//------------------------------// // Dreams of Future // Story: Way Past Equestria // by Onomonopia //------------------------------// "Ponyville is such a delight, is it not ma cherie?" "Of course it is, sugar. And ah think ah see the building that Pinkie told us about." "Oui. It would be impossible to miss." The couple walked up to Sugarcube Corners, just in time for a pink pony to burst out of the front door with an apron and the biggest smile on her face. "Antoine! Bunnie! The two of you made it!" "Of course we did, sugar," Bunnie giggled. "Ya said that ya wanted us to come visit, so here we are." "I am interested in ze sweets, to see how zey stack up to ma cherie's cooking," Antoine said. At that Pinkie's smile grew even wider and she bowed while motioning for the pair to come inside. "Well then, why don't the both of you come on in. I'm sure I can find something that will blow your socks off." "We do not wear ze socks." "Just an expression sugar. Come on." Pinkie lead Antoine and Bunnie into the bakery, seating them at the table closest to the counter before she was gone a moment later. Antoine and Bunnie smiled at each other before picking up their menu's, seeing what caught their fancy. "Ooo, they have carrot cake. Ah can't remember the last time ah had a good one of those," Bunnie said. "I keep offer to make you some," Antoine said with a smile. "Ah know, but...well..." "It is alright. I know you do not like ze ones I make," Antoine replied, then he smirked. "And I promise to only be ze little offended if you end up liking zere carrot cake more than mine." "How kind of you," Bunnie teased back. She then glanced at the menu and a smile crossed her face. "Oh would you look at that. They have mandarin ice cream. Hm, that sounds like something else..." "You are ze riot," Antoine smiled back. Then he looked to his side and let out a yelp when he found Pinkie standing there. "Ready to order?" "Oui, sugarcube. Ah'm thinking ah'll have the carrot cake," Bunnie ordered. "And, at my wife's insistence, I shall have zis mandarin ice cream," Antoine added. Pinkie nodded to both and was gone a second later and when the pair looked down they found their menu's gone as well. "I swear she is faster than Sonic." "Ah think it's some form of teleportation," Bunnie suggested. She then took in a deep breath and looked around the room, which had a few other groups of ponies in it, before smiling slightly. "Isn't this nice? When was the last time we could just go out for a nice night on the town?" "Oui. It is always ze saving the world or ze end of the world or ze saving the world from its end. We have not really had much time to relax," Antoine agreed. "Not since our honeymoon." "Our honeymoon? Sugar, ah don't know if you remember our honeymoon, but it ended up with us fighting off a group of pirates that made the island float. Ah wouldn't exactly call that relaxing." "I do not remember any of zat. All I remember was the beach air, the sound of waves rolling, the sand beneath my feat and the swimsuit that you wore," Antoine replied. "Only ze important stuff." "Only the important stuff, huh?" Bunnie asked with a smirk. A banging sound coming from upstairs caught both of their attention and they looked up in time to see a pair of foals come flying out of their room, crashing straight towards them. In a blur Bunnie took to the skies and grabbed the unicorn out of the air, whereas Antoine simply held out his scabbard and caught the pegasi on the end of it without leaving his seat. "Well hello there, petit foal," Antoine said. He lowered his scabbard to the ground and allowed the pegasi to climb off. Bunnie landed next to him and placed the unicorn on the ground as well. "I may be new to zis land, but I am fairly certain zat unicorns do not fly." "Well in our world, rabbit's don't fly," the unicorn said. "Thanks for the save! I'm Pumpkin Cake and this is my brother Pound Cake!" "Bonjour. Tell me, do you and your brother always come flying out of your rooms like zat or was it just for us?" "Ever since my sister started trying to do magic it has been," Pound said with a sigh. "Day and night it's spells this, explosions that...I'm just glad somepony who's not Pinkie caught us this time. Whenever she does, we get scolded something fierce." "By Pinkie?" "No, by our parents when she tells them," Pound said. Then he glanced over at his sister, whose eyes were glued to the metal limbs of Bunnie. "Sis, you're staring. Stop being rude." "I'm sorry but...she looks so cool!" Pumpkin exclaimed. "Cool?" Bunnie asked. "Ah'm not sure that ah..." "Are you kidding me? You've got robot limbs and you can fly! That already basically makes the coolest being in this room. If you could shoot lasers I would straight up call you a superhero," Pumpkin said. Bunnie smiled as she raised her left arm, getting her palm to glow. "No way!" "Uh-huh," Bunnie replied. "Alright, first cyborg hero in Equestria right here. I'm calling it a day, because I'm not going to see anything cooler than you," Pumpkin said. She then walked to the counter, grabbed an ink quill and some paper, which she then offered to Bunnie. "Can you sign this? So I can be the first one to have your autograph?" "Um...sure," Bunnie replied. She meekly grabbed the quill and signed, still slightly stunned while Pumpkin smiled at the signature. "Thanks again!" she said. She then raced out of the bakery and to the front, leaving her brother to explain. "My sister really likes meeting unique and different ponies. And somepony like you is definitely right up her ally. Rocket feet, robot limbs, laser arm...it's like you were made to be cool." "Oh, um..." "Should I be insulted that she did not ask for my autograph?" Antoine asked with a smirk. When Pound didn't know how to respond, Antoine waved him away with a smile. "I merely jest. Tell your sister she has excellent taste in heroes." Pound Cake took off, grateful for a chance to leave, while Bunnie sat back down and started at her left hand for a moment. "Is something ze matter, ma cherie?" "Ah think...that's the first time in a long time ah can remember anyone calling me a superhero," Bunnie said. "Zat is what you are. And trust me, you are ze greatest of zem all. You were not born with incredible strength or superspeed like some so called heroes," Antoine said with a slight smirk. "You had something terrible happen to you and decided to overcome zat event to become strong, strong enough to save others. It is no wonder they are enamored with you. I have been for years." Bunnie giggled at that, just as Pinkie showed up and placed their orders on the table. Antoine started on his, while Bunnie looked out the front window to where the two foals were playing. Antoine glanced up at her. "Is something ze matter, ma cherie?" "Nothing, sugar. Just...thinking about something." ||--O O--|| "How is she?" "Same as Silver. Physically fine, mentally..." Sonic sat next to Amy's hospital bed, while Twilight stood on the other side with her horn aglow. Just like with Silver they had brought the hedgehog to the hospital the moment they had gotten back, and just like with Silver they hadn't made any progress. Twilight was trying out some new ideas, but they were taking time. And time was something Sonic knew they couldn't afford to waste. Sonic felt his foot tapping fast, his body bouncing in his chair as he tried to stay still. Tried to let Twilight do her thing. But Eggman was still out there. And every second they wasted was a second they gave him to do something. Finish a new robot. Complete some new scheme. Harm another one of Sonic's friends. He should be in control. He had done this a hundred times before. But as he had done this hundreds of times before, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was different this time. That there was something that he was missing. A piece of the puzzle that Eggman had left on the table that didn't quite fit. And, despite his cockiness and attitude, he knew far better than to underestimate any of his villains. Except Metal. He loved how much it ticked the robot off when he was underestimated. "Sonic, can you stop that? You're tapping a hole through the floor." Sonic snapped out of his thoughts and looked down to see that Twilight was correct. He had destroyed the tile and was working on the concrete underneath. "Sorry, I'm not used to...sitting still for so long," Sonic replied. "I get it. You're worried. And I don't blame you. If I saw my friends like this..." Twilight began, but Sonic chuckled and shook his head. "Worried? About this? Nah. I know Amy and she's shook off stronger things than Sombra. I know she'll be fine. She's dealt with stronger. It's everything else I'm worried about," Sonic admitted. "I don't like giving Eggman time to work. In the heat of the moment he tends to make mistakes, but if we give him time to plan..." "He get's more and more dangerous. I get it. Sombra's the same way," Twilight said. "But at the moment this is our best chance to find them. And I know better than to try to hunt down Sombra without a solid lead." "Yeah, I get it, doesn't mean I have to like it. How's your brother doing?" Sonic asked. "Oh, um, aside from being a machine now, he seems fine," Twilight replied, before casting Sonic a slight look. "Thank you for asking." "No prob. Let me know if Eggman's programming is still affecting him or if he snaps out of it. Sometimes people can break free themselves. Other times they need some help," Sonic offered. "I've dealt with my fair of roboticized family members, so let me know however I can help." "Thanks. I'll let you know when he wakes up," Twilight replied. She then gave Sonic another look and the hedgehog motioned for her to speak. "Sorry, it's just...this is an interesting side to you." "How so?" "I mean, you don't seem like the type of person to be so...caring and considerate. You seem very go go go and not really...take a moment to care. I don't mean to be rude, it's just how you came off to me." "Always raring to go, unbelievably confident and always in control. Maybe that's how I want to be seen," Sonic said with a smirk. Twilight raised an eyebrow at Sonic's response before a lightbulb went off over her head, causing Sonic to raise an eyebrow, before she smiled and used her magic to pick Sonic up. "I just had an idea. You said that sometimes roboticized family needs help to break free, right?" Twilight asked. Sonic nodded. "Well, what if the same is true for Sombra. His magic is so strong that my magic might not be able to free her, but her connection to you might. You two are close, right?" "She's practically obsessed with me," Sonic replied. "Okay, then we just need something that will really resonate with her, to the point that she'll break out of Sombra's magic herself," Twilight said. "But what could we possibly say that...?" "Twilight, please. I got this," Sonic said. "Hey Amy, you want go on a date tonight?" "WOULD I?!" Amy shrieked as she sat up straight. The pink hedgehog then blinked twice as she looked around. "Oh hey Sonic...um, where am I?" "You're in a hospital, that alicorn is my friend and we need to save the world from Eggman. So same old," Sonic replied. "I hate to do this to you so soon after you've woken up, but Eggman has Nicole and we need your tracking to find her. Think you can do it?" "Please Sonic, sometimes I wish you would ask for something hard" Amy replied. She then closed her eyes and began to glow slightly, before her eyes snapped open and she smiled. "Got her. And Sonic, we're going to need all of our friends." "Because Eggman's been busy."