Author's notes

We meet again, critics and fans. My editor has been busy, so I had to wing it this chapter. Sorry if you spot any typos.

Shoutouts:

Captainawsum9999: Flying Demon Monkey and I have absolutely no relations. She never saw my face and I never saw hers.

She has a very busy life, working with nightshift and now having to assist someone with a baby. It's still a wonder how she manages to edit these chapters… She didn't edit this chapter because she became so busy, however.

Chocos Forever: Um… I can always go to the story's review section and check out the reviews.

To tell you something, I did guess Flying Demon's age correctly (well, I got close) when I private messaged her. I'll leave it up to you to figure it out!

.73550: I didn't play all of the Sonic games, and I heard that in one of them Sonic was brought back to life by the Chaos Emeralds. So I used that in the story. If Sonic wasn't revived in the games, then… It happened sometime in the story's past. I should have done some research, I know.

Stache 38: Sorry, I didn't find any role for The Great and Powerful Trixie in the story… I might mention her in a bonus later on, though.

And readers… STOP SUPPORTING FLASH SENTRARY! I don't care if Lauren herself is writing him, he needs to stay out of the show! There are some characters not worth redeeming. Trust me!

People, don't be scared to comment. I hardly received any comments on the last bonus… I guess no one enjoyed it.

I think it's time to fall off the cliff hanger, huh? You readers have waited long enough, it's time to continue the story.

Well… Here we go.

---

Many heroes can honestly say that they have kissed death. Whether it's facing the most powerful adversary and barely escaping by the skin of their teeth, or by escaping from a trap set by a notorious master mind. But only a few of those heroes had a true experienced death himself.

Sonic plopped to the ground and felt himself falling to the pits of darkness. The world above ceasing to exist with his life now passing from the reality he knew. Seconds felt like minutes, and those minutes painstakingly passed by him. The world of black began to consume him, wrapping itself around his spiny body.

He clearly remembered the last moments with his friends before his death, but sadness never met him… In fact, he could feel nothing.

No emotion.

No feeling.

No pain… Just darkness. He felt his very being intertwining with the world around him, becoming a part of eternity itself as his soul began to whither. The memories he once held began to slowly slip away from him, all of his friends forgotten in a matter of moments.

He couldn't even remember himself as this world began to blanket him.

Just as his eyes were beginning to close, a sudden glimmer of light began to shimmer beneath him. Barely seen, barely present in this world of darkness.

Suddenly, this light burst out in a magnificent explosion that cut the blanket around him. His eyes shot open as a wash of pure energy rushed through him. He continued fall into this light as the world around him began to glow pure white.

He felt warmth as his soul began to piece itself back into existence. As he slowly began to open his eyes, he remembered who he was and all he held dear.

The first thing his blurry eyes took in was a shape of a pony several meters away from him, crouched down with wings blazing on her side. Her mane was as colorful and bright as a rainbow, blazing with the wind with her colorful tail gently dancing behind her with a mind of its own. Sonic watched as she quickly turned her head towards him and gazed at him with her blazing vibrant cerise eyes.

His vision began to clear with his strength slowly returning back to him. He tried to open his mouth, but all that could escape was a low whisper.

"…Rainbow?"

She took in a deep breath and flapped her graceful wings, shooting towards the skies with a powerful gush of wind roaring around her. Sonic began to stagger to his feet, wobbling in place until his balance was set.

The first thing he noticed was the beasts running and flying as fast as they can away from him, scrambling in every direction in a state of panic.

(CHING!)

A flash of light burst above him, blinding the hedgehog for a few short seconds while another gush of wind struck him, almost knocking him off his feet.

"Take cover!" Someone shouted, "Hit the deck, now!"

Blinding spots that were floating in front of him faded from his sight. He felt heat intensifying in front of him, powerful winds knocking him from every side and threatening to knock him over again. Roars of shadow monsters that once covered the battlefield were being suddenly cut off.

He regained his footing and held it, finally looking around to see what was happening around him. Sonic saw a massive black cloud of smoke rising above him, stallions who were lucky enough to endure the battle lay flat on their stomachs with their hooves over their head. Even his friends were laying low.

Sonic suddenly heard a vicious roar behind him, but before he could turn around and retaliate, a flash of white blinded him. He heard the roar suddenly cut off. When he regained sight, he saw a faint color smoke residing from where the monster once stood.

He quickly followed the trail with his eyes and found the pony figure floating in the distance. Her wings were expanded twice from once they once were, and each flap gave off a powerful gust of wind that roared beneath her. There was a necklace dangling from her neck, a red lightning bolt glowing intensely.

She dart her eyes towards a second of the battle field and saw a whole sea of dark monsters hightailing towards the mountains, running and galloping as fast as they could in desperation.

Before Sonic had a chance to blink, she dived bombed from behind with her majestic wings spread as far as they could go. When she became feet from the ground, she pulled up and glide atop of the ground with her wings steady. As she neared the crowd from behind, her white wings began to glow.

With a sudden burst of speed she charged forward, another flash covering her as a blazing colorful trail of fire shot behind her. She was gone in a blink of an eye, and reappeared in front of the masses with her hooves firmly on the ground.

She glanced behind her and saw the massive crowd she charged from standing completely still with their slit eyes staring straight ahead lifelessly.

Sonic, as well as everyone else watching, gasped as the head of those monsters slide clean off their shoulders.

A massive pitch black cloud arose as the bodies of the slain toppled over. Those short enough or out of range began to scramble in random directions. The dark creatures completely ignored and passed ducking guards without a second thought.

The pegasus began to gallop towards the center of the battlefield, not paying the hedgehog or anyone else around her a bit of mind. Twilight and her friends were on the very edge of the battle, protected by rows and rows of elites with Luna standing beside them with her magic on the trigger. They were on the ground, completely back to their normalcy … But the elements around their necks were still shimmering with power. They, and everypony else around them, including Luna herself, were speechless seeing their loyal friend taking out hundreds of notorious shadow beasts that were once held in Tartarus in one simple swoop.

Rainbow spoke. She didn't shout, but her voice carried for miles around. Twilight as well as her friends could hear here as clear as day.

"Sonic," She called, not giving him a single glance while still staring at the scattering monsters, "Where is the emerald?"

He briefly looked and found the Chaos Emerald lying beside him. He quickly picked it up and looked to her.

"I want you and your friends to have everyone evacuate the area."

Sonic briefly looked towards Ponyville and turned his attention back to her.

"Now."

With Shadow coming to his remembrance, he turned tails and sprinted towards Ponyville with his emerald empowering him. He boomed passed everyone by him, leaving behind a light blue trail that faded just as quickly.

Knuckles immediately took off after him while supporting an injured Tails on his back. Amy, and every stallion and mare took alongside with him as Rainbow shot to the skies.

As the party began to approach the battlefield, they suddenly felt a force violently pulling them from behind. They became deaf to the world around them by the sound of roaring winds. While they were still running towards Ponyville, they looked back.

They saw a Twister so massive that it's base covered miles around the field. boulders that once provided stallions covered were immediately yanked into the vortex that Dash was creating by circling faster than any eye can track. So powerful were the winds, that even trees that have lived for generation after generation were slowly being teared from their embedded roots and pulled into the twister. The twister itself was made of complex series of white masses that slashed around the twister with just hints of colors glowing from within. Anything that touched the twister immediately dissipated

As the wind became more violent by the second, they saw arcs of lightening shooting wilder from the twister and striking either the ground or the clouds above. They saw a color trail of fire shoot from the vortex and straight to Ponyville… The vortex itself maintained its shape for a period of time before it dissipated.

The vortex left behind a vast plain of destruction. Trees were knocked down, rocks and pieces of earth was thrown in all four corners of the field, and the twister left behind a deep crater where it formed. There wasn't a single dark creature that survived the twister, nothing; as soon Dash began her attack it became a clear irradiation.

---

Another screech pierced through the small town as the colossal bird charged towards the floating hedgehog. Shadow teleported away just in time to dodge it, feeling the brush of wind against his spines as he reappeared. Cyber X spun around and immediately fired a series of roaring missiles towards him.

Shadow Teleported again, quickly hurling a couple of Chaos Spears to the very front missile. As the spear struck the projectile, it erupted into a great fiery explosion, setting off a chain reaction as the other missiles exploded with it. They were ponies inside their homes watching him intensely, hoping, praying that they live through this chaotic day as their 'hero' fend off anything that might come along their way.

The machine began to analyze the fight while keeping the hedgehog busy. For every projectile it fires, Shadow either rebuffs or dodges. The target was quick, fast, extremely agile, any weapons in its arsenal wouldn't even be close to his speed. The creature's power was great, off the scales to the machine's eyes, but not powerful enough to pierce its armor.

It was a stalemate, pure and simple. It couldn't damage the target and the target couldn't damage him. With information firing off in its processors at the speed of nanoseconds, it began to process the battle so far.

Then a solution formed.

With a couple of quiet beeps omitting from its eyes, the mechanical bird turned its attention from the hedgehog and scanned the buildings below, seeking for the most dense population of intelligent life forms. With its cross hairs painted on the middle of town, it rocketed upwards, increasing in altitude until it was among the clouds.

As Shadow was about to give chase, he suddenly heard a series of rocket launches and cannon fire echoing above. The hedgehog looked on as a whole blanket of heat seeking missiles and metal balls began their inevitable charge towards the small town of Ponyville.

Thinking fast, he teleported in front of the masses and yanked his two palms in front of him, channeling all of the energy he could for a blast wide enough to irradiate the threat. He saw nothing but metal and fire in front of him, the sky itself completely covered in the machine's projectiles as they began to close in on him.

"CHAOS BLAST!"

With a push, a immensely powerful yellow beam shot from his hands, covering the entire storm of metal in a blanket of energy. It was a quick shot, lasting just long enough to disintegrate everything that was coming towards him. The ground shook from the massive explosion, a large fireball forming as the weapons set off all at once. The sound of the blast was so loud that Shadow's ears rang from the explosion.

As he was letting his Chaos Energy subside, he felt a sudden, intense burning force strike his side. Shadow was instantly knocked off the air, toppling down to a clear field. Before he could regain flight, metallic talons suddenly gripped around his waist, sticking around him like a cage and firmly holding him in place. Even with his six emeralds still within him, he could not break from the bird's grasp.

With its other appendage still in a shape of a narrow cylinder, it morphed its small cannon back into its talons, using it to enforce its grip on the hedgehog. With Shadow completely trapped, it reared its head up and gapped its mouth. A low hum vibrated the open space as a small light began to appear in its mouth.

Just as it was about to unleash a beam, a blue blur struck it across the face.

The powerful beam shot off towards the sky, completely missing Shadow as he remained trapped. The machine instantly turned its head and found its main target running back towards him. The machine charged another beam, firing it and just missing it as Sonic flipped sideways. With the last emerald still in hand, he began to close in on Shadow.

The machine used its free wings to slam Sonic clean off his trail, sending him flying across the plain and into a nearby bolder. The machine kept its targeting on the blue hedgehog, reading another beam with Shadow still trapped.

Suddenly, a white flash of light zipped underneath it as something slammed onto its chest. The machine was knocked over to its back, flailing wildly in an attempt to recover.

Shadow instantly blasted to freedom and flew straight up into the air. As he looked to Cyber X with a Chaos Spear in hand, he flinched.

The machine's Talons were completely cut off, sparks shooting wildly from the gaping holes as wires dangled from its fresh wounds.

" …How?"

His question was quickly answered when another flash of white appeared before him. With his sharp eyes on watch, he saw a white, glowing pegasus charging for the machine with her hooves extended. Her mane and tail were ablaze with a rich fire that were colored from every color of the rainbow, and that fire began to engulf her as she made contact with the machine.

She hit it dead on the chest, causing the machine to unleash of screech of pain as a loud boom erupted. The pegasus flew back, and Shadow saw a large dent on the machine's armor. It only took him a second to identify the mare.

"Shadow!"

He suddenly heard a sonic boom behind him. As he turned around he found Sonic speeding towards his direction, slowing down and began to pass underneath him.

"Catch!"

A glowing Emerald was chunked towards him, dimly glowing in power as he reached for it with his hand. The emerald struck against his palm with a firm pat as he closed his fingers around it.

An all too familiar power began to overtake him as the emerald embedded itself in his body. He could feel every nerve of his body shooting off in pain as his body began to emit a dim golden aura. Shadow held the pain in as long as he could until he threw his head back and screamed to the top of his lungs. A thick, gold pulse burst forth from his body. His spikes instantly began glowing a rich yellow color with his crimson red stripes glowing with it. The seven emeralds that were separated for so long were now united again.

With the pain resided, he took in a deep breath; letting the chaos energy flow throughout his system with a pleasurable exhale with a small smile.

Rainbow Dash instantly backed away from him, even though she was several meters away from him. She never once saw so much raw energy manifest into one creature, the closest thing she saw power like this was with the elements of harmony. The power the elements gave her was great, the sensation of a power gently flowing through her like wind was the best thing she felt in her life… but there was something about Shadow's energy she didn't like. As soon as his golden color took shape, she instinctively backed away unconsciously.

Cyber X finally managed to push itself off the ground with its wings and took off to the air, already taking dead aim at Sonic as its gaping beak began to glow in power. Shadow instantly charged at the machine, leaving behind a trail of gold as a sphere began to surround him. It swung its wing at him, but it shot back as soon as it touched him.

Shadow rammed into the machine head first, sending the machine shooting across miles in the sky and into a mountain. The crash could be heard and seen for miles, tearing a huge chunk off the mountain side while the ground shook.

The hedgehog wasted no time, he teleported right in front of the machine and summoned two blazing white Chaos Spears in his hands, stretching as long as himself. The tips of those spears were as sharp as they could ever be. Before the machine had a chance to even process the new situation, Shadow lunged forward and plunged a spear right into the machine's wounded chess.

Stuck through the impenetrable armor like butter.

(SCREEEEEEEEEECH!)

Shadow yanked the spear out and stabbed it again with his other spear. Fresh oil shot from its belly, covering the hedgehog in a thin layer of black against his golden fur. With a roar cry, he began to repetitively stab the mechanical monster.

The machine shot its wings out and morphed the back of them into powerful miniature rockets. As Shadow was getting ready to deliver the final blow by sticking himself inside and rip the machine apart from the inside out, it forced itself to propel away from the mountain side. With a massive wall of metal flying towards him, Shadow teleported out of the way.

He reappeared above it and took aim at the machine's wings, rearing his spears back.

"CHAOS SLASH!"

With a powerful swing, a slash as fast light shot forward, making contact with the wings. It slashed through with a loud and definite 'shing'. The detached wings along with the machine began to fall to the ground with sparks and oil flying from its gapped sides. A fire erupted while falling, and the colossal machine crashed in a massive fireball.

The machine still struggled, waddling around in the massive field while spreading fire. Even with so much damage done to it, it still gapped its beak and began to charge another blast.

Shadow set to finally finish it off by flying above the machine and lifting his hands forwards. He began to charge his Chaos Energy to his palms. With his hands shaking and his teeth grinding, he unleashed his stored power.

"CHAOS BLAST!"

The world fell silent as his hands began to shake intensively… Then a deafening boom rang out as a blinding blast shot from his hands.

Rainbow felt a wave of heat hit against her skin as she shield her eyes. The loud blast of Shadow's attack was nothing compared to the screeching coming from the machine. From the blinding light, she could see a silhouette of something dissipating, a bird like face looking up with its beak gaped with agony.

Suddenly, Shadow retreated his hands and stopped the beam. He slowly levitated back to the ground and smiled as he observed the damage.

There was a large clump of metal laying lifelessly on the ground, a clump massive enough to cover Ponyville and its farm. There were metal still melting from the blast, trails of white smoke covering the air as the smell of fire and ash smothered the nostrils of every creature near. Shadow caught a glimpse of the Cyber X's detached head somewhere in the mass of metal.

It's eyes were still showing a hint of life as it flickered dimly... Then it flickered off completely.

Shadow stared at the machine with his golden spikes gently floating from the power of the emeralds. From the Corner of his eye, he noticed Amy, Knuckles, Tails and the rest of the ponies just staring at him.

"…It's done." Shadow mumbled, "Eggman's finest creation has finally been put to rest."

Sonic was walking towards him, more curious of the machine than his friend slash rival in his super form.

"You know about this thing?" Sonic asked.

"I was in the process of being cloned when I caught a glimpse of the blue prints for it." Shadow answered, still staring at the remains, "I first heard its name when Eggman was ranting to himself of how you constantly thwarted his plans of creating a perfect world. During my years inside his test tube, I've seen him obsessively mending metal and whatever he could find for the armor of this machine. I don't know how many years he spent on just the armor alone, but days before Rouge discovered me, I remembered seeing him smiling while holding a piece of metal on his hands… The same metal the machine used."

"How did he manage to create metal that strong, though?" Sonic asked, "

"I don't know, something about mending a certain type of crystal with diamond together," Shadow answered, "It was a hard material to bend and make, though; you've seen it withstand against six Chaos Emeralds… To make those parts morph and change like that, it must have took a lot of work to make it work."

"All I have to say that I'm glad that you're on our side." Sonic chuckled, finally turning away from the wreckage, "I couldn't imagine fighting that army and this thing at once."

"I'm on your side for my own reasons and that alone," Shadow added with a low voice, "Don't think for a second that we're friends."

Sonic rolled his eyes and walked away from him. He understood Shadow more than anyone one his team, but there were times where Shadow's reasoning is just not worth trying to prive.

The Ultimate Lifeform may believe that his whole reason for living is doing good, but he has a heart… Somewhere within his thick skull.

The blue hedgehog could finally address his dear blue pegasus with a smile and just for her pleasure… A gaping mouth with a hand plastered on his forehead.

"Rainbow!" Twilight suddenly shouted, her and the rest of the mare in a complete state of shock, "W-what happened to you!?"

The strangest thing about the whole thing was that this was the first time since transformation that Rainbow just noticed her new form. She curiously glanced down at herself and took in the sheer awesomeness her body was radiating.

Everyone braced for impact as they saw Dashie's face lit up with pure excitement only she could express.

"...Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-What the… HOLYMOTHEROF-"

Sonic and all of his friends, including Shadow, covered their ears as her amplified voice screeched in their ear drums as she squealed an shouted with joy while flying around in circles, trying to get a better view of her body.

"Rainbow!" Twilight shouted, "Rainbow!"

"THIS IS AWSOME! THIS IS SO FREAKIN AWSOME! LOOK AT ME, GUYS! LOOK AT ME! I-I-I-I DON'T- I-I CAN'T EVEN- OOOOHHHHH! THIS FEELS JUST SO AMAZING! I NEVER FELT MORE ALIVE!"

"RAINBOW DASH!" Everyone screamed together.

She stopped in mid-flight and slowly hovered back down with her hooves behind her back, giving them a cheeky smile. Tails stuck a finger in his ear and wiggled it to see if it was still functioning.

A period of silence befell between her and them for a moment. She was still in her form, glowing a brilliant white with her mane and tail blazing wildly like fire. They could only stare at her in awe as she blankly stare back at them.

Sonic was the first to break that silence.

"… Wow."

Her friends then slowly approached her, but still kept a respectable distance. They could feel a strange soothing energy radiating from her, and they closer they were, the more clear and relaxed their minds became.

"What in Celestia's name happened, Dash?" Rarity asked, breaking the strange tension further.

She and the rest just then noticed that her necklace neck was glowing crimson red.

"What is this?" Twilight asked, checking her own crown and find it not glowing in the slightest, "Why is her elements glowing and not ours. I thought the Elements of Harmony only worked if all six were present… This can't be right."

"There are things more powerful than just friendship, Twilight Sparkle."

She and the others turned around and found Luna trotting towards them.

"Princess Luna," Twilight and the other greeted with a bow.

"No need for introductions," The princess quickly dismissed, turning to the pegasus, " Rainbow Dash, do you remember what happened just moments before transforming?"

Rainbow only shook her head.

Luna nodded and trotted towards her, giving her a small smile as she stood above her, "I saw the entire fight while I was holding off on my own. Sonic was being strangled by a powerful dark being that was holding the last Chaos Emerald, shielding it from the elements that protected us and disorientated them. I was too busy protecting Twilight and the rest of your friends to intervene, but I saw you break out of your concentration and rush to his aid, disconnecting the elements. You threw yourself in front of the hedgehog just moments before it could finish him."

The princess stopped to let the pegasus take all of the information in. Her mind was still racing, demanding answers of what happened to her and what have caused her to transform into something this unimaginably awesome.

"What happened?" Rainbow persisted.

Luna could only smile as she answered her with a calm voice.

" …You died."

---

Author's notes

I know these chapters are a bit of a letdown right now, but I'm really struggling to get these things posted on time. I'm sorry that this was late, but I wanted to make sure that this chapter was half way decent.

This is getting a bit easier to write, but it's still tough trying to write these chapters.

My editor was busy, so I had to wing it. Sorry for any typos you might have found.

These things are getting rushed and I'm not happy with it… I'm sorry to disappoint some of you, but the deadlines really need to stop. If I don't have a deadline to meet, then I can take my time with these chapters. If you get worried that I'm going to abandon this, then private message me. I'll be right here with you.

The third part of the bonus is coming shortly though… It's going to be a little different.

My prayers are with my readers always.

God Bless.

Harry.

Readers... Let me know if any of you read the verses I put on here. AGAIN, THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE STORY!

"Any why do you behold the mot that is in your brother's eye, but consider not the beam that is in your own eye? Or how will you say to your brother, 'Let me pull out the mote out of your eye', and behold, a beam is in your own eye?"

Mathew 7: 3-4