciding to end the problem while they can.

They both walked down the final group of stairs and began to approach the figure ahead. However, as they did so, and the light of the torch illuminated the area more and more, Sunny gasped a bit in horror at the sight ahead. "What is that?"

What they had in front of them was nothing more than the source of the strange gloom. It was a rotting body, with skin so blackened that it seemed to be paper. Its back was positioned unnaturally, perhaps due to the passage of time. Its eye sockets were empty, making the scene more grim and twisted. Its long white hair touched the ground, and it was a miracle that it hadn't fallen off already considering the state of the body. Even the muscles looked worn out to the point.

The mouth of that mummy, because there was no better word to sum it up, was open, like a silent scream that died along with the body. And on the chest of that body, there was an arm that was not connected to any body, but from it emanated both the spiral that surrounded the pointed rock on the ceiling and the greenish glow that never stopped pulsating. On it were golden ornaments and, on the back of the hand, rested a shiny stone.

Sonic stepped in front of Sunny for protection. "Don't get closer!" He told her with a frown. "The gloom comes out of it. We don't know for sure if it'll do something to anyone that approaches."

Sunny nodded in agreement, so she didn't approached to the mysterious corpse that lay on the platform. Also, she noticed that Excalibur's golden light was glimmering more, meaning approaching the corpse was very dangerous.

However, it seemed that the glowing hand sensed their presence, because it began to tremble a bit, until it was not holding the corpse anymore and fell to the ground, while the stone in the back of it fell as well and rolled through the stairs, until it stopped right in front of Sunny. The hand's glow dimmed off, passing from green to grey.

The Earth Pony mare looked at the stone in front of her with a raised eyebrow, then touched it with a hoof and pulled it immediately away, not knowing if the stone could damage her.

Seeing that it did nothing to her, Sunny took the stone on her hoof, and Sonic didn't stopped her when he noticed this as well. However, as soon as the stone entered in contact with Sunny's hoof, it began to glow in a golden light and mark a strange symbol, which confused her.

Sonic's attention was now divided: He didn't know whether to see Sunny and the mysterious stone in her hoof, the hand that fell limp to the ground, or the putrefied body that released the gloom.

And suddenly, something rumbled. So loud that it echoed off the walls of the cave. Something like a heartbeat.

Sonic and Sunny instinctively gathered together, the mare staying next to Sonic, while both looked anxiously at the corpse in the middle of the room, because that rumble came from it, and that couldn't be good.

Something very, very bad was happening.

And then, the worst came: That mummified body began to move, to twist unnaturally as it seemed to get back up. Dust was coming off the body from the sudden movements, and in the middle of that creature, there was a large black spot from which gloom continued to emanate everywhere.

And suddenly, the movements stopped, and the mummy returned to its original position. There was silence for a wonderful moment... But then, the creature moved its neck in the direction of Sonic and Sunny with a creak, and now its eye sockets glowed with an intense crimson red.

Immediately afterwards, gigantic tentacles of gloom emerged from the creature's chest, which headed towards Sunny with the intention of harming her.

Fortunately, Sonic unsheathed Excalibur, which's blade was glimmering in a golden light, and then he slashed the tentacles away with no problem whatsoever.

"Are you okay, Sunny?" Sonic asked her with a concerned frown.

"I am, but be careful!" Sunny replied with worry.

Sonic nodded, then pointed the sword ahead towards the gloom tentacles with a frown. He felt victorious for a moment, a moment in which he stupidly let his guard down, because in a matter of seconds, the gloom tentacles surrounded his right arm along with Excalibur. He wanted to see that Sunny was okay, but he felt such excruciating pain that he couldn't even do so.

When the tentacles dissipated, Sonic looked horrified and in pain at what happened: His entire right arm had turned black, with red veins running through his being, meaning he was infected by the gloom; and Excalibur was suddenly covered by it. As if that wasn't enough, he felt that those tentacles took away all his strength, as if years of experiences and adventures had been of no use.

And the worst thing is that it was his right arm, the sword arm.

At that moment, Sonic couldn't think clearly. The pain in his right arm was starting to become unbearable, and by instinct, he grabbed it with his left hand. Touching his arm only increased the pain, but he had no other choice.

Suddenly, Sonic looked up, just in time to see a gloom tentacle heading towards him at full speed. Without wasting any time, Sonic made a superhuman effort to raise his right arm along with the sword, but as soon as the blade came into contact with that tentacle, it broke into a thousand pieces that scattered everywhere.

The sound of Excalibur breaking resonated in the cave, an echo of despair that seemed to reverberate in the hearts of Sonic and Sunny alike. The sacred blade, symbol of hope and power, had now been reduced to rubble, scattered across the ground. The glow that characterized it had disappeared, leaving only a trail of darkness and emptiness.

However, the tip of the sword had flown out and managed to cut the cheek of that body, which now looked at them both with a hatred that neither has ever felt in any other enemy.

"Sonic!" Sunny exclaimed in panic, wanting to get closer to him.

"Was that the legendary Excalibur Sword?" Asked a raspy, eerie voice that echoed through the cave, a voice that had not been used in a long time... The voice came from the mummy. "A blade that shatters so easily against my power cannot save you from me."

Little by little, that creature began to get back up with unnatural movements, forcing Sonic to stay on the defensive, even if Excalibur was destroyed. That mummy had on its forehead an ornament with the same stone that Sunny had on her hoof.

"Sunny..." The mummy's voice spat out that name with so much hatred that, even if he wasn't her, Sonic felt the same chill. "You, who carries that fragile sword... are Sonic." He stopped for a moment, analyzing both of them equally. "Rauru placed his faith in you... and that was all you could do?"

"How do you...know our names?!" Sunny asked in fear, as she stepped back.

The creature, instead of responding, gathered several gloom tentacles in his chest, and then expelled it all towards the ceiling. The gloom collided with the pointed rock and began to push it, which also caused everything around it to shake violently.

Rubble fell from the ceiling and began to collapse on the cave. The floor suddenly cracked and, immediately afterwards, the pedestal where the mummy was located, along with the creature itself, collapsed and fell, disappearing into an abyss of darkness.

It was then, however, that Sonic could no longer hold on any longer and fell to his knees on the ground. He held his right arm with his left hand, and prayed to Chaos that he wasn't completely lost, that there was still hope to save him. Was he still holding Excalibur? He didn't even know for sure anymore.

"Sonic!" Sunny shouted, worried as she watched Sonic fall almost exhausted.

Sonic was about to say something, one of his typical sarcastic comments, but a gasp interrupted him. He turned around abruptly, and then he saw her, he saw Sunny falling. The ground disappeared beneath her hooves, and her gaze was filled with horror and despair alike. Maybe because of fear she forgot that she could turn into an Alicorn, but Sonic wasn't going to ask something like that, least of all at that moment.

Without a second thought, Sonic let go of Excalibur and lunged at Sunny, stretching out his right arm in hopes that he would magically start falling faster so he could catch her. This wouldn't be the end for either of them. He'd never failed her before, and he wasn't going to start today.

Time suddenly stopped, and Sonic struggled to reach out, hoping to grab Sunny and then figure out how to survive. Maybe he could remind her that she's an Alicorn and that she can save them both with her magic, if he could just catch her first.

Sadly, he barely managed to graze Sunny's hoof with his blackened hand, but she kept falling. In horror, Sunny reached out her hoof to him, as if that would catch her, but then a golden glow enveloped her, and then she was gone.

Sonic felt the urge to scream, to cry, to propel himself faster, but he couldn't do any of that because he had suddenly stopped. He looked up, seeing that his savior was that strange hand that had sealed the body until a few moments ago. It had that greenish glow again, and then it pulled Sonic, making him disappear with a blinding glow.

Author's Note

Before anyone asks: Omega was already rebuilt by this point. Is not something I pulled of my ass, I know he was destroyed in Season 2, but brought back in TYT.

Also, I went overboard with this chapter, but I think I made it as long as it has to be. I hope you don't mind.

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time. :pinkiesmile:

Chapter 3: The Upheaval

Pipp had a very bad feeling.

Sonic and Sunny left just two hours ago, and yet she already feels anxious for her boyfriend and one of her best friends. The idea that they were facing an unknown enemy deep down of a strange place she knew nothing about was getting into her nerves, and the more time passed without any sign of them, the more anxious she grew.

She was currently in Lookout Landing's main room with Knuckles, whom Hitch assigned as the leader and supervisor of the place. The echidna was trying to check out some papers regarding the Monster-Control Crew, more reports on ponies falling ill to the gloom, and the current state of the fortress they were currently in, which he knew just by seeing it was almost finished thanks to the bless that is magic. However, he can barely do so with Pipp pacing back and forth in the room.

"Can you stop doing that? I'm trying to work here," Knuckles asked her with annoyance.

Pipp stopped mid-pace, biting her lip in frustration. "Sorry, Knuckles, I just… I can't help it. Something doesn't feel right." She turned to face him, her eyes filled with worry. "They've been gone for hours now, and we haven't heard a thing. What if something happened to them?"

"They'll be fine, Pipp," Knuckles shrugged, his gaze returning to his reports. "Sonic's a fucking cockroach turned hedgehog. Step on him as many times as you want, he'll keep coming back stronger than before. And Sunny survived being bodied by Eggman and has the power of what I believe is the equivalent of god in this dimension. She can survive some caverns with gloom lurking around."

Pipp didn't seem convinced. She stopped pacing, but her wings twitched anxiously. "I know they're both tough, but this feels different, Knuckles. This gloom... it's not like anything we've faced before." Her voice wavered, betraying her fear.

Knuckles sighed, putting the papers down for a moment. He rubbed his temples, realizing she wouldn't stop worrying until she heard something reassuring. "Look, I get it. I really do. But sitting here driving yourself crazy won't help them. When Sonic and Sunny get back, they'll need us sharp, not worn out from worrying."

Pipp opened her mouth to argue, but the door burst open before she could say anything, and Zipp rushed in, her face a mix of urgency and fear. "Knuckles, Pipp! We've got a problem," She said breathlessly. "A big one."

Knuckles immediately straightened up. "What is it? Is it Sonic and Sunny?"

Zipp nodded, her wings flared in alarm. "It's worse than that. We've just received a message from Tails, and it's not good. He detected a massive surge of gloom energy coming from the ruins beneath Canterlot. Whatever they stirred up down there, it's spreading faster than we thought."

Pipp’s heart skipped a beat. "Does that mean… Sonic and Sunny…?"

Zipp shook her head quickly. "We don't know for sure yet. But if the gloom is spreading, it means whatever they're facing is getting stronger. And if they're caught in the middle of that…"

Pipp didn't need to hear more. Her wings flared as she turned toward the door. "I'm going after them."

"Hold it!" Knuckles called out, standing up with authority. "You're not going anywhere alone. We've already lost contact with them. Rushing in without a plan is the worst thing you can do right now."

Pipp spun around, her frustration bubbling over. "And what's the plan then, Knuckles? Wait until it's too late? They could be hurt—or worse! We have to do something!"

Knuckles glared back, his jaw clenched, but before he could respond, Zipp stepped between them. "Look, I get that you're worried, Pipp. We all are. But Knuckles is right. We need to be smart about this. We need backup. If this gloom is spreading, it’s not just Sonic and Sunny who are in danger—it's all of us."

Pipp took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing thoughts. She knew they were right. Charging in alone wouldn't help. But the idea of sitting around while her boyfriend and one of her best friends were in danger was unbearable.

"So what's the plan then?" She asked, her voice steadier now but still laced with urgency.

Knuckles exchanged a glance with Zipp, but before any of them could say a thing, a loud, violent crash interrupted their thoughts. Zipp and Pipp flapped their wings to keep from falling, and Knuckles almost lost control, barely staying on his feet. Still, he managed not to kiss the ground, but he started looking everywhere, completely disoriented.

After that, the three heard murmurs, gasps, screams... A whole hustle and bustle right in the middle of the fort. As soon as they left the hall, they headed to the central square, finding everyone looking in the direction of Canterlot Castle. Pipp was about to ask what was happening, but Knuckles got there first.

"What's going on?" The echidna and leader of Lookout Landing demanded an explanation.

One of the guards at the place didn't answer with words, but instead pointed in the direction of the castle. Everyone was looking there, anyway.

Knuckles, Zipp, and Pipp turned around as well, and what they saw left them frozen.

Canterlot Castle was beginning to rise into the air. Several towers and structures around the castle collapsed and fell into the gigantic abyss that had appeared just below the castle. Gloom was pouring out of it, but in large quantities, much larger than those found in the cracks that opened up all over Equestria.

What was keeping the castle suspended in the air was a kind of rocky pillar. It looked sturdy, yes, but at the same time it looked like it could break at any moment.

Pipp's heart sank at the sight of Canterlot Castle being lifted into the air, suspended above an abyss spewing gloom. It was a nightmare come to life. Her first thought was of Sonic and Sunny—what if they were trapped inside? What if they couldn't get out?

Zipp, her wings still flared, stared at the scene, her usual composure shaken. "This… this is bad. Really bad."

Knuckles, who rarely let anything faze him, clenched his fists, his sharp eyes narrowing as he analyzed the situation. "It's worse than we thought. That gloom… it's spreading like wildfire. If we don't stop it soon, Sonic and Sunny might not be the only ones we lose."

Pipp took a step forward, her mind racing. "We need to get there, now! We don't have time to wait for backup, Knuckles!"

Knuckles raised a hand, his expression tense but calm. "We're not rushing in blindly. Look at that thing." He pointed toward the pillar holding the castle up. "That's not just a natural formation. Something is keeping it in place, and that means someone—or something—is controlling it."

Zipp nodded, her analytical mind already working through possibilities. "Right. And if we go in without a plan, we're walking straight into a trap."

Pipp was about to argue again, but her words faltered. She knew they were right. The situation was bigger than just her fear for Sonic and Sunny. This was an ancient force, something beyond any of them, and it wasn't just threatening her loved ones—it was threatening all of Equestria.

Knuckles turned to the soldiers around them. "We need to mobilize everyone. Get the Monster-Control Crew ready, and gather all available forces. We're moving toward Canterlot to investigate, but we're going in carefully. No one makes a move until we figure out what's keeping that castle in the air." He then glanced back at Pipp and Zipp. "We'll need all the help we can get, so be ready."

Zipp was already on her communicator, relaying the situation to the other teams. "I'll get in touch with Hitch and Amy—they'll bring the others. We'll need Team Dark on standby too. If this is the source of the gloom, we're going to need everyone we've got."

Pipp's wings twitched impatiently, but she forced herself to stay grounded, trusting her friends and knowing they couldn't afford to lose anyone else. "Just… hurry," She muttered softly, her gaze never leaving the distant, floating castle.

Tails and the Zonai Survey Team, as Tails himself decided to call it, was near one of the cracks of gloom.

He kept his Miles Electric near the crack, but the device kept glitching out of control no matter what he did. He groaned frustrated and muttered something under his breath before turning to the rest of his team. The ones he brought over were two earth ponies, one pegasi, and at least 4 unicorns, Misty being among them.

"The technology is still failing because of the gloom," Tails explained with a concerned frown. "No matter what device we approach, the gloom just seems to affect it for the worst. It's like if the gloom knew we're trying to stop it and refused go allow us."

"It's like the earth itself is poisoned," One of the earth ponies researchers said, leaning in to peer more closely into the crack. "The gloom is thicker than anywhere else we've investigated. It could be linked to a source of ancient power, something we haven't seen in millennia."

Tails rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his mind racing through possibilities. The gloom was no ordinary corruption—it was sentient, ancient, and had the ability to manipulate not just magic but also technology. "If it's reacting like this," He began, his eyes narrowing, "then there's definitely something—or someone—behind it. The Zonai's connection to this place runs deeper than we thought."

Misty, who had been quiet until now, took a step forward, her expression a mix of curiosity and concern. "Do you think it's tied to the ancient magic Sunny was talking about? The same magic from those symbols?"

Tails nodded, his twin tails twitching with a sense of urgency. "It's possible. The symbols are Zonai in origin, and if they're connected to the gloom, then whatever's controlling the castle might be trying to use that same power."

Misty frowned, her horn glowing faintly as she approached the gloom crack. "The magic here feels… different. Darker than what anyone's used to. It's like it's alive, watching us." She hesitated, then added, "Do you think… whoever's behind this could be using the Zonai magic for something even worse?"

Tails was about to respond when his Miles Electric beeped rapidly. He glanced down at the screen, his eyes widening. "We're picking up a massive energy surge coming from Canterlot Castle. The readings are off the charts—whatever's causing the gloom, it's concentrating there."

Misty's eyes widened. "That's where Sonic and Sunny went. They're in the middle of it!"

Tails immediately jumped into action, quickly sending a report to Zipp, then turning to the rest of the Zonai Survey Team. "We need to move. Now. If Sonic and Sunny are caught in the epicenter, they might be in more danger than we realized."

One of the unicorn researchers looked up, alarmed. "But we haven't finished the analysis—if we leave now, we might miss something important."

Tails shook his head, his voice firm. "There's no time. Whatever we're facing, it's happening now. We need to regroup with the others and head to Canterlot. We can't afford to lose anyone."

But before anyone could say anything, a tremor shook the ground beneath their feet. Tails, Misty, and the researchers staggered, struggling to keep their balance as the vibrations increased in intensity. One of them almost fell into the crack, but was caught in time by one of his companions.

"Look out!" Tails shouted, and soon, that crack began to open at an alarming speed.

The researchers ran away from it, with Tails catching Misty just before she fell into the huge abyss that had formed. It was filled with gloom, infested to the core and increasing the danger of infection by the same, enveloping the air around them in a dark and oppressive glow.

Tails and Misty watched this in horror, then the fox flew off with the other researchers, carefully leaving Misty on the ground.

"Is everypony okay?" He asked, making sure no one was hurt or infected.

The researchers and Misty assured him everything was okay, but then the ground shook again, and this time, one of the researchers gasped in horror as they looked in certain direction. The rest followed his gaze, and they felt horrified as well, specially Tails and Misty.

In the distance, Canterlot Castle began to rise into the air. The Zonai Survey Team watched in horror as the majestic building, once a symbol of the kingdom's power and stability, rose atop a rocky pillar, while a dark, evil energy poured forth in massive quantities from the abyss that had opened up below. All around the castle, enormous stones, shrouded in a greenish glow, began to fall from the sky, as if they were remnants of a lost civilization returning to the surface. In fact, these stones were falling all over Equestria, not just near the castle.

Tails stared at the rising castle in disbelief, his mind trying to process the sheer scale of what was happening. This wasn't just a surge of gloom—it was a full-scale awakening of something ancient and powerful, tied to the Zonai and their forgotten magic. "This is worse than we imagined," He muttered, his voice barely audible.

"What are those stones?" Misty asked concerned.

"And where are they coming from?" One of the other unicorns researchers asked confused.

"Are they falling from the sky?!" The pegasi researcher asked in disbelief.

"I see it, but I don't believe it..." One of the earth ponies said with amazement and fear alike.

Tails mind then reminded him of something that made him drop his Miles Electric and his heart beat in fear. "Sonic... Sunny..."

Knuckles passed back and forth in Lookout Landing's main room, his mind running with concern.

While some members of the Monster-Control Crew and other soldiers prepared to venture into Canterlot and try to investigate the castle the best they could, Knuckles found himself deeply worried and concerned. There hasn't been any signs of Sonic or Sunny ever since the castle raised in the air, and he was starting to grow concerned.

"They couldn't die down there, could they?" Knuckles asked concerned with a frown. "No, of course not. They're both stronger than even they realize. They must be fine... Then again, they're still mortals at the end of the day, but they're also a different type of heroes. They cannot be dead... They just can't..."

Knuckles clenched his fists, his mind a swirl of uncertainty and frustration. Every instinct screamed at him to charge into Canterlot, to tear through the gloom and rescue Sonic and Sunny, but he knew it wasn't that simple. Charging in without a plan could mean the end of all of them. He let out a frustrated breath and turned to the team around him, watching as they readied themselves for the mission.

Zipp entered the room, her face grim but focused. "We're almost ready to move out," She said, adjusting her communicator. "Team Dark is en route, and Hitch and Amy are bringing reinforcements from Maretime Bay."

Knuckles nodded, grateful for the backup but still uneasy. "Good. We're going to need all the help we can get. This isn't just about Sonic and Sunny anymore. That castle… the way it's risen, it's like the gloom is using it as a fortress. Whatever's behind this isn't just some ancient curse—it's a force, and it's waking up."

Zipp frowned, her wings twitching. "Do you think this is connected to the Zonai? Tails mentioned their magic, but… this feels even older."

Knuckles stared out the window, his eyes narrowing at the sight of Canterlot Castle looming in the distance, shrouded in gloom. "I don't know. But if this thing has the power to lift a castle and unleash gloom across Equestria, we're dealing with something beyond our usual fights. The Zonai might have been powerful, but this? This feels like the end of something."

Pipp joined them, her face pale but determined. "The others are almost ready," She said quietly. "But Knuckles… what if we're too late?"

Knuckles looked at her, his expression softening for a moment. He knew what she was really asking. "We won't be," He said firmly, meeting her gaze. "Sonic and Sunny are fighters. They've faced impossible odds before. This time isn't any different."

Before Pipp could respond, Zipp's communicator beeped. She answered it quickly, her face tightening as she listened to the voice on the other end. After a few moments, she hung up, her expression even more serious than before. "That was Tails. He... he says that the cracks that opened on the ground all across Equestria have evolved..."

"Evolved?" Knuckles questioned, frowning. "Are they releasing more gloom?"

"Much worse than that," Zipp replied, and she gulped nervously before continuing. "According to Tails, the cracks have opened and... now they're abysses. More gloom comes out of them, and... Knuckles, those things are filled with darkness to the grim. Tails says nothing can be seen, and there's not even an estimate of how deep they go."

Knuckles felt a chill run down his spine at Zipp's words. Abysses? Darkness beyond measure? It was worse than anything he had imagined. He clenched his fists tighter, his knuckles turning white as his mind raced to comprehend the gravity of the situation. "Abysses... They're more than just cracks now. If they're spreading gloom, and we don't know how deep they go, we're dealing with something far more dangerous than just a rising castle."

Pipp, usually the more light-hearted one, looked genuinely terrified. "Does Tails have any idea what's causing it? Is it tied to the castle's magic or… something else entirely?"

Zipp shook her head. "He couldn't say for sure, but he believes it's connected to ancient magic, something that predates even the Zonai. It's like the gloom has a will of its own and it's using these abysses as conduits to spread itself. And with the castle floating like that... the whole of Equestria is at risk."

Knuckles slammed his fist into a nearby wall, the force cracking the stone. "We can't sit around analyzing this anymore! We need to stop it before it consumes everything."

"I know you're right," Zipp said, her voice calm but strained, "but we can't just rush in blindly. We need a plan, or we're just walking into the abyss ourselves."

Knuckles turned sharply to her, his eyes blazing with urgency. "The plan is simple: we get to the castle, rescue Sonic and Sunny, and take down whatever's behind this. We've faced impossible odds before. We can do it again."

But then, Knuckles' communicator beeped, and he answered it. He kept reading the reports of several people at the same time, some mentioning the abysses that Zipp talked about, but others said other stuff that concerned him and made him frown. He even almost destroyed the communicator with his bare fist by mistake. When he was done talking, he took a deep breath to not explode in anger.

"Change of plans," Knuckles stated, looking at Zipp and Pipp. "I'll stay in Lookout Landing. Looks like I'll be needed in here. Amy and Hitch will be in charge of the expedition that heads towards Canterlot Castle. As for you two, go back to Zephyr Heights. They're gonna need their princesses along their queen."

"What? Why?!" Pipp asked, her concern for Sonic and Sunny being bigger than anything.

"New reports are in," Knuckles started to explain. "Maretime Bay is being covered by some sludge that's falling from the sky. Bridlewood is now Sandopolis 2.0 with the sandstorm that has appeared out of thin air over there. And if that's not bad enough, Zephyr Heights is being covered by a snowstorm that came out of nowhere! The three towns are in danger, and I don't even know why!"

Pipp's eyes widened in disbelief as she processed Knuckles' words. "But what about Sonic and Sunny? We can't just leave them!"

Knuckles softened, understanding her anguish. "I get it, Pipp. I do. But if we lose control over the entire kingdom while we're focused on Canterlot, we'll never be able to help them. We need to spread out, manage the chaos, and ensure our friends are safe. I'll coordinate things here, but I need you two to do your parts in Zephyr Heights. We can't afford to let the situation escalate even further."

Zipp, usually the voice of reason, felt the weight of the decision pressing down on her. "Knuckles, you're right. We can't abandon our homes, but we can't abandon Sonic and Sunny either. We have to find a way to do both."

Knuckles nodded, appreciating Zipp's willingness to compromise. "Exactly. Amy and Hitch are capable. They'll get to Canterlot while I assist Tails the best I can. And as soon as we have things under control in the other towns, we'll regroup and go back for Sonic and Sunny. But right now, we need to split our focus to protect Equestria. If those two were here, they'll want us to help everypony else before them, and you both know that."

Pipp let out a shaky breath, torn between her duty to Zephyr Heights and her concern for Sonic and Sunny. She knew Knuckles was right—if their kingdom fell apart, there'd be no one left to fight for it. But leaving Sonic and Sunny behind, even for a moment, felt like a betrayal.

Zipp placed a reassuring hoof on her sister's shoulder. "We have to trust them, Pipp. They've been through worse, and we know they'll do whatever it takes to make it back. Right now, Mom and everypony else in Zephyr Heights need us too."

Pipp swallowed hard, nodding slowly. "You're right. We'll help the kingdom. But... promise me as soon as there's any word, we go back for them."

"Promise," Zipp said firmly, her resolve matching her sister's.

Knuckles gave a small nod, appreciating their commitment. "You two head back to Zephyr Heights. I'll keep you updated on anything we hear. Remember, this isn't just a fight for Sonic and Sunny. It's a fight for Equestria, for all of us."

With that, Zipp and Pipp took off, flying swiftly toward their airship, ready to return home. The storm over Zephyr Heights loomed in their minds, but Sonic and Sunny stayed close to their hearts.

Meanwhile, Knuckles sighed and rubbed his temples. He didn't remembered that being a leader was this exhausting. During the war against Eggman to recover the world's control, he made all kind of decisions to ensure the resistance would remain and keep fighting against Eggman. Now, however, it felt kind of worse considering the larger population and the fact that now specific places are being affected.

He decided to look out of the window of the main room, sighing heavily as he looked at the floating castle with a concerned frown. "Sonic, Sunny... wherever you are, please make it back. As much as I hate to say this... we need you. Both of you."

Opaline had no clue on what was going on, but she didn't liked it.

Being betrayed by Eggman was something she expected, and yet when the blew actually happened, she was still taken off-guard. Now, she was completely and utterly alone. Misty has left with her new friends, and Eggman was now working solo. She was on her own, and while she'd like to say she prefers it that way, now she was starting to hate it.

But as if none of that was enough, a strange rift had opened not so far from her castle, a rift which released a strange red substance that gave her a bad feeling. If the very few news from Equestria she's been getting are anything to go by, that substance is being called gloom, and for once, she agrees with the name those puny ponies gave the thing. It just fits like a glove.

And now, just a few minutes ago, the whole ground shook violently, and the rift in the ground has turned into a massive abyss that's releasing more and more of that gloom. Just what is happening to Equestria now?

Opaline paced in her dimly lit throne room, her hooves echoing in the stone corridors. Her mind swirled with frustration and confusion as she stared at the growing abyss outside. The thick gloom pouring out of it gnawed at her senses, sending shivers down her spine. It felt unnatural, even for her. This was something beyond her knowledge, and that alone made her uneasy.

"I should be ruling Equestria by now, not watching it fall apart without my influence," She muttered under her breath. Her thoughts flickered to Eggman, the betrayal still fresh. He had used her, discarded her once she'd served her purpose, and now he had vanished, leaving her alone with no allies and no plan.

The gloom was spreading rapidly, and the news she had intercepted hinted at chaos across the kingdom—sandstorms in Bridlewood, sludge in Maretime Bay, and snowstorms ravaging Zephyr Heights. Something ancient and powerful had been awakened, and it was threatening to tear Equestria apart. And yet, despite the growing crisis, there was a part of her that wondered if there was a way to use this chaos to her advantage.

"If I could harness the gloom… control it," She mused aloud, her eyes narrowing. "Maybe this could be the opportunity I need to seize power once and for all."

But as she contemplated the idea, a deep, unsettling voice echoed through the air around her. It was faint at first, like a distant whisper carried on the wind, but it grew louder, more pronounced, until it was clear it wasn't just in her head.

"The gloom is not yours to command, Opaline..." The voice sent chills through her. It was ancient, filled with malice and authority that even she couldn't ignore.

Opaline spun around, her wings flaring in defense. "Who dares to speak to me like that?" She demanded, her voice sharp and commanding. But there was no one in the room, only the eerie glow of the gloom seeping through the windows.

"You may seek power, but the gloom… it seeks something far greater." The voice was mocking now, as if amused by her ambition. "And it will consume everything… even you."

A flicker of fear passed through her. This was no ordinary force. Whatever was behind the gloom had a will of its own, and it was far beyond her control.

Opaline's eyes darted toward the abyss. She needed to act quickly. Staying here, alone and powerless, was no longer an option. If the gloom was beyond her, then she had to find a way to protect herself—or, perhaps, ally with those who could stand against it.

Suddenly, though, her phone—which she barely used to tell the truth—chimed with a new notification.

The Alicorn looked confused at her device, but still walked to it and grabbed it, turning it on. It was another news article, and she decided to read it. However, as she did so, her eyes widened: The article talked about Sonic and Sunny, whom she now considers her worse enemies, going down the ruins beneath Canterlot Castle to try and find the source of the gloom, but a few hours after they went down there, the castle raised in the air, now held by a rocky pilar over an abyss.

As if that wasn't shocking enough, Sonic and Sunny disappeared with no trace of them left behind.

Now genuine terror filled Opaline's being. If those two that stopped her and Eggman alike had fallen to the gloom, then what chance had her, or Equestria, to win against this rising darkness?

Panic surged through Opaline as she absorbed the implications of the news article. Sonic and Sunny—two of the strongest allies Equestria had ever known—missing beneath the castle and presumably trapped by the very force she had sensed looming outside her own walls. The very thought made her heart race. If they were gone, it meant that the gloom was more powerful than she had anticipated, and if it could conquer them, what hope did she have against it?

Chapter 4: The Closed Door

A green light illuminated the almost dark cave of that place.

The same light was a greenish energy that was being incorporated into a right arm in someone's body. On that arm there were circular bracelets that formed an empty sphere on the back of the hand, and rings on each of the fingers. He also had somewhat longer nails, which almost looked like claws.

After a while, the green light had completely accumulated in the arm, and little by little it faded, until the arm went from green to a very dark gray. It had stuck to someone's body, leaving a kind of tattoo with symbols on the right side.

It was soon discovered that the man to whom the arm had been attached was none other than Sonic, who fell unconscious after having been supposedly saved by the same hand that was now part of his body. He was not wearing anything, neither his gloves nor his shoes. His spikes had even become somewhat longer and messier than usual.

Little by little, Sonic seemed to regain consciousness. He opened his eyes a little dazed, but as soon as the memories of everything that happened hit him like a gust of wind, his eyes widened, and he quickly sat up, analyzing his surroundings.

He was on the stone floor of a small circular room. The room was dark and there was rubble behind him. Roots were sticking out of the walls.

"What the…" Sonic muttered to himself, confused.

He remembered everything that happened perfectly: The ruins they investigated, the green hand that fell off a rotting body, the stone Sunny took, that mummy that suddenly woke up, him losing his right arm and then breaking Excalibur, Sunny falling and him trying to save her, Sunny disappearing in a golden glow…

Sunny. Where had she gone?

Sonic then remembered the issue with his right arm, but… It didn't hurt. To be fair, he didn't even feel it.

He decided to look at his arm, and was both amazed and terrified to notice that his arm was completely grey, just like the long bracelet, the rings, and the long nails that looked like claws. He opened and closed the fingers of that hand. It was a strange sensation, because he felt nothing with that arm, not even pain.

It was some kind of implant that responded to his actions, but he didn't feel it. What the hell happened to his arm? Under the castle, his arm had become a black mass with red veins, a product of coming into contact with the gloom. Now, he had some kind of replacement that he didn't feel at all. He could move it like his normal arm, but he knew very well that it wasn't his.

Suddenly, his arm lit up. It had the same greenish hue as the hand that was on that mummy, the same hand that had saved him from certain death...

And everything clicked then.

The hand that saved him was now attached to him. Maybe the damage to his arm was such that this was necessary, but Sonic wasn't sure if he would get used to having a "ghost" arm with him. Seriously, not feeling anything with that arm despite having it attached was too weird, and he's seen some very strange things lately.

"Ah, Sonic. Finally, you wake," A voice suddenly spoke.

Sonic quickly stood up and looked around, ignoring the fact that he felt somewhat weak. He soon remembered that, when his arm was affected by the gloom, he felt his strength being slowly taken away. Maybe he was finally suffering the consequences of that.

"I've heard a great deal about you from Sunny," The voice spoke again, and Sonic dismissed the idea of thinking he was delirious. That voice was very real, and it sounded very close, too.

'How does he know my name? And how does he know Sunny?' Sonic wondered in his mind, but something inside him told him that that voice, as unknown as it was, was trying to help him. He decided to listen to that small part of himself and trust.

Sonic's arm suddenly stopped glowing, but he didn't notice.

"Your wounds were severe... I am relieved to see you escaped death," Said that voice, and now it sounded calmer and more serene, while before it spoke in a more playful and mocking tone, or at least that's how Sonic felt. "Your arm, however, was beyond saving. I had to replace it, lest the injury endanger you further."

'Did that voice just read my mind?' Sonic wondered as soon as that mysterious being said exactly what he had thought before.

Still, he looked at his right arm again, still trying to come to terms with the fact that it was now a new one. New isn't always a bad thing, but Sonic wouldn't be so scared of this arm if he could feel anything at all. The advantage of the new arm was that he didn't have to learn how to use it, but not feeling anything with it felt unnatural.

Suddenly, Sonic heard a voice in his mind, a whisper. Unlike the voice he had just spoken to, this one was almost incomprehensible. It was a distant murmur, and Sonic thought again that he was going crazy.

He began to look around, looking for a way out, but then he saw a glow not far away. He squinted, and realized that it was Excalibur... or what was left of it. He assumed that the whisper was the sword calling to him.

He slowly walked over to the sword and took it with his right arm. At least he could apply some strength to the new arm, even if he didn't feel it. Still, Sonic couldn't help but feel melancholy and guilty at the state of the now deteriorated Excalibur.

The handle and a small part of the blade were fine, but the rest... the rest was useless. Part of the blade was rusted, and the rest was broken, with holes at the end of what was left of the blade that made Sonic feel even more guilty.

"I'm sorry..." Sonic whispered to the sword, hoping that its power and voice had somehow survived and were still inside the sword. "I was supposed to protect you, and I failed..."

And he hadn't just failed the sword and its spirit. He promised to root out the evil that was beneath Canterlot Castle, and he failed miserably. He had failed all of Equestria as well. His own friends, Tails, Sunny...

Sunny... that voice that spoke to him after he woke up said that Sunny told them about him.

If Sunny had spoken to the source of that mysterious voice, then she had to be around here somewhere. She had disappeared in a flash of gold, after all. She hadn't fallen into the endless darkness of that sudden abyss.

"...Maybe not everything is lost..." Sonic said, a determined look forming on his face at last. "Yeah... I haven't failed yet."

Soon, Sonic realized that the exit was right next to where he found the sword, covered by vines. He took a piece of cloth he found on the ground and improvised a kind of temporary sheath for the sword.

He tied it to his back and then used the sword to break the vines covering the exit. He wondered for the first time since he woke up where he had gotten himself into now. Or rather, where his new arm had brought him, because nothing seemed familiar.

Judging by those vines, he might be in northern Equestria. It was the only place where vines like that could be. The only way to find out was to get out of that confined place.

Sonic used the sword to cut the vines, then immediately returned it to its makeshift sheath. That the sword could still cut at all had to be a miracle.

The next room was much larger than the last. It was clear that Sonic was somewhere in ruins; there were cracks everywhere, and two giant circular structures that should have been attached to the walls now lay in pieces on the white stone floor.

Cautiously, Sonic moved around the room, analyzing everything around him. Up ahead he noticed a pedestal rising from the ground, with two coiled dragons that seemed to be chasing each other. They looked a lot like the Zonai ruins in the north of the kingdom. Maybe he was in the ruins of that region?

As soon as Sonic stopped in front of that pedestal, two things struck him as odd. The first was that he was no longer standing on cold stone, but on something very similar to sand. However, that sand was not golden like the ones he had seen on the beach at Maretime Bay, but rather grey.

The other strange thing was the symbol that appeared as soon as he arrived in front of the pedestal.

In the space between the two dragons' bodies, there were symbols floating in the air. Sonic couldn't recognize any of them; perhaps if Sunny had been there, she would have helped him, but he was alone. In the center of the strange green energy circle was a pattern resembling a hand with outstretched fingers.

Sonic stared at that symbol for a moment, then looked at his new right arm and reached out toward the hand in the symbol. In the blink of an eye, the circle of light disintegrated into dozens of cocoons, which eventually disappeared into the air. The ground shook beneath his feet a moment later, and he heard a strange rumble, like a bell ringing in the distance.

The huge circular structures that remained intact soon began to spin like gears, releasing clouds of dust. And at the back of the room, Sonic saw a door open, giving him passage to continue his search for a way out of that place.

Without wasting any time, Sonic climbed the steps that led to that door, and found himself on a kind of platform that was right over a huge puddle of water that could easily be mistaken for a lake. This made him feel a bit panicked because he doesn't know how to swim, but he doesn't think he has enough strength to do a Spin Dash and avoid jumping into the water.

Resigned, Sonic dove and fell... then swam to the surface and was confused. How was he swimming without knowing it? He then noticed that his new right arm was glowing green again, and that made him think that maybe the arm was helping him swim. It didn't make much sense, but he decided not to question it, so he headed to the shore, and when he stepped on land again, he continued forward and climbed a stone wall, still wondering how he suddenly knows how to swim.

He barely made it to the top, however, when he had to stop to catch his breath. Doing all of that would have been very easy before, and he would have done it without breaking a sweat. However, because of the gloom that drained him of his energy, that was no longer possible.

Sonic took a moment to catch his breath, leaning against a wall as he looked around. The air was heavy, and a feeling of oppression enveloped him. He knew he had to keep going, but every step reminded him of the lack of strength he felt.

Excalibur's murmur returned, clearer this time. It seemed to come from all directions, as if the walls themselves were whispering. Sonic tried to concentrate, trying to understand the message that was escaping him. However, before he could catch the words, the whispering ceased, leaving an awkward silence.

The hedgehog looked ahead. The only option was to continue exploring, hoping to find some clue as to Sunny's whereabouts. Despite his exhaustion, the determination in his heart burned stronger than ever. He couldn't give up.

He resumed his path, and again, he reached another platform suspended over a lake. He suspected that this lake and the previous one had been formed over time, as drops of water fell from everywhere.

He dove into the water without thinking, and when he returned to the surface, he found himself swimming to the shore. He was still in disbelief at seeing that his right arm glowed as he swam, but decided not to give it much importance for the moment. As he continued on his way, he found another platform, but in this case, it was suspended about 12 meters above a body of water.

Sonic knew very well that his body would end up in pieces if he tried to jump from such a height, especially without something that could slow his fall. He was reckless and he knew it, but this was suicidal even for him. However, he saw that on the banks of that body of water there was an exit, as the rays of sunlight filtered through there.

That was his ticket to get out and look for Sunny.

Taking a breath, Sonic looked at the body of water below. He nervously took a few steps back, then broke into a run, diving into the body of water and closing his eyes, waiting for the painful impact that awaited him.

However, when he finally hit the water, he felt no pain whatsoever. Instead, he felt as if he had suddenly been enveloped in a warm embrace that had protected him from certain death.

When Sonic returned to the surface, he took a deep breath, and looked around, truly making sure that he wasn't dead. How had he survived such a jump?

He then noticed again that his new right arm was glowing with a deep green hue again. He then deduced that the power of that arm had protected him and had also granted him the power to swim. If so, it would be the second time that it had saved his life, if the voice from before was to be trusted.

He finally swam to the shore and shook himself a little. He made sure that he still had Excalibur with him, and then he noticed a chest not far away. As he approached, it glowed with the same symbol that he saw earlier on that pillar that opened the door.

He brought his right hand closer to the symbol, and when it dissipated, the chest was no longer sealed. He opened the chest, and inside he found a kind of gray skirt and a pair of sandals with ribbons. Sonic grimaced at seeing that he would have to tie those things, but it was better than being completely naked, and barefoot.

With effort, Sonic put on the sandals, and only Chaos knew where he had gotten the strength to not lose his patience tying those things. When he did, however, he didn't feel any better. They weren't all that comfortable, but then again, he preferred that to hurting his feet while barefoot.

He put on his skirt as well, which did feel more comfortable, and then proceeded to head towards that exit.

It was a narrow but short hallway, followed by a somewhat longer walkway. The sunlight would have blinded him if he hadn't started blinking to get used to it. When he did, he noticed that the sky was completely blue, with no clouds in sight. That felt strange to him, but he ignored it for the moment, so he decided to get to the end of the walkway.

When he did, he felt like he was suddenly out of breath.

The reason the sky was so blue was because he wasn't under the clouds, but above them. Below, there were hundreds of islands floating in the air for some reason. That should be impossible, or at least that's what Sonic thought. He also spotted some sort of temple on one of the islands below. He wondered how the hell he got there if he was underground.

He looked at his right arm again. That arm, and he assumed that the owner of it, had saved him from the gloom and, recently, from turning into a pool of blood when he hit a body of water from a great height. Maybe that was what brought him here.

But why so high up? Why so far from the safety of solid ground? Was he even still in Equestria? So many unanswered questions were going to drive him crazy sooner or later.

Sonic looked over the edge, and below he saw a lake, on one of the many islands floating in the sky. If he jumped and calculated things right, he would fall into that lake. The power that protected him from the jump before should protect him again, right?

"Damn, I'm going crazy..." Sonic scolded himself with a laugh that was half nervous and half scared. "Yeah, I think I went insane... No one in their right mind would jump from this height into a lake or any other body of water..."

Sonic debated whether to go back to the cave he just came out of and look for some cloth that would work as a parachute, or just jump out and pray to every god he knows of that his new arm would save him again.

In the end, he took a deep breath, took several steps back, started running, and then dove into a dive.

He spread his arms and legs as he fell, and as he did so, he was able to see the landscape around him better. There were many more islands, and other structures, floating in the air in the distance, thousands of miles away that he wouldn't be able to reach from here. He also saw huge pieces of land floating, some connected to each other, others completely isolated.

The further he went down, the better he saw that temple he saw from above. With a better view, he noticed that it was built with pale stone and geometric in shape. It couldn't have been built by ponies, or by any tribe he knew of. That temple looked much more imposing and majestic. Not far away, an orange dragon flew that he had never seen before.

To his right, he saw a snowy area that gave him chills just looking at it. If he survived that jump he made, how the hell was he going to explore that area without being well equipped?

The closer he got to the body of water, Sonic decided to look at the clouds and squint, hoping to make out something familiar. He managed to see a huge mountain with something coming out of it, and he recognized it as Mount Crystal. That means he's still in Equestria, luckily.

Finally, Sonic was face to face with the lake, so he dove in, accelerating, and when he hit the water, he felt himself once again enveloped in a warm embrace that protected him from what should have been certain death.

He surfaced, taking a breath of air again, and then looked around. He was safe, thankfully.

He swam to the shore, passing by the stream of water lilies floating in the water. He could see that his right arm was glowing brightly again, but he already knew why at this point. When he reached the shore, he knelt on the ground and allowed himself to catch his breath. He hated feeling so weak because of the gloom, but with his new arm he at least felt a little more secure.

He stood up and began to look around. He was in a picturesque landscape, and not far away he saw mushrooms and apple trees. He also saw a wooden stick on the ground and a tree branch. He decided to take both to use as a weapon, just in case. After all, Excalibur was useless. Why use it?

He cautiously made his way down the path, and decided to take some apples from the apple trees. One of them was completely golden, to his surprise. He found that strange, but decided not to question it and kept it anyway.

The stone path Sonic was following led him to a strange artifact. He slowed his pace and approached the artifact. It seemed to be made of green stone. There were three stone flowers adorning the top. The artifact was not familiar to him at all, and it barely reached Sonic's height.

Suddenly, in the middle of the artifact, a yellow symbol very similar to a broom lit up, and the object began to move. Sonic stood on the defensive, holding the wooden stick he found earlier in his hand, just in case. The artifact released dust as it moved, and soon, it suddenly stood up, forming a green stone head with a single eye and the three flowers just above it. The head was attached to the body by floating stone rings, joined only by a greenish energy similar to that of its arm, the same with its huge stone hands.

That artifact shrank its neck and looked at Sonic closely, analyzing him, while the hedgehog remained on the defensive. However, after a while, the artifact retreated.

"Sonic. I have waited for you," An unnatural, mechanical voice suddenly said, coming from that thing.

"...What?" Was all Sonic managed to say. Everyone seemed to know his name, but he didn't even know where he was standing... literally.

"Sunny Starscout left something for you in my care," The strange artifact said. Following that, a part of its body opened like a drawer, and right inside, was Sunny's phone. "This is Sunny's phone. I am told it is an invaluable tool that will provide you with direction."

Sonic looked at Sunny's phone with wide eyes. He took it in his hands, examining it, then turned it over to see the screen, which immediately lit up, and soon he felt a sudden relief he didn't know he needed.

He wondered internally where Sunny went since he woke up, but if her phone was here, then Sunny couldn't be far away. Also, this thing told him that Sunny left it for him, so that was one more sign that Sunny is alive.

"I received it from Sunny Starscout. I have now passed it on to you," The artifact suddenly said, snapping Sonic out of his thoughts. "My records indicate that Sunny Starscout is waiting at the location marked on its map. My message has been delivered."

The artifact turned around, signaling that it was going to leave, but then Sonic stopped it. "Wait a minute…" The hedgehog said, gaining the artifact's full attention. "It seems you understand me… If so, do you know where am I?"

The artifact seemed to study Sonic for a brief moment before answering. "I see you're disoriented," The machine said, and Sonic had to swallow a snort. As if he didn't already know he was lost. "I'm a steward construct. There are more like me all over the Great Sky Island. If you have questions, don't hesitate to come to us for guidance. Anyway, you want to know where you are, right?"

Sonic thought he had his answer. Apparently it's on the Great Sky Island... It didn't ring a bell. He assumed that all those floating earthen clubs, including the one he's on, formed that Great Island.

However, Sonic just nodded at the construct, as the artifact called itself. He assumed that being a little more specific with his current location wouldn't be a bad thing.

"We stand in the Garden of Time," The construct replied, then turned and looked at the temple in the distance. "The Temple of Time is visible from here. It was used in the distant past. Many rites and ceremonies of the kingdom were held there." He turned back to Sonic. "But no more. Now it is a lonely place. No one visits."

Sonic felt like his mind was going to explode. The Temple of Time sounded familiar to him, but he wasn't sure what. Maybe he heard the name one of the many times Sunny tried to explain the Zonai civilization, but he's not completely sure.

"Do you need help with anything else?" The construct's voice brought Sonic out of his thoughts again.

Sonic just shook his head and looked at Sunny's phone still in his hands. He opened the map he never knew Sunny had installed on her phone, and discovered that she was right in the place the construct pointed out, the supposed Temple of Time. If she was there, he had no time to waste.

He put Sunny's phone away and walked over to a pedestal identical to the one in the room next to where he woke up. He walked over and placed his hand on the symbol once it appeared. As it dissipated, a smooth stone bridge suddenly joined together, allowing him to reach another platform suspended over a lake below.

This time, Sonic didn't think twice and dove headlong into the water. Upon impact, he was once again enveloped by that sensation that replicated a warm hug. He surfaced and swam to shore, shook himself off a bit, and then continued on his way. There wasn't much time left to reach the Temple of Time and reunite with Sunny.

He hadn't lost his touch.

On his way to the Temple of Time, Sonic encountered a pair of constructs that, unlike the one that gave him Sunny's phone, tried to attack him without remorse. Luckily, Sonic was able to use the wooden stick and tree branch he found earlier, finishing off those two like nothing.

When he defeated them, they both dropped two items. The first was a kind of sphere with a greenish energy inside it, identical to the one that emanates from his arm when he jumps into bodies of water from a great height. The other item was a rather sharp horn. It seemed to be perfect to be used as the tip of an arrow, or even the tip of a weapon.

Sonic figured that those horns could be useful to him later, so he took both horns, as well as the two spheres, and put them away. In turn, he took the spear and wooden stick that those constructs had used against him. They could be useful to him as well.

When he reached the temple, Sonic had to swim a short distance, then climb the rubble of what had once been stairs, and then he had to defeat another construct that was not far from the entrance to the temple.

That construct had a wooden stick, but also a shield. Sonic knew that both would be useful, so he pulled out his spear and approached the construct, attacking it only when it moved the shield out of the way to attack. Sonic, however, still knew how to handle weapons perfectly, so when the construct was about to attack, Sonic moved out of the way at the last second, jumping back.

Time seemed to suddenly stop, and now Sonic was moving faster than his opponent. Soon, he began to attack the construct mercilessly with his spear. When time began to run normally again, the construct fell defeated, leaving behind its horn and a sphere, just like the other two constructs.

Sonic took the sphere and the horn, putting them away. He also took the shield, which was made of wood, and in the middle had the same eye as that fallen pillar beneath Canterlot Castle. Sonic asked himself, for the first time since he woke up, why the hell he hadn't taken a shield with him when he traveled with Sunny to the castle's foundations. Maybe with the shield he could've blocked the gloom.

'Or maybe I would have ended up like the sword,' A cruel voice in his head told him, and he decided to shake off those thoughts. 'Now's not the time to regret. Sunny is waiting for you.'

He approached the giant closed doors of the temple, and in the middle, he saw the same green symbol with the hand in the middle that was already becoming familiar to him. He approached it and put his hand on the symbol, but unlike the three previous times, he suddenly felt a spark of electric current in his arm that made him back away.

That gave him a feeling of surprise and relief at the same time. At least his arm wasn't completely dead, for some reason he could feel the spark. He looked at the door again, but now he was confused. The green symbol was replaced by a red one with a big X in the middle, and Sonic's right arm suddenly started glowing. Sonic examined his arm, confused, and then...

"That door will open only to those with sufficient power..." A familiar voice suddenly spoke.

Sonic turned around abruptly, frowning and adopting a defensive stance.

He found himself facing a tall creature with an animalistic snout, long pointed ears, and a thick mane of white hair that reached almost to the ground. Its eyes were deep and blue, and between them, on its forehead, there seemed to be a third closed eye. Two small golden horns sat just above it.

Its body seemed to be covered in hair, but it didn't look anything like a beast. It wore a kind of robe that covered it from below the shoulders, leaving its torso bare. Its legs were covered by a toga with symbols on it that he couldn't quite identify. Jewels adorned its neck. An owl-shaped pendant hung from its belt. The creature seemed translucent; it gave off a blue glow. If he squinted, Sonic could see the landscape through its body.

'A spirit,' He guessed to himself. 'And it looks a lot like the statues I saw with Sunny. Is it a Zonai?'

Sonic stopped to look at the creature's right arm, and noticed that it was glowing green, as if the arm wasn't part of the spirit. He was starting to get suspicious about this spirit.

"I'm sorry—I did not intend to startle you," The spirit apologized, as he raised his right arm and showed it to Sonic. "It was I that spoke to you earlier. That arm originally belonged to me. I am Rauru."

Rauru lowered his right arm, and Sonic looked at his own before looking at Rauru again. He didn't understand how the hell his arm had gotten to him and become part of his body. And the strangest thing of all was that the spirit's name seemed awfully familiar to him.

"You... were the one who saved me down there, weren't you?" Sonic asked, although there was some distrust in his tone.

"That's right," Rauru nodded. "Forgive me for appearing to you in this manner. Unfortunately, I no longer have a physical form."

The spirit bowed its head in apology, and Sonic knew then that the spirit did not seek to harm him.

He had saved him from certain death under the castle, and his power must have been what enveloped him in a warm embrace when he jumped into the water from a great height, not to mention that it allowed him to finally swim. Now it appeared before him in peace.

Therefore, he decided to let his guard down, to show the spirit that he would not attack him. His arm suddenly stopped glowing, but he didn't give it any importance.

"How... how did you give me your arm?" Sonic wanted to know, and risked asking.

"My Zonai magic survived the passage of time. I recited a few words that did the job," The spirit replied, confirming Sonic's suspicions: He was a Zonai, and if he really knew Sunny as he claimed before, she must have almost lost her mind from excitement at meeting an actual, living Zonai. "In any case, that arm should allow you to open this door. It seems to have lost the power to do so."

Sonic looked at his right arm again. He was starting to get used to it, although he would be lying if he said he didn't miss his old arm. The one that made him feel things.

"You might be able to restore it, but you would need to enter a place filled with sacred light..." The spirit spoke, rubbing his chin. Then, an idea came to his mind, and he looked towards the east of the temple. "Ah, of course. Why not visit the shrines on this island?"

Sonic followed Rauru and his gaze, coming across a rock building in the distance, on top of a small hill with steps around it. The same rock was surrounded by a pair of pillars with dragon symbols in front that connected just behind the shrine.

And just above it, a green spiral with symbols that Sonic still didn't recognize appeared, identical to the one that protruded from the arm above that corpse under the castle.

"The shrines..." Rauru said, looking at Sonic, who looked back at him. "Yes, I am sure they are the key."

After saying that, Rauru disappeared, and Sonic was confused. He didn't had time to ask him about Sunny or how he knew her, and he really wanted to do so. However, he already knew that Sunny was on the other side of the temple doors.

And if he wanted to open them, he had to recover the powers of his new arm, so he decided to trust Rauru and set off towards that shrine, as the spirit called it.

Chapter 5: The Ability to Create

Sonic defeated another construct.

This one had a wooden bow and a couple of arrows. Sonic immediately took them with him, taking the horn and the sphere with him as with the other constructs he had defeated.

He continued his way up the hill with steps, and when he arrived, he found himself climbing the wall at times, since some of those steps had collapsed long ago. Sonic, however, didn't mind. If anything, he was grateful for it. It would allow him to stretch his body a bit.

When he reached the top, he found himself in front of the shrine. Up close it wasn't as imposing as he thought it would be, but perhaps that was for the best. Thinking about it for a bit, he placed his hand on it as the same symbol as the door to the Temple of Time appeared, and this time it did dissipate.

Behind him, on a sandy surface on which the shrine was located, a round, blue symbol appeared, one he didn't quite recognize. He looked back at the shrine, and suddenly, a portal of sorts with a green aura opened up, giving him access to the shrine. Sonic could barely see what was inside, and he wasn't entirely sure if he really wanted to go inside.

Soon, though, he remembered that he needed the power hidden within the shrine to meet Sunny at the Temple of Time. It was a hassle, especially considering he only had to open one damn door, but it was better than nothing.

With a determined look, Sonic walked through the strange portal that opened in front of the shrine.

When he reached the other side, it seemed like he had been transported to a whole new world. The walls and floor were a white color, somewhere between marble and bone, with golden details. They shone, as if someone had just cleaned them, although there didn't seem to be anyone else inside.

The ceiling was a strange transparent energy floating above his head. There seemed to be no blue sky beyond, and he couldn't even see the sunlight through this transparent layer.

Sonic had barely entered the shrine when Rauru suddenly appeared in front of him.

"So you've made it here," The spirit said, a tiny smile appearing on his face. "This is a Shrine of Light. Long ago, I filled these places with light that purges evil."

"I thought the shrine would be smaller..." Sonic confessed, looking around in disbelief. "How can it be so big?"

The spirit let out a light laugh at Sonic's confusion. "An ancient Zonai power. We could contain spacious places in small containers. It was very useful in our time. I believe this light will restore an ability your right arm has lost."

"And then I can open the door?" The hedgehog questioned, the mission of finding Sunny being his highest priority at the moment.

"If you get past the shrine first," Rauru said. "Now then, extend your hand."

Sonic hesitated for a moment before obeying, extending his right hand.

Soon, green energy began to gather in a sphere on his palm, which surprised him a little. When the energy was fully accumulated, it showed a sphere with a hand symbol in the middle, and following that, the sphere entered Sonic's arm. He felt a tingling sensation, probably the energy of the new acquired power running through his arm.

Confused, the hedgehog looked at Rauru, waiting for an explanation.

"This is the Ultrahand ability," Rauru explained, and Sonic noticed the excitement in his tone. "It allows you to move objects freely and attach them to other objects. With it, you will be able to build a great number of things. Really, anything you can imagine. Personally, it's one of my favorite powers."

Sonic looked at his arm, incredulous. If what Rauru was telling him was true, then this power would not only help him open the door, but it could also be useful once he returns to Equestria.

"Use Ultrahand," Rauru's voice brought him out of his thoughts, "and receive the blessing from this shrine."

After explaining everything he needed to, Rauru vanished, leaving Sonic alone. The hedgehog looked at his arm again, and suddenly found himself excited to test out his new power.

He went down the steps further ahead, and found himself facing his first obstacle: A cliff, and a higher area that would allow him to continue. To his right, there was a pale stone slab, with Zonai spirals etched into the surface.

Sonic looked at the area he had to reach, the edge of the cliff, his arm, and the slab, in that exact order. He knew then that he had to use that slab as a bridge.

So he decided to concentrate, pointing his right hand at the slab. Rauru didn't give him instructions on what to do, but it wasn't a problem for him. He could handle it on his own. So he pointed at the slab and concentrated, thinking that he wanted to lift it from its place.

He stayed like that for a while, starting to feel like an idiot and believing that it wasn't going to work... But then, his arm started to glow with that greenish energy, and suddenly, he released a bit of energy that touched the slab and lifted it from its place.

Sonic felt incredulous, blinking to make sure he wasn't going crazy, and then he moved his hand, which consequently moved the plank as well. It was like having unicorn magic, but without a horn.

He laughed like a little kid with a new toy, and it wasn't that far from reality, then he moved the plank and adjusted it to the angle he wanted before letting it go. The plank fell, each end of it resting on the edges in the middle of the cliff.

Sonic walked over the plank, which was perfectly sturdy, and when he was on the other side, he turned around to see in disbelief what he had achieved. He couldn't wait to overcome the shrine and keep his new power.

He continued on his way, and found another cliff, a little bigger and higher than the previous one. To his left he found 2 planks, and immediately he grabbed one of them with Ultrahand, then brought it closer to the other, and after concentrating on making both of them come together, he succeeded.

The two planks were stuck together by a strange greenish rubber that was left in the middle of them. Sonic touched that rubber, feeling it soft but, strangely, resistant, strong enough to keep both planks together without separating.

Sonic then used Ultra Hand once more to move the bridge he had created, once again leaving each end of the bridge on each edge in the middle of the cliff. When he walked on it to get to the other side, it did not collapse, indicating that the rubber was quite resistant.

The hedgehog smiled again. If he met again with Sunny, he would definitely show her his new ability. He didn't know if she would feel jealous or amazed, but either way, he would be happy to show her.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a chest high up, so he used Ultrahand to bring the bridge he had just created and place it on a small space in front of the chest.

He climbed the bridge, and upon reaching the chest, he opened it using his right hand. When the symbol that appeared dissipated, he opened the chest, finding a piece of amber. It seemed to be shaped like a blade for a weapon. Why would an amber be shaped like that?

He decided to ignore it for the moment and put it away. He didn't think it would work as a weapon, but maybe he could sell it when he returned to Equestria, or even give it to Pipp. She would get more use out of it without a doubt.

He climbed down from that pillar where the chest was and moved forward, reaching a strange area. In it there was a huge metal tube, each end held in a pillar. Under that tube was another huge precipice, and at the other end, next to the wall, he saw a pedestal on which were two figures that seemed to be carved to life size. A green energy floated around them, forming spirals of strange symbols, but the sculptures almost glowed on their own.

To his left, he saw a huge wooden plank, and next to it, a kind of white stone hook. Sonic figured he would have to build something out of it to get to the other side. He looked up, intending to think, but instead, he found several wooden platforms moving from one place to another, all of them using a stone hook to move them.

Sonic immediately knew what to do when he saw that, so he got to work. He used Ultrahand and moved the wooden plank, then took the stone hook and attached it right in the middle of the plank. Afterwards, he moved his entire creation, placing the hook right on the metal pipe.

The platform began to move, and Sonic quickly climbed onto it. It moved perfectly along the metal pipe until it reached the other side, near the pedestal.

He got off the platform and climbed the steps to reach the pedestal. In front of it appeared the same symbol with the hand in the middle. Sonic touched it, and when it dissipated, the pillars next to it glowed, and the camera in front of him opened, giving him a better view of the two stone figures.

He saw that one of the carved figures was identical to those under the castle, but it was smaller. A tall Zonai with an animal snout and long ears. The figure next to it, however, was identical to the figure of a mare. The lack of wings and horn made Sonic think that it was an earth pony, and it was wearing a very long robe, as well as a tiara.

The sculptures were holding each other, the Zonai with its hand and the mare with its hoof, extended towards him. Sonic felt like he had seen that mare before, and at the same time, he didn't recognize her. The Zonai, on the other hand, he recognized very well.

"You have done well to reach this place," A voice suddenly spoke, and Sonic thought it echoed in his mind. "We offer this light that will cleanse you of evil."

After saying that, the green energy floating around the figures changed to a deep gold, and soon headed towards Sonic, who felt somewhat surprised by this. The golden light entered his body, and the hedgehog suddenly felt renewed energy, as if part of the strength that the darkness took from him returned to him again.

He didn't feel invincible like when he found Excalibur in Korok Forest, but he definitely felt stronger than when he woke up in that strange place.

When all the golden light had entered his body, Sonic looked at the figures again.

"May the Light of Blessing grant you the strength you seek," That voice simply said.

Then, the figures were locked away, and Sonic could no longer see them. He assumed that meant that he had already overcome the sanctuary, so he decided to check it out by heading to the exit.

Sonic left that shrine, and noticed that the sun was beginning to set in the distance. How long had he been in that shrine? It couldn't have been more than 5 minutes.

Suddenly, Rauru appeared in front of him again, his gaze showing a gleam of pride. "You did very well getting through that shrine," The spirit said, and his tone showed the same pride as his gaze. "And you've restored an ability. This is wonderful."

Sonic felt like he was going to faint, he didn't know if from shock, confusion, or both.

"An ability? As in, just one?" Sonic asked, feeling incredulous again.

"That's right," Rauru nodded, a smile appearing on his face. "If you visit and complete two more shrines, you should be able to open the door to the Temple of Time."

Now he didn't know how to feel: Whether excited to know that he could obtain two more powers, or frustrated to know that it would take longer than he wanted to meet Sunny.

However, he knew that feeling frustrated wasn't going to do any good. He could learn to master his new abilities along the way and be well prepared. He'd impress Sunny a lot more, by the way, and that was extra points on his agenda.

"I suppose a few extra powers wouldn't hurt," Sonic admitted. "Where do I find the other shrines?"

"You can locate them with the map on Sunny's phone," The spirit replied, earning a confused look from Sonic. "That artifact has the option to mark pins over certain places you want to get to. You may want to mark the shrines in the distance with pins. Then you'll never lose track of where they are. Sunny's phone offers you a very useful scope. It's quite handy."

Rauru disappeared after saying that, and Sonic pulled out Sunny's phone to check the spirit's words. He looked through the phone's apps for a while, looking for one that would activate the scope, and eventually activated it by accident when he pressed a completely black icon in the middle of the screen.

With that, he activated the telescope, and Sonic wondered since when Sunny has a telescope and a map on her phone. Regardless, he picked it up to start looking around. To the south of the island he spotted another shrine, not only because of the stone structure, but also because of the green spiral. He marked said shrine with a red pin so he wouldn't get lost.

He moved the telescope around, and then he spotted another shrine, in the snowy area to the east of the island. He didn't know how he would get in there without freezing to death, especially considering that he isn't even dressed from the waist up. Still, he marked that shrine with a blue pin. He would manage to get there without suffering from the cold later.

Not finding any more shrines, Sonic deactivated the telescope and put Sunny's phone away. He could see the shrine to the south from where he was, so he immediately set off on a mission to get to it.

Sonic descended the hill he was on at a slow pace. When he reached the ground, he continued on his way, heading south of the island.

Along the way, and to his surprise, he found Rauru near a kind of ruined house, looking at one of those steward constructs. It was chopping down a tree with a wooden stick that had a stone stuck to one side. It was like an improvised axe.

Sonic was going to ask how that was possible, but Rauru spoke up first. "I see that they're still at work even now," The spirit said, a sad and nostalgic smile plastered on his face. "We originally created the constructs to assist in our endeavors. All of us were fond of them. I never imagined they would continue to carry out their assigned tasks to this day." Suddenly his gaze darkened and he crossed his arms. "The fact that their labor no longer serves any purpose, yet they perform it still...it is disquieting to me."

The question Sonic wanted to ask ended up dying, and now the hedgehog felt compassion for Rauru.

Maybe he was a spirit, but he still felt at the end of the day. Sonic was going to ask him about the mare he had seen at the sanctuary, at the end of it, but he thought he might be opening old wounds that were better closed, so he swallowed the question.

Rauru was already dead, he didn't deserve to suffer in that state.

Suddenly, Sonic heard a bell in the distance, and turned to look at the Temple of Time. The bell came from that place. Rauru turned around, looking at the temple as did Sonic, and his sad but nostalgic smile returned.

"What is that?" Sonic asked, hoping that question wouldn't ruin Rauru's good mood.

"It's the Bell of Time," The spirit answered. "In my time, it rang to announce the sunrise and sunset, and when that happened, the appearance of this place changed. There was always a solemn silence, but the sound of the bell seemed to give it a little life. At night, for example, the air was filled with fireflies."

Sonic found himself smiling a little when he heard that. "It sounds like something incredible to see."

"It was a beautiful sight. It brings me back memories..."

Sonic could see in Rauru's eyes that he was feeling melancholy at that moment, so he decided to leave the spirit alone and continue on his way.

He approached the steward construct who was cutting down a tree, and noticed that next to it, in the trunk of an already cut down tree, there was an improvised axe just like the one the construct had. Sonic took the axe and examined it.

The stone seemed to have embedded itself in the wooden stick that made up the axe, as if that piece of stone had always belonged to the stick.

Sonic still didn't understand how this was possible, but he supposed that one of Rauru's powers could give him the answer. Clinging to that idea with enthusiasm, he decided to take the axe.

Once the sky was bathed in stars, Sonic considered the possibility of stopping to rest for a while. He saw not far from his place a steward construct in front of a bonfire. He assumed he created it for whoever passed by, if anyone did.

However, not far from that same place, he could also see a sort of construct camp. There were 4 of them, all watching the place with a sort of red scanner in their eyes that allowed them to detect nearby threats. One of them was on a very tall pillar, holding a bow in one of its hands. The other three were just watching the area, but there were weapons nearby.

Sonic knew that if he wanted to take a well-deserved rest, he would have to deal with the constructs first, or they would deal with him if he fell asleep.

He crouched down in the tall grass and slowly approached until he was behind a ruined stone wall. He took a breath for a moment, then took out a bow and arrow and aimed at the construct standing on the pillar. He drew back the bow, made sure there was a good wind, and let go of the arrow. The same one hit the construct right in the eye, and made it fall defeated.

With that, the other three were alerted, and made a horrible sound that made Sonic cover his ears. It sounded like some kind of alert, but not the kind of alert that Hitch would make with his megaphone, but much more unbearable. When the sound stopped, Sonic shook his head, equipped the shield and the stone axe and took a breath.

He then jumped back, falling in sight of the constructs, who were already armed.

Sonic focused only one of them, however. The one who took a rusty sword and shield to defend himself. The hedgehog waited for the construct to approach, and when it did, he dodged its attack at the last second by jumping back.

Time seemed to suddenly stop, and Sonic took advantage of this to accelerate towards the construct and attack it with the axe. When time returned to normal, the enemy fell limp to the ground, dropping his weapon, his horn and his sphere.

Sonic smiled, but then jumped to the side, just in time to dodge the blow of an arrow launched by another of the two remaining constructs. That one had a bow and arrows, so Sonic only approached at a slow pace with his shield, and being already close, he used the axe to decapitate the construct.

When it fell limp, Sonic put the shield to the side and turned around throwing the axe towards the remaining construct. The axe landed right in the enemy's eye, and it soon fell to the ground, limp.

With the 4 constructs defeated, Sonic nodded satisfied. He noticed that there was a chest nearby and approached it. From the chest he took out an opal, which looked normal unlike the amber.

He was beginning to believe that one of Rauru's powers was to fuse materials to his weapons. If so, he could create a weapon out of that amber judging by the looks of it. In fact, he could also use the golem horns for the same thing. The opal could be sold as soon as he returned to Equestria, or he can gift it to Pipp, but the amber would serve better as a weapon.

He picked up the horns and spheres the golems left behind and stretched, yawning. Tiredness finally got the better of him, so he headed towards the bonfire he had spotted earlier.

The steward construct didn't seem to pay him any attention, so Sonic took the opportunity to finally take a breather, scratching the back of his neck tiredly.

He took off his weapons and set them aside, as well as those uncomfortable sandals. His feet thanked him immediately, and Sonic had never felt so happy to be barefoot before. When he returned to Equestria, the first thing he would do is look for a comfortable pair of shoes. His feet would thank him even more.

Sonic reached out his hands to feel the warmth of the bonfire. It was comforting, and watching the fire move with the movement of the wind brought him some calm.

Now that he could finally sit down for a while, he found himself thinking about what could be happening down in Equestria since he and Sunny disappeared. Knuckles, who was the leader of Lookout Landing, must be losing his mind, and Izzy might kill him if he returned without Sunny, just like Hitch.

Damn it, Hitch. He hadn't thought about him or the rest of his friends as he should have. They watched them leave for Canterlot Castle never to return. How would they be dealing with it?

Tails would probably blame himself. He was one of the ones who insisted the most to him and Sunny not to go down there, at least not alone, and not being able to convince him or Sunny must be tormenting him. Hitch would regret not having helped Sunny. It was an open secret that he liked her and vice versa, not to mention that they have known each other since they were young. Her disappearance must be killing him.

Izzy would perhaps start crying considering how sensitive she is. Considering as well that he and Sunny were her first real friends, their disappearance must be affecting her. Misty might be the same, since they were the ones who gave her the opportunity to redeem herself and be free from Opaline, an opportunity that she did not waste. The fact that they are not there now must be weighing on her.

He is not sure if Team Dark would be neutral. He can certainly say that Omega might not care, but regarding Shadow and Rouge he is not so sure. Instead, he knows full well that Knuckles must be stressed out to the core for not being able to find them, and Amy may have started crying over his absence. He doesn't know if she's worried about Sunny, but she most likely is.

Zipp must be more worried about how the others react to their absence, although that doesn't mean she isn't worried as well. And Pipp... damn, Pipp might have it worse than the rest. She's his girlfriend, for Chaos' sake, and thanks to what happened with Eggman and his Death Egg Titan, he knows full well that she would give her life for him. She must be devastated by his disappearance, and he doubted Sunny's would be any less so. She was one of his best friends, after all.

Sonic had to hurry to meet up with Sunny to return to Equestria together. Only then could things start to calm down a bit.

So, with one last yawn, he lay down on the stone floor. It wasn't comfortable, but he had no other choice. He promised himself that he would get up early the next day. The sooner he met up with Sunny, the sooner they would return home...

When the first rays of the sun rose, Sonic woke up.

His back felt numb, the result of sleeping on the uncomfortable stone floor all night. He sat up on the ground with effort, groaning in pain. This was going to stay for a while, but he could bear it.

He took out a couple of apples he had collected earlier and roasted them over the fire of the bonfire, which surprisingly was still lit. He ate the apples with relish, feeling his energy renew and the numbness in his back disappear. When he finished eating, he tied his sandals, surprisingly quickly, then took his things and continued on his way.

He came to a stream and jumped into the water. He swam to the shore and found himself in front of a huge body of water that extended to the other end of the island, right where the shrine he was heading to was.

He looked around, searching for something to help him cross the lake, because there was no way he could swim across, not in his current condition. Running didn't seem feasible either, because to his own surprise, he didn't feel the strength to run.

He came across a sail tied to a mast on the ground, as well as a couple of tree trunks. He walked over to the nearby trees and cut down a third trunk. He then used the power of the Ultrahand to attach the three trunks together to form the base of a makeshift boat.

He lifted the boat and placed it on the water. It floated, indicating that it was working. Following that, he levitated the sail-mast and attached it to the middle trunk. The wind was blowing directly south, moving the makeshift boat. Sonic smiled, proud that his plan worked, and climbed onto the makeshift boat just as the wind began to push it to the other side of the shore.

As he moved, he looked at his right arm, smiling. He was slowly starting to feel it again. Last night he felt the warmth of the bonfire, which meant that he was starting to get used to his new arm faster and faster. And now, with the power of the Ultrahand, he felt like a door of infinite possibilities had opened before him, and he planned to make the most of it.

Arriving at the other side of the lake, Sonic got off the makeshift boat and walked around a couple of ruins, then turned right and climbed a set of stairs. At the end, there was the shrine he wanted to reach.

Determined, Sonic approached the shrine. Once in front of it, the green symbol with the hand in the middle appeared. Sonic brought his right hand closer, causing the symbol to dissipate. The entrance to the shrine opened before him, and just behind it, a blue circular symbol lit up.

With the entrance now open, Sonic entered the shrine.

Author's Note

Fun fact: I'm playing the actual TOTK while I'm writing this story. This way, the dialogues are more precise and I don't make mistakes when locating certain places :)

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter. :twilightsmile:

Chapter 6: The Ability to Combine

The shrine expanded as Sonic entered it.

He looked around, still unable to believe that such a large place could be contained in such a small space. The power of the Zonai left him more and more impressed.

As he stopped in front of the entrance, Rauru appeared before him, smiling. "So you've made it here. Now then, extend your right hand."

Sonic obeyed, and extended his right hand forward. This time, he was not surprised to see the greenish energy accumulating in his palm.

For a while, the energy continued to accumulate. It stopped as soon as it formed a sphere, and it had the symbol of a sword with a glow at the tip. The sphere entered his new arm, and Sonic felt its power run through him completely.

"This is the Fuse ability," Rauru explained, and Sonic looked at him with a hint of excitement in his eyes. The mere name of that power gave him an idea of what it did, and that excited him greatly. "It allows you to fuse something nearby to your weapon or shield, thereby enhancing it."

If Sonic could, he would shake hands with Rauru and thank him a thousand and one times for saving him and giving him that new arm. Now he could combine anything with his weapons, and on top of that with his shields too.

He didn't know how much he wanted to have such an ability until now.

"And not only that: You'll be able to combine objects with your arrows when you use a bow," The spirit added suddenly with a knowing smile, noticing how excited Sonic was.

The hedgehog had to hold back the urge to act like a little boy excited by the new world of possibilities that had opened up before him. If Ultrahand had already expanded his options, Fuse made them infinite.

"I see you're eager to try out your new ability," Rauru said with a small laugh as he saw Sonic's eyes light up. "Why not pick up that sword just ahead and then fuse a nearby object to it? If you practice enough, you'll be able to create strong weapons in no time. Use Fuse, and receive the blessing from this shrine."

Rauru then disappeared, and with that, Sonic let out a combination of a cheer and a howl. He felt like the luckiest guy ever to have received such a power.

After calming down, he decided to heed what Rauru said and moved forward. He found a rusty two-handed sword buried in a sort of stone pedestal. He pulled the weapon out with some effort and looked at it, then looked at the pair of rocks nearby.

With the sword in hands, he aimed at one of the rocks, concentrating as he stared at it. His right arm glowed, and he felt the energy run through him until it surrounded the sword completely. Then, a green aura came out of it and made contact with the rock he was looking at.

Sonic then pulled the sword up, and with a snap, the rock attached itself to the tip of the sword.

He lowered the weapon and examined it closely, marveling. The rock had shrunk significantly, and now seemed to be part of the sword, as if they had always been one being. This blew Sonic's mind, and thousands of different combinations began to form in his mind.

He remembered the wooden stick he had and the construct horns. He quickly pulled both out and set the horn down on the ground, while holding the stick in his right hand.

Just like before, he focused completely, aiming the stick at the horn and staring at it as Fuse's power coursed through his arm. He pulled the stick back, and with a snap, the horn attached to it.

He looked closely at the weapon he had created, and still couldn't believe it. The horn looked like it had always been part of the stick, as if what was left of it had always been the handle of the horn. It was surreal, and yet, he loved it.

He put away the soldier reaper, as he chose to call the weapon, and kept the sword with the rock, which now looked more like a really big hammer.

Sonic used that hammer he had created to break some huge stone pillars that blocked the way, and they all fell to pieces in seconds. That combination had been very useful. As soon as he got out, he would thank Rauru for the tip.

He went deep into the sanctuary, and saw a pair of stone pillars to his left. In the one further back, at the very top, there was a chest.

Sonic broke the pillar with the hammer, and the chest fell right in front of him luckily. If it had fallen on him, he would have either hurt his head, or he would have died outright. He opened the chest, but inside he only found a bunch of arrows. He was going to be disappointed, until he remembered that Rauru mentioned that he could fuse the arrows with objects if he used a bow. Then he was thankful that he had obtained them.

He turned to look at the other side of the room, and saw a hallway that led to another room. When he crossed it, he found a bow buried in the ground, and several strange berries in a group of bushes. They were shaped like strawberries, but inside they seemed to have lava.

Sonic didn't really know what to make of that berry, but then, further back in the same room, he saw a chest high up on a wooden platform. Around the platform were dried autumn leaves. He wondered what that chest was doing there, and how he would get it down.

He remembered Rauru's words again, and then he took one of those berries, then combined it with an arrow using Fuse. Now it looked like a fire arrow, so he took out his bow and drew it, aimed high and shot, hitting the leaves right on the bottom.

The leaves caught fire, and soon the fire spread to the other leaves and the wooden platform, which burned for a while before turning to ashes.

The chest on the platform fell to the ground with a thud, and Sonic walked over to the chest. When he made the symbol dissipate with his hand, he opened the chest, finding a small key. It was shaped like the same eye as on his shield, and he was beginning to suspect that it was a Zonai eye. The rest of the key had a very specific engraving that he had never seen before.

He walked back the way he came, and noticed that there was a locked door. He walked over to it and used the key he had just obtained to open the door. As soon as he did, the key disappeared. He decided not to question it and continued on.

He turned left and went up a short flight of stairs. When he reached the top, he saw another room up ahead, and he headed there without hesitation. However, he soon found himself slowing down and getting defensive, as he saw a construct up ahead. This one, unlike the others, had a longer, pointier horn, with edges that resembled curves.

Sonic put away the rock hammer and took out his soldier reaper, equipping his shield as well.

As soon as the construct saw him, it went into defensive mode. It pulled out a green bow with gold details from somewhere, held a rusty sword, and suddenly, combined a rock from the ones on the ground with the sword, turning it into a rock hammer.

The construct initially aimed an arrow at Sonic and fired, forcing him to use his shield to defend himself. Then, he noticed that the construct was approaching him, and he let it. The construct raised its hammer and prepared to hit Sonic, but the hedgehog performed a perfect guard at the last moment, stunning the construct.

Sonic took advantage of the situation and began to attack the construct with his soldier reaper. The damage was significantly higher than he expected. He then realized that the construct's horned weapons also hurt them.

He couldn't waste this information, so he waited for the construct to regain its senses. When it did, it began to spin its arms around itself in a 360-degree axis as it headed for Sonic. He waited for it to get a little closer, and when it was, he did a backflip at the last moment, and felt as if time had stopped around him.

As he hit the ground, he accelerated inhumanly and shattered the construct into pieces, causing it to fall limply to the ground.

With the construct destroyed, Sonic took its sphere and its horn, which now seeing it more closely, he knew would be very useful for a weapon, so he put the new horn away and continued on his way.

At the end of the hallway there were some wide steps that he climbed with some effort, and then, he reached the pedestal with the figure of Rauru and that earth pony mare that he didn't recognize, and he wasn't sure if asking Rauru about her would be a good idea.

He touched the symbol with his hand in front of the pedestal and made it dissipate. Immediately afterward, the chamber with the figures opened, while greenish symbols flew through the air.

"You have done well to reach this place," That voice spoke in his mind. "We offer this light that will cleanse you of evil."

Immediately afterward, the green symbols floating around the figures transformed into golden flashes that entered Sonic.

Just like last time, he felt himself regain some of the strength that was taken from him at the foundation of the castle. A part of him hoped that there would be more shrines in Equestria so that he could continue to grow stronger. With enough light from enough shrines, he would be as strong as ever.

Slowly, the light faded, and Sonic looked at the figures again.

"May the Light of Blessing grant you the strength you seek," The voice said.

Then, the figures were enclosed, and Sonic could no longer see them. He knew what that meant, so he turned around and walked down the path toward the exit of that shrine.

When he came out, the sun was brighter than before. He guessed it was midday.

He looked at his right arm and smiled. He now had the power to create anything with just a wave of his hand, and on top of that he also had the power to combine objects into his weapons. Sunny, and most likely Tails too, were going to study him as soon as they found out, and he was excited by the idea.

"Sonic…" A monotonous, metallic voice suddenly spoke, and Sonic realized that a steward construct was approaching, he guessed the same one who gave him Sunny's phone since it knew his name. "I came because there is something I failed to give you. Please take it."

The Construct opened his compartment again, and with his greenish stone hand, he took out a strange artifact. It was a kind of stone cluster. Eight small capsules that seemed to be filled with a thick, green liquid were attached to the device.

Sonic took the cluster and examined it strangely, then placed it on the left side of his belt so that it wouldn't be awkward to use them.

"What I have just given you are Energy Cells. They are required to make use of the tools known as Zonai devices," The construct said once Sonic accepted the cluster.

"Zonai devices?" The hedgehog asked confused.

"You'll find several of them spread throughout the island," The construct explained. "You can also obtain them through Zonai dispensers. You just have to deposit 1 to 5 Zonai charges to obtain them."

Sonic was about to ask what Zonai charges were, but he deduced it himself when he took out one of the many spheres he had obtained fighting the constructs.

"So that's what they work for..." Sonic said to himself, smiling.

"You can also use construct horns if you run out of charges," The steward construct added. "I cannot demonstrate the cells' utility because there are no Zonai devices right here, however."

Sonic wanted to feel disappointed, but he didn't. "Where can I find Zonai dispensers or Zonai devices?"

The construct turned around, and pointed to a cave to the east of where they were.

"I have associates on the other side of that cave system," The artifact replied. "They can teach you how to use the cells." The construct turned to look at Sonic again. "I hope that the Energy Cells I provided will be useful to you."

Sonic looked at the batteries on his belt, and a doubt crossed his mind. "Do the batteries run out?"

"Their life cycle is long, but if you exceed it, they will run out," The steward construct replied. "Despite that, they recharge again in a matter of seconds."

"...I understand..." Sonic said simply.

Finally, he finished his talk with the construct and set off.

As he made his way to the cave, he came across several constructs. He equipped his Soldier Reaper and shield and faced them all one on one. When they fell defeated, they dropped their horns and Zonai Charges, which he kept.

Once he reached the cave, he found many minerals, which he broke using the rock hammer he had just obtained at the shrine. He obtained a ruby, four flints, a halite, and 3 ambers, which like the first one he found, were shaped like a weapon.

Sonic decided to use one of the ambers, combining it with a rusty sword he found in that same cave. The handle of the sword remained, but the rest of the blade turned into the amber. It was a shiny weapon, and Sonic knew it would be very useful.

He advanced through the cave, and came across a very shiny seed. He had accidentally stepped on one of them, and was about to scold himself for such a mistake.

However, the seed rose and seemed to suddenly light up the cave. It wasn't dark, but that seed made him feel the opposite all of a sudden. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling that he was going to need a few in the future, so he collected them.

He went deeper into the cave, and near a chest, he came across a group of winged monsters identical to the ones in the castle's foundations. They were called keese, but Sonic didn't know that. He simply killed them all in one hit with a spin attack.

He also took their eyes and wings that fell off when they died. They could be useful later.

He walked towards the chest he saw, surrounded by some brightbloom seeds, as he decided to call the seeds that glowed, and opened the chest. Inside he found a somewhat old gray toga. It seemed to have a skirt included, with a green cloak on the left side that covered his arm, while the right side had nothing.

Sonic put it on immediately, and despite being a little torn and old from the passage of time, it was also incredibly comfortable, unlike those damn sandals.

At least he would finally stop feeling so cold when night fell.

Not far from where he found the chest, he saw the exit of the cave, and headed there immediately. Upon exiting, he found another very large lake that he couldn't swim across. To the left was another ruined house, with Rauru sitting on the edge. To the right, he saw three steward constructs with several tree trunks and some kind of fan, or was it a turbine? He wasn't sure.

"I see you already have Fuse in your possession," Rauru's voice brought Sonic out of his thoughts.

The hedgehog turned to look at the spirit and approached him. "It's much better than I imagined," He said with a small smile, then looked at the steward constructs. "What are they doing?"

"They build boats to get to the other side of the lake," Rauru replied. "If you already have the cells for Zonai devices, you can use the fans nearby and make your own boat if you need to cross."

"It's... unreal how much power your people had," Sonic said to Rauru, then looked at him again. "How many constructs did you guys make?"

"More than I could count," The spirit replied with a nostalgic smile. "The Steward Constructs were the first to be built. After that, we crafted others suited to different roles. Culinary Constructs, Maker Constructs... You'll find all sorts of them still active in this place. Some became so skilled within their specialties that they surpassed us. We began to learn from them instead."

Sonic assumed that the constructs attacking him were also created by the Zonai. He looked at Rauru in confusion. "The constructs that always attack me, did you make them too?"

"Indeed. We created them to defend these lands from invaders," Rauru said. "To me and the Steward Constructs, you are a visitor. To the Soldier Constructs, you are a threat. But don't worry about defeating them, that is their purpose after all."

It's not like Sonic really felt guilty about defeating the soldier constructs, as they are apparently called, but he still felt relieved when Rauru assured him that there was no problem in doing so.

Once again, he was tempted to ask Rauru about that mare that appeared on the pedestals of the shrines, but he feared the answer. Still, he preferred to dive right in and ask him.

"At the shrines I found an interesting pedestal," Sonic said, looking at Rauru, and he could swear he saw him tense up. "There was a Zonai and an Earth Pony mare. I know you must be the Zonai, but... Who is that mare?"

Rauru didn't answer, at least not right away. However, Sonic could see his gaze darken, and the spirit placed his hands together on his lap, letting out a sigh.

"I was beginning to think you'd never ask me," Rauru said with a sad laugh, then looked at Sonic. "That mare is... was my wife."

'Was?' Sonic wondered in his mind. Rauru's expression became unreadable, so much so that he even seemed expressionless.

He didn't know whether to ask the next question, but curiosity got the better of him.

"...So what... what happened to her?"

"I let myself be carried away by my confidence and pride, which led me to make many mistakes," The spirit said, sighing regretfully. "She paid the price for my foolishness."

Sonic scolded himself for asking. It made sense that the mare was Rauru's wife, considering that the figures held hands, or hooves in her case.

He knew then that he shouldn't ask any more. He would be lying if he said he wasn't curious to know about her, but he didn't want to hurt the spirit more. It was already dead, and deserved to rest in peace.

He decided that he would continue on. He walked over to a group of tree trunks on the ground and, with the power of Ultrahand, he joined them together, thus forming a raft. The thing is, there were no masts with sails anywhere.

However, he watched as one of the Steward Constructs assembled a raft, then placed a fan on the back, then moved the raft into the water and hit the fan, turning it on and making the raft move.

Sonic decided to follow suit, grabbing one of the fans that were nearby and attaching it to the back of the raft. Following that, he put the raft in the lake and climbed on, then hit the fan with his Amber Blade.

The fan turned on and began to move the raft, and along the way, Sonic looked at the cells attached to his belt. He noticed that one of the capsules that were at the end was beginning to wear out at a very slow rate. That construct wasn't lying; they did take a while to wear out.

When he reached the other side of the lake, he got off the raft and climbed up a long set of stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, he saw a camp of Soldier Constructs on the left, and a cave on the right.

Being the reckless boy that he was, Sonic decided to charge headlong into the constructs. He equipped his Amber Blade and attacked one of the three constructs by surprise. The other two became alert and emitted that horrible warning sound, but Sonic managed to withstand it.

After that, he waited for another construct to approach, making a perfect guard when it attacked, and then impaling its eye with the Amber Blade.

The last construct standing was identical to the one he found at the shrine where he obtained Fuse, with a curved and longer horn. It carried a wooden stick combined with a wooden board, and also carried a bow. Sonic waited for the construct to shoot and miss with the bow. When it did, he tried to get closer, but the construct used the stick with the wooden board and released a gust of wind that sent Sonic flying backwards, crashing back into a wall.

He shook his head, and stood up. The construct's weapon was a large fan, so he would have to be careful now.

He decided to take out his bow and combined one of those lava fruits he found in the previous shrine with an arrow, then he drew the bow and aimed at the construct's eye. He let go of the arrow, and it hit the target right on target, stunning the construct for an instant.

He sped towards it, taking out his Amber Blade again, and struck it in its arms, in its chest, and finally pierced its eye, making it fall limp to the ground.

With the Soldier Constructs defeated, a nearby chest unlocked. Sonic walked over to it and opened it, taking out another opal that he kept. It might come in handy later.

He soon made his way to the cave he had spotted earlier, where he could see almost nothing. He had crashed into the wall on more than one occasion, and he was convinced that this was going to hurt him in the morning, much more than it hurt now.

He went down a slope and found a light behind some rubble blocking the way, but there was a small gap through which he could continue.

He climbed over the rubble and crossed that gap, landing on his feet on the other side, and noticing a Steward Construct right next to an open brightbloom seed, the source of the light he saw earlier.

Sonic approached the construct, who was quick to notice his presence.

"This cave is especially dark," The construct said, and Sonic had to keep from rolling his eyes. As if he didn't already know that he couldn't see anything. "You will need a light in order to proceed to the mining site ahead."

'The mining site?' Sonic questioned. He then noticed the old, rusty rails that were buried in the ground.

He remembered that if he didn't bump into something earlier in the dark part of the cave, he definitely tripped over something on the ground. He didn't know what because it was dark, but now he seemed to understand that they were rails for mine carts.

"Do you have any brightbloom seeds?" The construct asked, bringing Sonic out of his thoughts.

'I got the name by accident,' The hedgehog thought with amusement. "I found some in another cave," Sonic replied, shrugging.

"I feel better knowing that," The construct said in his metallic voice. "These brightbloom seeds grow natively in caves such as this one. It will generally be in your best interest to use brightbloom seeds in dark places such as this.

Sonic thanked the construct for the tip, and continued on his way. Going deeper into the cave, he noticed that it was very dark, so he took out his bow and combined one of the brightbloom seeds to an arrow, then aimed at a random spot and released the arrow.

This caused the seed to stick to a wall of the cave and open up, greatly illuminating the site and now showing the way forward.

He kept walking, shooting more brightbloom seeds at the walls with arrows to illuminate the dark spots, until he finally reached the mine. There were about 3 constructs in that place. One of them was near a cauldron, another was next to a tall pillar that had three spheres on top of it, and the last one was digging an ore that he had never seen before.

The ore had a glow that reminded him a bit of the one he saw with Sunny beneath the castle, which made him think that maybe that ore came from here. But how did it end up underground, then?

'I better keep going,' thought Sonic, shaking his head. 'If I keep overthinking everything, I'll definitely go crazy, if I'm not already.'

Sonic approached the construct near the pillar with spheres to talk. When the construct noticed his presence, it turned to look at him.

"This is a mine-cart station." The construct explained. "Excavated resources can be transported from here." After saying that, the construct noticed confusion on Sonic's face. "Could it be that you have forgotten to bring Zonai capsules?"

"...Zonai capsules?" Sonic asked, feeling somewhat foolish for not knowing what the construct was talking about.

"You have forgotten yours. Or perhaps you may not even know what I mean?" The artifact questioned, and Sonic just shook his head. "Zonai capsules are a convenient means of carrying portable Zonai devices. It is unfortunate that you seem to have none. I will lend you a few spares."

With that, the construct took the three capsules that were on the pedestal next to him, then turned to Sonic and handed them to him.

Doubtful, Sonic took the three capsules, which fit in his hand perfectly. Inside he made out the figure of fans, on all three, and remembered what Rauru said about a Zonai power to contain large places, and he supposed objects too, in small containers.

"The ones I gave you were fan types. You can deploy them at any time. They will generate wind when struck," The construct explained. "Zonai devices are useful and come in many varieties. I always carry several with me for any occasion."

With that said, Sonic looked at the capsules in his hands, then noticed the rails up ahead and the mine carts. He figured he would have to continue that way.

Without further ado, he put away two of the capsules, then used Ultrahand to place a cart on the rails. Following that, he opened the capsule in his hands with them, and the fan inside came out, growing to its normal size immediately.

Sonic took the fan and attached it to the back of the cart, climbed on it, and kicked the fan, turning it on and causing the cart to start moving and traveling along the rails.

When he finished the ride, Sonic got off the rails, and not far away he noticed a strange structure. It was a large machine with several capsules inside, and in the middle of the machine, a closed space that he assumed only opened to release the capsules.

He remembered that the Steward Construct who gave him the cells spoke of Zonai dispensers. This had to be one of them. He hurried to the device, and next to it he saw a Steward Construct, with whom he decided to speak.

"Device dispenser operation confirmed," Said the construct, focused on its work. "On track to meet today's Zonai-capsule production target." Soon, the construct turned to see Sonic, noticing his presence. "Oh? Do you want to use the device dispenser? I have nearly met my target. You are welcome to use it."

Sonic merely nodded, so the Steward Construct stepped aside, giving him room to use the generator. The hedgehog approached a storage area in the machine, then took out 5 Zonai charges and deposited them.

The generator started up, and a green light continued its path until it found the part where the capsules were. That same area rose slightly from the ground, then lowered, and in a few seconds, about 7 capsules slid down a ramp, stopping at Sonic's feet.

He walked over to look at the capsules up close. He had two new fans in his possession, as well as what appeared to be 2 saucepans, if the shape of the capsule object was to be believed, and 3 artifacts that looked like the head of a dragon.

Sonic didn't quite know what those heads were, but he wasn't going to wait long to find out.

Author's Note

I was planning to end this chapter differently, but I'm going to save what I had in mind for next time. I promise the secrecy will be worth it :pinkiesmile:

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for reading, see you later! :pinkiehappy:

Chapter 7: The Ability to Rise

Night had fallen on the Great Sky Island.

Sonic spent the entire afternoon trying to figure out what that dragon head that popped out from among the capsules of the Zonai device dispenser was.

Not knowing what to do, he decided to fuse it to a spear he found not far from the dispenser. The head pointed upwards on the spear, and Sonic decided to pretend to attack with it.

As soon as he did, the dragon's mouth spat fire.

He felt a little startled at first, but then he got used to the weight of the spear until he ended up liking it. He took out a pile of firewood he had collected when he decided to rest for a while and activated his spear, hitting the pile of firewood and creating a bonfire.

With that ready, he took off his weapons and his sandals. He took out a steak he got from hunting an ostrich he saw on the island and roasted it over the fire before eating it with relish. He wasn't a fan of hunting to survive, but he knew well that he had no other option on this island.

The rest of the night he just stared at the bonfire, until he slowly began to feel tiredness take over his body.

He laid down on the uncomfortable stone floor, a decision he was already regretting, but he had no other choice. He stared at the starry sky, which looked beautiful without any clouds in between. He was sure Sunny would love the view.

Sonic made himself comfortable as best he could on the hard stone floor, closing his eyes as the heat from the bonfire began to fade. His thoughts became entwined with memories, and soon, the barrier between reality and dream dissolved, transporting him to a moment in the past that he treasured with every fiber of his being.

Sonic boosted desperately through the castle's landing track.

After reading the lyrics of the song that Pipp has been apparently writing for him, it became so clear now.

He felt like a complete idiot for not getting the signs way sooner: She not only flirted, but she also cared for him. She listened when he needed to feel really open, she comforted him when he broke down multiple times, she even kissed him on her own that time Sparky went missing!

All this time, she always felt the same... and now she felt that all her preparation was worth nothing.

But he was going to change that. He needed to find her first, of course, but he was changing that anyways.

Luckily, he stopped running around the landing track and began to look around for her.

"Pipp?" Sonic called out. "Pipp! Where are you?!"

However, soon enough, he felt his ear twitching when he heard sobs coming from a certain direction.

Concerned, he decided to ran towards the cry origin. And once he approached, his eyes widened, and he felt his heart sink: Pipp was sitting at the edge of the track, sobbing as she trembled and lowered her head.

Sonic hated this sight. He hated to see her sad in general, but this... this was even worse. That's why he decided to slowly approach, but he just stood behind her, also conserving some distance, since he didn't wanted to bother her.

"Pipp?" Sonic called out with worry, but she didn't replied anything. "Pipp... a-are you—"

"I was stupid for making all of this..." Pipp said, as she tried to dry her tears with no success.

"What? You mean the little stage you settled to tell me something?" Sonic asked, but he was not joking this time, he was concerned.

"I mean everything!" Pipp snapped, turning to see Sonic with sadness, and Sonic himself felt his heart sinking more when he saw the broken expression on her face. "I didn't cared if this was super fancy or if it was something casual! I didn't wanted it to be perfect, I only wanted it to be honest!" She cried, with tears running down her cheeks. "But it doesn't matter now..."

"Pipp, that's not—" Sonic tried to say, but she cut him off again.

"I was so stupid thinking that someone so amazing like you could like a pop star princess like me, anyway..." Pipp interrupted, and whatever Sonic was going to add immediately died as he felt his face blushing, his heart racing, and a smile unconsciously drawing on his face, but said smile faded away once Pipp spoke again. "I mean, everything I do is sing and dance and be cheerful on livestreams... and you literally saved the world so many times that not even you can count them... It was dumb to think I ever had a chance..."

Sonic was now speechless. Hearing directly from her that she liked him was a bit unexpected, and he cannot describe the amount of joy he felt when she said that... But he couldn't believe Pipp could undervalue herself like that. She really thinks this way? Sonic couldn't believe it, and he definitely wouldn't allow it either.

"Pipp, that's just a lot of nonsense!" Sonic finally spoke without being interrupted. "I saved the world several times, but you? Pipp, you are the actual savor of magic! Has anyone ever told you that?"

Pipp frowned confused and simply shook her head in negation instead of using words.

"Pipp, your attention to detail is what allowed us to follow Reginald to find Discord; your streams made the rest realize Reginald followed the stream towards Fluttershy's Cottage, even when I ran away. And thanks to your desire to find Discord, we got a hint on how to find him on that mysterious lighthouse that disappeared," Sonic began to explain. "But that's not all! Before magic returned for the very first time, your intervention with Sunny is what allowed her to win against Alphabittle, and therefore, the Unicorn Crystal. And when Sparky went missing, the song you wrote for him is what helped us find him!"

Pipp's eyes widened a bit, and she looked sideways at Sonic. "I... I did all of that?"

"Absolutely!" Sonic replied with confidence. "You are as capable as I am when it comes to 'life or death' situations, Little Pipp. I thought you already knew that..."

Pipp smiled weakly, and Sonic noticed that, but her smile faded away as she looked back at the floor with sadness. "I... I want to believe you, Blue Star... I-I really do, b-but..." She said with sadness, as tears began to fall from her eyes again.

How much Sonic hated that sound. Pipp crying makes his heart sink and broke in pieces whenever it happens. He was in love with her, and he wanted to walk forward to give her comfort... but she was in a delicate situation, and he was afraid that she would turn him apart.

Regardless, Sonic decided to sing for her, the same song she wrote to confess, and while she was surprised at first, she eventually followed along, until they ended up dancing in the sky before returning to safe land.

They finished singing together with a hug, were Pipp nuzzled lovely Sonic's chest, while Sonic nuzzled his head over Pipp's mane.

"Pipp... I like you in ways I still cannot understand..." Sonic told her with a smile, and Pipp lifted her head to face him, and she could still see the love he had for her in his eyes, which made her smile. "If anything, I'm the one who thought you wouldn't feel that way for me. An amazing singer, a beautiful woman, a gorgeous pegasus... and an incredible being that cares for everyone around her. I thought that, because of my life, because of my recklessness, you wouldn't want me, Pipp."

"Oh, Blue Star..." Pipp said with a smile. "I love everything about you, including your flaws. You aren't perfect, and yet, you always bring out the best in everyone. I just... I thought you didn't liked me because you always seemed so centered on returning to your home, even if the signs you gave me says otherwise, now that I think about it."

"I was scared not only of you not liking me... but I'm also scared that Eggman tries to hurt you if we take that step," Sonic confessed with concern. "Yet... Knuckles knows that too, and he still managed to make things work between him and Izzy, so... I guess we should do the same."

Pipp felt her heart racing a marathon suddenly, her cheeks got red again, her wings opened and her eyes sparkled after hearing that. "A-Am I dreaming? D-Do you actually mean it?!"

"To tell the truth, I... I'm still afraid that Eggman could do anything to you... a-and I don't want to ever say goodbye to you, Pipp..." Sonic confessed, before looking back at her with a warm smile. "But... Gosh, I love you, Pipp Petals," He said, now caressing one of her cheeks softly. "I love you so much that I don't care if I have to fight Eggman a millionth times just to keep you safe. I will if necessary, and I promise you that I'll never leave you alone."

Pipp smiled brightly, and then she squealed like a little filly, embracing Sonic on another hug as she laughed and cried in happiness. Sonic smirked, wrapped his arms around her and twirled her in the air, causing the mare to yell in surprise, but she still laughed and never broke her hug on him.

An entire year of daydreaming with him, of supporting him, of knowing him, but most importantly, of loving him, all came to this: Him actually loving her as well. And Sonic was happy too, of course: Pipp was finally his girlfriend. Even if he was afraid, he always daydreamed about such a possibility, but it happened now, and he was so glad he actually went for it.

Sonic finally stoped and putted Pipp down, but once they faced each other, they knew what they wanted to do now... No. They knew what they needed to do now.

And so, Sonic broke the distance between them and pressed his lips against hers in a soft and lovely kiss. Their third one, true, but the longest one so far as well. This time, they were sealing their union as a couple, and they wanted to enjoy it. No tongue involved, no nasty desires, no dirty intentions: Just a hedgehog and a pegasus sealing their love in a kiss that they wanted to remember for the rest of their lives.

They separated from their kiss after a while to catch their breath, then they stared at each other and smiled.

"I could get used to this~" Sonic said in a flirty tone.

"Oh, you better get used to it, handsome~" Pipp replied with the same tone, making circles with her hoof on Sonic's chest. "Because I'm planning to do this more often from now on~" she added playfully. "I love you, Sonic."

"And I love you too, Pipp," Sonic replied with a smirk and a blush.

Pipp leaned to kiss him again, wrapping her hooves around his neck, while Sonic wrapped an arm around her back and caressed her cheek carefully with his free hand.

Perhaps this wasn't exactly how they imagined their declaration to go. But honestly? They wouldn't change anything, either.

Sonic slowly woke up, his body still remembering the warmth of sleep.

The bonfire in front of him had diminished, the embers barely glowing in the darkness of the night. He felt revitalized, but at the same time, with a melancholy in his chest as he remembered the sweetness of that moment.

He looked up at the sky, now empty of the stars they had shared that very special night. Pipp was in Equestria, perhaps looking at the same sky, and even though she wasn't there with him at the moment, he knew their connection was still as strong as ever. He promised himself that he would do everything he could to reunite with her as soon as possible. But first things first, he had to find Sunny.

He tried to go back to sleep, but the hardness of the ground and the diminished bonfire were making it too difficult. In the end, he gave up and put the idea of sleeping aside.

He put his sandals back on, equipped his weapons, and then extinguished what was left of the bonfire to continue his journey. The sooner he obtained the missing power, the sooner he would open the door to the Temple of Time and meet Sunny.

He decided to advance to a cave that was not far away, and entered it. He found multiple brightbloom seeds and, to his surprise, chili peppers growing on bushes. That last thing made him remember something.

Once, when he tried to cook with Sunny without much success, he glanced at a book that the mare was reading while he tried to keep up with her. In that book, many recipes were shown, including one called "Spicy Poached Fruits", which the book claimed had effects that helped resist the cold. Sonic, at the time, did not believe in it, but now he hoped with all his might that it was true.

To cook the dish, he only needed an apple and three chili peppers... He has everything he needs, and right inside that cave, there was also a pot on fire.

'I am a very lucky bastard,' thought Sonic, smiling to himself.

He quickly began to cook the chili peppers and apple in the pot, making sure to follow the steps in that book correctly. He remembered several recipes from it, although he hoped he didn't get any steps wrong since he doesn't have a very good memory.

When the dish was ready, he felt his mouth water. It looked delicious, but he couldn't try it yet. First he needed to be sure that its effects worked. He prepared another identical dish, put both away, and went deep into the cave, climbing the rock walls and collecting the brightbloom seeds he found. He also came across more chili peppers that he saved to cook more in the future.

Once he reached the top, he came across an exit that would take him straight into the snowy area of the island. If he continued in his current state, he could die of the cold. Luckily, that wouldn't happen.

He took out one of the dishes he cooked and ate it whole. When he finished eating, he suddenly felt a heat run through his body. That cave suddenly seemed to be warmer.

He took a deep breath and then stepped out of the cave, heading into the snowy tundra that awaited him on his way to the last shrine on the island. And when he did... he didn't feel cold. It felt like the cold air had dropped in temperature from one moment to the next. It was true that his breath froze in the air, but he didn't feel cold.

The effects of the dish worked perfectly.

Now that Sonic could move through that snowy tundra without much trouble, he decided to get going. He pulled out Sunny's phone to see where the blue pin that would take him to the shrine was marked. It was north of his current position.

He put Sunny's phone away and started to move forward. He could see the green flash of the shrine from where he was, but he still felt that checking the map was the right thing to do.

He moved forward at a quick pace, taking out three Soldier Constructs with his new spear and collecting their horns and Zonai charges, until he came to a cave.

He went deeper into it, collecting the brightbloom seeds he saw and a few chili peppers he had found. He also collected a strange flower that reminded him a lot of a round bomb, like the ones Eggman used to make to eject from his machines. Opening it a little, he found a material very similar to gunpowder. He assumed it was some kind of explosive flower.

He carefully put it away and continued on his way. The cave went up, so he found himself walking up a small but steep hill. When he got to the top, however, he found the exit of the cave blocked by a strange monster. It was as big as Omega and walked on two legs, but it had a huge mouth, with long fangs that looked like they could cut through metal.

The creature looked at Sonic and opened its mouth, showing a kind of very large uvula, but it also seemed very sensitive. Without thinking much, Sonic took out as fast as he could his bow along with an arrow, aimed at the uvula and fired, hitting the target.

The creature stretched abnormally. It went from being about 6 feet tall to almost 29 feet, but the creature's mouth was left open with the uvula exposed.

At this, Sonic ran, took out his Amber Blade and began to attack the monster's uvula mercilessly, until it returned to being 6 feet tall, but it writhed in pain and agony, and then exploded in a purple aura, leaving behind a chest. Sonic approached the chest and opened it, finding a ruby inside. He decided to save it to sell later when he returned to Equestria.

He left the cave and found a steep path to his left. It led him to a high area, near the edge of the area where the shrine was located.

He ran up the steep path with some effort, taking short breaks to catch his breath. He already hated the gloom for being responsible for the illness and/or death of many ponies on the surface. Now he hated it even more for what it did to his body.

He would get revenge on that mummy the next time he faced it, that was for sure.

After catching his breath, he approached the edge of a cliff too high for him. He could try to climb it, but there were walls of solid ice there. Climbing that thing was not a good idea.

He looked around, looking for a solution, and came across a fallen tree trunk. He approached it and lifted it with Ultrahand, placing it vertically on the ice wall. He realized that with the log in that position, he could climb the snowy part of the cliff without having to touch the ice.

With a determined look, he climbed the log and reached the top, then began to climb the snowy part of the cliff and reached the top in one jump. He threw himself down in the snow to catch his breath again, but smiled to himself. He had succeeded, and was now close to the shrine.

With one jump he stood up and began to walk towards the shrine, while the sun rose on the horizon, announcing that a new day had arrived, while the bell of the Temple of Time began to ring in the distance.

Already in front of the shrine, Sonic put his hand to the symbol in front of the building. It faded away, opening the entrance and a round blue symbol flashed behind him. With the shrine open, Sonic ventured into it, ready to obtain Rauru's last power.

The shrine expanded as Sonic entered it.

He looked around, though this time it wasn't so much out of shock, but to make sure he was entering the right place and hadn't made a mistake. As he stopped in front of the entrance, Rauru appeared before him, smiling.

"So you've made it here. Now then, extend your right hand."

Sonic complied, and extended his right hand forward. Once again, and just like last time, he wasn't surprised to see the greenish energy accumulating in his palm.

For a while, the energy continued to accumulate. It stopped as soon as it formed a sphere, and it had the symbol of a person inside a kind of greenish waterfall. The sphere entered his new arm, and Sonic felt its power run through him completely.

"This is the Ascend ability," Rauru explained, and on that occasion, Sonic didn't know what Rauru was talking about with the name of the power. "It let's you travel through what's directly above you—to ascend through it and emerge on top of it."

'Travel through what's directly above me?' Sonic asked himself, and mentally changed each word to better interpret it, until his eyes widened. 'Wait... I can go through the ceiling?!'

"You'll find it quite useful in all sorts of places and situations," The spirit said, bringing Sonic out of his thoughts. He assumed that he wouldn't receive very precise instructions on that occasion. "You know what's next, Sonic. Use Ascend, and receive the blessing from this shrine."

After saying that, Rauru vanished, leaving Sonic alone to overcome the shrine.

He had no idea exactly how he was going to get through it, though to be fair, he hadn't had any idea of the previous two shrines either, and he far surpassed them. This one was going to be no different.

With determination, he began to make his way through the shrine. After taking two steps, he found himself at a very high area that he couldn't reach by jumping, climbing, or even by climbing a ladder. That said, there was plenty of room for him right below.

He positioned himself in that spot and looked up with a smile. He felt a new power coursing through his right arm, and on the ceiling, he visualized a kind of field that he could pass through.

He then made a humanly impossible leap, his arm glowing with green energy, and once he hit the ceiling, he passed through it. He began to move as if he were swimming, and once his head and torso were up on the surface, he saw that he was on the other side.

He pushed himself out of the ground, sticking one foot out in front of the other, and then continued on his way. He was now facing a giant wall with more of a path to follow to the top of it.

He found two columns attached to the wall, a short one that barely reached halfway up the wall, and a longer one that reached all the way to the top. He approached the short column first and climbed up through it. Once on the other side, he found a chest. He opened it by bringing his hand close to the large green symbol, dispelling it, and inside the chest he found more bomb-shaped flowers. He decided to call them Bomb Flowers from now on.

He carefully put the flowers away and dropped to the ground, landing on his feet, then got under the other column, the one that leads to the very top, and passed through the big column.

Once he reached the very top, he found himself face to face with another Soldier Construct with a long, curved horn. He decided to refer to that type of construct as Captain Construct, although he himself didn't know why, he just thought the name would suit him.

He pulled out his Soldier Reaper and shield and charged into battle with the construct.

The construct only had a wooden bow, and fired an arrow that could have pierced Sonic if he hadn't put the shield in front of himself in time.

Frowning, Sonic approached the construct and used his Soldier Reaper to hit the construct three times in the chest, finally destroying it completely with a spin attack that ended up splitting the construct in half.

As it fell limp to the ground, Sonic grabbed its horn and Zonai Charge. He then noticed a couple of boxes on a wall, and a chest on top of it. The funny thing was that the boxes seemed to be part of the wall, not outside of it.

Sonic smashed the boxes using the rock axe, uncovering a small gap he could use Ascend through. He did just that, and once up there, he walked over to the chest and opened it. Inside he found a handful of arrows. They weren't much of a reward, but he'd rather have spare arrows than none at all. He was sure he would be using the arrows a lot with Fuse once he returned to Equestria.

He put away the arrows and climbed down from that spot, then headed to a plank that was held up by a pair of ropes that didn't allow it to go all the way down. Using the Amber Blade, Sonic cut the ropes, and the plank fell until it was perfectly positioned so he could ascend through it.

Without wasting any time, Sonic used Ascend and reached the top, crossing to the last area of the shrine that he would have to overcome to get out of it. In this new area, there was a moving platform, which passed under another platform that was right in front of the pillar of sacred light, or so Sonic thought.

He figured he would have to be fast, and that was his speciality. He noticed that, every time the platform stopped at one end, it stayed still for a while before going to the other. He took advantage of that when the platform went to the right, ascending it as soon as it stopped.

Then, as the platform began to move, he prepared to ascend the one above, and once it passed below, he activated Ascend and ascended the platform.

He finally reached his destination, the end of the shrine, with the pedestal and the figures of Rauru and his wife waiting for him. He touched the symbol with his hand in front of the pedestal and made it dissipate. Immediately afterward, the chamber with the figures opened, while greenish symbols flew through the air.

"You have done well to reach this place," That voice spoke in his mind. "We offer this light that will cleanse you of evil."

Immediately afterward, the green symbols floating around the figures transformed into golden flashes that entered Sonic.

Just as it had been happening until now, he felt that that light was returning to him a part of the strength that was taken from him in the foundations of the castle. At this point he already had the idea that there were more shrines like this in Equestria, and he planned to find them all.

Slowly, the light faded, and Sonic looked at the figures again.

"May the Light of Blessing grant you the strength you seek," The voice said.

Then, the figures were enclosed, and Sonic could no longer see them. He knew what it meant, so he turned around and walked down the path toward the exit of that shrine.

When Sonic came out, he felt an intense cold, and started to shiver a little.

He assumed that the effect of the dish he ate earlier had worn off. Fortunately, he had cooked another one, so he took it out and gobbled it down in one bite. He felt the effects work immediately, because the cold started to wear off, and he started to feel much warmer.

A few seconds later, Rauru appeared in front of him, showing a proud smile and look at Sonic.

"I see you've restored some power to that new arm of yours," The spirit spoke, and his tone also radiated pride. Then, Rauru turned in the direction of the Temple of Time, with Sonic imitating him. "The door into the Temple of Time should now open for you."

Sonic looked at Rauru, raising an eyebrow. "How do you expect me to travel there so quickly? I'm in a bit of a hurry. I'm not sure how much more time I have before everyone in Equestria goes crazy because Sunny and I disappeared. Not to mention that, as much as I'd love to run up there, a fucking mummy drained all my strength, and now it's like I've gone from level 100 to level 1. By the way, how long has it been since I got up here?"

Rauru looked at Sonic thoughtfully. He seemed to be studying the hedgehog's face, and for a moment, he didn't say anything.

In the end, he sighed heavily and turned his gaze to a fixed point. "Three days since you woke up. Two weeks since I brought you up here."

'Two weeks?!' A voice in Sonic's mind screamed in panic. 'Damn it, that's too long. I have to go to the temple and meet up with Sunny right away. I've already wasted too much time on this island.'

"I have to hurry. It can't take me that long to get to the temple," Sonic said, frowning as he looked at the Temple of Time.

"It's not that far."

"It's a damn two days walk. I don't have two days, Rauru. Do I remind you that a mummy left me drier than a fish out of water?"

The spirit fell silent, scratching his chin and thinking. Sonic wasn't a fan of waiting, but he figured it was the best thing to do for now.

After a while, Rauru spoke up, an idea crossing his mind. "Show me Sunny's phone."

Sonic couldn't quite read Rauru’s expression, so he couldn't figure out what he was up to. Still, he decided to trust and obey. After all, Rauru had done nothing but help him so far. Why would he start acting different out of nowhere?

He pulled out Sunny's phone, turned it on on the map, and showed it to Rauru.

"Sunny's phone lets you travel to certain places instantly," the Zonai explained, earning a surprised reaction from Sonic, who turned the phone around to see it himself. How did he not notice? And more importantly, how can Sunny's phone do that? Since when? "Now, see all of the blue marks on your map? You can travel instantly to any of them."

"Whoa... Sunny has a lot of tricks I didn't know about..." Sonic muttered to himself.

Since when did Sunny have such an advanced phone with a map, pins, a telescope, and a damn teleport function? What else did he not know about her? What else did she hid?

"If you want to get to the temple immediately," Rauru's voice brought Sonic out of his thoughts for a moment, "you can use said function to get to the first shrine I showed you, since it's the closest to the temple."

Once he said that, Rauru vanished, leaving Sonic alone again.

However, now that he had the teleport option activated, he would save himself the two-day trip on foot to the temple, which was excellent news. The bad thing was that he couldn't just go right away since he still doesn't feel strong enough to run like before, but he'll fix that problem later, if he has the time.

"Hold on a little longer, sis," Sonic said to himself with a determined look. "I'm on my way."

He selected the icon of the shrine near the temple, and immediately after, he was surrounded by blue flashes that transported him from his spot to that shrine.

Author's Note

Oh, poor Sonic. The fool thinks he's going to reunite with our beloved Sunny. But let's not dash his hopes just yet. It's so much fun to watch him suffer :)

And yes, I did send the last shrine to hell. Seriously, I find it super unnecessary on a narrative level that, in the game I'm basing this on, Link can't open a damn door for ONE heart. Anyway, Zelda stuff.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for reading, see you later! :pinkiesmile:

Chapter 8: To the Kingdom of Equestria

Blue particles began to accumulate.

At the entrance to the shrine that was practically next to the Temple of Time, blue lights accumulated until they formed a figure, that of Sonic, who began to look around confused. He still didn't understand how Sunny had such a strange function on her phone, but he would be lying if he said it wasn't going to be useful.

Speaking of her, Sonic took out her phone and examined the map again. That yellow dot that indicated Sunny's position was still shining, so he knew where to go.

He was lucky that there was a platform suspended in the air and attached to the temple, so he decided to use Ascend right below said platform, ascending it and appearing on the other side with ease.

He walked towards the door of the Temple of Time, his heart racing a thousand miles an hour. Rauru said that he already had enough strength to open the door, but what if he was wrong? What would he do then? He was desperate to find Sunny and return to Equestria. They had a lot of business to take care of, and he didn't want to imagine the panic that was spreading throughout the kingdom with their absence.

Once he was in front of the closed door, the Zonai symbol with the hand appeared. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. He would have to trust Rauru once more and hope that he hadn't deceived him.

He placed his right hand on the symbol, and unlike the first time he came to the door, this time the symbol dissipated into green particles that floated in the air.

Immediately after, the door began to open.

Clouds of dust were expelled as the doors slid aside to make way for Sonic, who began to cough violently and covered himself with one arm. Some dust fell from the ceiling, but when everything calmed down and dissipated, Sonic opened his eyes.

The door opened completely, giving him access to the inside. Excited, he ran inside the temple, looking around frantically.

And he didn't find Sunny anywhere.

He felt his heart sink, but Sonic tried to hold on to hope. That Steward Construct couldn't lie to him. She couldn't lie to him. She had to be there, in that temple. There had to be a reason she hadn't come to see him before, knowing he was still on the Great Sky Island.

He would find her, no matter what.

With a cool head, he analyzed the place inside. It seemed to have only one room, quite large. The exterior appearance made it seem more spacious, but apparently he was wrong. The walls and floor of the temple were made of pale stone, like almost everything on that island. Of course, the flower bud-shaped lamps were lit.

Sonic climbed a short flight of stairs, and stopped in front of a pedestal that was shaped like an inverted tear. It looked a lot like the one that fell on Sunny's hooves under the castle. That said, the tear in front of him was much larger, almost as big as him.

The stone had an eye-shaped symbol engraved in the middle, emitting golden flashes, identical to the one that carried Sunny when she fell and he couldn't catch her.

Behind the pedestal and the stone, two huge round structures with platforms were spinning in opposite directions, and in the middle of the structures, there was a pedestal. Beyond it, Sonic could see another platform spinning, but he decided to ignore that for now.

He slowly approached the stone on the pedestal, and felt incredibly tempted to touch that stone. Why? He didn't know either, but he really wanted to. No one could stop him, right?

Suddenly he felt his right hand instinctively move towards the stone, which he touched. Then, the stone began to shine even more brightly with that golden glow. It was so intense that he covered his face with his new arm just to not go blind.

Suddenly, he felt much lighter, so he opened his eyes. As he did so, he realized that he was no longer in the Temple of Time, but in some sort of astral plane, surrounded by green mist that formed floating symbols around him. He wanted to believe that they were Zonai symbols.

At his feet lay white sand on all sides, and above him, a long grayish sky with sunlight filtering through the clouds.

And right in front of him was Sunny, floating.

The Earth Pony looked safe and sound, without a single scratch, but she was wearing a sleeveless white dress. Inside she wore a green tunic with a long band that reached from her bust to almost the bottom of her skirt. It was decorated with symbols that, again, he wanted to believe were from the Zonai. She also wore a tiara adorning her forehead, and her mane was short, so short that it barely reached her neck. The rainbow strike was still there, however.

Her eyes were closed, her hooves together in front of her, and a serene expression flooded her face. Sonic didn't remember ever seeing her like that.

And the worst part of all, was that despite having her there in front of him, Sonic didn't feel joy in the slightest, because he knew she was so close, and at the same time so far away. In short: She really wasn't there, no matter how much he wanted her to be.

He reached out his left hand, the one that felt completely, and touched Sunny's hoof. If his heart was already breaking, the contact with the pony shattered it into a thousand pieces.

Her skin was as soft as he remembered, but it was... cold. Like a body that had just died. Sunny's expression didn't change one bit when Sonic touched her, and even though he was really touching something solid, that illusion wasn't alive.

It wasn't Sunny, and that almost broke him completely.

Her skin seemed to radiate a golden glow. It wasn't transparent like Rauru, so it wasn't a spirit, but it was clear that it's not Sunny either. It's not his little sister.

Sonic stepped back, his gaze darkening and, for a moment, becoming so stoic that he almost seemed like another person, as if seeing this illusion of Sunny had killed him in life. He supposed that he had entered some kind of illusory reality when he touched the stone on that pedestal, and now he regretted having done so.

Suddenly, Sunny's right hoof separated from the other and extended towards Sonic, who looked surprised at the action, and at the same time confused and on the verge of breaking down in tears.

If this was a cruel joke from fate, from some god, from Rauru, or even from Sunny herself, then he didn't find it funny in the least. Why the hell did reuniting with his sister have to be so fucking complicated?

He sighed regretfully, and knew that he had nothing else to do. Besides, accepting Sunny's hoof could be his only way out of this place that had only killed his hopes.

He looked at his right hand for a moment and moved a little closer to that illusion. He looked at Sunny's extended hoof, then at his hand again, and then slowly moved it closer, taking the pony's hoof in his hand. Like the rest of the illusion, it was cold.

A golden light began to shine on Sunny's chest, and Sonic realized that she was wearing a necklace with the stone she had taken beneath Canterlot Castle. What was shining was the stone.

The glow moved from the stone to Sunny's skin, covering it completely, then it diminished and began to descend down her chest, then it moved to her right hoof, and from there it began to move towards Sonic's arm. At first it didn't seem so strange to him, but then the glow intensified and made his arm tingle, making Sonic gasp in surprise.

Soon, however, the tickling transformed into a kind of warm caress that reminded him of that feeling that the power of his arm gave him when he dived into water bodies from a great height. It was very pleasant.

He let go of Sunny's hoof, looking at her somewhat confused, then looked at his arm again, and saw it completely shining in a golden aura.

And suddenly, that golden aura began to accumulate on the back of his hand, right in the empty groove of the ornaments that his right arm had. When the arm was Rauru's, that was the place where the Zonai had the stone that fell to Sunny's hooves.

When the light accumulated completely, it formed a golden sphere very similar to those that formed in the shrines when he went to recover the abilities of his right arm. And just like those spheres, this one also went inside him, but specifically, into the back of his hand.

Then, the ornament that made up the back of it shone and changed color. Now it seemed to be made of a greenish stone, like the one they made the constructs with, and in the middle, a golden circle appeared with the same symbol that Sonic had found on the stone he touched and that transported him here.

Sonic looked confused at the back of his right hand, without having the slightest idea of what had just happened, but then he looked at the illusion of Sunny, which slowly faded away until it disappeared.

He knew it wasn't her, it wasn't the real Sunny, and yet, he couldn't help but feel a tightness in his chest. He didn't know when he would see her again, or if he would even see her again at all.

'Don't be an idiot,' He scolded himself. 'You'll see her again without a doubt. You just have to be patient, go back to Equestria and find her. Just wait a little longer.'

Suddenly, the fog in that place grew thicker, surrounding Sonic, and when he blinked a few times, he found himself back in the Temple of Time. The mechanisms behind the pedestal were still moving just as they had when he entered, and the stone that was on the pedestal had disappeared.

He began to look around at everything. Sunny had to have been there, right? So why didn't she show up before him? Why did he find an illusion identical to her instead? It didn't make any damn sense. She would never do this without a good reason.

He needed answers, and he needed them now.

Suddenly, Rauru made an appearance, and for the first time since Sonic arrived on the Great Sky Island, he frowned at the spirit, who had a distressed expression on his face.

"Ah, Recall... The ability to reverse the movement of an object through time," Rauru said, looking at the symbol on the back of Sonic's right hand, then turned to the pedestal the stone was on, scratching his chin. "And Sunny has vanished as well..."

Sonic felt the strange urge to burst Rauru with questions, to make him talk and say everything he hadn't dared to ask until now. Why did he save his life? Why not Sunny's? How does he even know her? What if all this time he's been listening to the spirit of an ancient danger? Who was he really? So many questions, all unanswered...

"What you just saw... It's a mystery even for me," The spirit suddenly blurted out, confusing Sonic.

What didn't he understand? That apparently became the only question he could ask without hesitation.

"What's a mystery even for you?" Sonic questioned, his tone harsher than the other times he addressed Rauru.

The spirit turned to look at him, and from his expression and posture alone he could tell that Sonic was beginning to distrust him, perhaps for not having found Sunny, when that was supposedly why he even wanted to open the door in the first place.

"When I woke up on the island as a spirit, I heard Sunny's voice," Rauru said, and the anger Sonic felt was immediately replaced by surprise, his eyes widening. "She said that you would need my help, that I should guide you. I went to the Steward Constructs, and each and every one of them said the same thing. That they were ordered by Sunny to guide whoever woke up on these lands. I don't understand why she did all that without showing herself..."

Sonic analyzed Rauru for a while, looking for some sign that the spirit was lying to him, that it was just playing dumb to lead Sonic into a trap of some kind. However, he could see that the spirit was just as confused by Sunny's actions as he was. If so, he knew her well enough to sense that this wasn't a normal Sunny thing. She didn't just leave random clues scattered around. She wasn't like that.

Sonic tried to think of a reason for her to act this way, but nothing came to mind. He knew then that Rauru isn't his enemy, and that now they both seemed to be lost with what had just happened.

"Sunny isn't like that..." Sonic said after a moment of silence. "She can't be doing this... why would she do it?"

"I'm not sure," Rauru replied, rubbing his chin again, thoughtful. "Perhaps it was a sort of echo—one that reflects her sheer will."

"...Maybe..." The hedgehog replied, his mood already low at this point. "And what am I supposed to do now? Sunny isn't here, but I still have to get back to Equestria..."

Rauru looked at the spinning mechanisms on the wall, and Sonic did the same. He figured he'd have to keep going that way... but there was a problem: Both wheels were spinning in the opposite direction to the pedestal in the middle that could help him move forward.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me..." Sonic said with a bored expression, ignoring the look Rauru gave him.

At this point, he was running out of patience.

"You can use the new power Sunny gave you to make your way to the room on the upper floor," Rauru explained. "You have the power of Recall. You'll be able to return objects to their original place, or make them go back a few seconds in time."

Sonic's tired and impatient look was replaced by an active and curious one, while he checked the back of his right hand. Did Sunny make that illusion just to give him another power? He was grateful, no doubt, but... why didn't she come herself?

"That you've now been given this ability... No doubt, it will prove important once you return to Equestria, Sonic," Rauru said with a smile, then disappeared again.

Meanwhile, Sonic pondered the situation, staring at the golden symbol on his right hand. The power of Recall that Rauru mentioned might be the key to moving forward, but he couldn't stop thinking about Sunny. Why didn't she show up? Confusion and worry swirled through his mind, but he knew he couldn't afford to stand still. He had to keep going.

He took a deep breath and raised his hand, focusing on the mechanism in front of him. The symbol on the back of it began to glow brightly as Sonic tried to call upon the power of Recall for the first time. His arm emitted a slight vibration, and time seemed to slow down around him. The spinning wheels in front of him, moving in opposite directions, began to slow down.

Sonic felt the power flow through him, a strange sensation, but not an unpleasant one. As he concentrated, the wheel that was spinning in the opposite direction began to reverse its motion. He watched in amazement as the mechanism obeyed his will, returning to the position it should have to align with the pedestal.

His mind began to work like a complex mechanism of ideas that tried to find a logical explanation for that event. How was it possible? This did not seem to be a Zonai power, for some reason Rauru did not give it to him before. Could it be a power that Sunny had? But he had never seen her do anything even similar to this.

It was strange to want to find a logical answer to that when nothing that happened on that island made sense, not to mention that his life itself is a non-stop of illogical things, but Sonic still wanted to find some sense in it.

Deciding to leave that for now, he ran towards the mechanisms that were going backwards and jumped on one of the platforms attached to it, which allowed him to jump onto the pedestal in the middle of the two mechanisms.

Sonic was surprised to see that it worked, then he looked at his hand and snapped his fingers out of mere curiosity. The mechanisms then stopped moving backwards and began to move normally again. He knew then that he could do and undo the effect as he pleased, or at least that was what it seemed like. Would Recall have a time limit? He would find out later.

Another mechanism stood in front of him, the platforms attached to it moving in the opposite direction of their destination. Sonic concentrated again, pointing his right hand at the mechanism as the symbol on the back of his hand lit up.

Power coursed through his arm again with a tingle, and soon, the mechanism stopped dead, before beginning to move in the opposite direction.

Sonic stepped onto one of the platforms and waited to reach the other side. When he did, he snapped his fingers and then jumped into the next room, rolling on the ground a little, and just before the mechanism he was standing on began to move in its usual direction.

He stood up, brushing off his robe a little, and then examined his surroundings. The room he was in was empty, with the exception of an Alicorn-shaped statue in the middle of the room. Surrounding the statue, a flight of stairs led up to a platform and another closed door, which had a pair of hands engraved in front of it. It was also decorated with a pair of dragons chasing each other.

Sonic stopped in front of the dusty statue, an eternal smile engraved on it.

'Why did the Zonai have a statue of an Alicorn? They worshipped them as gods?' Sonic asked himself, tilting his head in confusion. 'From everything I've seen, they were practically gods themselves. Why worship another entity?'

He decided not to question it further and continued towards the stairs to the left of the statue, coming to a stop in front of the other closed door. He inspected the space engraved with a pair of hands, and then knew what he had to do.

He squared his shoulders, put his hands in their respective spaces, which lit up with a greenish hue, and planted his feet on the ground. He began to push the door, and as he did so, the dragon symbol began to slowly light up with the same green tone that characterized everything around the Zonai.

After a while of doing this, the dragon symbol lit up completely, and the doors began to open. They did so at a slow pace, with a groan that echoed throughout the temple, while the door released clouds of dust.

When they finally opened, the sun shone brightly, and the sky looked much clearer than before. Along it was a narrow walkway that led to a circular platform.

Sonic was about to continue walking, when suddenly his right arm lit up. He glanced at it out of the corner of his eye, then looked to his right, finding Rauru, who was looking at him with a smile.

"Ah, good. I see you have managed to open the door," The spirit said, who suddenly looked more somber before continuing. "I'm afraid to tell you this, Sonic, but your body is still under the influence of the gloom. You haven't fully recovered yet, but that's to be expected—you were almost beyond saving."

Sonic felt panic take over his body upon hearing that, and looked at his right arm in horror. Wasn't the light from the shrines supposed to have purified it already? Shouldn't the arm change have helped too? How was it still influenced by that damn gloom?

"But surely there is still hope," Rauru said suddenly, a determined look crossing his face. "By visiting the shrines and receiving their blessings, you have mitigated some of the corruption's effects. There are also more shrines of light scattered throughout Equestria. If you wish to rid yourself of the gloom completely, seek out the shrines, overcome their challenges, and the sacred light will purify you."

That made Sonic sigh in relief, as he looked at his right arm again. The gloom was still under that implant, but at least Rauru confirmed his theory of finding more shrines in Equestria. He wouldn't hesitate to visit them for a second if he saw them.

His arm stopped lighting up, and Sonic looked at Rauru again, who now looked at him melancholy and with a sad smile.

"Though our time together has been brief, I am so happy that we finally met..."

Why did he say that as if it were the last time they would see each other? Sonic didn't want to think that he would never see the spirit again, but Rauru's tone made him think that would be the case.

A cool breeze suddenly entered the temple, and both Rauru and Sonic looked in the direction of that circular platform that was at the end of the narrow walkway.

"You are exactly as Sunny said," The Zonai said after a while with a smile, then looked at Sonic. "I've done everything I can for her."

The hedgehog looked at Rauru, and then gasped in surprise. The spirit was beginning to disappear, as its body was slowly fading into small blue particles that were blown away by the wind.

"Now it is up to you."

After saying that, Rauru's spirit looked in the direction of that platform in the distance once more, before disappearing completely, with his soul finally resting in peace.

Sonic couldn't say anything. It was so sudden and unexpected that he felt like a bucket of cold water had fallen on him.

That spirit was his only company during the last 3 days he was on the island. Maybe it was a bit cryptic and reserved, but it was helping him. He thought he would find Sunny in the Temple of Time just like him, and he was just as confused when she didn't show up.

As Rauru himself said, their time together was short, but he'd be lying if he said he wouldn't miss the spirit. At least he could finally be with his deceased wife.

With that thought in mind, Sonic resumed his path.

Sonic walked down a long, narrow stone path. It was too tight for his liking, and he managed to convince himself not to look down. It was one thing to see Equestria from the safety of an entire floating island, but it was quite another to see it from such a narrow corridor. One misstep could be deadly, and considering he didn't even have the strength to run, there was no guarantee he could perform a Homing Attack on anything or a Spin Dash to survive.

He suddenly stopped when he noticed that part of the path had collapsed, but it was just below the next section, so he carefully advanced to there and used Ascend, ascending the platform and continuing on his way.

Another part of the path collapsed, but it was also located just below the final stretch, so he used Ascend once more and got out to the other side without much trouble.

The wind blew in all directions, colder here than in the center of the island. Clouds covered the path like a thick fog, although luckily they didn't stay in one place for long. They ended up getting lost in the distance.

When he reached the end of the walkway, at the circular platform, he found a stone portal right in front of a small flight of stairs that he ascended without problems. Then, he saw in the middle of the platform a rectangular stone pedestal, and in the middle of it, a sphere of golden light shone brightly.

Sonic recognized that light. It was identical to the golden sphere that gave him the Recall power just now in the Temple of Time.

Suddenly, Sonic noticed another golden glow out of the corner of his eye. He looked at the back of his right hand, and noticed that it was glowing just as brightly as the sphere in front of him. He raised his hand to see the glow, and suddenly, the golden sphere began to vibrate, emitting a sound that resembled a distant whisper.

And suddenly, Excalibur's voice rang in his head.

Sonic didn't quite know how to react to that, but it happened. The sword's voice sounded much farther away than before, but it was there, deep in his mind.

Another golden glow caught his attention, and Sonic looked at Excalibur over his right shoulder. It was emitting a golden glow, identical to the one it was emitting beneath Canterlot Castle.

He pulled the sword out of its makeshift sheath with his right hand and examined it closely. How the hell was it still working if it was destroyed? As he held it, he couldn't feel its power coursing through his arm, but he could hear the voice. It was distant, almost a faraway whisper, but he could hear it nonetheless.

The blade vibrated a couple of times, then the golden sphere of light in front of him did the same, and the blade vibrated twice more. Sonic knew then that the sword wanted to get closer to the light.

Hesitantly, Sonic complied, bringing Excalibur closer to the sphere of light, leaving it right in the middle. He let go of the sword, which floated next to the sphere, and an instant later, the sphere of light glowed brightly, forcing Sonic to cover his face.

Excalibur traveled through time.

While everything around her moved backwards in a fast and frantic manner, the legendary weapon remained in place, letting that light guide her through time.

Soon, time stopped going backwards, and the sword continued to float in the air for a moment until the effect of the recoil wore off. It slowly descended and landed on a pair of hooves... Sunny's hooves, who was dressed just like that illusion Sonic saw in the Temple of Time.

She was sitting in front of the same stone pedestal where Sonic left the sword, but everything around indicated that the platform was not floating in the air, but on solid ground.

Sunny looked at the sword, confused, not knowing how she had managed to get to her, but then Excalibur itself glowed, communicating with Sunny and assuring her that Sonic was fine, that he was desperately looking for her.

The mare held the sword in front of her, the handle resting on her forehead, and then she had an idea, one that made her eyes tremble a little...

Excalibur had disappeared.

Sonic gasped in confusion, reaching out his hand to where the sword had been a moment ago. Where the hell had it gone? How would he find it now? That sword could have been the salvation of Equestria, and now it had vanished without a trace.

He looked at the back of his right hand, which had also stopped glowing. Maybe the sword had gone back somewhere, or to another time, but where, exactly?

He couldn't think clearly because the ground suddenly shook beneath his feet, and then, a roar echoed throughout the sky. From the sea of clouds that stretched out to the horizon, an orange dragon emerged, the same one Sonic saw when he dived to the Great Sky Island.

That dragon had magenta fur, green scales, two horns sticking out from beside its ears, and it seemed to be long and large, much larger than the Biolizard, the only other serpentine-bodied creature he could remember at the moment.

The dragon roared again, and as Sonic approached the edge of the platform to get a closer look at the orange dragon, he noticed that the sea of clouds beneath his feet was beginning to dissipate.

As the clouds parted completely, Sonic saw Lookout Landing. He couldn't see clearly beyond it, not even Canterlot Castle, but he could swear that something was sticking out of it. It seemed to be gloom, in an alarmingly large amount. He hoped he was wrong.

"Sonic..."

A voice suddenly spoke, one he recognized instantly. He began looking around, searching for the source, but found only clear skies and more islands in the distance.

"Sunny?" He asked out loud, and prayed to whatever god was listening that she would answer.

"Sonic... You must find me..."

Sonic looked around, still searching for the source of the voice, but she didn't answer anymore. What was going on? Why was Sunny so cryptic when she spoke? Why wasn't she looking for him? Where the hell was she even?

So many questions, all unanswered...

Sonic knew he had to find her, anyway. Rauru told him that now it was all up to him before he moved on to a better life at last, and he needed to find her as soon as possible.

"I will, Sunny," He told himself with determination. "I will move every last stone in Equestria if I have to, but I will find you."

With his decision made, Sonic looked over the edge of the platform he was standing on. That edge had a fountain of sorts, with water pouring down. He looked closely, squinting, and noticed a lake on the surface.

He still had Rauru's power with him, so he knew he could jump up there and not die. The idea was no less terrifying, however, because he was even higher than when he woke up in that place and jumped into the island's lake.

However, he had to do it. He had to go back to Equestria, look for Sunny, help in any way he could to find her and solve whatever was going on down there.

So, taking a deep breath, Sonic backed away before running off.

And soon, he was falling back to Equestria.

End of Part I

Author's Note

And thus, the first part of the story is complete!

Thank you so much to those that had been reading so far! I hope you guys are enjoying the story! I'll tell you that I'll publish an interlude tomorrow before putting the story on hiatus, as I'm still figuring out how Parts II and III will play out.

Thank you so much for stopping by. See ya! :pinkiesmile:

Interlude: Doing the Duty

Knuckles leaned against the stone wall of Lookout Landing, the cool surface a brief relief against the exhaustion clawing at him. His eyes, though sharp and vigilant, carried dark circles, the telltale signs of weeks without rest. Every muscle in his body screamed for sleep, but he couldn't afford the luxury. Not now. Not while the world was crumbling around him.

He gazed up at the castle hovering ominously above them, its dark silhouette cutting across the sky. Once, Canterlot had been a beacon of hope and unity. Now it was just a haunting reminder of everything they had lost. It had been two weeks since the Upheaval—since Sonic and Sunny vanished, leaving behind only questions and despair. Knuckles clenched his fists, the familiar rage bubbling under his skin. If only he had been faster, stronger, more prepared. But regrets did nothing to fix the mess they were in.

Messages from Maretime Bay, Zephyr Heights, and Bridlewood continued to pour in, each one more disheartening than the last. Every corner of Equestria was in chaos. The weather had gone haywire—snowstorms in the middle of summer, sandstorms ravaging peaceful forests. And then there were the monsters. More of them every day. Gibdo. Bokoblins. Creatures he'd never seen before, all of them pouring out of who-knows-where.

Knuckles sighed and rubbed his temples, the stress starting to feel unbearable. At least the Monster-Control Crew, headed by Team Dark, had things under control—at least as much as anyone could in this madness. Shadow, Rouge, and Omega were out there every day, patrolling, clearing the worst of the threats. But it wasn't enough. It never was. The creatures kept coming, and no matter how many they fought off, it was as if the world itself was against them.

He looked down at the camp below. Tents stretched out in rows, with the remnants of Canterlot's once-great architecture scattered between them. The fort wasn't much, but it was the best they could do with what they had. Ponies from all over Equestria had found refuge here, but every face was marked by fear and uncertainty. His gaze landed on a small cluster of tents near the center of the camp—the underground shelter where Amy had locked herself away. She hadn't spoken to anyone in days. Not since the disappearance. Not since Sonic and Sunny were ripped from their lives.

Tails, on the other hand, was always around, but he wasn't the same either. The little fox hadn't been his usual chipper, inventive self. It was as if something in him had broken. Tails had looked up to Sonic and Sunny like the siblings he never had, and now, without them around, the kid was a shell of his former self. Knuckles wasn't great with emotional stuff, but even he could see that Tails was struggling. And Knuckles? He was supposed to be the leader now—the one holding this broken world together before it just exploded.

He huffed, turning away from the camp. Leadership. What a joke. Sonic had always been the leader. Knuckles was just the muscle, the one who punched things and watched over the Master Emerald. But the Emerald wasn't around, it wasn't there in the sky along with the floating islands that had appeared all over Equestria, and ponies were looking to him for answers he didn't have.

A low rumble echoed from the distance, and Knuckles straightened, his instincts kicking in. Something was coming. He scanned the horizon, spotting the approach of three figures, followed by hordes of ponies that carried all kind of weapons. He recognized the silhouettes immediately—Team Dark, followed by the recently formed Monster-Control Crew. As they drew closer, Shadow took the lead, his stoic expression unchanged despite the chaos around them. Rouge, as usual, wore a smirk, but there was an edge to it, a tension Knuckles had never seen before. Omega, towering behind them, moved with his usual mechanical precision, his sensors likely already assessing the situation.

"What's the report, captain?" Knuckles asked, his voice gruffer than he intended.

Shadow folded his arms. "More monsters. And worse, we've confirmed that they're coming from those floating islands. We scouted a few, but the creatures are guarding something. We need to get up there."

Knuckles gritted his teeth. "Right. The islands." Of course, ponies had asked him about them. Some thought he had answers because of his history with floating islands. But this was different. This wasn't Angel Island. These islands felt... wrong. Strange. As if the sky itself was infected with whatever had been unleashed.

"What about the castle?" Knuckles asked, nodding toward the floating behemoth above them.

Shadow's eyes flicked upward. "Still no movement. But it's only a matter of time. Whatever's up there, it's waiting."

Knuckles felt the weight of the world pressing down on him again. The monsters, the islands, the castle, Sonic, Sunny—it was all too much. But he had to keep going. For them. For everyone.

"Let's get ready," Knuckles muttered, his resolve hardening. "If we're going up there, we need a plan. I'm not losing anyone else."

As Team Dark turned to leave, Knuckles cast one last glance at the sky, his heart heavy with the weight of unspoken hopes. He just needed a miracle—a sign that everything would be okay. But in a world turned upside down, miracles seemed harder to come by.

He just hoped one would fall from the sky soon.

The wind howled through the towering spires of Zephyr Heights, battering the once-vibrant city with icy gusts that left no corner untouched. Snow, thick and relentless, blanketed the streets, turning the bustling metropolis into a frozen wasteland. The sight was surreal—white drifts piled against closed storefronts, parks buried under layers of frost, and ponies huddling inside their homes, barely venturing out unless absolutely necessary.

Pipp stood at the large window of her royal suite, watching as the snowflakes danced in the blizzard outside. Her reflection, ghostly in the glass, showed a princess who was trying her best to keep it all together. She had spent countless hours doing live streams, projecting a calm and reassuring demeanor to her followers, but inside, she was anything but calm. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Sonic.

The last time she saw him, he had been walking away. His confident grin, his reassuring words—they had all seemed so final in hindsight. Pipp had wanted to scream at him to stay, to beg him not to go to Canterlot Castle, but she didn't. She had stood there, smiling, pretending that everything was going to be okay, even as a gnawing feeling had twisted in her gut. Hours later, the sky had torn open with darkness, and Sonic had disappeared without a trace.

A tear slipped down her cheek before she could stop it. She quickly wiped it away, sniffing as she forced herself to breathe deeply. She had to be strong. For her mom. For Zipp. For the ponies of Zephyr Heights who looked to her for hope in this nightmare. And for Sonic.

"Pipp?" A voice called from behind her. It was Zipp, her sister's usually composed voice tinged with worry.

Pipp didn't turn immediately, not trusting herself to speak without her voice breaking. She blinked a few times, taking another deep breath before answering.

"Yeah?" She said, turning around with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

Zipp was standing in the doorway, her fur bristling from the cold despite being indoors. Even the palace was struggling to keep the warmth in these days. "Mom wants to see us in the throne room. We're going to address the public again. We need to... well, we need to calm everypony down."

Pipp nodded, even though she wasn't sure how much more calming she could do. The ponies of Zephyr Heights were on edge. It was July, and yet they were trapped in a blizzard, cut off from the rest of Equestria. Supplies were starting to run low, and panic was spreading. Ponies whispered about dark magic, about ancient curses returning to the land. Some even spoke of the Upheaval as if it were the end of the world.

Pipp followed her sister through the quiet halls of the palace, her thoughts drifting back to Sonic. Was he still alive? Was Sunny? The questions haunted her day and night. She had tried to reach him through every means possible, but there had been no sign, no message, nothing but silence.

When they reached the throne room, Queen Haven was already there, standing tall despite the weight of the crisis. The queen's eyes softened when she saw her daughters, but there was a firmness in her gaze too—a strength that Pipp envied.

"We'll get through this," Queen Haven said, her voice steady. "Together."

Pipp swallowed the lump in her throat. She wasn't so sure. But for now, she would pretend to believe it. For Sonic. For Sunny. For everyone.

Izzy's hooves trudged across the gritty stone floor of the ancient underground sanctuary. The air down here was cooler, yet dry, and tasted faintly of dust, reminding her too much of the sandstorm raging above. She tried to shake the thought away, focusing instead on the faint glow of the crystals embedded in the walls. They were comforting, a relic of a time long past, before all this chaos began. But even their light felt distant now.

Beside her, Misty's voice broke the silence. "I can't believe I'm here," She whispered, still caught in the aftershocks of reuniting with her father. Alphabittle had practically crushed her in a bear hug when he realized who she was, his lost daughter finally returned to him. Izzy had never seen Alphabittle cry before. His gruff, stoic exterior had melted away in that instant, replaced by a raw vulnerability that left Izzy speechless. It had been beautiful—heartbreaking, even—but the joy of the moment was smothered by the grim reality waiting outside.

Izzy forced a smile. "I'm happy for you, Misty. You and Alphabittle… you deserve this."

"Yeah..." Misty's voice trailed off as her eyes drifted to the floor. "But I can't help feeling guilty, you know? Like, all this time lost—and now we're stuck here with those things up there. And Sonic, Sunny… they're still missing."

Izzy's stomach twisted at the mention of their names. Sonic, Sunny. The memories were still too raw. She hadn't had a proper night's sleep since they disappeared under Canterlot Castle, now suspended in the sky like some eerie monument to their failure. Two weeks. Two weeks since the Upheaval had torn their world apart. Izzy swallowed the lump in her throat, trying not to think about it too much.

"Yeah," She said quietly. "I think about them a lot."

Misty nodded, her eyes reflecting a shared sorrow. "We all do."

A tense silence fell between them, the only sound being the soft shuffle of hooves from the other unicorns deeper in the sanctuary. They were trying to adjust, to survive, but the weight of everything—the storm, the Gibdo—pressed down on them like the heavy stones that made up this shelter. The Gibdo… those skeletal nightmares that seemed to mock their magic. Even Alphabittle's strongest spells had done nothing to stop them. The Gibdo just kept coming, relentless, their bony hands tearing at whatever stood in their way.

Izzy clenched her jaw, feeling the familiar heat of frustration building in her chest. She had never felt so powerless. All her creativity, her sparkle—it had been snuffed out by the storm, by the fear of what lurked in it. She had tried everything: Every spell, every trick she knew, but nothing had worked. Until now. The lightning spell was different. It was raw, dangerous, and she wasn't sure if she could control it, but it was something. Something that could fight back.

Misty must have noticed the shift in her mood because she glanced at Izzy, concern filling her voice. "Izzy, are you okay?"

"I don't know," Izzy admitted, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I keep thinking… maybe I should've done something. Said something to stop them. Sonic, Sunny—they wouldn't have disappeared if—"

Misty stopped her with a hoof on her shoulder. "It's not your fault. None of us saw this coming."

Izzy bit her lip, holding back the flood of guilt and sadness threatening to spill over. Misty was right. Deep down, she knew it wasn't her fault, but it didn't stop the hurt. It didn't stop the part of her that wished she could have done more.

Taking a deep breath, Izzy nodded. "I know, but I can't just sit here anymore. If we're going to survive this, we need to fight back. The Gibdo—they're not going to stop until they've destroyed everything. I learned something, a new spell. I think it can help."

Misty's eyes widened slightly. "A new spell? What kind of spell?"

"It's not like the other spells," Izzy said, her voice firm. "This is raw energy. Lightning. If we can hit them hard enough, maybe it'll break through whatever’s protecting them."

"Lightning?" Misty's voice was soft, almost reverent. "Izzy, that could actually work. You're strong enough to pull it off."

"Maybe," Izzy replied, doubt creeping in. "But what if I lose control? I don't know what'll happen if—"

"Hey," Misty interrupted, her tone firmer now. "You won't lose control. You've always been the one who believes in magic, in doing what's right. If anyone can protect us, it's you."

Izzy's heart swelled at the words, but the weight of responsibility settled on her shoulders. Could she really do it? Could she lead the fight against these monsters when she wasn't even sure she could control her own power?

"I'll try," She said, her voice steadying. "For Sonic, for Sunny, for all of us."

Misty smiled. "And I'll be right beside you."

Izzy smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.

Deep down, though, she wasn't so sure. She knew the risks, but she was willing to take them if it meant keeping her friends—and the rest of Bridlewood—safe.

The two of them stood in the dim light, the storm above a distant roar. But down here, in the ancient refuge of their ancestors, there was a spark of hope—fragile, but flickering. And as long as it burned, Izzy knew she had to fight.

Hitch's hooves squelched through the thick layer of sludge that had consumed Maretime Bay's once-pristine streets. He grimaced, pulling one hoof free with a wet pop only for it to sink into the muck again. It had been like this for two weeks—ever since the Upheaval. Ever since Sunny and Sonic had vanished.

He stopped to glance around, watching as the townsfolk did their best to navigate the filthy streets. Foals clung to their parents, hopping between cleaner patches of ground, and older ponies trudged on, heads down, resigned to the endless muck that seemed to fall from the sky. The sea itself had darkened with the same strange sludge, turning the once-beautiful shoreline into a dull, polluted stretch of despair.

It was the same sight every day now, and yet Hitch couldn't stop his heart from clenching every time he saw it. Maretime Bay had always been his responsibility. Its peace, its order, its safety—all of it was his to protect. But how was he supposed to protect them from this?

He gritted his teeth, shaking his head. No, he couldn't think like that. Sunny wouldn't have wanted him to.

Sunny.

The mere thought of her name was enough to stir the guilt that had been eating away at him for days. Sunny had always been so full of hope, so determined to see the good in the world, way before the Upheaval had begun tearing Equestria apart. Hitch had warned her not to go to Canterlot. He had tried—tried to make her stay, to convince her that whatever was happening there wasn't her burden to bear.

But she hadn't listened. She never did when it came to helping others.

Now, Canterlot Castle hovered in the distance, an eerie silhouette against the storm-filled sky. The castle had risen into the air, perched atop a rocky pillar that seemed to stretch endlessly into the abyss below. And beneath it, somewhere in the gloom, Sunny and Sonic had disappeared. Vanished, without a trace.

Hitch's jaw tightened. He should have gone with her. He should have been there, at her side, instead of letting her walk into whatever nightmare had taken her away from him. Maybe then, he would have had the chance to say the things he had never said—the things he had been too scared to admit even to himself.

Like how much he liked her.

He snorted, frustrated at the weakness in his own heart. Sunny had always been stronger than him in that way, always so open and free with her feelings. And yet, when it had mattered most, he had held back, too afraid of what it might mean if he told her the truth. Too afraid of losing what they already had.

Now he might have lost her forever.

A heavy sigh escaped him as he spotted a small group of ponies struggling to cross the street. He stepped forward, forcing the ache in his chest aside, and offered them a hoof. The least he could do was be the sheriff they needed, even if he couldn’t save the ones he loved.

Because no matter what happened, he couldn't let Maretime Bay fall apart, too.

Not after everything they'd lost already.

PART II

PART II

Wind & Thunder

Chapter 9: Fallen from the Sky

Lookout Landing stood near the towering Canterlot Castle.

Knuckles stood at the edge of the makeshift balcony atop the fort, his hands clenched tightly into fists as he stared at the towering Canterlot Castle in the distance. The once-majestic structure now floated eerily above the abyss, supported by a massive stone pillar, while gloom poured out from the dark pit beneath it, as though the land itself had been torn apart. The sky above it seemed darker, the air heavier with every passing day. It had been two long weeks since Sonic and Sunny had vanished, and there was still no sign of them—no clues, no trail, no hope.

He had sent patrol after patrol to search for any trace, to scout the abyss without going too close. The last group had just returned, empty-handed once again, confirming what Knuckles already feared: Sonic and Sunny had simply vanished as if they'd never existed. The echidna's heart sank deeper into his chest, the weight of failure pressing down on him like a heavy boulder. He turned to the group of soldiers standing nearby, their faces pale and exhausted, their eyes searching for some form of leadership, some glimmer of hope. But Knuckles had none left to give.

"Take a break," He said, his voice rough but steady. "You've all done enough for now. Get some rest."

The soldiers exchanged uncertain glances but nodded gratefully, murmuring their thanks before shuffling off toward their tents. They were worn thin, both physically and emotionally, after two relentless weeks of searching with no results. Knuckles knew scolding them or pushing them further wouldn't help. They needed rest. He watched them leave, feeling a pang of guilt for not being able to lead them to a solution, to something, anything that would bring Sonic and Sunny back.

His gaze drifted back to the ominous castle in the sky, his fists still clenched, though now from frustration more than anything. The silence was deafening, the absence of answers like a constant, gnawing ache in the back of his mind. The breeze carried a faint chill, making his quills bristle slightly, though it did little to cool the heat of his anger and worry.

"Still brooding, I see," Came a familiar voice from behind.

Knuckles didn't turn around. He recognized that voice anywhere. Rouge the Bat, always ready to push his buttons, always with a smirk on her lips. But today, Knuckles didn't have the strength for banter. He was too drained, too lost in his thoughts to care.

Rouge sauntered up next to him, her arms crossed over her chest as she glanced out at the same sight Knuckles had been staring at for hours. "You're going to wear yourself out if you keep this up," She said, her tone surprisingly softer than usual. She waited for the usual retort, the gruff comeback Knuckles always had ready for her teasing, but when it didn't come, she raised an eyebrow and glanced over at him.

Knuckles' eyes were fixed on the abyss, his jaw set in a tight line. He looked like he hadn't slept in days, which wouldn't have surprised Rouge. She sighed, deciding to drop the playful act for now. "Look, I know this has been rough, but we're not going to find anything if we collapse from exhaustion before we do."

Knuckles finally spoke, his voice low, almost defeated. "It's not just that, Rouge. It's… it's the waiting. Every day that passes, it feels like things are getting worse. That gloom, it's spreading, the situation in the main cities gets worse, and without Sonic and Sunny…" He trailed off, his throat tightening as he swallowed hard. "I'm worried that by the time we find them—if we even do—it'll be too late."

Rouge frowned, her usual flippant demeanor fading completely. She could hear the fear in his voice, a rare vulnerability that Knuckles rarely showed. She placed a hand on his arm, a simple gesture of reassurance. "We'll find them," She said firmly. "Even if it takes months, we're not giving up."

"That's what scares me," Knuckles replied, his voice heavy with the weight of his thoughts. "What if months pass, and we find them too late? What if the longer they're gone, the worse things get?"

He was falling from an alarmingly dangerous height.

Sonic didn't know how he managed not to cower, but he jumped. If he wanted to keep his promise to Sunny to find her, he had to return to Equestria, and this seemed to be the only way.

The wind whipped at him from all sides. His arms and legs were outstretched as he fell, calculating as best he could where he would land on the lake.

The vast kingdom of Equestria stretched out around him, and the closer he got to the ground, the clearer everything became. He spotted Lookout Landing, which seemed to be finished, and to the north of it, what seemed to be Canterlot Castle, although he wasn't so sure about that last one.

What he was sure he saw, though, was a hole in the ground, south of Lookout Landing. If he remembered correctly, that hole used to be a simple crack from which gloom emanated. Now it seemed to be a gigantic hole in the earth. Had it formed when that mummy under Canterlot Castle woke up? Had the other rifts around Equestria opened up as well?

He hoped the answer was no to both, though deep down he knew it was a wishful thinking.

Suddenly, Sonic noticed not one, but two lakes, both very close to each other. He was closer to falling into the first one, but he suddenly felt reckless, so he leaned towards the second lake out of sheer curiosity. He wanted to prove that he could move enough in the air.

The more he leaned, the closer he was to reaching the ground, so he began to silently pray to any entity that heard him that his recklessness wouldn't end up killing him.

He looked down, and realized that he had already moved away from the first lake. If he didn't lean further, or if he suddenly started falling faster, he would definitely end up dead, like a meat pie on the ground.

But that wasn't going to happen, he wouldn't allow it.

He leaned in even further, knowing that his life depended on it, that Sunny depended on it. He had to survive to find her. He failed her by not catching her under the castle, this time he wasn't going to fail her.

Fortunately, Sonic managed to lean in far enough to stand over the second lake. He smiled, even with the wind mercilessly hitting him from all sides. He knew that at least he wouldn't die, not yet. He decided to dive, as if he were the tip of an arrow, and once he was about to hit the lake, his right arm lit up in a greenish aura.

He fell into the water, wrapped in a kind of warm embrace that protected him from another certain death. Rauru's power had already protected him on two separate occasions, and now it did so a third time. He would never doubt that power again.

He swam to the surface, and once he was out of the water, he took a breath of air.

Even though the gloom had sapped his strength, that he had broken Excalibur, and that his new arm was still infected by that gloom, Sonic felt invincible again thanks to his new Zonai powers.

He swam clumsily to the edge of the lake, lying on the ground as he breathed heavily. Fortunately he hadn't swallowed too much water, although the shock had disoriented him so much that he ended up accidentally inhaling it.

He turned around on the edge of the lake, looking up at the sky. He could see the Great Sky Island, although the island was now what was distant. It didn't look like an indistinguishable speck, but he definitely couldn't reach it from here.

'Maybe I can handle Sunny's phone transport...' He thought, but immediately shook that idea out of his head. 'No, I'm not going to jump from that high without a paraglider again, there's no way I'm going to. Not unless I recover some of my strength first.'

After catching his breath, he stood up, brushing some dirt off his robe, and then set off, heading towards Lookout Landing.

He barely climbed a small hill, however, when his eyes widened.

Canterlot Castle loomed in the distance, completely torn from the earth. It seemed to float above the ground, surrounded by thick, gigantic dark tentacles as tall as the towers on the upper floors. They seemed to be coming from the fissure that had appeared beneath the castle.

'Gloom,' He knew immediately, frowning and clenching his fists. 'Shit... What the hell happened down here while I was gone?'

He knew he had to get to Lookout Landing as soon as possible. He needed to catch up, to know what was happening in the kingdom with his absence.

Returning without Sunny was foolhardy, but he had no choice.

So he started running. He ran across the vast plain that stretched out before him at a fast pace, or at least as fast as he could in his current state. He saw gloom in the distance, and assumed it was coming out of that hole he saw when he fell into the lake.

He decided to approach said place first, but then, a Bokoblin suddenly appeared. It roared furiously at the sight, and it carried a traveler's sword, but it looked rusty. Still, Sonic frowned, and equipped his shield and Amber Blade, then charged at the Bokoblin, hitting it in the hip and slashing it. The monster roared furiously and raised its sword, ready to spear Sonic, who simply performed a perfect guard.

With the Bokoblin stunned, Sonic put away the shield and charged a spinning attack, unleashing it on the Bokoblin, slicing off its head and making it fall limp to the ground.

Now that he defeated the monster, Sonic walked over to examine two things that caught his attention. The first was the horn that the monster dropped, which was long and pointed, with several sharp spikes around it. It looked identical to the horns that those Bokoblins he saw with Sunny when they went for Excalibur had, still not knowing that the voice came from the sword.

The other thing that caught his attention was the traveler's sword that the monster carried. Looking at it more closely, he realized that it wasn't rusty, but deteriorated. It had black spots all over it, and it seemed to have lost part of its edge.

'I hope this has nothing to do with the gloom, or that plague we found under the castle,' He thought irritably. There were a lot of bad things happening at once, and he didn't like it one bit.

He decided to put the Bokoblin horn aside and keep the sword. He hoped that Lookout Landing would have answers to all of his questions, or at least most of them.

He continued on his way to the center of the plain. No more monsters appeared in the process, but he knew that would change sooner or later.

Once he reached the place, he almost fell backwards at what he saw: A gigantic abyss opened in the ground, swallowing everything from the bowels of the earth and being surrounded by alarming amounts of gloom. The smell almost made Sonic vomit, but the sight made a shiver run through him from top to bottom. Two weeks ago, that was just a crack. Now it was a huge hole that was making the earth sick. At least, that's how it seemed.

Out of curiosity—or stupidity, he would choose later—he approached the edge of the abyss, and nearly gasped for air when he saw only more gloom surrounding it, as well as a seemingly endless void of darkness.

'My Chaos, this is scary,' Sonic thought in horror. What was happening to Equestria?

He decided he couldn't waste any more time. He took several quick steps back, as if he didn't want anything to do with the gloom, and suddenly collided with something.

He turned around, and his eyes widened as he saw that it was a large, oddly shaped rock. He touched it, feeling it sturdy and firm, then looked around and noticed that there were very similar rocks scattered across the plain.

'These rocks weren't here before,' He thought as he examined them. 'Could they have fallen from the sky? I don't think they just came out of the ground by magic.'

His thoughts stopped when he spotted a shrine of light not far away.

He immediately ran towards it and opened the entrance, also unlocking the transport point, but he did not enter the shrine this time. There would be time for that, now his mission was to reach Lookout Landing.

Decided, he turned around and started running in the direction of the fort.

Knuckles sat in his office at Lookout Landing, slumped back in his chair with an exhausted scowl on his face. His fingers drummed absentmindedly against the armrest, his eyes locked on the ceiling as if it held some hidden answer to the chaos unfolding around him. He had just dismissed another search party. They came back with nothing, again.

"Rest up," He'd told them, the frustration barely held back in his voice. "We'll try again tomorrow."

The look on their faces told him they were just as drained as he was, but they nodded and left without a word. Knuckles leaned forward, rubbing his temples. Two weeks. Two weeks of little to no sleep, two weeks of chasing shadows, of trying to hold Lookout Landing, and Equestria in general, together while everything around him felt like it was falling apart. He could feel it bubbling inside him, the anger, the helplessness. His fists clenched, his knuckles tightening against the edges of his desk.

He'd always been the protector, the one who stood guard while others moved ahead. It was his job to keep everything in balance, but right now, everything felt wrong. "Chaos, why don't you send me something?" He said bitterly. "A damn miracle. Something to get us out of this hole before I lose it and break everything in sight."

The night outside his window was pitch black, the moon barely visible through the heavy clouds that had hung low over Equestria for days. The torches at Lookout Landing flickered, casting dim light across his office, but he didn't care. The darkness suited him tonight. He wasn't in the mood for company or cheer. He wasn't in the mood for anything except figuring out how to fix this mess before it swallowed them whole.

He sighed heavily, sinking deeper into his chair. There was a knock on his door, but Knuckles didn't even look up.

"Come in," He muttered, expecting one of his soldiers or maybe Shadow with another report that nothing had changed.

But instead, the door flew open with a force that surprised him, slamming against the wall.

"Knuckles!" A familiar voice shouted, full of excitement and urgency.

Rouge. Of course.

Knuckles finally lifted his head, narrowing his eyes at her. She stood in the doorway, her chest heaving as if she'd sprinted across the whole outpost to get there. Her eyes were gleaming, an expression Knuckles hadn't seen in her for weeks. Hope.

"What the hell, Rouge?" He snapped, though his tone lacked its usual bite. He was too tired to argue. "What now? I thought I told you—"

"Sonic is back!" She interrupted, cutting through his words with those three simple ones.

Knuckles froze, his mind struggling to process what she had just said. His heart stuttered in his chest, disbelief crashing over him like a wave.

"What?" He breathed.

Rouge took a step closer, a wide grin spreading across her face as she nodded. "He's back, Knuckles," She repeated. "Alive. He just arrived at Lookout Landing."

For a moment, Knuckles couldn't speak. His mind raced, trying to catch up with the news. Sonic and Sunny had been missing for weeks, and they had feared the worst—he had feared the worst. He'd been preparing himself for a world without his old rival, without his cooking partner, without his friends. And now Rouge was standing here, telling him that Sonic was back? Just like that?

He shot to his feet, his chair clattering to the ground behind him as he strode toward Rouge.

"Where is he?" Knuckles demanded, his voice low but urgent. His pulse raced in his ears, that storm of frustration and anger suddenly twisting into something else. Relief? Maybe.

"He's in the courtyard," Rouge replied, her smile widening. "Come on, I'll take you to him."

Without another word, Knuckles followed her out of his office and into the night, the exhaustion that had weighed him down for so long forgotten in the face of this unexpected miracle. Sonic was back. Maybe, just maybe, things were finally starting to change.

Night had already fallen by the time he approached Lookout Landing.

About 100 meters away, Sonic stopped. He couldn't just approach, act like he hadn't been missing for two weeks. But what exactly was he going to say?

Sonic stood still, his gaze fixed on Lookout Landing looming before him. He knew everyone inside would be desperate for answers, and his two-week absence had only increased the uncertainty and fear.

The moon, high in the sky, cast a pale light on the stone path, and the cold wind stirred his robes, as if to push him forward.

But Sonic didn't move. His left hand clenched tightly at his side, a product of the uncertainty he felt at that moment. His right arm, now a mix of flesh and arcane energy, felt strange, but surprisingly strong.

How would he explain what had happened to him? How would he talk about the abyss he had fallen into, the hand that had rescued him, what he experienced on the Great Sky Island, the disappearance of Excalibur, how he literally fell from the sky? And most importantly, what would he tell them about Sunny?

A wave of exhaustion washed over him, but he knew he had no time to rest. He had to go inside, he had to talk. But each step towards the fort felt like a heavier burden than the last.

Finally, he took a deep breath and decided that he would face whatever came, as he always had. With slow but determined steps, he approached the place, ready to accept whatever came.

As he approached, he saw that Omega was standing on top of the north entrance of the fort. The robot was watching everywhere, watching for any threats nearby, when finally his gaze fell on Sonic, approaching from a distance. Of course, he didn't recognize him, so he made a titanic leap and landed in front of him, aiming his cannon at his face.

Omega's cannon hummed ominously, the energy building at its core. The towering robot loomed over Sonic, casting a long shadow in the moonlight.

"State your identity, intruder," Omega demanded, his voice as cold and mechanical as ever. He tilted his head slightly, calculating the potential threat.

Sonic froze as Omega's cannon hovered dangerously close to his face. The robot's red optic glowed with intense focus, ready to fire at a moment's notice.

"It's me, Omega," Sonic said quietly, raising his hands in a peaceful gesture. His voice was hoarse from the journey, and he wasn't sure if Omega would recognize him at all—not with how he looked now.

Omega's mechanical frame remained still, his targeting systems calculating Sonic's words. For what felt like an eternity, there was silence between them. Then, the cannon lowered.

"Identified: Sonic the Hedgehog," Omega's monotone voice stated. "You have been missing for 13 days, 4 hours, 21 minutes. Status: altered."

Sonic couldn't help but smirk, though it was a tired one. "Yeah... You could say that."

Soon, a pair of pegasi soldiers guarding the north entrance of the fort saw him and Omega. At first they didn't recognize him because of his strange clothing, as well as his right arm. However, before they could adopt defensive poses, Sonic approached the fort followed by Omega, his face illuminated by the light of the torches that illuminated the fort, and they finally knew who he was.

"Sonic?!" One of the soldiers said in disbelief.

His name was Drozer, and despite his helmet covering part of his face, Sonic recognized him by his beard and mustache, which looked unkempt. How much sleep has he gotten since he and Sunny disappeared? Has he even gotten any sleep since then?

"It's you, you're back!" Drozer said, joy and surprise mixed in his tone as he spoke. "Wh-where have you been?!"

Before he could answer, the other soldier got in front of him. "Last that anyone saw of either you or Sunny was when you went to investigate the gloom. And then the castle rose into the sky, and everyone's been so worried about what happened to you both!"

The other soldier was named Burwar. He didn't have his helmet on, but he looked even worse than Drozer. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his hair was loose when he usually tied it up.

Sonic knows that Burwar is a sleepyhead, and seeing him like that worried him.

"You can't imagine how worried we were," He continued when Sonic didn't say anything. "Especially Knuckles. Since the castle rose, he has nearly worn himself out trying to figure out where you two went."

"Hey, guys!" Drozer suddenly turned to the center of the fort with a smile. "Sonic is back!"

Drozer's shout echoed throughout Lookout Landing, drawing the attention of several soldiers patrolling nearby. Sonic, however, couldn't look away from the faces of the two pegasi in front of him. The joy in their eyes was palpable, but so was the weariness, the weight of two weeks of uncertainty and fear.

"It's good to see you, Sonic," Burwar continued, his voice cracking a little. "We were all losing hope..."

Before Sonic could respond, more soldiers began to approach, forming a circle around him. Some looked at him in disbelief, others with relieved smiles, but all shared the same feeling of wonder and relief.

"Sonic!" Someone else shouted from a distance, and within seconds, the small group of soldiers became a crowd, all talking at the same time, asking him questions and trying to understand what had happened.

"Where have you been?"

"What happened at the castle?"

"Are you hurt?"

Sonic raised his left hand, calling for silence. He didn't have the answers they were looking for, not yet, but he needed time to gather his thoughts. The murmur of voices slowly died away, and when silence finally fell over the group, Sonic prepared to speak.

But before he could say a word, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway behind him. The soldiers moved aside, forming a path as they made way for Knuckles, who approached Sonic with a look that showed his disbelief. Rouge followed close behind, her eyes never leaving Sonic's.

The echidna stopped a few steps away from Sonic, his eyes scanning the hedgehog from head to toe. It was clear he had been through a lot, his face showed signs of exhaustion, and that arm… Knuckles couldn't take his eyes off Sonic's right arm, which now looked more like an arcane artifact than flesh and blood.

"Damn son of a bitch, you're still alive," Knuckles said with a tiny smirk, causing Sonic to return the same gesture. "I should be mad at you for showing up out of nowhere... But something tells me you're in no shape to be told off. Damn it, Sonic, you look worse than Pipp waking up with a bad mane in the morning. And those clothes... Are you wearing a skirt?"

Sonic chuckled weakly at Knuckles' jab, feeling the tension in his body ease just a little. It was a strange comfort, hearing Knuckles' familiar brand of tough love after everything he'd been through.

"Yeah, well," Sonic quipped, glancing down at his tattered outfit. "It's more of a tactical... fashion choice." He gave a half-hearted twirl. "Functional and stylish."

Knuckles snorted, and a few soldiers in the crowd cracked smiles, but the humor did little to dull the tension still brewing between them. The echidna's eyes were full of questions, of uncertainty. Sonic knew what he was thinking: Where is Sunny? What happened? Why are you carrying an arm that isn't yours?

"I was beginning to think that you had..." Knuckles didn't even allow himself to finish that sentence on that occasion. "I'm glad to see that you've returned... You must be tired."

Sonic was about to reply, but before he did, he felt all his exhaustion hit him suddenly, and he fell to his knees on the ground. He hadn't slept at all in the last 24 hours, not since he dreamed about Pipp. Now he suffered the consequences of not having rested when he should have. Some of the soldiers approached him, afraid that Sonic would collapse.

Link ended up accepting help from a unicorn soldier he couldn't quite recognize, resting his left arm around his neck as he struggled to his feet.

"I..." Sonic looked like he was finally going to speak, but then he let out a sigh. "Yeah, I'm... really tired..."

Knuckles stepped closer, placing a hand on Sonic's shoulder, his grip firm but full of concern. "You need rest, buddy. Whatever happened to you can wait. First, you need to get back on your feet."

Sonic tried to protest, but his words were soft and almost inaudible. He knew he needed to rest, but he also knew there were things he needed to say, things everyone needed to hear. However, his body just wouldn't cooperate.

The soldiers gently guided him into Lookout Landing, while the rest of those present watched in silence, worry written on their faces. Sonic couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. Everyone was counting on him, but at that moment, he could barely stay conscious.

As they moved through the halls of the fort, the atmosphere seemed to grow heavier, almost oppressive. The wind that had previously gently pushed him along, now seemed to have stopped completely, leaving an eerie silence in its place. Sonic knew that this silence wasn't just external, but also reflected the emptiness he felt inside. Worry for Sunny was eating away at him, and the uncertainty of her whereabouts didn't allow him to find peace.

Finally, they arrived at what seemed to be the infirmary. It was a large, plain room, with beds lined along the walls, some of them occupied by wounded or exhausted soldiers. The doctors and nurses working there rushed over when they saw the group enter.

"Leave him here," One of the doctors said, pointing to one of the empty beds near the entrance. "He needs to rest."

Sonic was helped to lie down on the bed, and when his body finally hit the mattress, he felt a wave of relief, albeit momentary. He knew the rest was necessary, but his mind kept fighting the need to stay alert.

Knuckles, who had followed the soldiers to the infirmary, approached Sonic’s bedside. His expression, once stern and worried, now showed deep gratitude.

"Rest well, Hedgehog," The echidna said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "We'll talk when you're ready. What matters now is that you're alive."

Sonic nodded weakly, his eyelids beginning to droop under the weight of fatigue. He wanted to say so many things, but the words wouldn't come. The last thing he felt before succumbing to sleep was Knuckles' comforting touch, and the vague hope that, when he woke up, he would have the strength to face whatever came.

A whisper in the distance woke him up.

Sonic slowly began to open his eyes, and began to examine his surroundings. He was in the Lookout Landing infirmary, where he had been brought after feeling exhausted the night before. Sunlight was streaming in through a nearby window. He assumed it was already dawn, or maybe it was late.

The whispers began to get closer. They seemed to be more of an argument.

He sat down on the bed he had been brought to. He still had his robe on, but not his sandals or his weapons. He knew they had been taken from him while he was sleeping, or maybe they had been taken from him while he was coming to the infirmary.

He was so tired last night that he might not have noticed.

What he did notice, however, was the pulse monitor next to his bed, as well as the wires attached to his chest, and the massive amount on his right arm. Noticing that the monitor was yellow, he immediately knew who was behind this. He only got his confirmation when he saw Knuckles, Amy and Tails arguing. He immediately knew they are the discussion that woke him up.

"Knuckles, we have no clue on what that arm is, it might be dangerous for him!" Tails said with a slight frown. "I still don't understand why you didn't immediately sent him to me instead of sending him to sleep."

"You were not there when he arrived, Tails," Knuckles argued back, although he didn't raised his voice, but he was frowning regardless. "The guy looked like he would faint any minute now. I have no clue where he was or where he came from, but his health is more important than anything. Also, you've been studying his arm for the past three days, and there's nothing that indicates that thing is dangerous for him!"

"Knuckles, that arm can't be a natural thing," Amy interrupted, standing in front of Tails so they wouldn't get on a more heated argument. "Didn't you see the marks on his chest? It's like it just stuck to him, without any explanation! Also, I support Tails here: even if he doesn't show any signs of being in danger, we have to make sure that thing won't hurt his body."

"That won't be necessary, Ames," Sonic spoke, cutting Knuckles off as he was about to speak and gaining the attention of the rest, who caught him removing the cables from himself.

Sonic's voice was firm, though his eyes still showed the remnants of exhaustion. He swung his legs off the bed, feeling a slight dizziness but pushing it aside as he looked at his friends.

However, before he said anything else, he was wrapped in a tight hug by Tails, who zoomed into him so fast that he could barely see it coming. The gloom under his new arm affected him much more than he thought, but at least he could still fight back a little.

"Seems like someone missed me over here," Sonic smiled, wrapping his arm normal around Tails. He suspected he wouldn't like to feel the other one, the one Rauru gave him to save his life.

"You have... no idea..." Tails whimpered, not wanting to brake the hug. He didn't even cared if he sounded like a scared child, he just didn't wanted to let go of his big brother figure and allow him to disappear again.

Sonic patted Tails on the back, gently, understanding just how much his absence had affected his friends. It had been a long time since he'd seen Tails this vulnerable, and he didn't mind being there to reassure him, especially after everything they'd been through together.

"Hey, I'm here now, aren't I?" Sonic said softly, pulling back just enough to meet Tails' eyes. "You know me, little bro—I always find my way back."

Knuckles, standing nearby, gave a small nod of approval, his gaze shifting from Sonic to Tails with a softened expression. Amy folded her arms, her face a mix of relief and worry. She, too, had been shaken by Sonic's sudden reappearance, but seeing him here, even in this strange situation with his new arm, brought some sense of peace.

And yet, she only approached once Tails broke the hug to do the one thing she silently swore to unce Sonic returned...

Despite that he expected it, he still didn't saw it coming, yet received her slap on his cheek as nothing. After all, he knows he blew it when both him and Sunny choose to go on their own beneath Canterlot Castle, and look how well that plan turned out.

"Yeah, I deserve that..." Sonic admitted, just to be punched under his chin by Amy. "That one too..." And now, she prepared to kick his crotch, and that's when he chickened out, stepping back and covering that zone. "Okay, maybe we can skip that one!"

Amy's glare could've pierced through steel, and Sonic had to admit, he wasn't entirely sure she'd relent on the next one.

"Oh no, you don't get to dodge that easily!" Amy scolded, her hands on her hips as she narrowed her eyes at him. "Do you have any idea what you put us through? We were worried sick!"

"Yeah, sorry about that…" Sonic managed, giving her a sheepish smile, though he kept his stance defensive, just in case. "I didn't mean for things to get so messy. Things just... escalated quickly..."

"You're telling me," Knuckles sighed and shook his head. "Whatever happened after you two left, made the castle rose in the air. Now, gloom comes out of everywhere in Equestria because the small rifts on the ground had become abysses. And if that isn't enough, the entire kingdom is upside down. The Upheaval has messed up the world, in a very bad way."

'Upheaval?' Sonic thought, confused. "The fuck is a Upheaval?"

"That's what we call what's happening in Equestria," Tails explained. "It seems to be the perfect term to describe what's happening."

Sonic felt his head spinning, and he sat down on the nearest bed so he wouldn't faint. He had a feeling that they had barely touched on the events that plagued Equestria with those words, and yet he felt very helpless.

Amy's glare softened slightly, but she held her ground. "If you feel better now, start explaining yourself, then. And it better be one hell of an explanation, Sonic!"

Sonic was silent for a moment as he tried to gather his thoughts. Eventually, he sighed and cleared his throat. He had a lot to tell.

By the time Sonic finished speaking, his throat was almost sore.

He talked about everything that happened from his perspective: What happened under the castle, about the Zonai ruins, about that mummy that had revived, about how he couldn't save Sunny as she disappeared from sight in a golden light, about what he experienced on the Great Sky Island, about Rauru, about how he got his new arm, about Excalibur disappearing before his eyes, about how he was still infected with the gloom under his new arm, and about what he saw on the way to Lookout Landing.

The silence that filled the room when he finished speaking didn't make him feel any better. Knuckles' eyes were wide, as if he was trying to connect the dots between what he knew and what he had just heard. Tails was frowning, deep in thought about the Zonnan ruins and the mysterious power of Link's new arm. Amy, for her part, was looking at him with a mix of sadness and determination, as if she was already planning her next steps.

Amy was the first to break the silence. "So... Sunny's still out there somewhere, and you have no idea where to start looking?"

Sonic's gaze dropped to the floor, and for once, he had nothing to say. What could he say, anyways? That he has failed to save their asses this time? That he saw Sunny in some strange illusion world where she gave him a new power before vanishing? They knew that already, there wasn't any point on repeating himself.

"Okay... let's try to summarize everything, because I feel like my head is going to explode..." Knuckles said after a long and uncomfortable moment of silence. "When you and Sunny go beneath Canterlot Castle, you discover a mysterious mummy..."

"Which suddenly reanimates," Amy continued. "Then Sunny falls into a fissure and vanishes."

"That must have been when the castle rose and the ruins fell..." Knuckles supposed.

'So they did fall from the sky,' Sonic thought, remembering the ruins he found on the way to Lookout Landing.

"Then later you wake up on a sky island, saved by the arm that was stuck to the mummy," Tails continued, rubbing his chin. "You then got Sunny's phone from an unusual creature..."

"And learn that your new arm belonged to some Rauru guy," Knuckles said, thinking. "I think I've read that name, or maybe Sunny mentioned it once. If memory serves me right, I'd say Rauru is the name of the actual founder of Equestria."

"The Excalibur Sword disappears..." Amy continued, her tone filled with uncertainty at what she just said. "And then finally, you hear Sunny's voice...and find your way here."

"But then... that implies that..." Knuckles began, then his eyes widened. "You mean to tell me you landed here from the sky?!"

Sonic looked at him in disbelief. He's faced gods, colossal robots, destroyed bases in space, and falling from the sky is where he crosses the line of possible? He has done it before, even, so many times.

Still, he nodded at Knuckles' question.

"And how did you survive a fall like that?" He questioned in disbelief. "Considering your current state, that is."

"I jumped into the lake beneath the island," Sonic replied, shrugging. "The arm seems to imbue me with a power that protects me from certain death, at least when I jump into the water from very high places. And strangely it lets me swim as well, even though I never learned."

"By Chaos…" Amy muttered in amazement.

"Sonic, what you say doesn't make any sense…" Knuckles pointed out, rubbing his temple with accumulated stress. "Yet I know you ain't lying. And if I'm sure of one thing, it's that the mummy you found underground is related to the Upheaval.”

"I'd dare say it also has some connection to the current state of the castle and the ruins falling from the sky," Tails added. "And yet, the most intriguing thing about your story is that Sunny asked you to look for her."

"And that's what I plan to do," Sonic said with a determined look. "I know I just arrived and you guys have hundreds of other questions, but that can wait. I need to find Sunny first."

"We all want to find her, Hedgehog," Knuckles said, looking at him with a mix of annoyance and compassion. "And I have no doubt that you feel more urgency than anyone to find her, maybe even more than Hitch or Izzy, but we have to make sure that you are ready for field work."

"I know I am, Knux," Sonic assured, his gaze full of determination. "And even if I am not, the Shrines of Light scattered throughout the kingdom can help me regain my strength, and ward off the remaining gloom in my body. They did just that on the Great Sky Island."

"Sonic, I know you want to go out and find Sunny, but…" Amy tried to reason with him, without success.

"I'm not going to sit back and watch Equestria panic, Amy. Sunny's out there, and she asked me to find her. That's what I'm going to do. I might as well give the others a hand with the Upheaval, as you call it. Besides, they need to know I'm alive, and Sunny is, too."

Everyone in the room knew Sonic was serious. When an idea got into his head, there was no soul that could talk him out of it. Plus, his tone sounded like he wouldn't brook any argument.

He planned to go and find Sunny, no matter what the cost.

The atmosphere in the room grew tense, everyone aware of Sonic's unwavering determination.

Knuckles, not the least bit surprised by the hedgehog's response, knew that nothing he said would stop Sonic. He'd seen that same look in his eyes before, more times than he could count, when a hero's will could make the difference between victory and defeat.

"You disappear for two weeks, and you come back just as stupid as ever," Knuckles finally said, his tone resigned as he rolled his eyes. "Fine, it will be your way. I can't stop you, and I wouldn't try. If anyone can make the impossible possible, it's you."

Sonic gave Knuckles a smirk, the kind of confident grin that had pulled them out of countless tight spots before. "Glad to see you're still in my corner, Knux," he said, and the room seemed to lighten slightly, the tension easing as the reality of Sonic’s return set in.

"Just don't push it too hard, Hedgehog," Knuckles warned, though his tone was gentler. "If you're going to help us, then it would be best if you report to Shadow. He's near the castle, west of it. I sent him to investigate as soon as the castle rose from the ground. Maybe seeing you will ease his mind a little, or maybe he will try to kill you. Whatever it is, something tells me that a part of him will be glad to see you in one piece... almost."

Sonic nodded, catching the subtle humor in Knuckles' words. "Shadow's reaction will be… interesting, to say the least. Either way, he'll get used to it."

Author's Note

WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE!!!

After a well deserved one-month break, I'm back to continuing this story with Parts II and III! Hope you guys are ready to see some more of Sonic dealing with being back to level 0.

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter. :twilightsmile:

Chapter 10: Looking for Sunny

The wind whipped around Shadow as he stood on the edge of Canterlot Castle's outer bulwark, his crimson eyes locked on the castle suspended high above him. The massive rocky pillar that anchored the castle to the heavens loomed in stark contrast to the abyss beneath it, from which tendrils of gloom slithered upward like smoke from a cursed fire.

Shadow's arms were crossed, his mind racing with possibilities. How long can this structure hold? The pillar seemed stable, but with the relentless corruption emanating from the abyss, he couldn't shake the sense of impending doom. A single crack, a single miscalculation, and everything above and below could collapse.

He let out a low grunt, the weight of the situation pressing on him. It didn't help that his team had been stretched thin. The Upheaval had thrown Equestria into chaos, and answers were few and far between. The last thing he needed was interruptions. He had specifically ordered everyone to stay clear of his position while he assessed the situation. His instructions were to find any sign of Sonic and Sunny, which he was willing to do so.

That's when he heard it—the unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching.

His brow furrowed, and he let out a sharp, irritated growl. "I'm in the middle of something. Besides, I already told you that I wanted to be left—"

He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening as he turned to face the intruder. Standing before him, as real as the gloom-tainted air around them, was Sonic.

The hedgehog looked weathered but very much alive. He wore a pair of sandals with long ties around his legs, a strange tunic with a green towel crossing over his left shoulder, his quills were a bit out of place, and he had no gloves on. However, what called his attention the most was his right arm, which looked... odd. It was dark green, almost grey, with long nails that seemed like claws, a strange bracelet covering his whole arm, a ring on each finger, and finally what seemed to be a tattoo that passed through his right bicep and over his shoulder, as if the arm had fused with him.

"Sonic..." Shadow's voice was low and sharp, filled with equal parts disbelief and suspicion. "You're alive."

"Mrs. Death and I aren't friends, you know?" Sonic replied with a little smile, but his tone was tinged with something more serious beneath the bravado.

Shadow didn't answer right away. His gaze shifted from Sonic's face to his arm—the strange, otherworldly limb that seemed out of place, even on someone as unconventional as Sonic. Shadow's eyes darkened. "That arm… what did you do?"

"As incredible as it may sound, I did nothing," Sonic replied. "A mummy just woke up from it's slumber under there, I lost my OG arm, Sunny went missing, and the next thing I know? I'm on a floating island in the sky." He sighed and shook his head. It's not my favorite bedtime tale. But hey, it saved my life, so I guess I can’t complain too much."

Shadow didn't move, his gaze unwavering. "You were gone for two weeks. The castle rose. The sky is filled with floating islands. Ruins fell through Equestria. And now you just show up… expecting what, exactly?"

"Answers," Sonic replied, then he crossed his arms and sighed. "But I also wanna help. I'm not expecting a welcome party or encouraging words from anyone, I just wanna do what everyone seems to be doing since all this crap started. And Knuckles sent me here to report myself to you. He says you're the captain of the Monster-Control Crew."

Shadow's sharp gaze lingered on Sonic, the tension between them palpable as the wind howled through the gloom-tainted air. For a moment, it seemed like the Ultimate Lifeform would snap at him. Then he let out a long, slow breath, his posture softening—just slightly.

"Knuckles is still putting people under my command?" Shadow muttered, shaking his head. "Typical."

Sonic smirked faintly. "He still trusts your judgment. Not many can say that."

"Don't test my patience, Sonic," Shadow said, his tone clipped. "If you're here to help, then you'll follow orders. No more running off or pulling your usual stunts."

"Sure thing, boss," Sonic said, raising his hands in mock surrender. His grin widened. "But don't expect me to salute or anything."

Shadow ignored the jab and turned back to the castle above them, his expression grim. "If you're serious about helping, start by explaining yourself. First: if you lost your normal arm, where did that thing came from?" He pointed at Sonic's Zonai arm.

"Long story short: This thing was sealing the corpse under the castle, it fell as soon as Sunny and I stepped in, the arm saved me from falling, then it attached to me, and then I met who it belonged to, a guy named Rauru," Sonic recapped quickly, taking a deep breath in the end for talking so fast.

Shadow arched a brow after hearing this. "Rauru? Sunny mentioned that's how Equestria's actual founder is called..." He then frowned once again after he thought on that. "Speaking of her, where is Sunny?"

Sonic fell silent, looking away, and Shadow paled slightly. Without saying anything, Sonic had said more than a thousand words.

"Sunny disappeared, and I don't know where she is," Sonic explained with a grim look. "I came to the castle to look for clues, as well as to report to you."

"I...see," Shadow muttered, not sure on how to proceed now. "Or maybe I don't. But that doesn't matter right now, what matters is we continue our search for Sunny. Regardless, seeing you back around might be a relief for many. We needed some good news after... all this shit. And I hope that, with you around, looking for her would become easier now."

'I hope so, too,' Sonic thought with some uncertainty.

Suddenly, the guard that was also looking at the castle besides Shadow, named Toren, gasped, and Sonic and Shadow turned to look at him.

"CAPTAIN!" The soldier exclaimed, pointing a trembling hoof at one of the castle towers in the distance. "It's Sunny Starscout!"

Sonic and Shadow immediately looked in the direction Toren was pointing, and Sonic felt his heart stop for a moment.

Just as the soldier said, Sunny was standing on a wall in the distance, staring at them with a... blank look. She was wearing that white sleeveless dress with Zonai trim, her mane still short and barely reaching her shoulders, and her fur was not even scratched.

Sonic wanted to shout her name, but Shadow beat him to it.

"Sunny! She's safe!" The captain said, his voice filled with a relief and joy that he rarely didn't tried to hide.

However, Sunny looked away from them, towards the sky, and suddenly she was floating without summoning her Alicorn form. Before anyone could say anything, the mare was enveloped in a golden light, and then turned into a small speck of that same light that rose into the air until it was completely lost, disappearing again without a trace.

Sonic didn't know how to feel about that. Sunny had been close to him, just a few meters away, and now she had disappeared again. Was she running away from him? Was she upset because he didn't catch her in time? No, that couldn't be it. Sunny wasn't like that.

Something wasn't right here, she wouldn't just leave without telling him anything.

"Wait... What..." Shadow's voice brought Sonic out of his thoughts. He assumed that the captain and Toren were as confused as he was. "You saw that, too, Sonic? You saw Sunny turn into light and...fly off...right?"

"...Yes, Shadow... I saw it..." Sonic answered, his mind thinking of a thousand and one different possibilities about why Sunny would just leave, without telling him, without wanting to see him first.

It didn't make any sense to him.

"I can't believe what I saw!" He heard Toren exclaim.

"Why would she leave without saying a word to us..." Shadow said, rubbing his chin in thought.

'Especially me,' Sonic thought, but kept the comment to himself.

"We need to report this to Knuckles as soon as possible," the captain declared, then looked at Sonic with a firm expression. "Soldier."

Sonic stood stiffly, his legs together and his arms glued to his sides, as he looked Shadow straight in the eyes. He wasn't planning on saluting, but he was planning on taking this seriously.

"Considering what we just witnessed, I think it makes sense for us to withdraw, but it will take a bit," Shadow explained gravely. "As your first order, I command you to tell Knuckles about what happened here as soon as possible."

Sonic leaned forward with his eyes closed, a sign that he would comply with the captain's orders without complaint.

Knuckles was moving in circles, alarmed.

When Sonic returned and recounted everything he saw, the echidna fell into an alarming silence, even for Sonic himself. As reserved as he was, too much silence didn't seem like a good sign, especially from someone who didn't enjoy silence lately like Knuckles.

"So Sunny appeared in Canterlot Castle, turned into light, and then vanished without saying anything?"

"Not a word." Sonic shook his head, saddened.

Lookout Landing had a meeting room, and Sonic was inside it with Knuckles, Amy, Tails, and a soldier who clearly looked uncomfortable.

Sonic felt sorry for that soldier.

While talking to Knuckles, Tails seemed to be doing several analyses of Sonic related to his reflexes, his strength, and especially his Zonai arm. He wasn't used to staying still for so long, but since there was still gloom under that new arm, he assumed he didn't have much strength, not even to run.

"But I don't understand," Knuckles muttered, rubbing his face with one hand. "Why would she do that? Sunny would never do something like that, not without a reason."

"Something had to happen to her," Sonic supposed, frowning. "She doesn't just disappear without saying nothing and that's it. I can't say for sure what happened to her, I just know that it can't be good if she hasn't come straight to the fort like me.

"And now we're left without a trace of her again..." Amy said regretfully, crossing her arms. "We'll have to resort to other means to continue the search."

Silence filled the room for a moment. Everyone present was trying to think of a solution, to know what to do now and where to go if Sunny was still missing.

Suddenly, an idea occurred to Tails, and he cleared his throat.

"Well," the young fox began, leaving aside his analyses, and all eyes fell on him, "if Sunny left, she had to go somewhere that could be related to the Upheaval."

Sonic was starting to get fed up with hearing about that damn Upheaval without knowing what they were talking about. He knew that something bad was happening all over Equestria, but no one had told him anything until now.

But that was going to change soon.

"I don't want to interrupt you, Tails," Sonic spoke up, and now everyone looked at him. "But I'm still a newcomer. What do you call Upheaval, exactly?"

Knuckles stopped dead in his tracks, looking at Sonic with an expression of surprise mixed with sadness. He knew that, with all the fuss about Sonic's return and Sunny still missing, he had forgotten to fill Sonic in on the full picture.

But now, with Sunny gone and the danger growing, he couldn't keep him in the shadows any longer.

"You're right, Sonic," Knuckles admitted, letting out a heavy sigh. "You deserve to know everything."

The echidna approached the table in the center of the meeting room, spreading a map of Equestria out on it.

"When you disappeared with Sunny and the castle rose," He began, his voice gravelly, "one catastrophe after another was unleashed upon the kingdom. That's why we call this new, dark age the Upheaval, Sonic. Because there is no better term to discover the darkness that haunts these lands."

"In all the cities of Equestria, serious things are happening," Amy continued, deciding to join the explanation. She approached the map on the table and pointed to Zephyr Heights. "In Zephyr Heights, the pegasi are facing a blizzard of mysterious origin. It's as if the snow itself wanted to bury them and suffocate them into oblivion. Not to mention that the entire city was isolated from the kingdom, and now they seem to be short of resources."

"And it gets worse," Tails said, also approaching the table and pointing to the southwest. "Near Opaline's Dark Castle, an abyss is expelling gloom in quantities almost as large as those of the abyss under the castle, perhaps even more. As if that were not enough, some very strange thigh-shaped rocks appeared. No one has come close to touching them out of fear, but they give off a bad feeling."

"In Maretime Bay things are just as bad," Amy continued, pointing to said city on the map. "A dark, slimy mud is falling from the sky and affecting the waters on the beach, as well as affecting crops and obstructing the roads. Earth ponies that have come too close are becoming sick and covered in mud, to the point where it clogs their airways. Hitch is doing as much as he can, but the last letter we received from Maretime Bay says that he is overdoing it, that Sunny's disappearance has affected him greatly."

"Finally, there's the situation in Bridlewood," Knuckles spoke once more, pointing to that town on the map. "A sandstorm raged throughout the forest. The unicorns have been forced to hide in the underground shelter beneath Alphabittle's Crystal Tea Room, and if that wasn't bad enough, mysterious monsters that look like walking skeletons have appeared in the area. Alphabittle has tried to annihilate them, but more always appear with each one they defeat. At least that's what his last letter said."

Sonic looked at the map of Equestria, taking in the information his friends had provided him.

Each town was being struck by calamities, and while he had seen his share of disasters in the past, the magnitude of these events was alarming. The connection between the regions and the gloom coming from Canterlot Castle was becoming increasingly clear in his mind.

"And you think all of this is related to Sunny's disappearance?" Sonic asked, frowning as his eyes widened. They landed in the castle in the north of the map.

"Very likely," Amy replied, her voice filled with concern. "Sunny has proven to be extremely sensitive to any harm that occurs in Equestria. If something caused her to disappear like that, it may be related to these catastrophes."

"We must find her," Knuckles said determinedly, his voice echoing in the room. "But we must also restore balance to the affected cities. We cannot allow our friends' home to fall into darkness. Sonic, as much as I don't want to accept it, you may be our greatest hope for solving this crisis."

Sonic nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. He knew the road ahead would be arduous and dangerous, but he couldn't allow Equestria to succumb to these calamities.

"Where do I start?" Sonic asked, determined.

"First, you'll stay here to recharge," Knuckles warned with a frown, crossing his arms. "I haven't seen you running around since you got here, which makes me think you're not in good shape because of the gloom that's still affecting you. Until you can at least do a Homing Attack again, you won't be leaving Lookout Landing."

Sonic sighed heavily, but nodded. As much as he hated to do it, he knows that Knuckles is right, and that he's not in good shape to leave, not yet.

"Fine, I'll do it..." He rolled his eyes. "And then?"

"You'd better head to Zephyr Heights first," Tails suggested, pointing at the city on the map again. "If the pegasi are being cut off by that blizzard, they might not have much time before their resources are completely depleted. Plus, if Zephyr Heights falls, we'll lose one of our main air defenses."

"And also... well, I hate hearing this, but..." Amy hesitated a bit before continuing. "Rumors have surfaced that Sunny was seen in the city. It may just be that, but if you go there, Sonic, maybe you can investigate further and make sure she has indeed been seen."

"I'll bring a paraglider," Sonic said, thinking about how he would deal with the snowstorms that were hitting Zephyr Heights. "I also need supplies to withstand the extreme cold. And I'll ask anyone I see around town about Sunny."

"You better, hedgehog," Knuckles said with a slight smirk.

The hedgehog just nodded, feeling the weight of an entire kingdom on his shoulders. However, he wasn't about to give in. He had thrown himself from a tremendous height to Equestria just to save Sunny, and he wouldn't hesitate to do it again if necessary.

'Hold on a little longer, sis,' He thought determinedly. 'I'm coming to find you.'

It only took a week, but it was worth it.

Sonic had gone to the shrine he found earlier, plus another one near the castle, and successfully passed the tests that awaited him inside them. It served him well in putting both his normal and Zonai abilities to the test, and with the sacred light from both shrines, he felt like he had rejuvenated.

Afterwards, he returned to Lookout Landing to train with his Amber Blade daily, as well as do several speed tests that Tails prepared for him because he still wasn't able to run like before. He was going 10 times slower, and suddenly he felt like he was 4 years old again, when Longclaw had just taught him to control his speed, only now he had to learn to go fast again.

The gloom was the worst thing that had ever happened to him, without a doubt.

Luckily, he slowly regained some momentum, and managed to relearn how to do his Spin Dash and his Homing Attack, two of the most important moves in his arsenal. Adding to his sword skills, he could at least defend himself from any danger that awaited him once he left Lookout Landing.

Also, Amy was taking measurements to make him a tunic. According to her, Sonic might not want to show his right arm freely if he's going to travel around Equestria to restore things, so she's making that garment so that he doesn't scare anyone when he shows up. Sonic admitted that, as incredible as the arm seemed to him, it was perhaps better to keep it hidden for now.

On the last day, he trained a lot more both in using the sword and using his Zonai abilities, surprising more than one in Lookout Landing about what he's able to do now, before going to sleep earlier than he was used to, and when the first rays of the next day's sun filtered through the window of the room they had lent him, he jumped up and got to work.

They had brought him his usual shoes, and he put them on immediately. Chaos, his feet were so grateful for the touch of something comfortable and familiar. He would never wear those uncomfortable, archaic sandals again.

For a moment he considered wearing pants, at least just for this mission, and especially considering that he would need them once he entered the Zephyr Heights blizzard. In the end, he decided that he would only wear a pair when that time came.

Finally, it was time to put on the tunic that Amy had made for him over the course of the week.

It consisted of a blue shirt with a drawing of a sword point facing downwards in the middle. It had leather protections on the chest, shoulders, arms, and waist; and a chainmail shirt underneath. And under said shirt, a dark green sweater that matched his Zonai arm almost perfectly, like a kind of camouflage.

He put on the tunic carefully, treating it with the respect it deserved. He put on a new white left glove without any problem, but when he thought to put on the right one, he stopped. His right Zonai hand stood out a little more than his normal left hand. However, it wasn't a change so noticeable that he had to cover his hand. Just having his arm hidden was more than enough.

He put his right glove into the belt pouch that also came with the robe, just in case, and walked outside.

At Lookout Landing, some soldiers were standing guard, others were training each other with their weapons, and he thought he saw Shadow enter some sort of underground shelter.

According to what he understands, that's a secret passage that was built in order to help the princesses of yesteryear escape in case something happened in the castle, but Knuckles turned it into a shelter during the construction of Lookout Landing. In his opinion, it was the right decision.

As he walked towards the west exit of the fort to meet the echidna, several soldiers began to stop what they were doing and turned in his direction, incredulous.

Sonic supposed that wearing that robe made him some sort of symbol of hope for the ponies of Equestria. Or maybe they were just impressed to see him ready to go, and wearing clothes on top of that. Whatever the case, he knows that these reactions are just normal.

Once he reached the west exit, he ran into Knuckles and Tails, who were waiting for him to arrive. Tails seemed to have some sort of large backpack with several weapons inside, as well as clothes to keep him warm against the cold he was about to enter.

"You being punctual, Sonic? It really is the end of the world," Knuckles said mockingly, while Sonic rolled his eyes, even though he still smiled. "Tails and Amy already prepared everything for your trip in that backpack. You have food for about two weeks, and about 3 canteens just in case."

"I also looked through Sunny's phone and made some adjustments," Tails said, handing the phone to Sonic. "You now have a completely detailed map of all of Equestria. It took a while to study it in detail, but I got it."

Sonic thanked Tails for that. He had given him Sunny's phone to allow him to check it throughout the week. He didn't know why he needed it at the time, but now he was grateful to have given it to him.

"This makes the job a little easier," Sonic said to Tails with a smile. "Thanks, little bro."

"Don't thank me yet," Tails smiled, then handed him a folded paraglider, which Sonic took without thinking. "If you're going to jump from high places, and I know you will because you're very reckless, you'll need it. I know you just relearned how to use Spin Dash, but I don't think you're in a condition to do it at high altitudes and fall without dying."

Sonic unfolded the paraglider to get a better look at it. The paraglider seemed to be very wide and resistant, more so than others he's used before. The fabric was softer and more flexible, a dark brown with his face in the middle. It had a couple of ribbons tied behind it, he assumed to measure the direction of the wind.

"I won't hesitate to use it," Sonic assured, folding the paraglider again and putting it in his bag along with Sunny's phone. "I don't think I can thank you more than I've already given you."

"It's not necessary, Sonic," Tails assured with a smile, moving his hand as if to downplay it. "I know that if anyone can solve the chaos that is threatening all the cities of Equestria, it is you. For my part, I will continue to investigate more about the Zonai, their technology, their culture and... everything I can gather about them. Maybe I can find something that will tell us where Sunny is."

"If you find anything," Sonic began, measuring his words carefully before continuing, "I want you to let me know. I'll help in any way I can in each city, but finding Sunny is my priority."

"I'll send you a message if that happens," Tails assured. "In the meantime, you just stick to doing what you do best and be the hero Equestria needs, okay?"

'I hope I live up to the title,' Sonic thought to himself, but merely nodded to Tails.

Then, he turned to look at Knuckles, who looked at him with determination in his eyes. The echidna stepped forward, placing a firm hand on Sonic's shoulder.

"Hedgehog, I know the burden you carry is immense," Knuckles said, his deep voice echoing in the morning air. "But remember, you're not alone in this. Equestria is with you, and I trust that you will find our friend. Not just because you are the hero this land needs, but because I know that you love her like a sister."

The silence that followed was heavy, laden with unspoken emotions. Sonic felt the weight of his friend's words as a reminder of his mission, of what was at stake.

With one last look at the two, he took the backpack from Tails, adjusting it at his side and making sure everything was in its place, and then, after turning around in the direction of Zephyr Heights, he took off. Not as fast as usual, but definitely faster than a week ago, when he arrived.

Knuckles and Tails watched as he walked away, Sonic's figure silhouetted against the rising sun. There was an air of solemnity about the scene, as if everyone knew that this journey would be one of the most challenging he would ever face.

"I trust that he will make it," Tails murmured, more to himself than to Knuckles, although his words were laden with faith.

"He has always exceeded expectations," The echidna replied, not taking his eyes off the path Sonic was following. "And this time will be no different."

Sonic, however, did not hear those words. His mind was already focused on the journey, on the challenges he would face, and above all, on finding Sunny. As he ran, the cool morning wind whipped his face, and with each step he took, the distance between him and Lookout Landing increased.

But in his heart, the promise of seeing Sunny once again guided him, like a star in the night.