Sonic Forces: Resistance is Magic

by MetalJrock

Mystic Jungle: Luminous Forest (Vs Infinite)

Everyone was practically accounted for in the Resistance's base except for the soldiers currently abroad on missions. Sonic and Rainbow Dash stepped into the room, having gotten a message from Knuckles and Amy about something. The hedgehog waved, "What's going on? Am I needed for a mission again?"

Amy nodded, "Yeah. Silver and Twilight reported that the monster you fought is in Mystic Jungle guarding one of Eggman's old labs and we aren't able to contact back. We think they need backup."

Sonic smirked, "Finally. I've been meanin' to get payback for last time we met."

"That creep in the mask? Oh yeah, we'll go and kick his sorry flank together!" shouted Rainbow Dash, wanting to give that villain a piece of her mind as soon as possible.

Raising his hands, Knuckles said, "Sorry, Dash. But I think you should sit this one out."

Rainbow replied, "What? Why?! I can totally handle this!"

"I'm with Knuckles on this one, Rainbow." Sonic stated in agreement with the echidna, "We need you here just in case something goes wrong, even though I don't intend for that to happen. Can't have all of our best fighters and fastest soldiers taken out in the worst case scenario at once if you catch my drift."

The cyan pegasus understood, even though she hated being left on the sidelines. "I can't believe you're benching me." she huffed, folding her hooves and pouting.

Applejack rolled her eyes, "Quit actin' like a foal, Rainbow Dash. This isn't about you."

"This is war, Applejack! Shouldn't we all be out there kicking butt at the same time just to get it over with?" Rainbow responded.

Knuckles put his hands behind his back and shook his head, "Not at all. The point is to come up with the best strategy our enemies cannot counter in order to gain the upper hand. Eggman took over the world, Rainbow. This isn't like last time we met where we just jumped into a fight. Eggman has the advantage and it's up to us to make a sound plan with little consequences on our end. We can't just send out everyone, after all, that monster defeated Sonic once before."

Rainbow Dash spat, "Exactly! Whose to say that won't happen again?"

Sonic placed his hands on his hips and responded, "Like I said before, I don't plan on letting it happen again. I underestimated that guy last time, so it's about time I picked up my own slack."

"No offense, Sonic. But how do you intend to defeat him this time?" Rarity wondered.

Pinkie chimed in, "Yeah! He seemed super duper strong and even caught Rainbow Dash off guard! And she's the fastest pony we know."

Sonic shrugged, "I feel stronger this time. More prepared. Last time I was just expecting Egghead and a few robots, not that creep and my old foes joining forces. This time it looks like it's just him, so this should be way easier than before."

"You say that with a lot of confidence." Rarity said.

"I am confident. I'm not giving Eggman the satisfaction of breaking me physically and mentally. He tried to torture me, and it didn't work. His new minion kicked my butt? I'm still breathing and running. We already beat Zavok and Sombra, so that's less of the Eggman Empire to worry about. Eggman started a war, and we're going to end it the way we always do, and this new guy isn't going to stop me from making that happen." Sonic elaborated with a confident smile.

"Speaking if Zavok and Sombra. Didn't Sombra vanish too?" Amy questioned.

Sonic nodded, "Yeah. I'm guessing whatever the source of that strange noise is, it's warping them back to where they came from when we kick their butts."

"We heard it when that portal brought us here, so ya may be right." said Applejack.

Espio responded, "Whatever that masked being is, he definitely has a role in all of this confusion. Perhaps we'll gain more answers out on the frontlines with Silver and Twilight."

"Call it a detective's intuition." Vector added.

"Do you think so?" Fluttershy asked.

Charmy hovered in front of the meek pegasus' face, making her squeak in surprise, "Yep! That's the only explanation we have."

Sonic folded his arms, "The Chaotix are the best detectives we know, so they might be onto something here at least."

Knuckles tapped his chin, "So Sonic. Are you bringing anyone along or is this a solo mission for you? We already have soldiers at the forest prepping defenses."

"I'll let Buddy sit this one out at least. He could use a break and I don't want him getting hurt fighting whatever that person is. But I could also use some assistance just in case things get messy against him..." said Sonic mostly to himself, "Yo, Rarity. AJ. Are the two of you up for a quick mission?" he asked the unicorn and earth pony.

Applejack replied, "Yep."

"Of course I'd help in anyway. You can count on us." Rarity added.

Sonic chuckled, "Great. We'll head out in a few."

"How come they get to go but I can't?!" spat Rainbow Dash.

Espio folded his arms, "It as a decision by the commander, Rainbow Dash. Follow those orders."

The cyan pegasus rolled her eyes, "Fine..."

Pinkie wrapped a hoof around Rainbow's shoulder, "Aw, it won't be so bad, Dashie! We can talk to them and it'll be like we're really there. Doesn't that sound fun?"

"Pinkie, this isn't a game." Amy lightly chided, "Don't go screaming into their ears like you did at the Death Egg, okay?"

"Okie dokie!"

Sonic cracked his knuckles, "You two ready?" he grabbed Rarity and Applejack's hooves, "Hang on tight!"

"Hold on, what're ya doin--"

ZOOM!

A burst of blue wind covered the entire room, catching the Resistance off guard. Knuckles griped, "I wish he'd warn us when he does that, it can get real grating at times."

---

"My mane! Sonic, slow down please!"

Sonic heard Rarity's pleas and halted his run, stopping within a grassy field, letting go of the ponies. The unicorn's mane was a mess. Applejack spoke up for a moment, "It's about darn time ya stopped fer a second. Ah was gettin' tired of hearin' her whining."

Rarity touched her mane before she responded, "I was not whining, darling. I am merely trying to keep my presentable."

Sonic put his hands on his hips and raised an eye ridge, "Seriously, Rarity? We're about to fight for our lives and you're out here worrying about your mane?"

Rainbow groaned from the communicators, "She's always like that, Sonic."

"Do not think I can't hear you Rainbow Dash. A mare such as myself takes pride in her appearance after all." Rarity replied back.

"When it comes to a war like this, appearances don't matter, Rarity. Just... forget about it so we can get a move on." Knuckles scolded.

Tapping his foot impatiently, Sonic said, "Yeah, seriously. For all we know, more of Eggman's scrap piles he calls robots could be on their way here. We have to juice now."

Rarity adjusted her mane a bit more, "Give me a second."

Applejack planted a hoof onto her face, "Fer cryin' out loud!"

"Alright, let's wrap this up, Rarity. Our friends are in danger." Sonic dismissed. He grabbed her and Applejack's hooves and continued running once more.

---

The three found themselves in a jungle, filled with neon lights and ancient architecture. Sonic slowed his running, allowing the Equestrians a moment to relax. The unicorn dusted her body off, "You could warn us when you do that." she huffed.

Sonic raised an eye ridge, "I kinda did. You're kinda slowin' us down so I had to speed us up." he put a finger to his ear, "Alright, I'm at the Mystic Jungle. Any updates?"

"Um, not yet. They're still silent. I hope they're okay..." Fluttershy responded first.

Sonic said, "They're going to be, Fluttershy. I promise."

"Pinkie Promise?" Pinkie chimed in.

"Yeah, I Pinkie Promise." Sonic replied.

"Wait! You have to do the whole thing--"

Rainbow groaned, "Pinkie, not now!"

"Oops! Sorry, Sonic! We'll talk about it when you come back!" the hedgehog rolled his eyes with a smile.

Vector added, "What is she talkin' about?"

"Nothin' important fer now at least." Applejack said, getting a view of the Mystic Jungle, "Wow-ee. This place sure looks lively. Ya sure this is where Eggman put a lab in?"

Knuckles said, "We're sure Applejack. These ruins were left untouched until six months ago, when he started building here beyond his secret laboratory."

Rarity tapped her chin as she admired the architecture and buildings in the distance, "With all these neon lights, it's reminding me of Las Pegasus. I did not think the doctor to have such a design choice for a conquered land."

With a shrug, Sonic said, "Eggman's kinda had a fascination with casinos, so I'm honestly not too surprised to find one here. Hopefully we don't have to go through the more... creative parts of it cause I'm not sure how you would handle it."

"What do you mean?"

"Basically, these places tend to be filled with lifesize pinball machines, where my friends or me end up being the pinball. It can get a little disorienting, like at the Casino Park. Not to mention the slot machines I can jump into or the bingo rails." Sonic explained, "These zones can get pretty hectic."

Rarity blinked, "How in Equestria do you manage it? I'm getting sick just thinking about it."

Sonic spoke, "It's nothing I haven't done before." he gazed ahead, seeing some robots, "Heh heh. Guess Egghead did have security in this area after all." he tapped his foot, "Are you two ready?" he asked politely this time.

Rarity smirked, "Why yes I am."

"Oh brother..." bemoaned Applejack.

And so, Sonic grabbed their hooves and bolted forward, boosting through the Egg Pawns with ease. Once they were cleared, the hedgehog let them go, finding themselves on a pathway that led to three rotating platforms connected by a chain. "Is that supposed to be there?" asked Applejack.

Sonic nodded, "Yeah. My world is filled with stuff like this. If you want, I can give you two a quick boost to jump easier." he offered.

"What is it?" Rouge asked.

"Just some rotatin' platforms." Applejack said. She squinted her eyes to look beyond it, "And some more of those annoyin' robots. Ah swear I'm already gettin' tired of seein' them."

Espio said, "Well push those thoughts aside because there is a lot more outside of this region."

Sonic smiled, "We know, Espio. I'm sure you two can handle some more bot smashin' right?" the ponies nodded, "Figured as much." he turned off the comms, "So, you want me to help you over there or not?" he offered again.

Rarity waved a hoof, "Thank you for the offer Sonic, but I do believe we can make this jump."

"Ah'm with Rarity. Just bring us along fer the runnin'," Applejack agreed.

The hedgehog replied, "Alright then. Just follow my lead!"

The blue blur jumped on a platform, awaiting the Equestrians to follow him. He tapped his foot, "Just be careful." Sonic pointed down, "I really don't feel like taking the lower and slower path."

Applejack lowered her posture and made a leap, her hooves clinging onto the edge of the platform as it moved. Once she pushed herself up she exhaled in relief. "Alright, Rarity. Ya'll just have to jump." the farmpony eased her friend.

Rarity gulped, hoping that she could make it. "Um... Perhaps this wasn't the wisest idea." she saw a platform coming in from its circular rotation and then jumped, landing stomach first on the same platform as Sonic. The hedgehog helping her up, "Why thank you, Sonic."

"No problem." Sonic replied, "Just be ready for it again." he smirked, "Then it's time for action."

And so, the three jumped onto the next pathway. "We're detecting some Egg Pawns heading in your direction." Amy said.

Sonic looked ahead and saw some grey robots and said, "Yep. We see 'em." he glanced to the unicorn, "How about some magic to stall these tin cans, Rarity?"

Rarity said, "Of course."

Suddenly, the robots tried to shoot but found themselves unable to move any part of their bodies. Applejack ran ahead first and used her hindlegs to kick one of the round robots so they hit the floor. Sonic jumped and performed a Spin-Jump, bursting right through the second robot before it could even react to his presence. The speedy hedgehog rolled through a third, satisfied with the mess.

"Um, not to interrupt you. But there are more robots I think." Fluttershy warned the group.

Applejack's ear twitched, hearing some buzzing, "Yep. We hear 'em Fluttershy."

Sonic raised his head and saw some grey painted bee shaped robots heading towards them from the sky and Motobugs rolling on the ground. "Buzz Bombers. This should be a piece of cake like always." he cracked his knuckles. He performed a Homing Attack and bounced off one of the bee robots, placing his palm on one of their heads. He noticed a yellow stinger shot heading towards him and backflipped, kicking one of the other robots towards it, allowing it to take a hit. "Thanks for that." he said to the scrap.

The hedgehog curled into a ball and smashed another Buzz Bomber, uncurling at the last second to roundhouse-kick it. He looked down, seeing Applejack and Rarity fend off the Motobug assault. "Heh. I think they got that covered."

Applejack raised a hindleg and gave one of the Motobugs one of the hardest kicks she's given in a long while. Another dash towards the two Equestrians. Rarity created a barrier fast enough so that the robot crashed into it without a chance to react, breaking apart upon making contact. The farmpony said, "Nice save there, Rarity."

Rarity gave her friend an assuring nod and looked around, spotting more Motobugs charging in their direction. Sonic landed in front of the ponies and boosted right through them, ending things with a Spin-Dash. The hedgehog uncurled and smiled, "These bots are gettin' easier to break by the minute."

"Perhaps for you." the unicorn muttered.

Sonic said, "Anyway, we should move on. Silver and Twilight might need some help sooner rather than later." he extended his arms and wrapped them around the ponies' barrels, boosting through the straightaway in hopes of making up lost time.

"Woohoo!"

The hedgehog shouted as loud as he could, bursting right through the onslaught of Egg Pawns that dared to stand in his way. Sonic knew he could handle them no problem and just continued running. He couldn't afford to goof off. Not until he faced the guy who done him in all those months ago.

"Whoa, nelly!" Applejack gasped, watching the robots explode as they zipped past them, the three of them finding himself on a halfpipe surrounded by more robots.

Eventually, Sonic got closer to a ramp. However, Amy shouted something to them. "Hold on! We're detecting a large surge of life energy close to your location!"

Sonic smirked, "It's probably that masked creep. No problem. I think the three of us can handle it."

"That's not what she meant Sonic." Fluttershy chimed in.

The hedgehog raised a brow, "Then what is it?"

"Whatever it is, it's super duper huge!" described Pinkie.

Sonic boosted off a ramp, his pupils shrinking at the sight of a giant snake leaping out of the ground and hissing at them. "Oh my Celestia!" Rarity shouted. The hedgehog acted quickly and threw the two ponies aside to safety, them hitting the ground. "Ow... Again, Sonic. Could you please warn us?"

Sonic said, "Sorry for trying to save your skin!" he shouted back, running on the snake's back. The snake curled its body around and made a loop, one which Sonic ran on.

"What in tarnation got is so upset anyway?" Applejack asked.

Rouge chimed in, "The tremors and loud noises in the immediate area. It seems those were what set off the snake."

Rarity sighed, "Just our luck."

The snake bumped its body and launched Sonic, opening its mouth and devouring him. "SONIC!" the girls shouted, seeing Sonic seemingly get swallowed whole.

Applejack growled and tried leaping on the reptile's body in hopes of kicking the creature in the chin. It worked and its head recoiled in pain. The farmpony said, "Now spit out our friend there before I rough ya up some more!"

"Applejack, I do not think threatening it would work." Rarity said.

The snake roared, then jolted in pain. "Ugh. Seriously? Do you know that superfast blue hedgehogs are bad for your health?" mumbled Sonic, Spin-Dashing his way out of the snake by bouncing around in its body. The creature's head reared back and forth as random bumps appeared on its body before vanishing and appearing in another spot.

"...Sonic?" Rarity called out.

With one last bump, the snake collapsed and rolling out of its mouth was Sonic, who gagged along with the unicorn. "Yeesh. The last thing I wanted was to be someone's dinner." he shook his body in an attempt to get any spit off. The unicorn already created a forcefield with her magic to shield herself from the germs.

"Sonic, are you okay?" Amy wondered.

Sonic said, "Yep. Just had a little inside experience."

"What does that mean?" Pinkie asked.

"You don't want to know, Pinkie." Rainbow Dash muttered, "Now get your flanks to that masked creep so you can kick his butt."

Sonic whispered inaudibly, "Whatever, bossy pants." he faced the two ponies, "You girls ready? We're close to the lab."

"What are we gonna do when we find 'em?" Applejack asked.

The hedgehog replied, "Simple. First we gotta distract this guy long enough for Silver and Twilight to get a breather. I've faced this guy once before and he was tough. Then we figure out just how the heck he's as strong as he is. Maybe he'll go into one of those villainous monologues as a bonus too."

"It's a better plan than rushing in at least." Knuckles admitted.

"Told ya I learned from the Lost Hex. Trust me, that's something I don't want to repeat." Sonic responded. "Now come on, we gotta juice! We might be going dark as a heads up, by the way." he told the girls, grabbing their hooves and bolting off deeper into the jungle to the energy source.

"Good luck, you three." Knuckles said.

---

The masked being was floating across Silver and Twilight. The hedgehog was using his telekinesis to leviate, evident by the glowing teal aura covering his body. The villain folded his arms and spoke, "This wasn't a part of my agenda, but I'm always happy to crush a few heroes. It keeps the rabble in line. Shows them that there is no hope." he declared.

Silver shouted, "Does anyone but you honestly believe your lies?!"

Flying forward, the being tried to punch Silver, but his body was held back by Twilight's magic. The being's head turned to them, "Please. As if this makes a difference."

"H-Huh?!" Twilight mumbled in surprise, taken aback by the villain's speed as he disappeared ane reappeared next to her. "You teleported? How?!" she wondered.

"I am capable of many things, you pathetic pony." the masked rogue announced, raising his fist so that he uppercutted Twilight in the jaw. The alicorn growled and flipped, shooting a beam of magic at the villain, making him reel back as smoke appeared on his chest, seemingly burned for the moment.

Silver dashed and elbowed the villain, causing something to fall off his body unknown to them. "I won't let you hurt my friends." the time-traveling hedgehog declared as the stranger got his bearings. "Your reign of terror upon the innocent ends here! I will save the future!"

"Please. That blue moron and the two-tailed freak you call heroes couldn't even touch me." the stranger boasted proudly, "There is no future for you or anyone. You've proven that by being incompetent enough to let it happen." he shot a beam at Silver, knocking him into a wall then kicked him before he could react. Twilight used her magic to grab him before anymore damage could be done.

"That's not true!" Twilight shouted, blasting the villain back with a beam of magic. "Why are you doing this?"

The villain scoffed and clenched a fist, "I want to show you all just how weak you truly are. And that starts by crushing your any fraction of hope you wield." he declared smugly. He opened his palm and shot at Twilight, causing the alicorn to be blasted back and falling to the ground.

Silver kicked the villain, but the masked being pushed him back with ease. When he shook the cobwebs out of his head, he said, "As long as we're standing, our hope will never die."

Twilight nodded weakly as she stood up, "Exactly."

"Hmph. Foolishly naive as expected." the being clenched a fist and reared it back, "But a word of advice. Seeing is believing." he dashed downwards in an attempt to hit the two. However, a blue blur came down and smacked the being aside.

Sonic uncurled and stood in front of Twilight and Silver, Applejack and Rarity running next to them. "Time to tag out you two, I'll take things from here."

The masked being chuckled, "Well, look who's back from the dead. The little blue savior." he adjusted his mask, "But what's that I smell? You reek of fear. Glad to see I left an impression."

Sonic sniffed his armpits, Rarity and Applejack raising a brow at his actions. The ponies helped their friends stand while Sonic spoke to the villain floating near them. The hedgehog smugly smirked and claimed aloud, "Oh that's not fear. We kinda had to run our way over here. And you actually haven't left an impression. I don't know anything about you, not even your name!"

"You may call me Infinite. In the brief moments that remain for your pathetic existence." the villain, Infinite, revealed.

The hedgehog clapped, "Ah, see Infinite? Now we're getting to know one another! Mind if I add to this little bonding exercise?"

"Sonic, what in tarnation are ya doin'?" Applejack quietly asked through gritted teeth.

"I know what I'm doing, AJ. Just get Twilight and Silver to safety."

The blue blur cleared his throat, "Anyway, I'm gonna ask a few more questions if that's alright with you. What's your favorite color? Do you have a favorite video game? What's the source of your power? You can skip the first two questions if you like." he added under his breath.

Infinite replied, "The source of my power is none of your concern."

"Aw, but you just have to share that! I insist!" Sonic fake whined, running towards Infinite.

"Your insistence is futile, rodent!"

Suddenly, Infinite created a bright red aura that caused Sonic, Silver, Twilight, Applejack and Rarity to float. "Whoa! Wah!" Sonic gasped, flailing his arms to get his bearings.

Twilight shouted, "Sonic! What's happening?!"

"I have no idea!"

Then, Infinite shot a beam directly at the five, launching them all across the jungle. Their screams fading as they flew farther away from one another.

---

Silver, Applejack and Rarity landed on a patch of grass, their bodies tumbling before stopping. The hedgehog held his head and looked at the unicorn and earth pony, "Are you two okay?" he knelt down to see if there were any bruises on them. He was surprised to find nothing.

Applejack coughed, "A little roughed up from the fall, but it ain't nothin' I can't handle, Silver."

"Oh, my mane and fur are all covered in dirt and grass!" Rarity gasped, wiping her body off with a hoof. "Egh. I'm all sweaty too."

"Really?" Silver asked in a deadpan tone.

"She's fine. Ya'll feelin' alright? Yer looking mighty tired." Applejack responded while placing her stetson over her head.

Silver sighed, "I'm still a little drained from using my power against Infinite, but I should be well enough to help find Sonic and Twilight wherever they're at."

"What the hay did that guy do anyway?" Applejack wondered.

The time-traveler rubbed his nose and said, "I don't know, but whatever's giving him his power, it's strong enough to counter my telekinesis and Twilight's magic at the same time."

"We have to find out why that is." Rarity replied. "Sonic and Twilight could be out there alone with him."

Applejack's ear twitched as a voice echoed in her and the others' ears, "The communicators are back online? Good. Applejack, Rarity, what happened?" asked Amy. "Are Silver and Twilight safe?"

Silver said, "We're fine, Amy. We got split up from Sonic and Twilight though."

"Then find them!" Rainbow Dash ordered.

The silver hedgehog replied, "I would, but Infinite wore me out during our fight. I need a few minutes before I can fly and bring Rarity and Applejack too. My powers aren't limitless, Rainbow."

"This is why I should've gone. I would've found them in ten seconds." the pegasus mumbled.

Applejack sighed, "We're not goin' over this again, Rainbow Dash. Quit being stubborn."

Knuckles chimed in, "That's enough, Rainbow. Who's Infinite, Silver? Is it the masked psycho working with Eggman?"

Rarity nodded, "Indeed. We still don't know what makes him as strong as he is."

"We can figure that out when you're all back at HQ." Espio decided,

Silver said, "What about Sonic and Twilight?"

"If you intend to do that, just be careful." Knuckles warned.

"We gotta find 'em first. Ya'll think you can use your teleki-whatzit?" Applejack asked.

"Telekinesis." Silver corrected, "And I don't know. Rarity, can you use your magic?"

"I can try." Rarity offered. "Though I do not know my way around here."

"So we're just sittin' ducks?" Applejack grunted. "Great."

Silver raised a finger, "Not quite. We can probably help some of the soldiers here. We should go look for them."

"Soldiers?" Applejack inquired. "just how big is this?"

"Big enough to assemble an army." Silver said, "I came back in time to warn everyone and it still wasn't enough..."

"Wait. Yer a time traveller?" Applejack wondered.

The silver hedgehog replied, "Yeah. I only came back when the future is at stake though. I just wish I did a better job of it. I didn't have a lot to go by."

"Oh I remember when Twilight mentioned her endeavors with that." Rarity began to say, "You're only trying your best, Silver. It's nice that you're willing to come back to help at all."

"I guess, but is it enough? First the Ifrit, then the Time Eater, now Infinite and Eggman... Some protector I am, huh? Maybe Infinite was right about me." Silver inquired, annoyed at himself for not preventing a future disaster again.

Applejack stomped a hoof, "Alright, that's enough. Yer just startin' to speak nonsense. I'm not gonna sit here and let you brood over something you had no control over."

Silver sighed, "That's the thing, Applejack. I did have control over this. I'm from the future! But sometimes it feels like my efforts are for nothing, you know? Like I'm overall useless."

"Did you know exactly what would happen in this time?" Rarity asked.

"Well, no, but--"

"No buts, Silver." Rarity waved a hoof at that, "You didn't have enough to go by to fully prevent it, but the fact that you came back anyway and decided to help proves that you're not a burden. Nopony should ever call themselves useless."

The future hedgehog scratched his head, "How do you have that much confidence in me anyway? We just met."

Applejack added, "No one's said a bad thing about ya in the time we were here. Sonic trusts ya, and that gives us a reason to do the same. Ya'll are startin' to act like Twilight when we first met her."

"And I must say your unique powers are fascinating. Perhaps you can teach Twilight and I a few things?" Rarity offered.

"Uh, maybe. If pony magic or whatever works like that... But to hear that you trust me... It honestly makes me feel better. I felt guilty since not only was this something I came back to stop, but it also meant I was unable to stop your world from getting involved." Silver revealed, "I just thought that you wouldn't trust me..."

Applejack said, "You gave us no reason to not trust ya. We ain't mad at ya, Silver."

The silver hedgehog smiled, "Thanks. I-I needed to hear that, I guess. I promise I'll do my best. For your world of course. To make up for my mistakes."

"You already are trying your best." Rarity said with a grin.

---

Twilight flapped her wings and wrapped a hoof around Sonic's left hand, the hedgehog gripping her limb for safety as they descended towards the looping path above the burning jungle. Sonic gave the alicorn a thumbs up, "Thanks for the save, Twi."

"You're welcome, Sonic." Twilight replied, keeping flight for the moment. However, a barrage of red cubes appeared out of nowhere, hitting the alicorn directly in the face. "Ah!" this caused her to stop flapping her wings and collapse.

"Wah--!" screamed Sonic, the two of them dropping on the pathway below them. "Twilight!" the hedgehog shouted, seeing the alicorn breathing heavily and curled up. "Breathe, Twi! Breathe!" he told her as he knelt down. Twilight's pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks and continued panting, seemingly unable to hear Sonic.

Infinite began to float down, arms folded, "It seems I was right. The mind and body of a hero are truly fragile."

Sonic growled, "What did you do to her?!"

"That I cannot reveal." Infinite said, "Just be glad that her life hasn't ceased just yet."

Sonic jumped and kicked Infinite in the chest. The hedgehog dropped down and shouted, "That's it!"

"S-Sonic?"

"Twi?" Sonic called out and ran to the princess, "What happened?"

The alicorn staggered to her hooves and inhaled, "I-I don't know. It felt like I was hit with every form of offensive magic at once. I can't explain it... But it felt so real..." she murmured.

Sonic sighed in relief, "That doesn't sound good." he turned around, "You have a lot to answer for Infinite."

"As if I care. Just try to take me down, you filthy rat." Infinite ordered.

"What is it with you bad guys thinking I'm a rat? I'm a hedgehog! Is it that hard to tell?" Sonic wondered, rubbing one of his spines.

"Is now really a good time for joking?" Twilight asked.

Sonic smirked, "Someone's gotta show levity to this masked moron."

Infinite replied, "Those statements you call jokes aren't humorous. They just show just how childish you truly are."

The hedgehog started running towards Infinite, with Twilight flying right behind him. "It doesn't mean a lot coming from you, mister tall, dark and brooding. Seriously, you give Shadow a run for his money in that department."

"Ah yes, the black hedgehog. I had forgotten about him for a mere moment." Infinite stated.

Sonic leaped and missed Infinite, "Why is Shadow on your side?"

"That would spoil the surprise." Infinite said.

After saying that, Twilight shot the masked villain with a beam of magic, making him stagger back. Sonic put his arms behind his back and boosted, spotting some red cubes materializing from thin air. "What the heck is that?!"

Unfortunately, he ran into the cubes, suddenly finding his vision tinted red and lasers appearing on the path he was running. "Whoa, what did that creep do?" he wondered, moving left and right to avoid the lasers that dared stand in his way. He wasn't even sure where they came from, but then he tripped, making him blink and the red that covered his eyes was gone too.

Twilight turned her head to Sonic, who pushed himself up, "Sonic? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just got hit by the cubes like you did." Sonic answered. He shook his head, "It was weird."

"That was just a mere taste of my overwhelming power." Infinite revealed in a stoic tone, "Pray you survive this encounter."

Sonic performed a Homing Attack on Infinite and backflipped, allowing Twilight to strike the masked being with her forehooves directly to his chest. Infinite responded by throwing more cubes directly at Twilight, the alicorn getting struck down. Luckily, Sonic caught her and wrapped an arm around her.

Meanwhile, Twilight's vision went red like Sonic's. "No! No!" she screamed. Sonic wasn't able to figure out what was wrong.

"What's wrong, Twi?" Sonic asked as he turned his head, unable to see the cubes in his path. His vision was also blurred and he tripped as a result, smacking the floor chin-first. He let out a grunt and panted, feeling something hit him on his side. "Agh!" he turned seeing a projectile strike him and Twilight. He rolled and got to a knee, releasing Twilight. "Man, that was odd."

"...Ow." Twilight groaned, "What is he doing to us?"

Sonic bolted ahead towards Infinite, the masked villain attempting to create a forcefield, but the hedgehog smacked him in the head with a Homing Attack and followed up with a spin kick. "I really don't care anymore. I just want to-- Agh!" Infinite pushed him back with his powers, causing him to crash on the floor.

Twilight used her magic to lift Sonic back up before shooting a beam of magic at Infinite, stunning him long enough for Sonic to get his bearings and perform another Homing Attack, "Nice one, Twi!" he replied, landing in front of more red cubes.

"I admit, I'm rather impressed." Infinite said, "The two you have lasted longer than the fodder you call soldiers. Such a shame you will share the same fate as them."

Twilight gulped, "D-Did he just--?"

Sonic bounced over more cubes being thrown at him and hissed, "I know. It's twisted, right? It just gives me another reason to kick his stupid mask in."

The heroes encountered Infinite at the end of the path, Sonic jumping off a spring and watching as the villain cloned himself. "Whoa! Since when could he do that?!"

Twilight muttered, "I-I don't know..."

Sonic began to bounce off each of the clones, each of them vanishing upon contact. Twilight decided to blast the one in the center, making him stagger. Then Sonic decided to push him down. The hedgehog landed back on the pathway, more aware of Infinite's strategy. Twilight teleported next to Sonic and remained by his side.

The hedgehog hopped over another trail of cubes, performing a Jump Booat directly onto Infinite's chest before getting blasted back. "Wagh!" the blue blur cried out, Twilight holding him still with magic. The blue hero touched the floor and ran again. He flipped over and slid under some cubes on the floor while Twilight swerved her flight path to avoid them in midair.

"Whew." Sonic exhaled, curling into a ball and smacking Infinite again, allowing Twilight to hit him with another spell. "Hopefully we got him on the ropes." said Sonic.

The two reached the end of the looping pathway ans Infinite started to clone himself again. This time more appeared. Luckily, Sonic had enough midair momentum to reach the real deal as Twilight vaporized all the clones back to nothingness in their purple aura. The hedgehog used one more Homing Attack on Infinite and capped off the fight with one more roundhouse kick.

Twilight used her magic to keep him in midair as Infinite backflipped from the force of the attack and held his mask, "Impossible! Your abilities far exceed my previous data!"

"That's the thing, Infinite. I grow stronger every second. Having aomeone fighting by my side certainly helped too." Sonic declared as he gave Twilight a thumbs up. "Face it, by yourself you're weak."

Infinite scoffed, "I'm not weak. Quite the opposite in fact." he stretched out his arms and a red and purple aura bursted from his chest, enveloping the entire area. "And I will show you just how weak you heroes are." Sonic and Twilight fell to the ground again, allowing Infinite to expose the two to his red cubes.

Twilight was unable to move, and Infinite extended a palm. "Now it's time for the Princess of Friendship to say her farewell." Twilight closed her eyes upon hearing that and shed a tear. She was unable to do anything. Her magic didn'f work. Her body froze in what she assumed to be fear. She wasn't quite sure honestly. Whatever it was, it kept her still long enough for Infinite to attack and finish the job.

"NO!" Sonic screamed and pushing through the sudden pain he felt, jumping in front of the stunned alicorn and taking the two energy projectiles. He was launched back into the forest and landed headfirst.

The princess got her bearings and looked down, "SONIC!"

Infinite held back a laugh, "A predicactable outcome. It would honestly be a waste of my efforts to finish you here in such a pathetic state." he announced. "Face me when you're strong enough to be considered a challenge." he vanished in a light of red, ending the confrontation for the moment.

Twilight flew down to the forest where she saw Sonic fall to. She gulped, hoping her friend wasn't injured too bad. When her hooves touched the floor, she found Sonic lying unconscious on the dirt, bruises covering his body. A concerned expression overtook her features. "Oh no..." she muttered worriedly.

A quiet grumble was heard from the hedgehog. Twilight looked to the sky where Infinite was, "We have to find out what his power is. Before he causes more pain and destruction..."

But first, Twilight's concern was finding Silver, Applejack and Rarity and getting Sonic back to the HQ. Whatever Infinite was capable of, it scared her. A lot. She pushes those thoughts aside and used her magic to lift Sonic's unconscious body despite being tired herself, hoping to run into Silver soon.

They needed to figure things out soon.

Author's Note:

Morale:
The Resistance: 15%
Eggman Empire: 85%

I kinda wanted to have a moment with Silver about his time travelling, so I hope I did good with that. And Twilight's growing fears will be touched upon as we progress through the story.

And for Infinite, I'm gonna be changing his backstory. Hopefully I can have him live up to his (awesome) theme song.

As for what to expect next chapter: Classic Sonic, Tails, and Spike set out to Green Hill to confront Dr. Eggman.

Comments

[HB_DS2013]

Didn’t think Rainbow would be grating when she’s on support.

[OmniFox]

Twilight now know what she and her friends are up against.

[SonicAKG]

Nice to see you're back writing. I liked how you gave Silver more depth and included Twi and Sonic in the fight.

[sonicandmario826]

Nice fight!!! Really liked the way Infinite beat Sonic makes him more of a threat.

Going to change his backstory huh? I can understand that. I still feel there is still potential in his current backstory, but they need give more details on why he's the way he is.

Either way I just hope he gets a better resolution than he does in the game.

[Justin Mershimer]

Wonder if Buddy goes on another mission the Main 6 sees his different weapons like lightning, cube, drill, burst, asteroid, and void.

[Unicornangel1708]

Awesome chapter!

[Stardust Pie]

"Pinkie, this isn't a game." Amy lightly chided, "Don't go screaming into their ears like you did at the Death Egg, okay?"

Amy’s right. It’s a fanfic.

"NO!" Sonic screamed and pushing through the sudden pain he felt, jumping in front of the stunned alicorn and taking the two energy projectiles. He was launched back into the forest and landed headfirst.

Oh, no. Any fan of the Sonic franchise knows that somebody hitting their head and getting knocked unconscious is not a good sign. Let’s hope Sonic doesn’t end up the same way Shadow did.