//------------------------------// // 11. Cyber Pain // Story: Sonic Frontiers x My Little Pony // by BronySonicFan //------------------------------// Sonic finally started to pass the challenges of the island to unlock the map on his brain. He was so focused on rescuing the rest and collecting the Chaos Emeralds that he forgot about the map. Thankfully, he was progressing very well, and he already unlocked a big portion of the map, but he knew he was still a long way to unlock it all. Still, he could travel across the island better now that he had the map to guide him. But when he arrived to a new challenge, something started to bother him a bit. "Yo Tails!" Sonic called out. "Yeah?" Tails replied, appearing suddenly at his side. Sonic looked back at the symbol of the challenge before replying. "Can you tell if there's anything special about the ruins with the symbol?" he asked, crossing his arms and looking back at him. "I can't be sure without a proper analysis, but it doesn't seem remarkable" Tails replied. "What is remarkable is the data retention after all these years" he explained. "The corruption is negligible, and the maps are so accurate!" he pointed out. "Not to mention the way they can imprint the map data directly into the user's mind! It's hard enough explaining yourself to your peers, let along some long-distant civilizations!" he added. "Yeah..." Sonic replied with a concerned look. "Too bad they can't give all the answers to the island's mysteries" he pointed out. "But then all the fun will be lost!" Zipp suddenly said. Sonic got startled by her sudden appearance, stepping back and even charging electricity on his fist, but then sighing in relief when he saw it was just Zipp and looked at her with a bored expression. "Sorry, Blue Star" Pipp apologized with a sheepish smile. "But Zipp was desperate to find Tails, then we arrived and hear you talking and... that happened" she explained with a bored look as well. "The amount of mysteries on this place is amazing! My inner detective is loving every single one of them!" Zipp exclaimed, for the very first time in public, squealing in a very girlish way that didn't fit her at all. "So it may be too bad for you, hedgehog, but it's a bless for me!" she added with pride, making Sonic roll his eyes. "Uh-huh, sure, whatever you say" Sonic replied with a tired tone, then he looked back at the challenge symbol. "You're right, though, Tails. Pretty amazing to have a civilization based on brain-power" he pointed out. Suddenly, he felt his quills vibrating again, and he took out the mp3 player to see 5 new memos uploaded. "Oh, great. Egghead uploaded this thing again..." Sonic muttered in annoyance. "What is that?" Pipp asked curiously. "A device I found on the first island" Sonic replied. "Eggman's trapped on Cyber Space, so he's updating this thing with random memos. Some said some useful things, some shocking ones, and then... it got personal, so... I don't know, it's hard to explain what has become of these memos" he confessed. After that, he decided to press the play button, while the others gathered close to listen to the memos too. "Sage told the funniest joke during her report. 'How fast can Sonic screw things up? Instantly - he's the fastest thing alive!' I tell you, she's a chip off the old block. Well, for a program, I mean. It's not like she's alive. Or family. Or... hmm." the first memo played. Sonic rolled his eyes, Tails facepalmed and both Zipp and Pipp groaned because of the terrible pun. "I don't know who's Sage, but her humor has to be lame if it made Eggman laugh" Tails said with boredom. "Agreed... that was terrible" Zipp added, with Pipp nodding at her side. "You see what I mean when I say I have no idea of what has become of these memos?" Sonic asked with a bored expression, pressing again the play button. "Who says I can't create life, huh? Just a bunch of proteins bumping together. Anyone can do that. A true genius does it with code and electrons! And if I did created life, she would be brilliant and loyal and perfectly effective! And you know why? Because her dad is a genius, that's why!" the second memo played. "What a showoff..." Pipp muttered with annoyance. "That's Eggman to you" Sonic said with a smirk, pressing play again. "Sonic's here, so it's no surprise Tails is too. It's a pity. Young Prower has a keen mind and loads of potential. Yet he's fixated on worshipping Sonic. Then again, maybe that's for the best. Given all the trouble he gave me in Station Square and on the ARK, I think I prefer him wasting his potential lingering in Sonic's shadow" the third memo played. "And there he goes again, dragging me along 'cause he does not has enough messing with Sonic" Tails said with a frown and his arms crossed. "Again, that's Eggman for you, and I think I know what are the next two memos about..." Sonic said with a frown, pressing the button again. "It seems like the whole pony gang's here. First those two earth ponies that can't declare to each other, then that overwhelming positive unicorn, and now the pegasi sisters. Pipp is a 'I don't care unless Sonic's involved' to me, but Zephyrina... Gosh, I can't stand her. Opaline is completely justified with hating her and her damn curiosity. Like Tails, she's brilliant, but she wastes her potential with 'Royal stuff', mysteries no one cares about and helping Sonic. Hopefully, is her own curiosity what ends up stabbing her back one day..." the fourth memo played. "Yeah, I knew he will mention you eventually..." Sonic said to the sisters with a bored expression. "This guy has a serious anger problem" Zipp pointed out with a frown. "He's even worse than Knuckles and Posey when they get mad... together!" she added. "That's... crossing a line..." Tails pointed out sheepishly. "Am I wrong, tho?" Zipp questioned with a raised eyebrow. Tails chuckled nervously, and Sonic decided to play the last memo. "Pipp Petals. I usually couldn't care less on influencers. Those talentless good for nothing hide behind a camera and a fake smile just to win some money and attention no one else ever gave to them. However, Pipp is one of those weird exceptions. She's passionate, talented, has lots of potential! Her voice reaches everyone, and everyone replies back. She might not be a good addition to my empire, but I understand why Sonic's into her. She's one of the few things I can respect from that hedgehog. He better not be an idiot and take good care of her, or his defeat will be even more delicious for me if he ever screws it with her! Hahahahaha!" the final memo played. Sonic managed to resist the urge to launch the player away after that last part, although he was surprised to hear Eggman, of all people, saying he should take good care of his girlfriend. "Wow..." Pipp said with wide eyes. "I'm, like, both flattered and disturbed at the same time" she confessed. "Ditto, sis" Zipp added, also with wide eyes. "Well, Eggman should know at this point already that I will rip my own arms first before hurting you, Little Pipp" Sonic stated with a smirk, making Pipp smile and blush a little. "And too bad for him, he won't even defeat me even if he wanted" he added confidently. "That is, if you're wise enough and stop going into Cyber Space" Tails said with a frown and his arms crossed. "Just one more time, and then never again" Sonic stated. "Promise! Next time we see each other after I'm done in that place, I'll still remember you" he stated. After that, he waited for no replies and boosted away, leaving Tails, Zipp and Pipp with uncertain looks, not convinced on Sonic's words at all. Sonic threw the mp3 player at some point as he boosted towards the last Cyber Space portal he was willing to go through. He didn't wanted to hear anything else of whatever Eggman had to said. Also, he wanted to make the Cyber Space level quickly and collect the remaining Emerald already. So, he repeated the same process: he placed the gear in the portal, accessed to Cyber Space, completed the level and obtained keys... but this time, his memory was intact. He could still remember everything... what started to feel wrong, on the other hand, was his entire body. It was not only a headache now, but also pain in his hips, legs, back, even in his arms. Everything else hurt, yet his memories were intact. "N-No biggie..." Sonic said to himself. "Lots and lots of physical pain is better than not remembering your own friends..." he added with a smirk. Eventually, the pain started to decrease, and so he took advantage of this to boost towards the Silver Chaos Emerald, the remaining one in a capsule, since he still needed to collect the Red one he unlocked a while ago, and also help Koco to obtain other two Emeralds before face the Titan to get the final one. Once he passed through a hell of a section just to get to the pillar where the Silver Emerald was, he noticed that Tails was already waiting there with a smirk on his face. "Why are you so happy?" Sonic asked with a smile, also approaching him. "I made a bet with Zipp on who will get here first" Tails explained. "She owns me 15 bucks now!" he added. And right at that moment, both Zipp and Pipp arrived, with Zipp groaning in frustration when she saw Tails, while he just waved his hand on a mocking way. "I told you this will happen" Pipp told Zipp with a smirk. "Bold of you to assume you can defeat the fastest thing alive's brother" she pointed out. "Ugh! Please don't say it like that!" Zipp begged. "You better pay up once we go back home, Zippy" Tails said with a smirk. Zipp groaned again, while Pipp and Sonic chuckled at her. However, Tails' attitude suddenly changed, and now he was staring at the Silver Emerald with a frown and a hand on his chin. "Hmm..." Tails muttered. "The reason we came here was because we detected the Chaos Emeralds were drawn here..." he pointed out. "Did you figured something out?" Sonic asked. "I'm trying to put the pieces together" Tails replied. "The Ancients' technology was built specifically for the Chaos Emeralds and runs on their power" he explained. "All of the Starfall Islands systems, even Cyber Space, were in a kind of stand-by mode without the Emeralds to power them since they were out of Equis for so long" Zipp added to the explanation as well. "But they returned when Sonic fall on Eggman's trap in Mobius" Pipp supposed. "And after you used them against his robot on Maretime Bay, the Emeralds must have been dragged here" she added. "Once the power supply was restored, though, someone would've had to boot up the systems and get them running" Tails finished explaining. "I think I can guess who" Sonic said with a frown. "The same pain in the ass I have to deal with almost everyday" he added with annoyance. "Uh... Sonic?" Zipp called out, standing at the border of the platform and staring at something with wide eyes. "Now that Pipp mentioned the robot... where did you sent him?" she asked. "Honestly, I don't know" Sonic shrugged. "I just threw it far away" he said. "Well, I think I know where it is now" Zipp said, pointing at something with her hoof. The rest moved towards her, and they saw at the distance the Death Egg Titan, still with its arms destroyed and completely inactive in the middle of nowhere, although it seemed to be a computer and some other materials and resources near the left 'hip' of the robot. "I can never catch a break in this place..." Sonic complained. "How is it that it's still in almost one piece, though?" Pipp questioned. "It's a good question..." Tails said. "Perhaps we should go and check it out closer" he suggested. "Sounds like a plan!" Sonic said with a smile. "But first. I'll go and recover the Emerald, so you guys can go ahead and I'll meet you there" he instructed. After that, he went to grab the Silver Emerald, making the keys appear and unlocking the Emerald, that disappeared form the capsule and appeared again, slowly descending until it landed on Sonic's hand. Then, he putted the Emerald away, and boosted from the floating platform and towards the ground. Sonic reached the Death Egg Titan, and for some reason, he felt it was even bigger than when he confronted it. "Huh" Sonic said with a frown. "I feel like it has grown bigger ever since I threw it away from Equestria" he confessed. "Yeah, it also feels a lot bigger for me too" Zipp confessed. "It looks even more entrenched than I remember" Tails pointed out as well. "I'll take a look around. Let me know if you guys find anything!" he stated, before starting to walk around the area. Sonic whistled and crossed his arms at the sight of the Death Egg Titan. "I gotta say... even if they're a struggle to take down, Eggman's machines always impress me" he confessed. "While I don't like the idea of the whole 'take over the world' thing of his, I gotta agree with you" Pipp confessed as well. "His machines are really something whenever it comes for their design" she added. "Too bad he's both a genius and an idiot" Zipp said with a smirk, making both Sonic and Pipp chuckle. "Hey guys!" Tails called out suddenly, moving his hand in a way that he instructed the other to come with him. The rest did so and they moved towards a small platform with a computer at the side of the robot. "I found this remote control panel" tails explained. "And it's still online!" he added with a smile. "Hmm..." Sonic said, rubbing his chin a bit before looking between the direction where the robot's head was pointing and the robot itself. It seemed that the Death Egg Titan was pointing towards the isolated sector of the island... where the Red Chaos Emerald was located. He smiled, with an idea popping on his mind. "Maybe I can use the robot's laser to open a path towards the Emerald on the island's sector over there" Sonic said, pointing at the island in the distance, and then he looked back at Tails. "But if it goes bad, shut it off" he instructed to him with a frown. "Consider it done!" Tails stated with his thumbs up. Then, Sonic walked towards the machine, activated his electrical powers and started to type on the computer like a maniac at super sonic speed. "Uh..." Pipp said with a raised eyebrow. "Does... Does he knows what is he doing?" Zipp asked confused. "Nope, and believe it or not, that's exactly what we need right now" Tails replied really calmed. After a while, the computer started to smoke, then Sonic made a flip backwards and the computer exploded. After that, the Death Egg Titan's head moved a bit, the eyes and mouth turned on in a red light and the eyes launched a massive laser that opened a secret path between the isolated sector and this part of the island. "Woo! That did the trick" Sonic said with a smile, walking towards the new path revealed thanks to the robot's laser. "Yup!" Tails replied, as he approached as well with Zipp and Pipp. "The laser revealed a subterranean pathway!" he pointed out. "Still, I think you should be careful, Blue Star" Pipp said with concern. "You never know what dangers you'll meet running around the path" she pointed out. "I hear that" Sonic replied with an assuring smile. "Thanks, guys! I'll see you later" he stated. After that, he boosted away and passed though the secret passage to reach the Chaos Emerald. It was complicated, but he managed to reach it at the end. Now, he was just missing the two Emeralds he always gets by helping the Koco and the one the Titan had. So, he looked after his friends and his girlfriend across the island, until he found them talking with a Koco wearing aviator glasses on their forehead. As he approached them, the Koco seemed to be worried about something, despite only making gibberish sounds, or at least that's what Sonic could hear since he does not understand the Koco. "Yo!" Sonic called out to the others, with Tails being the first one to turn towards him. "Hey" Tails greeted. "This Koco is an apprentice to their top pilot" he started to explain. "They need to find the parts to complete their final weapons" Zipp added, looking at the Koco while Sonic did the same and crossed his arms. "Something tells me you're already familiar with this by your expression" Pipp guessed. "What did you do?" she asked. "Well, I helped them out" Sonic replied calmly, separating his arms. "But isn't that... cruel?" Tails questioned with a worried expression. "Their battle is long over. This feels dishonest" he said with concern. "Tails has a point" Zipp said with a frown. "They already had their fight. Why add more salt to the wound?" she questioned. "We're not fixing the problem they think they have, but we are bringing them peace" Sonic explained. "We're helping them to finally rest, to forget about the battle that wiped out the Ancients from existence long ago" he added with a smile. "That's what a hero does, right?" he said with confidence. "Well... When you put it that way..." Tails said, thinking about Sonic's words for a while, before looking back at the Koco with a smile. "Let's get to work!" he stated with a determinate look. The Koco started to dance around him happily after hearing that, making the rest chuckle at their attitude. Eventually, the four of them and the Koco reached a lava river with a cannon not so far from there, while the Koco kept making more gibberish sounds. "We need a few more pieces, but we're having trouble finding them" Tails said with worry. "The little guy says we need enough pieces to make the cannon from over there to work properly" Zipp added. "And then he mentioned something about someone getting mad, but I honestly don't get that part" she confessed sheepishly. "Still, he says we need those pieces as soon as possible" Pipp stated with a worried frown. "Got'cha" Sonic stated with a confident smirk. "Be right back!" he added. After saying that, he boosted towards a platform in the middle of the lava river that came out of nowhere, with boxes that had tons of pieces inside. Sonic used his combat abilities like the Cyloop, the Homing Attack, Homing Shot, his bare fists and even the stomp to destroy more boxes, and he ended up collecting around 600 pieces for the Koco. Once he returned to the regular ground, away from the lava river behind him, the Green Chaos Emerald popped out suddenly. Sonic, however, smirked, with the Koco he helped out jumping excited at his side. Then, Sonic grabbed the Emerald and started to dance again, with the Koco dancing around him as well, and he finished by posing and smiling to the camera while holding the Green Chaos Emerald. After that, he walked over to the cannon, where Tails and Zipp were waiting for the Koco to use the pieces to finish the cannon. However, Sonic couldn't help but notice that Pipp was giggling a lot at his side. "What's so funny?" he asked. "S-Sorry... But that little dance you did... Oh my glitter, it was so cute!" Pipp exclaimed while flapping her wings happily. "I so wished I could have recorded you! You are such a goofball!" she added. Sonic felt a bit ashamed that Pipp saw him doing that, with his face blushing a bit. No, he didn't forgot she's his girlfriend now, but he feels ashamed when he does something that people will consider 'cute' or 'adorable' in front of her, mostly because of how she treated him now. "I-I mean... T-The Koco needed help, and the Emerald appeared, s-so..." Sonic tried to explain something, but he was feeling really nervous now. Thank Chaos Tails arrived along Zipp and the Koco. "Well, that's it" Tails said. "The cannon is complete" Zipp added. However, the Koco started to look round, and then they started to make crying noises. "Did I get the wrong parts?" Sonic questioned with a raised eyebrow. "No" Zipp shook her head with a worried expression. "Their hero didn't show" Pipp decided to explain this time. "They're worried something's happened" she added with concern. Tails looked at the Koco with sadness, since he could understood the feeling better than anyone. "It's like how I couldn't handle it after Infinite attacked" he confessed. "One wrong turn, and I fall apart..." he added with concern. Sonic's eyes went wider than ever after hearing that. "Whoa, what?!" he asked with worry and concern. Tails looked at him for a minute, before looking back at the Koco with a determinate look. "Listen to me: The others are counting on you" he pointed out to the creature, who turned to face Tails. "We're here to help, right Zipp?" he asked to her with a smile. Zipp also got worried when she heard that Tails was feeling down, but she decided to ignore it for now when she smiled back at Tails and nodded. "Right" she replied, then looked at the Koco. "It's not the time to give up, okay?" she added with confidence. The Koco smiled a bit and made happy noises at both Zipp and Tails. "In case you're wondering, they're just thanking them" Pipp muttered to Sonic, while he simply nodded as he looked at the ground, and then he looked back at Tails. "You've got me worried, Tails" Sonic confessed with a worried frown. "You wanna talk?" he asked. Tails shook his head with a smile. "Not right now" he stated. "Let's just focus on finding the remaining Emeralds" he stated. Sonic frowned more as he crossed his arms, but since Tails seemed determinate to keep going with the search, he sighed in defeat. "Alright" he replied, still feeling very worried about him. Sonic started to feel that pain again. His entire body hurt a lot, and he could tell it was either the Cyber Energy finally making a negative effect over him, or visiting Cyber Space so much not only affected his memories, but also his physical health. Still, he managed to reach the weird structure Zipp, Pipp and Tails were fixing along the Koco. The only one who seemed to feel worried about him was Pipp, because of his tired expression and the fact that he was holding his right arm. "Hey!" Tails greeted. "Almost done here. Can you take our friend and find a couple more parts?" he asked, pointing at the Koco, who was jumping excited and with a smile towards Sonic. Sonic sighed and smiled in pain. "Can do!" he assured with his thumbs up. "Blue Star?" Pipp called out. "Don't you mind if I go with you?" she asked. "Sure, Little Pipp" Sonic assured. After that, he started to walk away slowly because of the pain, moving his left arm to motion the Koco and Pipp to follow him, as the Koco jumped and rolled away happily, while Pipp followed Sonic with a worried expression. Tails waved his hand as they got away, and Zipp landed at his side, looking with a raised eyebrow at Sonic's slow paste. And then, Sage suddenly appeared at Tails' side. Tails slowly turned to see her, and jumped backwards in surprise. "Yipe!" he exclaimed. Zipp turned to his direction and saw Sage as well, immediately stepping in front of Tails in a protective way. "Miles Prower" Sage called out, disappearing and appearing again behind Tails and Zipp, who turned to face her again. "You have known Sonic most of your life" she added. Tails tilted his head confused, and Zipp opened her wings to try to intimidate Sage. "Yeah. And?" Tails asked to Sage. Sage appeared at their side once again. "Your imprisonment within Cyber Space. The defeat of the Ancients' Titans. Do you trust how he is handling it? With your life?" she asked. "And why should you care?" Zipp asked with anger. However, Sage moved again to be in front of Tails. "Of course!" he replied with a confident smile. "I'll admit he isn't perfect, but Sonic has overcome impossible odds over and over again" he explained. "I know he'll save us all!" he stated. Sage moved away, appearing at his side again. "So you're saying you have faith in him?" she asked. "More than faith, he has a life of data to back up his observations" Zipp decided to step in. "In fact, I can even backup him with data of my own" she added with a confident smile as well, while Tails at her side nodded in agreement. "Your loyalty is founded on empirical data. I can appreciate that" Sage said. "The feelings he inspires in you and the others... is that a facet of being alive?" she asked. Tails and Zipp looked at each other and shrugged as Sage was thinking on something. "And yet, all your love and loyalty will amount to nothing" Sage said suddenly. "It cannot be prevented" she added. Tails looked at her with a worried expression. "What do you mean?" he asked with concern. Sage got startled by the question and disappeared. "Perhaps it is kinder if you don't know..." she whispered. Tails and Zipp looked around, both confused and worried by Sage's words. The Koco jumped excited as it looked around for more pieces, while Sonic was limping as he placed a hand on his hip. "Blue Star..." Pipp called out. "There's something you're not telling me... why are you limping all of a sudden?" she asked. "Last time I went to Cyber Space, I didn't lost my memories" Sonic replied. "Instead... it seems it is affecting my physicality" he added with concern and pain. "Have you been––" Pipp tried to ask. "Resting?" Sonic finished for her. "Yeah... lots of, actually... but the pain remains..." he added with concern. Before Pipp could say something else, Sage appeared suddenly again, making Sonic look at her with a bored expression, while Pipp tilted her head confused. "What is your end goal?" Sage asked. Sonic raised his eyebrow at her, and tired of her crap, he decided to say something really intelligent. "Ah, it varies. Sometimes it's a spinning sign, sometimes it's a big ol' ring..." he replied with a mocking tone and smirk, causing Pipp at his side to giggle. "No!" Sage said, now with a bit of anger, startling Sonic a bit. "I mean what do you want to accomplish!" she said. Sonic rolled his eyes and groaned lowly in frustration, before looking back at Sage with his hand on his hips. "Gather up the Chaos Emeralds and save my friends" he stated with anger as well. "And you're sure that's wise?" Sage questioned. "Kinda the story of my life?" Sonic replied. "And the voice that commands you. What if it is leading you to disaster?" Sage questioned once more. "If they want to start trouble, I'll stop them too" Sonic stated with a relaxed tone. "You certainly make it sound simple" Sage replied. "But your arrogance will be your undoing" she added with a frown. "What the heck is your problem?!" Pipp asked in rage. "You think being so mysterious about this makes you better or wiser? Why not give context about what's going on? Because if you're just here to say a lot of nonsense without explaining yourself, then skedaddle!" she stated with a frown and flapping her wings madly. "There would be no point" Sage simply replied before disappearing once again. Sonic crossed his arms and looked at the sky with a bored expression, then he looked back at Pipp, who seemed to be breathing heavily after that outburst. "You okay, Little Pipp?" he asked with concern. "Yeah..." Pipp said, finally calming down a bit. "J-Just... My hoofness, what's the deal with her?" she asked, still mad, but not as much as before. "I've been wondering the same for a while now" Sonic confessed with a frown. And then, the Koco came back with them and with a new piece floating on their head. Sonic kneeled and smiled at them. "Nice find! Now let's bring it back to Tails and Zipp before they start to worry" he stated. "But what about you?" Pipp asked with concern. "I'll be fine, little Pipp" Sonic assured. "Come on, we still have work to do" he stated again, following the Koco that was already a bit ahead of them. Pipp was not so sure, but knowing that Sonic won't listen to any reason, she sighed in defeat and followed as well.