//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: Preparations for Travel // Story: Sonic New World // by ColossalParadox //------------------------------// The word of Sonic spread all over Equestria like wild fire. He was on the headlines for Equestria's newspaper, Equestria Daily, for a whole straight week! He became very popular in Ponyville and was easily recognizable to all the ponies in town. The lot of them would still come up and thank him for saving the town, ask for an autograph, or ask for a menial favor from him such as "please get my kitten out of that tree" or "does this rag smell like chloroform?" Sonic was smart enough to evade that last question though and speed off down the road. He never was sure if it was a joke or not, but that was a risk he wasn't willing to take. Anyways, Sonic has been in Ponyville for one week now and in that time the most notable thing he could imagine was the "Welcome to our World" party that Pinkie threw for him, he had not seen shape nor shine of a Chaos Emerald. Twilight was nice enough to allow him to sleep at the library so that if there was a chaos emerald found in Canterlot, one of the princesses would send them a letter. They would occasionally get word from Celestia or Luna updates on how tracking down the emeralds was going, unfortunately they always got negative results. Sonic was trying to think where they could be, but the mental stress was starting to add up on Sonic because he guessed Tails must have told Amy that Sonic's hand held could work inter-dimensionally and she called every hour of everyday asking how he was, where he was at, when he would be home. It was too much for a single hedgehog. Sonic was tough though, and he was bound and determined to get home. In the library, spike was clutching his mouth trying to hold in something that must have been trying to get out. He could no longer hold and let a small burp with a puff of green smoke, a letter appearing not long after. Twilight looked up from her book, the "Universes Secrets and Possibilities of Different Worlds" Second Edition, and walked over to the letter, picking it up with her magic. She took off the royal ribbon that was wrapped around it and quickly unraveled it to see what words lie on the paper. She read the words with great anticipation to see if their searches paid off. The twinkle of hope that shone in her eye quickly disappeared as she shook her head and looked over at Sonic who was laying in one of the circular windows like a hammock. Sonic stared back at her when he was awaiting what response he would receive from her. He simply scoffed and turned his head back towards the ceiling, seeming to not be fazed by Twilight's answer. "It doesn't surprise me at this point, it has been nothing but a week's worth of disappointment, I haven't lost my hope though. I KNOW we will find them it is just that I should get out there and help look too. I have been over every inch of this town and did not spot any. I need to expand my search to farther regions than just Ponyville," Sonic said, finishing with a sigh. "Sonic," Twilight began, "we have been over why you can't go running off on your own. This is foreign land to you and there is all sorts of who knows what out there that we don't even know about. Just be patient, Celestia's guards are searching every nook and cranny of Canterlot. Even some of the citizens are helping too by looking around the city and starting campaigns to help fund the searches the guards are doing. Everypony really cares about you and really want to help you get home," Twilight finished, taking in a deep breath. Sonic sat up and turned towards twilight before saying, "And I appreciate all that your doing for me, I just feel useless and bored sitting around all the time waiting for a response that will never come. I need to get out and stretch my legs, maybe have a miniature adventure while looking for them. I feel we ne-," Sonic was cut short when a familiar ringing assaulted his ear drums. He let out a loud groan before reaching into his "back pocket" and pulled out his hand held. He answered the call and mentally rolled his eyes as the picture of a familiar pink hedgehog slowly fuzzed onto the screen. Sonic prepared himself for what was to come. "SOOOOONNNNIIIICC," Amy said in a high pitched, whining voice, "Where are you, why won't you come home? Are you really that desperate to get away from me that you would go to another WORLD?" "Amy," Sonic began, "I thought this was explained to you before by Tails, I was sent here on accident by a huge portal that Eggman built. We got into a little scuffle in his secret underground lab and I was sucked into the portal. You want more details? Go talk to Tails and he will be glad to tell you how you can BUILD a portal." Sonic switched to a sad, pleading tone, "Please Amy, do this for me, come and rescue me this time, be MY hero." Sonic stopped his fake begging and looked at Amy, she was just frozen in place in some sort of petrified state. It was a few moments later until she vigorously shook her head, finally processing what Sonic had told her. She looked Sonic straight on before talking nervously. "U-um, Sonic I have to go." Amy turned to her right and yelled," HEY TAILS, I HAVE TO TALK TO YOU FOR A SEC." After this, the image started to fade until it blanked to black. Sonic leaned back with a victorious smirk on his face and lightly tossed the hand held onto the cushion that was on his window hammock. Twilight walked up to Sonic staring at the hand held as she did. She stopped right in front of him still staring at the hand held until she turned her attention to Sonic. "So... you really don't like her, do you?" Sonic almost fell over at this accusation, shocked that she would say that. Sonic started making every possible motion with his body that meant "no" before talking. "No, no, nononono." It's not that I don't like her, it is just that she is extremely obnoxious. You see how she is, always calling everyday asking questions that I can barely give answers to. It's stressful, and being cooped up in the same town isn't helping with that. I need to get out there and explore and search. If I run into trouble, chances are I could probably take care of myself and get out of the situation. I can find them I know I can, you just got to let me try." Twilight was unsure of this. Sonic was still new to the land and she didn't feel comfortable with him going out there without any decent knowledge on the world he would be exploring. "I don't know Sonic, I just don't feel comfortable with you going out there with no knowledge of our world and what is contained. You could get really hurt, or worse." Twilight finished her sentence in a deep and dreary tone, imagining the possibilities of what could happen to Sonic, they just didn't know what to do. That is, until a certain purple and green dragon decided to speak up. "Well Twilight, if you aren't sure about Sonic going out there on his own, why don't you go with him. And the others could go too, it will be your own special search group, I bet you guys could have so much FUN!!" Spike's enthusiasm was radiating from his face. They both stared at him, amazed at the proposition. "You know," Twilight began as she turned back towards Sonic," that isn't a bad Idea. It would give us a chance to find the emeralds and me a chance to discover and study new places, Fluttershy could probably find all sorts of new animals to make friends with too. It would give Rainbow Dash a chance to have new terrain to explore and Pinkie could probably find all new types of party supplies. Rarity would probably find new gems to add to her collection and Applejack... she would probably just like to go out and see more places, I guess." Twilight finished with a sheepish grin at her last statement, honestly not knowing what Applejack would like to do. Sonic hopped down from his window and walked up to Twilight. "Alright," he began, "I guess we've got a plan then. You inform the others of what were doing and I'll go do something someplace else." Sonic zipped past Twilight and Spike and out the through the library door, leaving a transparent blue streak in his wake. Twilight and Spike blinked, Twilight's hair and Spike's scales sticking out from the back of their heads. That is something Twilight noticed about Sonic, he could be so random at times, like Pinkie Pie. They shook their heads simultaneously, still astonished at the incredible speed that the hedgehog possessed. Twilight finally came to her senses and walked over to her quill and parchment to begin writing letters to her friends to inform them of the details of the plan they devised. She knew they would all be on board with it. She told them to meet her and Sonic at the library tomorrow at 12 with everything they would need for the trip, then they would make the long trek to the train station. Sonic zoomed out to fast for her to inform him of that detail, so she would have to tell him whenever he gets back from wherever he went. Sometimes, she just couldn't understand that hedgehog. She giggled to herself at her own thoughts as she handed all the letters to Spike to be sent out to her friends. o.0.o "So, a blue hedgehog took out an entire pack of timber-wolves and easily defeated the Giga-wolf form they took on?" "Yes my Queen" "Do you have anything else to report?" "Yes, he also said that he is looking for these special gems called the chaos emeralds. From what he has said, they are very powerful items indefinitely if you gather all 7 together, but just one could do quite a bit of damage as well. He said, they turn thought and passion into power and are the only means of him getting home." "Hmm... I see. Have you anything else to say?" "No, my Queen." "Then you are dismissed." "Yes, my Queen." The changeling spy bowed to Queen Chrysalis before running out through the poorly manufactured doors of her so called "throne room." The changelings have had to construct a camp for them to live in after being banished by the love of Prince Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. The camp was pitiful and full of starving changelings, only dreaming of being able to suck the love out of everyone. Chrysalis sat up in her throne contemplating what her spy told her. She imagined if sh could get her hands on one of those things, then maybe it could really turn her life around and finally be able to feed her people. She actually began to smile at the thought of her ruling everypony and have enough food for her army to eat. Her daydream was perfect until it was interrupted by the sound of doors slamming open. She shot her eyes open to see what the commotion was about. Three guards came running in, apparently what they needed was urgent. "My Queen, My QUEEN, we request you immediate attention," the leading guard said. "WHAT IS IT YOU IDIOTS, I WAS THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING... important," Chrysalis decided to hide her daydream in fear of her subjects thinking less of her from it. "My Queen, we think-," "Oooo, thinking, that's dangerous," she retorted. "My Queen, we really think you should see this." Queen Chrysalis let out a loud groan before saying, "alright, let's get it over with." The guard nodded his head and motioned for one changeling to step forward. He was carrying what seemed like a pillow with a small cloth on top. "We found this outside the camp perimeter. We don't know what it is so we thought you might know what it may be." "You idiots." "I-I'm sorry?" The guard questioned. "If you don't know what it is then how in Equestria am I supposed to know what it is. I mean, really, do you ever stop to think for one second that-," Queen Chrysalis was cut off as the changeling holding the pillow with the cloth stepped forward and revealed it to her. He swiftly took off the cloth and shone what lay on the pillow. Queen Chrysalis stared at the foreign object in amazement. A beautiful, green, emerald shaped gem shined brightly on the black pillow the guard held. Queen Chrysalis stared at the item slack jawed for a full minute before closing her mouth and start laugh evily. The guards started to back away at this but as soon as they made a move she shot her head towards them. They stopped moving and just stared at her. Queen Chrysalis slowly regained her composure and cleared her throat. "Perhaps you idiots are more useful than I imagined," She said, as an evil grin began to spread across her face. Three very audible gulps were heard though out the room.