As the Resistance was headed in space for the rescue mission, in Canterlot, which had been ruined since Eggman's attack 6 months ago, Tails was working on a heavily damaged and shutdown E-123 Omega, who looked like he had been in some kind of battle and clearly wasn't the victor. Tails was rearranging wires inside of Omega and on his face, he wore a clearly stressed expression.The more he worked on Omega, the more frustrated he became due to his lack of progress. He then pressed a few buttons on the robot's back, hoping it would do the trick, but nothing happened. Tails then groaned in frustration as he covered his face with his hands. He wasn't feeling so good himself. He let out a defeated sigh and backed away from Omega.
"I'm sorry that I can't fix you up." Tails said to the fallen robot in an apologetic tone. "My head's not really the right place.."
How could it have been after everything he'd been through? Tails then shut his eyes and remembered back to 6 months ago.
Tails was lying in a bed with a bandage on his cheek and a larger one wrapped around his while he was unconscious. Suddenly, his eyes began to flicker as he groaned weakly.
"Thank goodness!" He heard Fluttershy's voice say. "Everyone, come quick, Tails is waking up!"
Tails blinked a few times before he opened his eyes fully and sat up straight on the bed. In front of him were the Rainbooms, Spike, Silver, Manic, Knuckles, the Chaotix and Amy rushing towards him.
"Oh, what a relief." Amy expressed."I couldn't bear to lose him either."
Tails groaned again, which made the others turn to him with concern.
"Tails, take it easy. Don't force yourself." Sunset said as she came over and helped him sit up.
"Tails, how many fingers am I holding up?"Pinkie asked she held up 3 fingers directly on his face.
"3, Pinkie." Tails answered in a tired tone. "Where am I?"
"Resistance HQ." Knuckles informed him. "During the retreat from the city, we found you all banged up pretty badly. You've been asleep for almost a month."
"A month?!" Tails repeated before he shook his head. "Wait, back up, Resistance? What's going on?"
Everyone in the room looked away while they all formed somber looks.
"Resistance against that Dr. Eggman. Tails, he's taken' over almost all of the world." AppleJack informed him, much to utter his disbelief.
"What? That can't be! It has to-"Tails started before he remembered that AppleJack represented honesty and would only tell the truth. He then leaned against his bed, trying to take all of that in. Eggman......ruling the entire world.
"Eggman launched a full-scale attack not just on your city, but around the world with his fleet. It fell under his control in no time." Espio said.
"I don't believe it." He softly said before he turned to Amy.
"Amy if you're here and not in Knothole, does that mean..." Tails said before Amy nodded to confirm his fears.
"Eggman took down Knothole and he captured the rest of the Freedom Fighters." Amy sadly told him. "I was the only one who managed to get away."
"With her and other survivors from around, we've managed to form this Resistance and try to hold out the best we can." Twilight added as Tails hung his head.
"Keyword being trying." Charmy said in a somewhat defeated tone.
Suddenly, the memories of what happened on that day flooded back to him as he stood up in an alert fashion.
"Wait, guys, where's Sonic?! Have you seen him anywhere?! Last time I remember, he was at the mercy of some new enemy who was with Eggman. Did he make it out OK?" Tails quickly asked.
The entire room went silent as everyone either hung their heads or closed their eyes in grief. Tails looked around, not sure what this meant.
"Tails...we haven't found Sonic anywhere. We just found you. And if what you're saying is true, then it confirms.." Manic replied as panic began to fill up through Tails's body.
"The boys and I are the best detectives around and we've heard no sightings of him or located any trail." Vector stated.
"N-no, that can't be!" Tails denied. "Sonic wouldn't lose like that."
"Tails, you heard them, we've searched almost everywhere for Sonic. I don't want to believe it as much as you do, but Sonic's.....Sonic's gone." Rainbow Dash said in a voice full of sorrow as she struggled to say the last part.
Tails just froze. That couldn't be. Sonic, his best friend....gone just like that. That wasn't right. Sonic never loses. He always finds a way no matter what.
"No, he's not gone! He isn't!" Tails yelled as he rose up from his bed. " Sonic wouldn't go down like that!"
"Tails, calm down." Twilight said. "You're still hurt by what happened and aren't thinking straight."
"Calm?! How can I be calm when you all think Sonic's dead!?" Tails shouted back as tears began to fill his eyes." We have to find him!"
"There's nothing to find. Manic answered. "This is a huge loss for all of us, Tails. He was your best friend and my brother, but we have to accept reality."
"No! He's not dead! I just know it!" Tails desperately insisted as he rose from his bed and wiped away his tears while ripping the bandages off of him. "I'll prove it! Even on my own if I have to."
"Tails, that's not a good idea." Silver replied. "Eggman's taken over most of the world and the only way we're going to beat him is by working together. And we have to do it without Sonic."
"Stop saying things like that!" Tails screamed. "Sonic's alive and I'll find him."
"Tails, please, listen to yourself. You're in denial and you're in no shape to be going off on something like this on your own. We're your friends, so stay and let us help you." Sunset said in a reassuring tone.
"If you wanted to help, you'd help me look for Sonic!" He snapped. " I couldn't help him back then..... but I'm going to help him now! I'm going to find him and if you're not going to join me, then fine!"
"Tails, stop being dumb! This isn't what Sonic would want you to do in a situation like this!" Rainbow Dash lectured.
"I know he wouldn't want me to write him off like all of you have!" He retorted.
With that said, Tails rushed out of the Resistance room as fast as he could pass his friends while they looked at him with worry.
"Tails, come back!" Fluttershy pleaded.
"Fluttershy, drop it." Knuckles said as everyone turned back to see him. "He's not right in the head and he's probably the most shaken up by the news. I know it wasn't easy for any us to take in. Just let him go for now. He needs time to process and heal."
"Is it really alright to leave the poor dear like that? He was so distraught." Rarity questioned.
"He'll be back." Silver answered. "Once he's come to terms with what happened. In the meantime, we have to formulate a plan to take back our world....
Twilight looked out to where Tails had run off with a concerned expression. Despite what Knuckles and Silver said, She knew that she couldn't just leave him like that going all out in the world run by Eggman. In his state of mind, something terrible could happen to him.
"Twilight, what are you thinking?" Spike asked, as Twilight looked down to see her loyal companion staring up at her.
"Some way to help my friend." She answered as she looked back out again.
Present day, Tails sat down on the ground and rested his hands on his face. 6 months later and he was no closer to finding Sonic as it had just been a dead end so far. Maybe the others were right. Maybe Eggman had finally done it and Sonic was gone.......
As Tails was thinking things over, he didn't notice the puddle of water emerging from the manhole behind him. The puddle then started to take shape as two green eyes and a brain were formed. Chaos had risen behind an unsuspecting Tails. He then stretched his arm out as Tails still didn't notice. Chaos then raised it and prepared to bring it down.
"Tails, look out!" Twilight yelled as Tails found himself shrouded in a purple aura and moved out harms way while Chaos smashed the ground, leaving a small crater. Much to his surprise, Tails turned to see Twilight with her hand out alongside Spike.
"Twilight?!" He uttered.
Before Twilight could answer, Chaos sent out his arm towards her at surprising speed, which caught her off guard. Luckily, Tails tackled her and Spike out of the way as they sprawled on the ground.
"What are you doing here?" Tails asked.
"Looking out for you." Twilight answered, making Tails confused.
"Uh guys, before we talk, maybe we should do something about him." Spike suggested, making Tails and Twilight turn to see Chaos in front of them.
"He's right." Twilight realized as she and Tails rose up. "Who is this again?"
"Chaos, God of destruction. He once went on a rampage but Sonic calmed him down. He's supposed to be good or at least neutral. Him working with Eggman makes no sense at all." Tails explained.
Chaos responded by trying to attack the two of them with a watery arm, making them jump back to dodge it as it smashed the ground. Twilight lifted some nearby debris using her powers and launched them at the monster, though they passed harmlessly through his watery body. Chaos extended a limb and smacked Twilight to the ground. Tails charged up his arm cannon and fired a series of shots at Chaos, trying to aim for his head. Chaos moved his body, letting other parts get hit instead as he was splashed around. He instantly reformed himself and sent out his arm to grab Tail's arm. He then slammed Tails down on the ground, making him grunt. Chaos was planning on attacking Tails once more as he raised a fist though he found himself trapped in a purple field, courtesy of Twilight.
"Gotcha." She said. "You're not going anywhere."
A small piece of Chaos then dripped on the floor, making a small puddle.Using this, Chaos sent out a tendril which slammed Twilight into the wall, releasing him from her grip. Twilight fell down from the wall and was at Chaos's mercy as she saw him approach her. He sent out an arm to grab her though Spike rushed through the middle of it, causing it to fall apart though it grew back quickly. Chaos then turned to see a snarling Spike in a defensive position in front of Twilight. He raised both of his hands though before he could attack, an energy ball went through his brain, causing him to turn into a puddle as Tails rushed past it and toward Twilight.
"You ok?" Tails said as he helped Twilight up.
"Yeah, thanks." She responded.
"Did that beat him?" Spike asked as he and the others turned to the puddle.
"No, it'll just slow him down for a while. We need to aim for the brain again to do real damage." Tails said as the puddle reformed into Chaos
Chaos jumped in the air and stretched his arms down to his three enemies, making small impacts on the ground as he missed due to them spreading out. While Chaos was in the air, Twilight lifted more objects and tossed them towards him. Chaos spun his arms around to smack them away and landed on the ground again. Chaos launched his arm towards her though Tails intercepted the attack with a mechanical boxing glove attached to a hook.
"Get me a clear shot at his brain." Tails ordered, making Twilight nod.
However, Chaos reformed his arm and using it along with the other one, he pinned both Tails and Twilight against the wall. His grip was powerful and they could hardly break free. He then lifted them up in the air as his grip tightened, making the two of them squirm and wince in pain.
"Twilight....try something...." Tails managed.
Twilight looked down at Chaos and using all of her might, her hands began to glow and she pointed them at Chaos, causing him to be trapped in a purple field once more. It took all of her willpower for her to keep him in that state as she struggled, causing the field to flicker but Twilight knew she couldn't lose her grip on Chaos and pushed herself to hold him.
"Perfect, I see an opening." Tails stated. Using his hook device, he dispersed Chao's hold off of him, sending him to the ground and towards his watery foe. As he was falling, Tails pulled out a yellow taser and as he got close to Chaos, he jammed it into his brain. The result caused a giant electrical pulse to be sent through Chaos's body before he broke down into a puddle. Twilight then landed on the floor, her hold over Chaos released as she huffed and puffed for a bit as Spike joined her and Tails.
"Is it done for real?" He asked, making the three of them look at the puddle. Rather than slink away, the puddle simply vanished into thin air.
"I guess so." Twilight said with a shrug.
"That's weird. He's never done that before when beaten. And didn't he just simply evaporate at all. He just disappeared as if he was never here. Weird." Tails observed.
He then turned to Twilight and Spike.
"Now, we can talk. What's this about you looking out for me?" Tails asked them.
"I saw how distraught you were after you heard about what happened to Sonic." Twilight started. "I just couldn't leave you like that, so with permission from Knuckles, Spike and I have been following you, making sure you're ok."
Tail's expression softened. It was nice to hear that they had gone all this way for him.
"Twilight, Spike, I appreciate you doing this for me." Tails said. "It's good to see you after I've had no luck in finding Sonic."
Twilight bit her lip after she heard that.
"You're still going on about that. Tails..." She said.
"I know what you're thinking. And believe me, I'm having trouble thinking the opposite , but I just don't think he's gone. I can feel it. I might've not found anything on my own, but with you helping me, maybe it could change." Tails said.
Twilight looked at Tails and was conflicted. She saw the determination in his eyes and knew he felt strongly about finding Sonic but on the other hand, part of her felt he should just accept things the way they are. She wasn't sure how to break it to him.
"Well if you're going by instinct, maybe you're on to something." Spike chimed in, which Twilight didn't expect. "I've always trusted my instincts and they've never let me down before. If you're feeling right about this Tails, then I'm all up for helping you."
"Thanks, Spike." Tails said before he turned to Twilight. "Twilight, what do you think?"
Twilight was silent for a while. She still wasn't entirely sure if Tails was right but Spike believed him. She had always trusted Spike and he'd never let her down before. Twilight finally let out a sigh.
"Tails...I'll admit, I'm not so sure if your instinct is accurate, but if Spike trust you, then I will too." Twilight finally said as Tails smiled.
"Thank you. It means a lot." Tails said. "And besides, someone has to stop Eggman."
"Sounds good to me. Where do we go now?" Twilight questioned.
Before Tails could answer, he suddenly heard a beeping sound coming from his Miles Electric. He then took it out for him, Twilight and Spike to see.
"The radar here shows Eggman's just up ahead." Tails noticed. "This is perfect. Time for us to bring him down and get some answers."
With that said, the three of them began to make their way throughout the city. The city was still a violent battlefield as they heard the sounds of debris falling and saw balls of fire crashing everywhere, making the group cringe, but they pressed on. The entire city was completely empty and in ruins as a result of what Eggman did. As Tails, Twilight and Spike moved across the city, Twilight recognized some familiar places. In pieces was Star Swirled's Planetarium, with the giant telescope on the ground and cracked. Twilight felt her heart ache seeing what had been one of her favorite place's in Canterlot totally destroyed . There were still many other buildings, so the small team didn't see the cause of all the violent noise.
As they moved further into the heart of the city, Twilight recognized the area they were in despite all the damage due to the path they had taken and realized they had arrived in her neighborhood. Up ahead, she saw her house or at least what was left of it. Half of it was demolished while the rest was full of broken windows and holes. Seeing this made Twilight and Spike look on with sadness due what had had happened to their home.
"Our house..." Twilight said as she stopped to look at along with Spike, who whimpered. Tails noticed them stop and when he saw why, he shook his head.
"I'm so sorry, Twilight." He said, giving his condolences. "It must be hard for you to see."
Twilight and Spike still stood looking at the remnants of their home for a while as if they were frozen. After a bit, Twilight clenched her fist and closed her eyes tightly.
"Come on Spike, we gotta go."She said as she and Spike headed to Tails, who continued to lead them through the city.
During their journey, the trio came across a few of Eggman's forces still in the city, who noticed them and prepared to attack. Using his arm cannon, Tails proved his aim was better than the robots as he took them down with no problem. Twilight used her powers to smash any nearby debris she could find into them or she took one robot and used it to plow through the others. Once they took care of the enemies, they continued onward, finding a section underground as the road led them down there. Enemies blocked their path, but they managed to get rid of them using their skills. It was dark in the direction they were going. As they did, Tail's Miles Electric started to beep again.
"Hmmm, it looks like there are other readings aside from Eggman." Tails stated as he looked at his device. "Wow, one reading is giving off more energy than the others."
"What could it be?" Twilight wondered.
"I'm not sure but if I had to guess...it's probably that guy...The one who fought me and Sonic." Tails said, with slight anxiety in his voice. Twilight then realized he was talking about the figure who decimating the resistance.
"Him....if we meet him, we have to be careful. He's destroying the resistance like their nothing." Twilight warned.
Tails, Spike and Twilight soon saw light up ahead and realized they weren't underground anymore. They were back up top and this time, they saw what was causing all the destruction. Giant Death Egg Sentinels were around destroying everything in their sight as they fired red beams or extended their arms. The three of them moved around carefully to avoid attracting too much attention.
While their journey continued, up ahead, Twilight saw something which made her stop in her tracks totally. In front of her was the WonderColt statue....in pieces scattered around the floor. Even worse, behind it was CHS...totally reduced to rubble. Not even a single part of it was left standing. Seeing the school in this state was just heartbreaking as Twilight's fondest memories came from here. She slowly walked ahead before she came down on her knees and gripped them with her fingers tightly. The planetarium, her home and now CHS...it was all too much for her. Tails and Spike came behind her while she was grieving.
"This....this is just awful....they've totally destroyed everything...." Twilight managed to say.
"It really is." Tails said in a melancholic voice. "But it gives us all the more reason to stop Eggman."
Tails was right. Seeing everything she loved be destroyed was painful but it was also a motivator. A reason not to give up. Eggman had to be stopped to make sure this didn't happen ever again. Twilight then began to turn her despair into passion as she rose from the ground and looked on with determination.
"Tails, Spike...let's go. We have to save our world" She said as Tails and Spike nodded in agreement.
The small group was near the exit from the city as they moved forward. They approached it and soon, they were out of Canterlot towards their next destination.