Sonic: Chaos in Equestria - Chapter: 21

Chapter: 21


End Game


Twilight and other ponies stop dead in their tracks, cringing as they hear a bloodcurdling scream from not too far away.

"Good heavens, what was that?" Rarity inquires fearfully as she takes a few small steps forward.

"Whatever it was, it sounded close," Pinkie Pie adds as she swivels her ears in a radar-like motion in an attempt to locate the scream’s source.

"Ah reckon there’s only one way to find out," Applejack states as she starts to walk ahead of the group. A few of the ponies nod in agreement and follow the wheat colored mare.

"Oh dear, I hope that whatever screamed is okay," Fluttershy whispers as she slowly trots behind the others.

Rainbow Dash and Twilight exchange worried glances at the mare's comment, knowing that the screamer was likely anything but okay.

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A beaten and battered Draconequus attempts to shakily rise to his feet, but is thrown back onto the ground by a cleated red shoe. Discord’s head is slammed into the hard earth, cracking slightly as Sonic grinds his bruised head into the dirt. The discorded hedgehog grins at the broken creature under his foot. "Do it!" he demands as he looks up the black hedgehog.

Dark energy accumulates in Sonic’s outstretched hand, forming a small orb radiating dark power. He raises it high above his head, winding up to make the blow as devastating as possible. "No mercy, huh?" He grins. "If only your little pony friends could see what you've become." The dark hedgehog hesitates, allowing the Draconequus to break free.

Discord lets out an amused chuckle as he crawls away from his attacker. "I knew you couldn't do it!"

A series of frantic clops echoes out of the nearby forest, prompting the two to look in the direction of the sound. "And now for the main attractions."

The Mane 6 burst though the tall grass and into the small clearing. "Everypony fan out, we must find-" Twilight cuts herself off as she notices the beaten Draconequus and the dark hedgehog.

"Me? Oh, how sweet of you." Discord enthusiastically claps as he slowly rises to his feet. "Wonderful, the gang’s all here! Now we can move to the final act."

Twilight’s gave flickers to Sonic momentarily. "Final act? What are you talking about?" The other ponies exchange nervous glances, then turn back towards the Draconequus.

"What the buck did you do?" Applejack demands as she glares at the Master Harbinger of Chaos.

"Me? I only added a little kindling to an already raging inferno," Discord states as he dusts himself off.

"If you hurt Spiky, I swear I'll..." Pinkie trails off, not sure what she’ll do.

"You'll do what? Fire that ridiculously hilarious party cannon at me?" The Draconequus grins. "Oh, I am fully aware that unless without the Elements, you 6 are utterly harmless."

Rainbow Dash slowly trots towards the motionless hedgehog. "Yo, Sonic, you ok?" The mare receives no reply and trots closer. "Did you hear me? I asked if you're ok." The dark hedgehog says nothing, much to the cyan Pegasus's dismay. "I was only worried about you, no need to-AAH!" Rainbow Dash shrieks as Sonic charges at her, leaping over her quadruped frame and dashing at Discord.

A bolt of energy strikes between the Draconequus and hedgehog, causing the hedgehog to halt and the two to face a certain lavender mare, her horn smoking from the attack. "Oh, my hero!" Discord exclaims sarcastically as he claps his hands together and gives the pony a relieved look.

Twilight glares at the Draconequus. "That wasn't meant to block him!" the mare hisses as she charges up her horn for another attack.

"Oh, I see now. Already trying that trick you used last time?" the Lord Harbinger of Chaos states in an unenthusiastic tone. "Boo to you, you’re always soooo eager to spoils everyone's fun."

The Unicorn’s fiery gaze remains on Discord for a mere moment longer before she returns her attention to the dark hedgehog. She fires another shot towards the black hedgehog, striking a nearby tree as he flips out of the way. "Try it again!" Applejack encourages. Twilight nods and fires another shot, hitting a large rock. Then another, almost knocking a tree over.

Discord lets out a bored yawn. "This is going nowhere fast, maybe I should…" He trails off as Twilight vanishes, prompting the Lord Harbinger of Chaos to raise an eyebrow in interest.

Twilight appears right in front of the hedgehog, her horn fully charged. "I'm sorry, Sonic," she says as tears start streaming down her face. The hedgehog attempts to flee, but fail as he’s stuck point blank in the chest by the Unicorn’s blast and pinned against a tree.

Pink energy surrounds the black hedgehog as Twilight clenches her teeth and increases the power. The dark vapor surrounding Sonic starts to dissipate as the Unicorn continues her assault.

"Well butter mah biscuit, she's actually doing it," Applejack whistles as she curls one of her forelegs into a mock fist. Discord frowns at the display and makes as if to walk away.

"Hold it right there!" Rainbow Dash shouts as she blocks the Draconequus's path.

"Oh please, you think you can stop me?" Discord asks as he crosses his arms across his chest.

"Normally I couldn’t, but that smack down Sonic gave you left you pretty beat up. So, me, plus a few of my friends?" the mare says as she motions for the other mares to approach. "Yeah, we can stop you from leaving." The Draconequus lets out a sigh. "Fine, have it your way."

The dark energy continues to drain from the hedgehog's body as the Unicorn stands firm, continuing her relentless attack. "Just a little more, and-" Twilight lets out a gasp as a familiar sensation starts to come over her. Foreign images flood into her mind. Though unlike before, most depict a war-torn landscape or a destroyed forest. The mare tries to fight off the images, but they only come faster. Sonic frantically fights off another machine by the 'good doctor' only to watch in horror as he notices the collateral damage of the battle. Others show him standing for a fallen friend or ally, usually trying to fight off the tears that start to trickle from the corners of his eyes. Finishing up the onslaught is a frantic Sonic, banging his fist on a set of clear tubs as other anthropomorphic creatures scream and attack their imprisonments, desperately trying to escape form the other side. Metal walls rise, Sonic is unable to save them and can do nothing but watch in horror as a large screen displays his friends screaming in agony and falling one after another in front of his eyes, triggering his corrupt Super form to take over for the first time as he stands over the fallen Robotnik.

Twilight tries with all her might to break free from the onslaught of terrible images, but is unable to cease the spell and is instead forced to her haunches as the images continue to flood into her mind. "Twilight!" Applejack shouts as she slams her shoulder into the unicorn, breaking her magic lock on Sonic as he falls limply to the ground. "You ok, Twi?" Applejack asks with concern as she rises to her hooves and offers a foreleg to help the lavender mare up.

Twilight lets out a pained groan and gives her head a few good shakes in an attempt to literally shake off what just occurred. "So much suffering....pain...sadness." The mare utters as she tries to right herself. "What's wrong, Twilight? You little trick didn't work?" Discord asks with mock concern as he hovers in a relaxed position a few feet off the ground. The other mares glare at the Draconequus as he belittles the lavender unicorn, not noticing as a small pair of darkened ears begin to twitch at Discord’s voice. "Oh don't give me that. Your plan was doomed to fail from the start."

The black hedgehog, still surrounded in a dark aura, suddenly springs to his feet, only to stagger back and forth, as if having trouble standing. Discord grins and snaps his fingers. "Chance!" A large steel box suddenly appears above the hedgehog and slams down on top of it, trapping him inside. The Draconequus laughs maniacally as lighting strikes in the distance. "Thank you Twilight, I couldn't have done it without you." The Mane Six look at Discord in confusion.

"How do ya reckon that?" Applejack inquires.

The Draconequus grins at this question before replying. "Simple, my dear, that blasted hedgehog proved to be a bit too much to handle when he was all hyped up. However, thanks to Twilight's failed attempt draining his energy, I-" CLANG. The Draconequus is cutoff midsentence as a series of loud strikes can be heard from within the box. "Oh, try all you want, that box is indestructible," Discord claims flippantly. A large fist-shaped dent takes shape on the front-most part of the box. “Dammit. I’ve got to stop jinxing myself," he mutters quietly, waiting for the box to break, but only silence follows.

Discord turns back towards the six mares with a bemused expression. "A noble effort indeed, but your hero proves to be no match for… THE POWERS OF CHAOS!" Discord cackles as he towers above the six ponies.

Twilight and the others stare at the Master Harbinger of Chaos with a mixture of shock, anger, and sadness. "Change him back!" Twilight demands as she paws at the ground, glaring at the Draconequus in front of her.

"Yeah, Spiky is out friend! Undo whatever you did to him!" Pinkie adds, donning the same expression as the lavender Unicorn.

Discord settles himself back onto the ground, chuckling throatily. "You are in no position to be making demands. Besides your little friend is already gone." The six mares let out a collective gasp, Rarity fainting on top of Applejack. "What? W-what do you mean ‘gone’?" the cyan mare asks as she looks at the Draconequus, lower lip trembling.

"The Sonic you knew is now gone, his soul cast away and replaced by that dark hedgehog, and neither you nor your precious Elements of Harmony can bring him back!" Discord chuckles, attempting to suppress the urge to laugh at the six mares. Four of the Mane Six gaze up at Discord in disbelief and sadness, Rarity still out cold leaning on Applejack, while Twilight continues to glare at Discord. "What's wrong? Did I make the little pony mad?" the Master Harbinger of Chaos mocks, further enraging the mare.

Bright magenta energy crackles from the lavender Unicorn's horn as something finally snaps within her mental psyche. White lighting snakes out from the pony's quadruped frame as she continues to channel more energy. Discord watches the display in amusement, but quickly grows worried as the mare's pupils white out and a similar energy glows from her element.

The other mares’ bare similar traits as they prepare for one final strike. A stray bolts strikes a tree next to the Draconequus, prompting him to flinch and back away slightly. "Go ahead, use your precious Elements to seal me up again, but know this,” he says hurriedly. “If you do, I won’t tell you how to turn your little hedgehog back."

Twilight grits her teeth in rage at the response. "Then turn him back this instant!" Discord forces out a small laugh. "Why should I?" The energy between the lavender mare and the other five ponies intensifies, further making the Draconequus uneasy. "Because if you don't,whatever damage that monster has done. I'll unleash on you - *tenfold*! NOW CHANGE HIM BACK! NOW!" An image of a young Celestia saying those very same words flashes though the Master Harbinger of Chaos's head.

Discord forces a worried smirk onto his face that is forced into a dark grin, only for it to twist in complete horror as a side of the steel box imprisoning Sonic tears away from the metal cube and lands a few inches from his right foot. Soulless white eyes pierce though the darkness in the box as a sharp, toothy smiles soon follows. "Oh, very well," the Draconequus huffs in a forced casual tone as he hurriedly snaps his fingers.

Sonic emerges from the box and collapses to one knee as the dark energy seeps away, leaving the hedgehog weary, but back to his true blue. The Mane 6 power down and let out a sigh of relief at their friend’s return. This brief reprieve from panic, though, is short lived as a jagged smile suddenly appears on his face. The now semi-blue quills jut upwards and splinter at the tips. A manic laugh comes from the hedgehog as a pair of twisted red eyes spiral into place over the lifeless white ones. "What's this now?" Discord mutters as he stares at the creature with an intrigued look. The hedgehog smirks at the Draconequus as he raises himself from the ground.

Discord racks his brain in an attempt at a witty comment, but his train of thought screeches to a stop as the now yellow hedgehog lunges forward and slams him into a nearby tree. The Master Harbinger of Chaos lets out a pained gasp as he makes contact with the tree. The hedgehog lets out another menacing laugh as he repeatedly bashes the Draconequus’s skull into the tree.

"So this is the Harbinger of Chaos I’ve been hearing so much about, hmm?” the yellow hedgehog scoffs. "You’ve done no more than cheap magic tricks!" Bursting into another fit of hysterical laugher, the hedgehog gives the Draconequus’s head one final slam into the tree, causing it to bend backwards and splinter from the impact, sending wood chips flying everywhere, sending Discord down with it.

The Draconequus slowly rises onto his feet and pants heavily before his oxygen flow is cut off yet again by a white gloved hand, pulling him several feet above the ground. "You should have stopped me when you had the chance," the yellow hedgehog scolds lightly as a dark yellow energy gathers in his balled fist. "I'll be sure to return the favor." He jerks back his arm and readies for another attack.

"Sonic, stop!" Twilight screams as she charges towards him.

The yellow hedgehog chuckles at the mare’s request. "Sonic is not here at the moment, please leave a message when you hear the snap of this thing’s neck." The Unicorn stands in horror as she's unable to break through to her friend.

"Sugar hog, if ya do this, there won’t be nothin’ let of ya to save," Applejack adds as she follows the lavender mare, the others following suit.

The corrupt hedgehog lets out a bemused laugh. "You talk as if he's still in here." He winds up once more and throws his arm forward at a blinding speed, aiming for the Draconequus’s face as the Mane 6 cringe back in surprise, waiting for the final blow to land. But the sickening crunch of the hedgehog’s fist connecting with the skull never came. The six slowly open their eyes. A balled-up fist quivers just centimeters from Discord’s beaten maw. The hedgehog struggles against the peculiar block, attempting to push it forward. Discord cracks an eye open after the noticeable lack of the Gates of Tartarus swimming before his eyes.

"W-what is this?" the hedgehog mutters in shock as he attempts to regain control of his right hand. The Mane 6 don relieved looks on their faces.

"He's fighting back!" Rainbow Dash calls out joyfully as she trots next to the lavender Unicorn.

"C'mon, Spiky, fight it!" Pinkie shouts. "Don't let that mean old crazy power control you anymore!"

Applejack trots next to the cyan mare. "Come on back to us, Sugar hog!"

Rarity joins the other mares. "You’ve overcome this before darling, you can do it again."

Fluttershy flutters behind the white unicorn. "We need you, Sonic."

Twilight lets out a loud snort. "Sonic, if you can hear us, fight it! Overpower this monster and come back to us!"

Discord crashes to the ground below as he's released from the hedgehog's grip. "He did it!" Rainbow Dash exclaims, Pinkie Pie starting to dance on the spot. A sinister laugh bubbles up from the hedgehog, extinguishing the small flame of hope that had grown in each of their souls.

"You think you’ve won," he sneered as his eyes begin to glow a blazing red. "This only the beginning! I’ll deal with you little ponies after I deal with HIM!" Two red lasers spiral from the hedgehog's eyes as he aims at the Draconequus, but they fire upwards and shoot off harmlessly into the sky, casting a red glow over the area for a brief moment.

"N-no!" the yellow hedgehog shouts as he grips the sides of his head in pain. "Stop resisting! I'm on your side with this!" he shouts again and starts to thrash at the air around him, as if being attacked by some invisible force. "You need me! Without me, you're just some washed up hero!" The now less yellow hedgehog shouts as he crashes to the ground and starts convulsing and continues to swipe at nothing, finally letting out a loud scream as he collapses on all fours. Silence seeps through the air.

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Applejack: "You still with us, Sugar hog?"

Sonic: "Where you expecting someone else?"

Discord: "Now why would I help you?"

Pinkie: "Mean old...weird creature thing."


Confessions