//------------------------------// // 76. Letting Go // Story: Sonic The Hedgehog x My Little Pony: Tell Your Tale // by BronySonicFan //------------------------------// Sonic and Sunny were rushing at top speed towards Zephyr Heights. There were multiple reports from the pegasi city about multiple badniks and Eggman himself making chaos everywhere, all in order to catch Sonic and Sunny's attention. "Eggman disappears with no sign for a full month, and then he suddenly attacks Zephyr Heights?!" Sonic asked with a frown as he ran at top speed, while Sunny had her Alicorn form activated and kept up by flight at his side. "It's Eggman we're talking about, Sonic," Amy pointed out through Sonic's watch. In the air, the Tornado IV and the Marestream flew towards Zephyr Heights as well. The rest of the Mane 6 were flying in the Marestream, while the Mobians but Rouge and Omega travelled over the Tornado IV towards the pegasi city, and Rouge and Omega followed the two flying vehicles by flight. Why did Sonic and Sunny went ahead? To evaluate damage, and also to face Eggman already. "His last plan involved the Chaos Emeralds. He tried to steal them, and instead sent them to a parallel world where we're all humans instead of ourselves," Knuckles pointed out. "What's his plan this time if it requires destroying Zephyr Heights?" "Getting our attention, that's for sure!" Tails declared. "Dr. Eggman is too smart to not realize we'll obviously go towards him. Perhaps that's what he wants, or perhaps he has no plan at all... We can't really know until we're there." "The more time we spent talking, the more time Eggman destroys our home!" Pipp pointed out in panic and concern. "Pipp's right! We can't just stand here and wait for a miracle to stop Eggman, we have to act now, and on our own!" Zipp agreed with a frown. "Approaching to Eggman without a plan is the dumbest move to make!" Shadow pointed out, standing over the Tornado IV's wing. "We need to have a plan, or at least, some guidance on what to do!" "Well, here's a plan: Half of us supervise the damage and look out for any harmed citizens. The other half looks after Eggman and takes him down before this actually turns into a problem we cannot control. Does that sound good?!" Sonic asked through his watch. Both the rest of the Mane 6 and the Mobians muttered their agreements, while both the Marestream and the Tornado IV boosted faster towards the pegasi city. Meanwhile, Sonic and Sunny arrived to Zephyr Heights already. The sight before them was atrocious: Several badniks all around the place, ponies running away in panic, shops and homes destroyed. Heck, there even was fire around the city. Eggman could not be seen anywhere close, but his machines causing this much damage was already a sign that he was in the area. "I can't believe Eggman has made this much damage already..." Sunny said with concern and low ears. "Well, I can," Sonic said with a frown. "Eggman never feels it's enough with one time, so he tries again, and again, and again, until it works for him." "Even at the coast of innocents lives?!" Sunny asked with worry and an anxious expression. "To Eggman? There's not such a thing as 'innocent lives'," Sonic replied with concern, then he looked over at his watch. "Guys, the coast is full of badniks, but there's not sign of Eggman yet." "Roger that. We're looking for a safe place to land. We'll go with you in a minute!" Tails replied. "Be careful out there, guys! Eggman could be anywhere!" Hitch plead with a worried tone. "Roger that, Sheriff. Tails," Sonic replied, then ended the call. "Come on, Sunny. Let's get the coast free of badniks!" "Right behind ya, brother!" Sunny said with a smirk. With that, Sonic and Sunny launched themselves to destroy the badniks in their way. It wasn't any difficult to destroy them since, well, they're badniks, not Eggman's current machine to defeat. Sonic Spin Dashed, used Homing Shots and even Wild Rushed towards the enemies, while Sunny blasted them away with her magic, and even managed to make some 'Loop Kicks' on her own, although they were more 'Loop Punches' since she used her front hooves to make the attacks. However, Sunny came to a stop after a while and realized that something was... odd about all this invasion. If Zephyr Heights was under attack, why weren't Haven's Royal Guards around? "Um, Sonic? Something's not right here..." Sunny tried to point out, but the moment she called out Sonic, he didn't replied, which concerned her. "Sonic?" She turned back where he used to be, just for her eyes to widen when she realized he wasn't there anymore. "S-Sonic?!" Sunny called out again in panic. "Sonic, if this is some kind of joke, is not funny!" But the joke's on her, because the ground suddenly cracked, and she was falling through a hole while screaming. She desperately tried to flap her wings to fly up, but her Alicorn form suddenly disappeared, and as much as she tried to make it return, it simply didn't responded. She then groaned in pain when she hit the ground with her body, then shook her head and slowly stood up, just to find herself looking in a mirror, while everything else around was just a dark background. "A... mirror?" Sunny said confused, then she slowly approached her reflection and place a hoof over the crystal, but since she touched it and didn't traversed it like she thought she would, she simply stood back. "Is not the magic portal mirror to that human dimension Sonic went to recover the Chaos Emeralds. Is just... a mirror..." Well, that's what she thought at first, because her reflection suddenly smirked and stepped out of the mirror. "What the hay?!" Sunny exclaimed out loud in panic, stepping even more back after seeing this. "What's the matter, Sunny? Can't handle seeing yourself?" Sunny's reflection said with a grin, which only made Sunny feel awkward. "...What's going on?" Sunny asked, now feeling very confused. "I'll tell you what's going on, Sunny..." Sunny's reflection replied, but now with a frown and anger. "You're still fighting that nonsensical mission your Dad started many moons ago, and for what? Lead ponykind to the same non-ending cycle where just one wrong move is enough to put the three races against each other, meaning this entire fight for 'friendship' is useless? Do you seriously want to be the butt of the joke of your own hometown for the rest of your life?" "...Uh-huh... I'm sorry, is this another one of Eggman's tricks to destroy my moral?" Sunny asked with a deadpan and a raised eyebrow. "If so, tell him the first time worked flawlessly, but it's gonna take him more if he wants to catch me with my guard down ever again." With that said, Sunny turned around and walked away... But then her reflection started to laugh sinisterly. "Oh, is that so?" Sunny's reflection said, and Sunny turned around to see that her reflection's eyes changed into yellow, before her entire body was covered by a dark cloud. "Then why do you still have this same nightmare?" "Uh, this is... not the nightmare..." Sunny pointed out. "We're not in––" Yet before she could finish talking, her eyes widened when she realized that she was back into Eggman's lab... But she was not being the one beaten up. Instead, she saw the entire play of Eggman beating the crap out of her in front of her friends though some kind of third person point of view. "W-What is this..." Sunny said concerned. "This is what you fear the most, Sunny. What you can't still get over with," Her reflection, which strangely disappeared, replied, as her voice echoed. "Your body might sleep and feel at ease... But your mind? That one hasn't forgotten about this. And don't even get me started with the Metal Virus thing and how almost all your friends turned into Zombots." Now, she was looking at Zombot Hitch, Zombot Sparky, Zombot Shadow, Zombot Rouge, Zombot Amy, Zombot Izzy, Zombot Knuckles, Zombot Sonic, Zombot Pipp, and other Zombots actually approaching her. "Your fears are still consuming you," Her voice echoed around. "T-That's not true!" Sunny said in panic, but then Zombot Hitch grabbed her flank and hugged it, while other Zombots also grabbed her, making her squeal in fear. "You fear loosing your friends with something like the virus again... You fear beating defeated and not strong enough to protect those you care for..." Her voice still echoed. "You want this fears to go away? Destroy the source of your defeat..." "N-No!" Sunny cried out scared, while the Zombots consumed her and the Metal Virus extended through her body. "Destroy the source of the Metal Virus!" Her voice echoes, this time more feral. "L-Let me go!" She tried to demand to the Zombots consuming her. "Destroy the very problem that hasn't left your world alone ever since it arrived!" Her voice echoed, and now it was distorting with a male and deep voice. "S-Stop it!" Sunny shouted in anger and pain, tears rolling down her cheeks. "DESTROY. DOCTOR. EGGMAN!!!" Her voice shouted loud and clear in anger. As her voice shouted this, the Metal Virus stopped spreading across her body, making her form change to have orange metallic skin, yellow eyes with red sclera, spikes near her hooves, sharped teeth, and a loud roar that made her feel like a beast instead of herself... Sunny managed to take a deep breath and wake up in time, breathing heavily. She was still laying on her bed as she woke up, thankfully, then she decided to sit on her bed and look around. Everyone else was sleeping, and that made her feel calmed and relieved. She lay on her bed again and stared at the ceiling with concern. This was, like, the third or fourth time that she has dreamed about Eggman attacking someplace in Equestria, just for herself to literally talk to her and try to demoralize her again. She thought it'll be nothing, but maybe she's wrong. "...I'll go see Dr. Andy in the morning. I hope he can help me..." Sunny said with a sigh, then drifted back to sleep. In the morning, and just like she said she would, she went to visit Dr. Andy with Hitch and Sparky. Sunny decided to enter alone, though, and while Hitch protested at first, he eventually agreed to let her go alone. The therapist decided to listen carefully to Sunny and her recent dreams about her own reflection trying to convince her that 'destroying' Eggman is the only way she can stop feeling so concerned. Andy himself turned into a Zombot, and he remembers nothing about it (thankfully), but hearing from Sunny how terrible it was for her to see her beloved friends turn into Zombots definitely made him feel lucky for not remember anything, but he also could see where Sunny's concern was coming from. "...And then, the dream ended with me turning into a Zombot, while my own voice said that I had to destroy Eggman to stop feeling so afraid," Sunny finished explaining with a sigh. "Is the third –or fourth time– that I dream with that same dream, and... I'm worried it could lead me to do something I don't want to!" "Mmm-hmm..." Andy muttered as he wrote down on his notes. "And what do you want to do, Sunny? Last time you were here, you said you wouldn't doubt in beating the crap out of him. Judging by how you speak, you have encountered him after that session, but you didn't did what you said you would, did you?" "I... No," Sunny replied. After all, last time she saw him, she and her friends had to join forces with him in order to stop The End of destroying Equis. "Let's just say that the last time I saw him, we had to join forces in order to keep the planet safe. Is a long story, and I'd rather spare the trauma to you, doc. I just... I'm not sure what do I want to do anymore." "The reason why Sonic and Eggman are enemies is because they're too similar," Sunny kept explaining. "None of them give up, they don't take a no as an answer, and even if they make the same moves while fighting, they somehow always manage to be unpredictable. How can I stop an unstoppable force?!" "I think I know what's gotten into you, Sunny," Andy said, putting his notes down. "You still have a grudge against him for his actions. Not only to you, but also to your friends. A fear of lost has grown into you because of that, the fear of loosing those you care for the most, but above all... A fear of loosing yourself, of become something you don't want to be." Sunny gasped a bit after hearing this, perhaps because it actually sounds like what's gotten into her. "In order to let go of that grudge, you may have to find the source of that fear after all," Andy pointed out, but noticing Sunny's pale look and widened eyes, he realized he said that in the wrong way. "Let me rephrase that: You have to find Eggman and face your fear. Not 'destroy him' like your inner voice tells you. Just show him that you don't fear him anymore." "Oh. Yeah, that actually sounds better than what I thought you were suggesting..." Sunny said relieved and sighed. "So I have to confront Eggman and show him what I'm made of... Sounds simple enough." "Right, it sounds simple. But is it really?" Andy questioned. "That's something you'll have to discover on your own, Sunny." "Well, at least now I know what to do," Sunny said with a smile. "Thanks again, Doc. I'm really glad I came to see you." Sunny and Hitch exited the place and head towards the Brighthouse again. Yet, as they walked ahead, Hitch couldn't help but notice that Sunny was thinking deeply about something. He wondered if he should help, but then realized that questioning it was stupid. So, Hitch cleared his throat, and that called Sunny's attention, since her ears perked up and she turned to him. "You've been really quiet ever since we left the clinic, Sunny," Hitch pointed out with concern. "Are you okay?" "Um, I guess?" Sunny replied uncertainly. "In all honesty, I'm kind of concerned for what I must do..." "You mean, the whole thing of facing Eggman like Dr. Andy said?" Hitch asked. "I personally think that's not the smartest idea, but I also know that you can take care of yourself. You are an Alicorn, after all. Is just... I don't want you to feel scared in front of that guy, you know? It was bad enough that I couldn't do anything for you being right there..." Hitch looked down to the floor in concern and sadness, something Sparky noticed, because he walked over his father's back and hugged his neck. Sunny noticed his attitude as well, and she went over to nuzzle with him, an action they always did between each other when one was feeling down. "Hitch, I know that what Eggman did to me affected you just as much as it affected me and the rest of our friends..." Sunny began to explain. "But you said it yourself! I'm an Alicorn, and I know for sure that I can face Eggman on my own." "I know, that Sunny," Hitch said, still feeling concerned. "Is just... I was there when Eggman put his hands on you. Trapped, but there anyways. The idea of something similar happening when I'm not there to help you... It terrifies me. I lost my parents already way before meeting them... I don't know what I'll do if I loose you, too." Sunny blushed a lot after hearing this, but she also smiled warmly. "Aw, Hitchy..." She said happily, giving the stallion a side hug with joy. "I'm gonna be okay. And you know why? Because I have a lot in Equestria to fight for, in order to defeat that old man. I know where to attack, and how to make it clear that I'm not the same Sunny he defeated that one time." "So you'll go on your own against him?" Hitch asked, still feeling concerned. "I must if I want to let my fear go," Sunny declared. "Besides, if I'm the one that confronts him already, Sonic, Tails and Shadow will finally stop saying they're the ones that will beat the crap out of him." "You know I would go with them too, right?" Hitch asked with a smirk. Sunny giggled, making the Sheriff's heart melt with joy. "I know, Hitchy~" She said, kissing his cheek softly, making him go entirely red. "I just think it's time I'm the one that fights my own battles. I can't have you or the other boys always fighting for me. Is time I'm the one that stands up for myself." "Well... I have the feeling there's no way to talk you out if this, so I wish you good luck, Sunny," Hitch stated with a smile. "Be careful, and... please come back to us... To me..." Sunny did heard that last sentence that Hitch thought he only whispered to himself, so she smiled and kissed his cheek once again, making the Sheriff blush a lot again. Then, Sparky babbled as he extended his little arms to Sunny, and she knew what he wanted to do. "Aww, don't worry, my beautiful baby!" She cooed, picking him up with her hooves and nuzzling with him, while Sparky babbled again and nuzzled back with her. "Mama will be back with you, okay? Just stay with your papa and be a good boy." Hitch felt his heart melting again at how motherly Sunny acted with Sparky. Not that he minded, nor that he had a choice. After all, Sparky calls Sunny his 'Mama', and Sunny really liked to be Sparky's Mom, so who is he to deny that joy to her childhood friend and not-so-secret crush, as well as to his adopted baby dragon? "Okay. Good luck out there, Sunny. Whatever you plan to call his attention, I really hope it works and won't end bad," Hitch stated. "Thanks, Hitch," Sunny said with a smile, then she activated her Alicorn form. "I'll be out for two, maybe three hours. If I'm not back by launch time, gather everypony else and go look after me." With that being said, Sunny spread her wings and took off, then flew at fast paste towards a certain direction, far away of Maretime Bay. Hitch only stared in said direction and sighed concerned. "I hope you truly know what you're doing, Sunny," Hitch muttered to himself. Eggman was holding a book on his hands, one of the many he could steal from Opaline. He was reading about a powerful artifact that could literally tear apart the wall that separates this reality from any other one, a power that can afford him the ability to travel across universes. However, just when he was about to get into some interesting details about said artifact, his computer sent an alert that call his attention. He put the book aside, using a separator on the last page he read before closing it, then approached to his computer and checked what was the alert about. It turned out to be an alert from the very same basement he was turned into a Zombot, and the image showed Sunny shutting down all the cameras except one, where she instead stick a note. "To Eggman. Meet me in the daisy field where we beat your Egg Beater decoy. Signed: Sunny." Eggman raised an eyebrow confused. Why was Sunny, out of all his enemies, the one that wanted to meet him? This was strange, sure, but he'll be lying if he said he wasn't intrigued to see where this was leading. So, without hesitation, he left Sage in charge and left... But he took one of his machines with him, just in case. Sunny was sitting down on a daisy field with her eyes closed. This field was special, at least to her. Is where she and her friends travelled through while heading towards Bridlewood to get the Unicorn Crystal in order to restore magic back to Equestria. Is also the place where Sonic first woke up when he arrived... Well, he actually woke up in the tree, but it's a part of the field, so it definitely counts. The field might be just another one of the many fields that are in Equestria, but to Sunny? Is a crucial part of her story with her friends. It was peaceful at first, but said peace faded away once she heard an engine roaring and the wind blowing her mane, which crazy moved around because of it. She opened her eyes and looked on front of her with a frown: There was a big red robot with silver legs in front of her. Said robot had, as usual, Eggman's face on it, it was being piloted by Eggman himself, but it also had a couple of removable spike-like hands that he could shoot at his objectives. "Well, well, well... But if it isn't Sunny Starscout!" Eggman said from inside the Egg Pulveriser, the machine's name, with a mocking tone. "I'm honestly surprised – and kind of honored – that you decided to meet me instead of waiting for my next move. What do I own the pleasure?" No response. Sunny said nothing to him, which confused him. She simply stared daggers at him, but remained quiet. This was new for Eggman, but instead of complaining, he instead choose to try something else. "What's the matter? Did the cat eat your tongue?" Eggman mocked up. "Or are you terrified of looking at me after my little number over you? I mean, I did swap the floor with your body, and your friends were witnesses! Can't believe you're still standing here, fighting for that hopeless dream of your father. Is sad watching suck potential being wasted." No response again. In fact, Sunny didn't even flinched when he mentioned what he did to her, nor that her father's dream was hopeless. She simply kept staring at him, and now, Eggman started to worry. He wasn't used to this much quiet when he mocked up his enemies. What was Sunny's goal? "Come on, now, Starscout. Don't leave me hanging over here," Eggman begged. "Or what? Are you expecting me to apologize? Well, get yourself comfy, because you're gonna wait that apology for the rest of your life. After all, I'm not wrong! Your dream and your father's of a unified world is gonna die along with the dreamer!" "...Maybe you're right," Sunny finally spoke, and of course that she took Eggman off guard. Of all the things he expected her to say first, her agreeing with him was not even close to what he expected. "One day, I'll die, and so will my friends," Sunny said, but her serious expression remained intact. "When that happens, it might take years, months, weeks, or even just days for somepony to make everypony else split each into their own group again... But that's not a problem that I have to fix." "...What?" Eggman said, now completely confused. "The future is mysterious for us all," Sunny pointed out. "No one knows what's gonna happen. But honestly? If ponykind splits up again, that won't be a problem I'll take care of because I won't allow it to happen as along as I live. My dad believed in the current Equestria we live now, and I won't let you, nor Opaline, nor anyone to destroy that dream. You're welcome to try, Eggman, but know this: As long as me and my friends live, as long as we're still around, we'll stop you, Opaline, and anyone that stand in our way to make a better world." Eggman growled in anger after hearing all of this. "And then what?! You'll fight for this purposeless dream and then die to avoid watch how all your life's work be worth nothing in the end?!" "Sounds like someone wants to reflect their own failures on someone else," Sunny quipped with a smirk. Eggman's eyes widened after hearing Sunny's counter, since he didn't expected it. "...What?" "You told me that you tried to make a name by the legal way, and it didn't worked, so you turned into this," Sunny reminded, but she kept smirking. "Only those with a weak will surrender to evil thoughts the way you did, Ivo." "W-What are you––" Eggman tried to say, but barely any word could come out of his mouth. "You destroy cities, terrorize people, attempt to build an empire where you are on top... And yet you fail all the same, each time more miserably than the previous one," Sunny kept talking. "You try so hard to prove that anything you've ever done in your sad, pathetic and miserable life is worth it, but no one really cares. You seek so desperately for something you'll never get: Approval, from those who once doubted you." "S-Stop it... Shut it! Don't make me––" Eggman said, now feeling rage boiling his blood. "But in the end, you loose. Time and time again, you keep loosing the battle, and no matter how hard you keep trying, it never is enough, is it?" Sunny asked. "In the end, you always realize the truth: You can play and act like an 'evil genius' all that you want, but we both know that you'll never be anything more than a sad old man that dreams bigger, but reaches lower..." "Shut up already!" Eggman said with anger, now trembling in rage and covering his face with his hands, as he tried to do something, anything to stop hearing her... But he couldn't. "That no one truly cares for him..." Sunny kept talking. "That he has no real friends because he's too busy thinking about himself and an empire that will never rise..." "Starscout, I swear to Chaos that if you don't shut up, I'll––" Eggman tried to threat her. Big mistake. "You'll what? Sent your machines against me? Press a button on your low-budget Hulk costume to kill me?" Sunny quipped mockingly. "I'm not afraid of you, Eggman. Not anymore. And honestly? I doubt I'll ever feel afraid of someone that's not the big man on campus he claims he is!" That was the last straw in Eggman's patience, so he launched himself on the Egg Pulveriser against her, while Sunny made her Alicorn form appear and she boosted to the air, dodging the machine. After that, she took a dive towards the upper zone of the machine and hit it. Eggman groaned, then he made the machine from the torso to the top turn around and shoot one of the spiked hands against Sunny, but she instead made a loop in the air and kicked the hand with her tail. This sent the hand back to Eggman himself, hitting the machine again. The doctor pulled his own mustache in rage, so he then shoot both spiked hands against her. He believed she couldn't dodge them both. Yet he made a big mistake: He underestimated Sunny, because the Alicorn mare repeated the same trick from before and returned one of the spiked hands against him. The other one, however, she allowed it to follow her, because she started to fly around at top speed, while the remaining hand chased her. Eggman managed to dodge the first hand, even putting it back on place on his machine... However, his mistake was to turn around and give his back to the enemy, therefore lowering his guard. With this, Sunny smirked and dive bak to him, with the other hand still following her. When Eggman turned around again, he was hit by a laser blast that Sunny launched from her horn. Not being enough, she quickly flew up, while the other hand hit the machine and made it start to fail. "No, no, no, no!" Eggman cried out in anger, then he pressed a button that destroyed the legs, while the chest, head and arms remained floating in the air. "Now let's see how good you do after this, Starscout!" He laughed like a maniac, while a couple of arm that twirl over and above the remaining chest of the Egg Pulveriser attached to said machine. These arms have spikes everywhere, and now the machine could fly like Sunny to chase her around, but this fact didn't seemed to bother her. "You really are a pain in the flank, Eggman..." Sunny deadpanned, then she headed towards the machine. Eggman boosted towards her as well, but Sunny simply teleported away, confusing the doctor. Then, she reappeared right below the machine and kicked it, making it crazily twirl around in the air. Finally, Sunny finished off the machine, and therefore defeated Eggman, by flying higher than the machine, and then kick it towards the ground, destroying the machine and kicking Eggman out of it over his Eggmobile, which rolled in the ground for a bit before it came to a stop. Eggman got out of the Eggmobile with a dizzy expression, his head spinning, while his face was a bit burned. However, when he noticed Sunny landing in front of him, and he panicked. "O-Okay, okay! I get it now! I'm the loser here! No need to get more violent!" Eggman cried out in panic. "You think I can get as low as you, Eggman?" Sunny deadpanned. "Sure, I can make you regret all your choices in life, but actually put a hoof over you? Perhaps you haven't studied me that well." She smirked. "S-So that's it? You destroy my machine as it usually happens, a-a-and then you leave?!" Eggman asked with disbelief. "Yup. That's it. I have no desire to harm you anymore than I already have, Eggman, because I'm not like you, and I'm really glad and happy to say that I'll never will," Sunny declared. "Is really low to hit someone who's on disadvantage, but is even lower if that someone repeats the exact same treatment to their bully, even if it's deserved." With that said, Eggman sighed relieved, and Sunny turned around and spread her wings to leave, but first... "Let me tell you something, Eggman... Next time you show up in my home? Don't expect me to go easy on you," Sunny warned, then she looked over her shoulder at him with anger. "I'm not as sunny as usual when I'm mad, and you don't want to meet me mad. Understood?" Eggman gulped in fear, and he nodded at the Earth Pony mare. Sunny nodded back, then she took flight and boosted towards the Crystal Brighthouse, leaving behind a stunned doctor Eggman that could barely understand how he didn't died today, but was glad about the fact anyways. He looked at his now destroyed Egg Pulveriser, then at the direction Sunny flew away, and he snorted with a grin. He lost and felt terrified, true, but it was still a very good fight. "I can't wait for our next encounter, Sunny Starscout!" Eggman grinned and laughed maniacally. THE END...?