//------------------------------//
// Return To Equestria 
// Story: Horizons 
// by Battwell 
//------------------------------//

A portal opened up in the middle of a small town, in which Sonic jumped out of the portal and landed on the ground in a crouched position. He stood up straight and looked at his surroundings. 

 

He recognized this place almost immediately. He was in Equestria. Specifically, Ponyville. Sonic breathed a sigh of relief and turned around.... Only to get tackled to the ground by everyone else who jumped through the portal. Sonic groaned in pain as the portal closed. 

Everyone and everypony got off of the speedy blue hedgehog and took in what was around them. As Sonic dusted himself off, he was suddenly startled by Twilight, who screamed in absolute happiness. 

"Oh thank Faust! We're back in Equestria!!!" 

Shadow gave a growl of annoyance in response, "This place is too colorful for my liking." 

Sonic chuckled and jabbed the black hedgehog with his elbow, "Now how did I know that you were going to say something like that, edgy the hedgy?" 

Shadow then proceeded to punch Sonic in the gut. As Sonic fell to the ground, Shadow walked away from his annoying rival. Peter removed his mask and took in a deep breath. He exhaled and smiled towards the alicorn, "So, this is your world?" Twilight nodded, "Not bad, Twilight. I think I might retire here." 

Twilight blushed and giggled awkwardly. Shadow scoffed and walked ahead of the group, "We have no time to mess around. We have a job to do." 

Sonic coughed and hacked as he rubbed his belly with his hand. He then glared at the dark hedgehog as he dusted himself off, "Well, I think we should start by figuring out what we are even doing here," Sonic groaned in pain, "Jeez, Shadow. Did you have to punch me that hard?" 

Shadow hmphed in response. 

Miles then took off his mask, "Hey. Did anyone see where Martin Li and that old weirdo went off to?" 

They all shook their heads in response. 

"I have a theory," Shadow said to the group. 

They all turned to him, "Well, Shadow. Let's here it," Twilight said with a smile. 

Shadow nodded, "I believe that those two individuals have returned to their base of operations." 

Spike walked up towards Shadow, "What makes you say that?" 

"We all went through the same portal, did we not?," Everyone nodded, "So, it seems that the doctor and his accomplices thought that we were too close to finding out how to reach their base." 

"So they decided to send us here," Miles finished, "But why?" 

"To buy time for whatever they're planning," Peter answered the young hero. 

Sonic stroked his chin in thought, "That ain't good. Time works differently in the Special Zone. They could amass an entire army in a couple of hours, if they haven't already." 

"Then it looks like we'll have to get an army of our own," Twilight exclaimed, much to the confusion of the others. 

"How do you expect us to gather enough forces to aid us in our mission?" Shadow asked. 

Twilight smiled smugly, "Spike and I know a few ponies and other creatures that would be willing to help." 

"And why would they do that?" 

"They've done it before." 

Shadow arched a brow, "How did they manage that?" 

"Through the magic of friendship!" 

 

Shadow then started laughing, much to the confusion of Spike and Twilight. Once Shadow saw the looks on their faces, he stopped, "You're serious?" 

"Why wouldn't I be?" Twilight asked, genuinely confused. 

Shadow pinched the bridge of his nose, "Ugh, I already hate this dimension." 

Peter then walked up to Twilight, "Can you really get some help on our side?" 

Twilight smirked and turned her head to Spike, "Spike, take a letter. 



 

 

Cadance slowly opened her eyes, the brightness of the light blurring her vision. She rubbed her eyes with her hoof as she stood up. Once her vision cleared, she saw that she was in a white cell. She tried unfurling her wings, but she couldn't. She turned her head and saw that there was a massive clamp like device over her wings, preventing her from using them. 

She tried using her magic, only to find that once again, she couldn't. She touched her horn with her hoof and felt several tiny dark crystals were apparent on her horn. 

"Mwahahahahahaha!" 

She heard a familiar laughter, one that made her blood boil. Suddenly, Sombra appeared in front of her cell with an evil smile on his face. 

"Enjoying the accommodations, Cadance?" Sombra mocked the alicorn. 

Cadance snarled angrily, "What have you done, demon?!" 

Sombra lifted his head up, "Why, nothing at all," he then showed his fangs towards the princess of love, "at least, not yet." 

As Sombra approached the cell, Cadance continued to glare, "Whatever you have planned, you will never have the Crystal Empire!" 

Sombra barked out a laugh and lit up his horn, "FOOL!!! This goes far beyond the Crystal Empire! It goes beyond even Equestria itself! What I want is so much more than you could ever fathom!" 

Sombra then turned his back to the alicorn, "Once everything is in place, the entire multiverse will be reshaped in my image!" he then turned towards the alicorn once again, "And do you want to know the best part?" 

His eyes lit up with dark magic as he slammed his hoof on the bars of her cell, startling the alicorn, "I'm going to keep you alive, so you can spend the rest of your immortal days as my servant, and you will bare witness to my ultimate victory! You will gaze upon my new multiverse and forever know that you couldn't do anything to stop me!" 

Cadance gasped as Sombra laughed. The very thought that everything that had ever existed, and ever will exist will be in this monster's image made Cadance physically ill. As Sombra walked away, Cadance found her voice, "Twilight and her friends will stop you, like they always have!" 

Sombra stopped dead in his tracks and turned his head towards Cadance, "You mean the friends that I have captured at this very moment?" 

That statement alone made Cadance lose her confidence, Sombra continued, "And as for the princess coming to stop me," He turned away from her as his eyes lit up and he smiled, "I'm counting on it." 

As Sombra laughed, he turned into his shadow form and left Cadance alone with her thoughts. She fell to her back haunches and lowered her head. 

"Hurry, Twilight. Wherever you are, we need you now more than ever." 

(End song)