My Little Pony: A Resounding Boom! (Remake)

The tension in Ponyville's Town Hall was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Twilight Sparkle couldn’t tear her eyes away from the scene unfolding before her. That strange blue creature—Sonic, he’d said his name was—stood with unwavering confidence, his cocky smirk never faltering as he faced down Nightmare Moon.

“You stand before me, creature, unafraid.” The dark alicorn scoffed. “Either you are a fool… or you have a death wish.”

Sonic chuckled, folding his arms as he leaned back slightly. “Nah, neither. I’m just not big on bowing to bullies, y’know?” He shrugged, giving her a look of mock pity. “All this doom and gloom stuff? Kinda overdone. You might wanna workshop your whole ‘eternal night’ gig—maybe add some fireworks or a musical number.”

Twilight’s jaw dropped. He’s taunting her. He’s actually taunting Nightmare Moon!

Nightmare Moon’s mane flared, her magical aura swirling like a tempest. Her icy glare locked onto Sonic, and her voice dripped with disdain. “You dare mock me, worm? I am Nightmare Moon! The eternal night is mine to command, and you will kneel before me!”

Sonic tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Mmm, yeah, no. I think I’ll pass.”

“Who do you think you are, insect? Do you truly believe you can challenge me, an all-powerful Alicorn?!” Nightmare Moon bellowed, her voice thunderous, punctuated by a flash of lightning that illuminated the hall.

Sonic rolled his eyes, his grin only growing wider. “Look, Moonpie, I get it. You’re the big bad, queen of dramatic speeches and flashy light shows. You should see Eggy on a good day. Has his name in neon and everything.” He crouched slightly, his legs tensing like springs, and his eyes gleaming with confidence. As for your question…I don’t think, lady. I know.”

With a glare of pure malice, Nightmare Moon's horn flared to life, unleashing a searing beam of black energy aimed directly at the cocky hedgehog. The room filled with gasps and cries as everypony turned away, flinching as the dark magic collided with its target. When the brilliant light of the impact faded, the spot where Sonic had stood was empty, leaving only scorched stone in his place.

An ominous silence fell over the room, broken only by Nightmare Moon's low, sinister chuckle. Her lips curled into a cold smile as she surveyed the scene. “Heh... That’s what happens to those who dare defy me.”

Twilight Sparkle stared at the empty spot in horror, her breath catching in her throat. “You… you killed him,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

For a brief moment, something flickered in Nightmare Moon’s expression—an almost imperceptible shadow of hesitation, a crack in her menacing facade. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a sneer of cruel disdain. “Of course I did,” she said with a chilling calm. “Fools who oppose me meet the fate they deserve. Speaking of which…”

Her horn began to glow again, dark magic crackling and swirling as she turned her attention to Twilight. “It’s time for you to meet your en—”

“Laughing before you confirm the hit…for shame Moonpie.” a familiar, smug voice called out from behind her.

Nightmare Moon froze, her eyes widening in disbelief as she whipped around. There, leaning casually against a broken column, was Sonic, completely unscathed and looking as confident as ever. He waggled a finger at her. “Sup Nighty. Did ya miss me?” He sniggered at the joke. “Get it? Cause you didn’t hit me before…Boy…Do I crack myself up.”

The room was deathly quiet, save for the faint sound of a pony stifling a laugh—likely Pinkie Pie. Nightmare Moon’s mane whipped violently around her as her fury reignited, her teeth grinding audibly.

“You insufferable pest!” she roared, “I will-! The mare cringed as she threw a hoof to her head. After a moment she breathed before glaring at the hedgehog. Her eyes seemed to flicker, from that of her piercing catlike gaze to more…kinder one. It only lasted a second before she spoke. “Do not get in my way again, hedgehog. Or it will be the last mistake you ever make.”

Nightmare Moon’s glare lingered on Sonic for a moment longer, her expression torn between fury and something far less certain. Then, without another word, her body dissolved into a swirling wisp of dark smoke. The mist coiled and spiraled upward, slipping through a nearby window and vanishing into the night.

Sonic frowned, his confident smirk replaced by a thoughtful expression. “Well, that was... weird.” He hopped down from the broken column, landing lightly on the floor. “Guess she couldn’t handle my charm.” He dusted off his gloves, about to make another quip when—

“Hold it right there!” a voice barked.

Before Sonic could react, a pair of armored pegasi guards tackled him from both sides, pinning him to the ground with surprising force. He let out a startled yelp as the cold steel of their spears pressed against his neck.

“Whoa, whoa, easy there, fellas!” Sonic protested, his hands raised in surrender. “I’m on your side!”

The guards didn’t loosen their grip, their eyes narrow and suspicious. “You’ll forgive us if we don’t take your word for it,” one of them growled. “We don’t know what you are or where you came from, but you’re clearly dangerous.”

Sonic sighed, rolling his eyes. “Dangerous? Me? Look, I know I’m fast, but that’s no reason to—”

“Quiet!” the other guard snapped, his spear pressing a little closer.

Twilight Sparkle hurried forward, standing in front of them “Wait! Stop! He clearly tried to fight her! He’s not a threat!” her gaze fell on the hedgehog. “Right?”

Sonic craned his neck slightly to meet Twilight’s gaze, his signature smirk creeping back despite the sharp spear tips at his throat. “Not a threat? Absolutely! Well, unless you’re a bad guy, in which case... yeah, I’m kind of a huge threat.” He winked, clearly unfazed by the situation. “But you’re good guys, so no worries, right?”

The guards exchanged skeptical glances, their grips on him not loosening just yet. “Miss Sparkle,” one said, his voice cautious, “with all due respect, we can’t just trust this... thing. He might have fought Nightmare Moon, but how do we know it wasn’t some kind of trick?”

Twilight frowned but stood her ground. “I saw him. He didn’t hesitate to stand up to her when the rest of us couldn’t. Nightmare Moon’s attacks were all aimed at him. If he was on her side, why would she do that?”

One of the guards hesitated, clearly considering her point. “It could’ve been a distraction...”

Twilight shook her head, her tone growing firmer. “And what if it wasn’t? What if he’s exactly what we need right now? He might be the only one fast enough to stand up to her if she comes back.”

“Hey, I appreciate the vote of confidence,” Sonic quipped as he raised a hand awkwardly, still pinned under the guards. “Really, I do. But, uh, maybe we could skip to the part where I’m not on the floor?”

Twilight huffed, her horn glowing softly as she gently nudged the guards back. “Let him up. He’s not our enemy.”

The guards reluctantly stepped away, keeping their spears at the ready as Sonic got to his feet and dusted himself off. “Whew, thanks,” he said, stretching. “I was starting to think I’d need to outrun these guys too.”

Twilight frowned, her eyes narrowing slightly as she watched Sonic stretch. “You said your name is Sonic, right?”

Sonic gave her a casual nod, brushing some dust off his gloves. “That’s me. Sonic the Hedgehog, fastest thing alive.”

Her gaze shifted briefly to the spears still in the guards’ hooves before returning to Sonic. “Alright, Sonic… then who’s he?” She pointed toward the corner of the room where another figure was similarly pinned to the floor by a pair of guards, struggling and grumbling under his breath.

Sonic turned his head, and his grin returned. “Oh, him? That’s Dr. Egghead. Mad scientist extraordinaire, professional pain in my side, and—” he cupped a hand around his mouth as if sharing a secret “—also probably the slowest thing alive.”

Eggman, red-faced and fuming, twisted his neck as much as he could to glare at Sonic. “Don’t think for a second this means you’ve won, you meddlesome rodent! I’ll have my revenge!”

Sonic leaned on a nearby column, his smirk widening. “Yeah, yeah, you’ve been saying that for years, Doc. Still waiting for it to happen, Eggy.”

Twilight glanced between the two of them, her frown deepening. “So you know each other? Are you… allies?”

Sonic’s laughter filled the room, loud and genuine. “Allies? Oh, that’s a good one!” He wiped a pretend tear from his eye. “Nah, we’re not allies. Far from it. He’s more like…hmm… a roommate I can never get rid of.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow at the comparison, her tone skeptical. “A… roommate?”

Sonic shrugged, still grinning. “Well, we don’t exactly live together, but we run into each other so often it might as well be that way. You know how it is—he cooks up a crazy scheme, I show up to stop him, he yells something about revenge, rinse and repeat.”

Eggman huffed, still pinned under the guards, his mustache twitching with irritation. “I am not some bothersome roommate, you insufferable pest! I am Doctor Eggman, a genius inventor and the soon-to-be ruler of all worlds!” He struggled against the guards, only to wince when one pressed a hoof to his shoulder.

Sonic waved a hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah, ‘genius,’ ‘ruler,’ we’ve all heard it before. Don’t mind him, Sparkle. He talks a big game but never follows through.”

Twilight’s frown deepened as she processed Sonic’s words, her mind racing with questions. “If you’re not allies, then why are you both here? Did you come through the same portal?”

Sonic nodded, his expression turning slightly more serious. “That’s the weird part. One second, we’re in our world—me chasing Egghead here as usual—and the next, this giant portal opens up and sucks us in. Poof, we’re here, and Moonpie’s throwing a hissy fit.”

Twilight blinked. “Moonpie?”

“Nightmare Moon,” Sonic clarified with a grin. “Y’know, big, scary, all-powerful alicorn who’s really into the whole eternal-night thing.”

Twilight gave him a deadpan look. “I gathered that.”

Pinkie Pie suddenly bounced into the conversation, giggling. “Moonpie! I love it! It makes her sound so much less scary. Like, who’s afraid of dessert?”

Sonic chuckled. “Exactly. Gotta take the edge off when you’re dealing with bad guys. Keeps things fun.”

Twilight shook her head, exasperated but unable to suppress a tiny smile. “Alright, enough.” She sighs. “Listen…are you…serious about helping us?”

“Absolutely,” he said, his tone carrying a hint of seriousness. “Look, I get it. You’ve got every reason to doubt me—random guy shows up out of nowhere, cracking jokes, and acting like he’s got it all figured out. But trust me, when it comes to taking down big bads, I don’t mess around.”

Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but before she could get a word out, an orange earth pony wearing a well-worn cowboy hat stepped forward. Her steady green eyes locked onto Sonic’s emerald gaze, her expression firm and unreadable. The air grew still as she scrutinized him, her presence commanding without a single word.

Sonic blinked, his confident grin faltering slightly as he tilted his head. “Uh… hey there, cowgirl. Can I help you?”

Applejack didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she took a slow step closer, her eyes never leaving his. “Ah don’t reckon we’ve met before, hedgehog,” she said, her Southern drawl measured and deliberate. “But Ah’ve seen my fair share of smooth talkers, and most of ’em don’t mean half the things they say.”

Sonic straightened, his grin returning, though it was tinged with curiosity. “Well, I guess I’m the exception, then. Everything I say? One hundred percent true.”

Applejack’s gaze narrowed ever so slightly, her voice calm but firm. “That so? Then let’s get one thing straight. If yer serious ’bout helpin’ us, Ah need to know somethin’.” She leaned in slightly, her voice low. “When push comes to shove, are ya the kinda fella who’s gonna stick around? Or are ya just gonna run off when things get tough?”

The room went quiet as the others watched the exchange. Sonic’s expression shifted, his grin fading into something more sincere. He held Applejack’s gaze, the weight of her question settling over him.

“I don’t run away from a fight,” he said, his tone steady and confident. “When things get tough, that’s when I’m at my best. You’ve got my word, cowgirl—I’m not going anywhere.”

Applejack studied him for another moment, her green eyes searching his face. Then, after what felt like an eternity, she gave a small nod and stepped back. She turned towards the purple pony with a smile. “He’s telling the truth Twilight…”

“What! But…But…how do you know Applejack?” Twilight said.

Applejack turned her head slightly, her smile unwavering as she glanced back at Twilight. “Simple, sugarcube. Honesty’s kinda my thing. Ah can tell when somepony—or someone—is tellin’ the truth, and this hedgehog here ain’t lyin’.”

Twilight blinked, her mouth opening and closing as she struggled to process Applejack’s words. “Wait, you’re saying… you can just tell when someone’s being honest?”

Applejack nodded, tipping her hat. “Eeyup. It’s somethin’ Ah’ve always been good at. Comes in mighty handy on the farm and when dealin’ with ponies who think they’re slicker than a greased pig. This fella”—she gestured toward Sonic—“he means what he says.”

Sonic crossed his arms, a smirk creeping back onto his face. “Well, glad to see someone’s got faith in me. Thanks, cowgirl.”

“Name’s Applejack,” she said with a small chuckle. “And don’t go gettin’ a big head now. Ah’ll be watchin’ to make sure you keep your word.”

“Fair enough,” Sonic replied, giving her a playful salute. “Right them. Time for me to find Moonpie and kick some sense into her, Hedgehog style.” He paused. “Though…Gotta figure out where she went. Usually I would ask Tails to back me up here but I’m down one fox boy.”

Twilight straightened her posture, her expression resolute. “Actually, I might know where we can find her.”

Sonic raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. “We?”

“Yes, we,” Twilight replied firmly. “I’m coming with you.”

Sonic blinked before bring up his hands, making the letter ‘T’ with it. “Time out. You wanna come with me to take on Moonpie?”

Twilight nodded without hesitation. “I’ve been studying Nightmare Moon even before I came to Ponyville, researching the prophecy. I was already planning to stop her before you and… he”—she motioned toward Eggman, who let out an indignant huff—“showed up. This is my world, my responsibility, and I’m going to see this through to the end.”

Sonic tilted his head, appraising her determination for a moment. Then, with a shrug and a grin, he said, “Well, alright, Sparkle. If you’re that determined, welcome to Team Hedgehog.”

“Hey! Don’t leave me out of this!”

Both Sonic and Twilight turned to see a blue pegasus with a rainbow-colored mane landing beside them. Her magenta eyes darted toward the blue hedgehog, brimming with curiosity and excitement. “No way am I missing out on anything this awesome!”

“Rainbow Dash,” came a refined voice from the group’s right. The white unicorn with a perfectly curled purple mane stepped forward, her blue eyes firm with determination. “This is hardly what I’d call ‘awesome.’ It’s a serious matter and must treat it as such.”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow, giving her unicorn friend a skeptical look. “Wait… you’re coming too, Rarity?”

Rarity gave a delicate nod, her head held high. “Indeed. I may not be thrilled about stomping through a dreadful forest, but I refuse to let Twilight go into danger without support—even if she’s accompanied by…” Her gaze flicked toward Sonic, appraising his appearance. “…an unusually dressed… individual.”

Sonic turned toward Twilight, jabbing a thumb in Rarity’s direction. “Why do I get the feeling I was insulted just now?”

“OH, OH! I WANT TO COME TOO!” exclaimed a bright pink pony with a bouncy, curly mane, energetically hopping toward the group. “Hi, that’s me, Pinkie Pie, by the way!” she added with a cheerful grin.

“Um… I-I’d like to go too… if that’s alright…” came a soft, timid voice from behind Rainbow Dash. A butter-yellow pegasus with a long pink mane peeked out cautiously. She shuffled her hooves before continuing, “I mean… only if it’s okay with everyone. You don’t have to let me…”

Applejack raised an eyebrow at the two newcomers. “Why do y’all wanna tag along?”

Fluttershy hesitated, glancing nervously at the blue hedgehog standing in their midst. “I-I’ve never seen a hedgehog like him before…” Her cheeks turned a faint pink as she lowered her gaze. “And I thought… maybe I could ask him a few questions? If that’s alright…”

Sonic looked her over for a moment, then grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. “Questions? Sure thing! The more, the merrier.”

Applejack adjusted her hat, her tone resolute. “Well, if Fluttershy’s comin’, then so am I. Can’t let her go marchin’ into Celestia knows where without someponykeepin’ an eye on her.”

“Hey, what about me?!”

The group turned to see Eggman still pinned under the watchful eyes of the two guards. His face was flushed with indignation as he struggled fruitlessly against their grip.

“You can’t just leave me here, Sonic!” he bellowed, his voice laced with desperation. “I demand you take me with you!”

Sonic tapped his chin thoughtfully, a teasing grin playing on his lips as he stared at the doctor. “Hmm… should I? Should I not? Decisions, decisions…”

Eggman growled, his mustache twitching in frustration. “SONIC!”

“Alright, alright!” Sonic relented with a laugh, raising his hands. “You can come too, Egghead.”

Twilight gave a reluctant nod, signaling the guards to release the disgruntled scientist. They stepped back, allowing Eggman to straighten his jacket and regain some semblance of dignity. As he adjusted his glasses, he shot Sonic a withering glare before turning to Twilight, a forced smile creeping across his face.

“Well, now that I’m free,” Eggman began, clasping his hands behind his back, “how shall we go about locating this… ‘Nightmare?’” He shuddered slightly as he said the name, clearly unimpressed by the ominous pun.

Twilight smiled, a glimmer of determination in her eyes as she gestured toward the door. “First stop: the library! If we’re going to face Nightmare Moon, we’ll need all the knowledge we can get.”

~~~

Sonic whistled as soon as he entered the tree home, his eyes scanning the towering shelves. “Whoa, Sparks, you weren’t kidding about the books. Do you actually read all these, or are they just for show?”

Twilight shot him a glare as she walked toward a nearby couch, dropping off what looked like a giant purple lizard that had been riding upon her back. “Of course I read them! Knowledge is the foundation of—” She paused mid-lecture, catching the bemused look on Sonic’s face. “Never mind. Let’s just focus on what we came here for.”

Eggman huffed, brushing some imaginary dust off his jacket. “A quaint collection, to be sure. Though hardly on par with my own archives of knowledge.” His tone dripped with condescension as he examined a nearby bookshelf. “Still, I suppose even this might have something useful.”

Applejack rolled her eyes, stepping past him. “If y’all are done admirin’ the furniture, we’ve got work to do. Twilight, where do we start?”

Twilight levitated a stack of books onto the table, flipping through them with practiced ease. “We’re looking for anything about the Elements of Harmony. They’re the key to stopping Nightmare Moon.”

Rarity, taking care not to disturb her perfectly styled mane, daintily approached the table. “Twilight, darling, surely you have a specific book in mind? Something less... dusty, perhaps?”

Twilight sighed, her magic flipping through pages at a breakneck pace. “Dusty or not, Rarity, these books hold the knowledge we need. The Elements of Harmony are ancient and powerful. We can’t afford to miss even the smallest detail.”

Sonic leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, a smirk tugging at his lips. “You’re telling me you’ve got magic doodads that can stop someone like Nightmare Moon, but you don’t even know where to find them? Sounds like a real solid plan.”

Twilight shot him another glare, but her focus didn’t waver. “We’re working on that, thank you very much. It’s not like we have a handy instruction manual.”

Eggman, who had started leafing through a book himself, chuckled dryly. “Clearly, this is why meticulous planning and superior intellect triumph over reliance on myth and happenstance.” He cast a pointed glance at Sonic. “Some of us understand the value of preparation.”

“Oh, please,” Sonic shot back. “Your idea of preparation is building a thousand robots just for me to smash. I think we’ll be fine without your genius, doc.”

Applejack stepped between them, her patience clearly thinning. “Will y’all cut it out? Ain’t nobody got time for this bickerin’. Twilight’s tryin’ to save Equestria, and we could use a little less jawin’ and a little more helpin’.”

Twilight huffed as she placed the book she had been looking at away. “Nothing here either. Gah! If only I had more time I could have looked for a book at least pointing towards the Elements of Harmony.”

Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared next to Twilight, seemingly out of nowhere, and with an exaggerated flourish, she slammed a hefty book onto the desk. A loud thud echoed through the room, sending up a small cloud of dust.

“Ta-da!” Pinkie exclaimed with a wide grin. “How about this one? The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide! Sounds like exactly what we’re looking for, doesn’t it?”

Twilight’s eyes widened, and her magic immediately grabbed the book. “Pinkie! Where did you find this?” she asked, flipping through the pages as quickly as her magic allowed.

“Oh, it was just sitting on that bookshelf over there.” Pinkie gestured casually to a dusty corner of the library. “It practically jumped out at me! Or maybe I jumped at it. Either way, we found each other!”

Twilight huffed, shaking her head in mild exasperation, but she opened the book nonetheless. Her eyes scanned the first page, and she began to read aloud, her voice tinged with both curiosity and urgency.

“There are six elements, but only five are known: Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, and Loyalty. The sixth element was a mystery kept a mystery, so nopony could use the power for evil. It is said that the last known location of the Elements of Harmony was the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters, hidden deep within the…Everfree Forest…”

Fluttershy fainted.