Author's notes

Well, back on the saddle again. I tried to talk to my mother about buying one of those adorable MLP plushies online, but alas, she would not be persuaded.

I've been looking into those things too. Let me tell you, for a brand made plushie, they're pretty freakin expensive! One of those cheap knock offs at Walmart cost 11 bucks! I'm not forking that kind of money that looked like it had its tail and mane stylized by a shredder. I don't mind paying good money for good products, like Burnout Paradise I bought not too long ago. Paid seven bucks for it online, and I wish that I at least paid twenty… It was fun!

I was eyeing the mlp plushies by 4th dimension entertainment on Amazon. Readers, I dare you to go look it up; they are the most accurate and adorable plushies on the market. I took one look at them and went 'DAAAWWWWW!'. It's twenty dollars, though… But if you REALLY want one or plan to give it as a gift, then go ahead. I'm even thinking about buying one with my own money.

Shoutouts:

SnugglyNimbus: Yea, I didn't think blood was going to be necessary. I was going to go into greater detail, but I read what I already had and figured it was unnecessary. I think blood as ketchup; put a little on a chicken and it adds flavor, but put too much and you'll only taste the ketchup.

Cyan Quartz: Well, robotifying is a word now! See this, readers? We made a new word!… Only here in fanfiction.

AngelCake20: *Fangirl Scream* Ah, sweet music.

I had a guess tell me of a story of a girl that met his perfect dream guy on a brony server on Gmod… That's fantastic, mate! Just be sure to be careful, this fandom also attracts some unsavory characters. I would advise using skype or another video program to determine if he's legit. Meeting somewhere public like a fast food joint or a café isn't a bad idea either.

Uh… Anyways, back to fanfiction.

---

It wasn't just the ponies that have to deal with the irregular phenomenon of not having the sun up on the appointed time, animals were having just as much difficulty adjusting with a missing sun, especially for nocturnal creatures. With no set 'schedule' for sleep, it's difficult for them to fall asleep. Because of a missing sun, their natural instincts were telling them to go asleep, even though they know that the moon was supposed to settle at a fixed time. Because animals couldn't tell whether to fall asleep or not, it results in rather random behavior. Some become groggy, while some become hyper… Others become aggressive.

Fluttershy has to cope with this fact for several different animals in her own home. There wasn't a second of rest of her since she came back. As soon as she stepped through the door she was greeted by a small riot of little creatures with bags underneath their eyes. Even though it was only a handful were having their tantrum party (thankfully the bear preferred to sleep the night away), the house itself was already beyond recognition. It took her back breaking hours before it could even be remotely clean, not to mention that these animals had to be caged.

She stumbled upstairs with her body covered in dust and scratches. The thought of a shower didn't even cross her mind; she wanted rest, and she wanted it now.

When she opened her door, however; she was greeted by not only a bed, but also a very steamed little white rabbit with it's giant foot tapping the ground with a large empty bowl in front of him.

"I-I'm sorry, Angel," She panted, passing him and gently throwing herself on the bed, "My whole body is aching. C-can't you wait?"

Of course, the hungry rabbit didn't take this news too lightly. It grabbed the bowl and threw it beside the tired pegasus.

"Please," She asked, "Just wait… Just a quick five minute break."

Angel rolled its eyes and grabbed the bowl beside her, marching to the door and swinging it open with a slam.

"Oh, please," She pleaded, "Don't try to fix it by your-"

And the door slammed behind it with a quite echo. She could only hope that it doesn't make too big of a mess, because the last time it tried to handle itself in the house it-

*crash!*

Left a huge mess for her to clean up. The rabbit came back with a huge, nervous smile on its face. Fluttershy took in a deep breath, knowing that she has another mess to clean up.

"Just… Sit with me until I get up. I know I left you with only a day worth of food, but I didn't know I would be gone for this long."

Angel just shrugged its shoulders dismissively and took a seat on the floor. Fluttershy saw the rabbit staring up at her curiously, it not just a hint of impatience of having a floor that now needs to be mopped. As the pegasus began to catch her breath, she saw her rabbit suddenly froze stiff with wide weary eyes gazing over her shoulder. She instantly took notice, catching a mix of surprise and fear from the little rabbit.

"What is it?" She nervously asked.

Angel slowly pointed over her shoulder to a window. Cautiously, Fluttershy slowly turned her head to peer what was lurking outside. At first glance, she saw nothing; just her own chicken cope and the Everfree Forest looming at the edge of her property. Almost immediately, however; she noticed a silhouette standing on a nearby tree. It had long legs with spikes pointing upwards from its back, with something shining on its ankles and wrist. The figure was looking away towards the distance, but she instantly recognized who this figure was.

Shadow.

He wasn't far away from where she sat, in fact the nearest tree he was standing on was just a good stone throw away. Her sense of security was instantly shattered; Equestia's most notorious and hated figure was loitering around her house. She found herself fearful and curious of this figure… What's he doing here? The pegasus could only watch as he stood motionless, staring at the town ahead.

The window was slightly ajar, enough for her eye to peer through and not be obstructed. She was at an angle, but the side of his face was in full view to her. His eyes were sharp, calculating; his arms were crossed with legs stiff as a board; a stance that demanded respect and proudly radiance discipline. He was intimidating to no end.

But after a short moment of studying him, however; they saw his body relax, just slightly. His head lowered and his eyes closed. They saw his stomach inflate and deflate when he took in a deep, sharp breath. He opened his eyes back and glanced at the city again, again crossing his arms. Fluttershy saw remorse in those eyes, even from where she sat; she could see it all over him.

She felt something more than fear when gazing at him now… It was pity.

She never liked him in the slightest; he was brute, heartless, a cold blooded killer that has no regard for life. He has caused so much pain to so many ponies, there was no way she would care if he was suffering, but as her heart remained true to her own element, she felt pushed to go outside and at least give him company.

He doesn't deserve it, it's justice if he's suffering alone. My friends hate him, Equestia hates him… What would he do to me if I were to approach him? Would he be just as vicious towards my friends?

She then remembered when he used the seven Chaos Emeralds to save Ponyville from total destruction. Sonic and his friends seem to have some kind of relationship with him. They defend him no matter what he seems to do. They know that he needlessly killed Royal Guards when going after Celestia, yet they still stuck by him. Maybe there's more to him than she or her friends know; there has to be a reason Sonic would do so much to defend him. She knows just a bit of his background from what his friends told, but it didn't change her or the other's opinion.

It only took a quick minute for her to give in and confront him. Cursing her own element, she quietly trot out the front door and 'tiptoed' her way around the house. When she came around the corner she saw him in full view. Even standing outside she could only make out a silhouette of him, with only his sharp eyes being in view.

Still unnoticed, she slowly and cautiously approached him. As he continued to observe the town, his closed his eyes and again took in another deep breath. His body became heavy, with his head drooped down to an almost depressing level. He took his hand and pressed it against his temple; shaking it. Whatever guard the pegasus had dropped, her extreme dislike towards him disappeared for a moment. This individual was in pain, containing his sorrows and guilt for no stranger to see.

As she continued to approach him, she heard a twig snap underneath her. Shadow's body instantly stiffed and his head jolted towards where she was at. Before she knew it, she was staring into Shadow's sharp, blazing eyes that froze the pegasus right where she stood. She never felt such fear rush into her so suddenly and fast by anyone. Those eyes demanded respect, and they gripped her very core.

She shook off as much of the intimidation as she could and at least tried to be a little presentable.

"I-I'm sorry to disturb you, but… What are you doing in my back yard?"

He took his menacing eyes off of her and stared back at the town ahead. She was no threat to him, not even worth scaring off, "This is a strategic post. Your house sits on a hill that overlooks the town, and it's not that far away from where I stand. If it were to come under attack, I'll only be a dash away."

His direct answer to her came as a surprise. She thought of her house ever being a watch pose. Once she thought about it, though; it did make sense. The town could be clearly seen from where she stood, and with Shadow standing on a tree branch, he could probably see the streets below. She then remembered the comment he said when Celestia was dying in the hospital, and the thought made her blood boil.

"I thought you didn't care."

He continued to observe the town, didn't even care to look back at the pony, "My purpose is to benefit life. If it includes protecting you and the other sorry carcasses that populate this planet, then I'll fulfil my duty."

There was an icy tone to his voice, but… From what Fluttershy saw earlier, she could have sworn what he's doing is putting on a type of façade. From the time the mares had their first unfortunate conversation with him to now, they believed him to be nothing more but a vengeful spirit with a heart of ice. What she saw moments ago while inside, there had to be more to him.

"You're awfully dedicated to your work." She softly spoke, "I've heard what you did when that bird attacked this town. They say that you put yourself in the line of fire for their sake."

"If the ponies below me were to die," He quickly answered, "Then I wouldn't have fulfilled my purpose. I thought I have explained myself to you."

He was becoming agitated and she knew it. There had to be some way to establish ground with him, and maybe she can get somewhere by just talking to him.

"You like being alone?"

Again, he quickly answered her without giving her so much as a glance, "I never saw the point of being someone's company. Establishing friendship only smears judgment when it's direly needed."

"But does it bother you to be alone?" She asked.

"Never bothered me." He snorted, showing just a hint of a grin, "Sonic always depends on it when he's pushed to his limits… I never needed it."

"But would it be better if there was someone with you?" She continued, "Like, someone who can trust your deepest feelings with and be comforted? Would it be nice to have someone to fall back on?"

"To show weakness? I think not." He gave her a snare that made her shiver, "Now leave me, unless I make you."

Even though her meekness and fear screamed for her to go back inside, she bravely stood her ground. Humbly, she continued to speak to him.

"Why do you hide yourself from others?"

She saw his ears point straight up when she asked. He didn't turn his head to look at her, but she knew she had his attention.

"Hide?" He asked, "What nonsense do you mean?"

"That stern and mean attitude you show when you're around others," She explained, "It may have fooled my friends, but it's not fooling me."

She jumped when he suddenly teleported down and reappeared on the ground, facing her with his fists clutched. He snarled, showing a sharp tooth that poked out of his lips.

"You think I'm trying to trick ponies? I don't need to trick anyone into thinking that I'm strong." Fluttershy trembled as he approached her, "You know nothing about me, pony. You've never experienced life as I have. I've worked for a government that used me for my power and later try to kill me for it. I've saved my planet for certain destruction from an alien race. I've seen many lives saved, and many lives lost. I've killed people with my bear hands, I've threw my life on the line countless of times to save people that were never worth saving." Fluttershy fell backwards and landed on her haunches. He drew very close to her face, staring her down with blazing eyes, "You… Know… Nothing."

She could only remain silent as she slowly backed away from him with her tail tucked between her legs. He was right, she knew nothing about his life, and she felt ashamed for confronting him in the first place. What was she thinking that he would open up to her? Once she felt the grip of fear leave from her, she slowly turned around and began walking away from him. She was scared of what he might do to her if she persisted. Shadow resumed his watch, staring at the town below with ever watchful eyes… But there was one thing she learned, though.

He had feelings. Somewhere in that cold, chastised heart of his is a weeping hedgehog. She could only guess what that hedgehog was weeping over. Maybe it's from being alone, maybe it's from the massacre. She'll have to go back inside for now and let him be. Before leaving him, however; she wanted to make one last remark.

"… There was a mare and her fowl in Ponyville," She suddenly spoke, "They lost their father while seeking for the fourth emerald. They loved their father, there wasn't a single day they didn't think about him. I believe he was one of the guards you killed."

She didn't glance back, but she felt his glair hover over her.

"I met these two just a couple of days ago. They talked about how they nearly lost their lives during that attack. If I recall correctly, they saw you intercept a barrage of flying metal that exploded just outside of their house. The fowl drew a picture of you saving their house, and do you know what he said before I they left?"

Shadow kept quiet.

"He said that you were his hero. The fowl even galloped away from his mother and asked Sonic if you were around. He wanted to thank you for what you did. He said he didn't care what others thought, you were his hero."

Without looking back, she simply left; going back inside her cottage to finish up what business she had before going to bed. Shadow, for a long time, blankly stared towards her direction after she left. His breaths were long, and he felt his chest become heavy after hearing her last statement before leaving. With his fists clutched and his eyes shut tight, he teleported away before she could see him again.

---

Canterlot

Just when Sonic and the others managed to catch a break, they were called back to the capital in the event of Shining Armor's disappearance. None of the guards noticed that their captain went missing, even hours later. It was when his break was over was when they felt something was wrong. They knew that no one in charge was ever late during active duty, especially Shining Armor during a time like this. A large search team has been summoned, but after thirty minutes of investigating and back tracking, they couldn't find him. They even searched his rest house and couldn't even find a single clue of what happened to him… It was as if he simply vanished out of thin air.

Tails and Rainbow were flying with the Wonderbolts, circling around the capital and outwards in hopes of finding something suspicious. Amy, Knuckles, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Applejack, and Rarity were asking every stallion and mare they found that was near the rest house and on the paths there. Sonic has zipped through every single valley that Canterlot had, quickly searching for anything out of place. It only took him a few minutes to achieve this, and he regrouped back to the front of the hospital where most of the Royal Guards were stationed. Nobles were completely confused of what was going on, and he felt a couple of those eyes glancing at him and the guards around him. No one told any citizen of what happened; the last thing they needed was the capital to panic. Two elites greeted him, flanked by four other Guards and two pegasi.

"Anything?" One of the elites asked him.

"Nothing." Sonic answered them with urgency in his voice, "Are you sure no one infiltrated this city?"

"We checked high and low," A pegasus answered, "There are absolutely no signs of any intrusions. All of our stallions were busy protecting the princess from further harm while she recovered, someone must have snuck right pass us and covered their tracks while we were busy." He cast his head down in shame, "We are a pitiful excuses for Royal Guards; we should have kept a closer eye on our brothers."

"Don't beat yourself down for it," Sonic said to him, looking up at Celestia's room above, "How is Princess Celestia? I heard she was finally moving up and about."

"She's finally out of bed, but only just," An elite answered him, "She still has trouble standing on her four hooves, and I've heard that she's been sleeping most of the time."

"Least she's doing better," He mumbled, "And what about Twilight? Is she still with her? How is she doing?"

The stallions were giving each other glances, "Well, she…" The stallion speaking awkwardly paused, "Was doing alright until-"

They suddenly heard the hospital doors slam open behind them. The stallions jumped and heard loud, frequent panting and huffing while the sound of fast gallops clicked.

"Did they find him!?" They heard Twilight shout at a nearby guard, "Where is he!? Where did he go!? Why didn't anypony kept watch of him!?"

The guards that were talking to Sonic turned around and they suddenly saw two large, purple, soggy, twitchy, and tiresome eyes staring right at them. Sonic nearly jumped when those eyes homed on him.

"Sonic," She shouted, breathing heavily with much panic in her voice, "Tell me you found him, please; oh please in the name of Celestia tell me you found him!"

He fearfully shook his head no and gave her the most sympathetic look he could give her. She blankly stared at her mind tried to process the reality that her big brother have gone missing. The unicorn passed him and began to slowly trot away from him, trembling and shaking.

Did she get any sleep at all since she stayed here? Sonic thought.

He couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She's been through the trauma of witnessing a loved one die, staying in the hospital with Celestia in fear of losing her again; most likely keeping herself awake with worry, and to top it off, her brother went missing. He walked up to her and put a hand on her back. He had to say something to cheer her up.

"It's going to be okay," He said, suddenly finding it very awkward to talk to her. Where was Tails when he needed him? "We're going to find your brother, I'm sure he's fine."

She suddenly spun around and raised her voice, making the hedgehog jump back with surprise, "How do you know!? How can you say that my brother is doing hunky dory when he just disappeared without a trace!? I don't know how you slobs could let my brother just disappear in the middle of this bucking city!?"

This was the very first time he saw Twilight snap, ever since he arrived here, "Listen, we-"

"Don't tell me anything!" She shouted. Nearby guards began to glance towards their direction, "You sound like you don't even care! 'I'm sure he's fine', yea, throw that at me like it'll make me feel better! Stallions don't disappear like this, Sonic! Especially my brother!"

"We're doing everything we can to find him, Twilight!" Sonic shouted back, "We have half of the freakin' army looking for him and I sped through this city more than once in search for clues! What do you mean that I don't care? He means just as much to the Royal Guards as he does to you!"

She stared silently at him while her hunches suddenly plopped to the ground. She slowly lowered her head, letting fresh tears drip from her cheeks as she hides her face.

"I- I'm so sorry," She choked, "I... I don't know what came over me. I didn't mean anything I said, Honest."

Sonic took in a deep breath and sighed, it wasn't like what she said didn't hurt him, "… Forget about it."

Twilight whipped the tears and specks out of her eyes and looked up at him, controlling her breathing, "I- I'm just so tired, I couldn't sleep since I arrived here... I can't even think straight right now. I-I don't want to lose her again, I can't leave her until I'm absolutely sure nothing else will happen to her."

"Nothing else will," He assured her, with several guards around them nodding with him, "Will it make you feel any better if I were to go inside and watch her; let you go home and try to rest?"

She shook her head, "I-I don't know if I could do that."

"You can trust me," Sonic said, "I have the seven Chaos Emeralds; as long as I breath, nothing will touch her."

Twilight, with bags rolled underneath her eyes and her body limping from exhaustion, stood in silence for a solid minute while her tired mind try to ease itself of letting Celestia out of sight. She knew she could trust him, if there was anyone else that was more compassionate about another life, it would be no one else but him. With a deep breath, almost yawning, she nodded.

"Just tell me if anything happens," She said, using whatever energy she had left to charge a teleportation spell, "I trust you."

With a rather messy poof, she disappeared in a flash of purple. When she was gone, Sonic decided to use his earpiece to contact Tails to see if he could stop by the library and give her company. It's a shame all of her friends were busy.

"Tails," Sonic called, hearing rushing wind on the other end, "Anything came up?"

"We're now making a final sweep through the Everfree Forest," Tails quickly answered, "I tell you, Sonic; I have never seen anything like this before. You sure he didn't wander off somewhere and just got lost?"

"And abandon his post?" Sonic huffed, "Never."

"That's the only conclusion I could come up with," Tails sighed, "We had the best detectives checking every spot he could have possibly been. There's no evidence that this was a kidnapping."

Sonic shook his head, "Anyways, I was wondering if you could stop by Twilight's when you're done, give her a little company."

"She's back home?" Tails asked, surprised.

"Yea, but she's a wreck. She didn't get any sleep since Celestia arrived, and to top that off; her brother went suddenly missing," Sonic sighed, "She could really use you, man. All of her friends are busy."

"S-sure," Tails answered, now concern, "I'll stop by as soon as we make our rounds. Over and out."

The feedback stopped as Sonic's earpiece became completely silent. He hated that all of this even happened, Twilight was going through enough already and her brother's life could be on the line. Do these things happen just by chance; a string of bad coincidences tying themselves together as the days march on? No one else seem to have these kinds of problems. Except maybe his friends every now and then back home… Rarely.

He wondered if Dashie and the other five mares have the same problem. He heard a couple of stories, defeating Nightmare Moon with the power of friendship, subduing a god by rediscovering their friendship, and fending off a Imperialistic queen. They couldn't even take credit for the last one, with Shining Armor's and Cadence's… Love… Thingy. Corniest crap he's ever heard.

When he thought about it, these ponies have it easy! They only know about Eggman and Shadow, and they think they are the worst thing that's ever happened. He didn't tell them about the story of Perfect Chaos, an event that wiped out an entire race except for Knuckles, and countless of people drowned when the monster just appeared in Station Square. More died in the crossfire when he fought it.

Those elements, well; the bound between Twilight and the rest of her friends really, are the only thing standing between their race and doom. What would happen if someone in the group were to have a fight, or suddenly decide to break up? At least the Chaos Emeralds can be wield by him and Shadow under any circumstances, and even can be harnessed with the right equipment, but the elements are nothing but chunks of diamond and metal if they don't keep their friendships intact. Discord knew that, and he came so close to taking over not to long ago.

He could talk to Twilight about it when everything settles down; maybe there's more to it than what he's seeing… But the thought disturbs him. Their world is more vulnerable than he realized.

I swear, if Celestia didn't have the wisdom as she does now, He thought, these ponies would be either enslaved or extinct a long time ago.

He tried to push all of these thoughts aside and focus on the task on hand. There's nothing in the capital he could look at, and he promised Twilight that he'll look after Celestia while she's away. Shaking his head with his fingers pinching his temples, he jogged to the hospital so he could maybe accompany the princess if she wanted it. Celestia politely but quickly dismissed him when he came in her room, so he left and took a seat outside. She could always call if she wanted anything.

Suddenly, as he was about to become comfortable, he heard a loud explosion outside that shook the entire hospital to its core. The windows behind him suddenly burst outward from the shock, spreading shards of glass all over the hallway like a shotgun blast. He felt scraps from the back of his head, but the sudden pain immediately dispersed when he jumped out the window while drawing a portion of the emeralds' power. He struck the concrete on his foot and knee with one hand stretched out and touching the ground, creating a small crater beneath him as the fur and spines on his began to slowly glow gold.

He looked up and saw several unicorn guards creating a thick shield around the hospital, unconveniently blocking the hedgehog. He didn't want to shatter the only mean of ensured defense of the princess, so he simply waited until he can figure out what was happening. The barrier hazed his vision, but he was able to make out silhouettes outside. He saw eight stallion figures facing away from him, staring down at something that he couldn't see in front of them. Two pegasi that were hovering above nosedived into the threat, but two very quick laser shots from the attacker immediately knocked them out of the air, sending them dropping unconscious to the ground.

As the eight stallions began to lower their heads and point their horns towards the threat, a powerful force that Sonic felt through his feet shook the ground. He saw a sudden and large crack appear roughly in the middle of the pack, knocking them off balance by surprise and sent them tumbling either on their chests or sides. When Sonic saw the silhouette of the attacker… It shocked him.

A unicorn!? He thought.

He suddenly saw what looked like Knuckles rushing in with his fist drawn back, and the mysterious figure managed to dodge a head shot by mere seconds. As it dodged, though; it was sent hurling wildly towards a nearby building by a large hammer, causing dust to fly wildly outwards around the area of impact. Amy withdrew her hammer over her shoulder, with Knuckles walking just behind her.

"Looks like only one threat," He mumbled, "If I stick close to the hospital, I can block any attacks."

Immediately, he flew straight to the air with a boom; shattering the shield like glass as he effortlessly shot through it. It didn't take him long to find smoke where the unicorn landed, and aggravated friends staring at him from below.

"I know it's just one machine," Knuckles shouted, "But at least save us the trouble by blowing it up with your freakin' emeralds!"

Machine?, "Sorry, I was behind the shield when it attacked."

"So!?"

"I didn't want to charge in there while leaving Celestia open!"

In a matter of seconds, Pinkie to zip to the scene with a party cannon ready, closely followed by Applejack with a lasso in her mouth with Rarity charging her horn. Fluttershy, however; kept her distance, not going to make herself known to the enemy unless necessary. She wasn't as strong as the others were; a head on fight would put her at a disadvantage.

"Aw, just one?" Pinkie groaned, "What's Eggman thinking bringing just one of his friends to a party?"

"Oh, don't worry about that, Pinkie Pie," Rarity growled, readying a powerful levitation spell, "We'll still have fun… We can send the remains to that fat basterd as a gift."

Amy was taking cautious steps towards the thick cloud of dust that kept the enemy hidden. There has to be a reason why Eggman will send just one robot after them, especially if he knows that Sonic has all of the seven Chaos Emeralds. Neither she or Knuckles didn't had a good chance to get a look at the robot. When it attacked, all they comprehended was metal and jumped on it without a second thought.

This was way too easy. She looked to her side and found Knuckles having the same thought.

"It's been uh wile since I git ta hog-tie a varmit," Applejack gleefully stated as she began swinging her rope above her, "You girls just stand dere an' let me bringim' in!"

Knuckles shook his head, "What a second, AJ; something's not right."

"Whadya mean?" She snorted, "Dis is gonna be easier than applepie!"

"That's the point," Amy immediately answered, "Something's wrong. He would have brought an Army if this was an attack."

This made Applejack lower her rope while the others glanced at them, "Whut are you gettin' at?"

"It's simply too easy," Knuckles said, "You ponies never fought Eggman like we have. He's psychotic, unpredictable, delusional, but a true master mind among the human race. If he would send just one robot after us, he has a plan behind it. Every time we brought him down, he always tries to bring someone down with him. That machine could be a trap."

Sonic was still hovering in the air, peering into the cloud of dust in hopes of finally identifying what this threat was. His eyes were sharpen thanks to the emeralds' power, and as the dust settled just enough for him to peer into. He saw the enemy as clear as day… And gasped.

"So we just wait until that repulsive thing decides to attack again?" Rarity snorted.

"Until the dust settles at least," Knuckles answered, "I don't want anyone getting hurt."

Thankfully, the cloud of dust that misted in front of them began to subtly clear. They could only make out a silhouette, but its form was becoming clearer and clearer by the second. The three ponies recoiled back slightly from surprise.

"Uh robot that looks like a unicorn?" Applejack asked.

They suddenly felt a powerful presence behind them, and one quick glance later, they saw Sonic hovering towards their side. His eyes were as wide as saucers with his mouth gapped; slowly shaking his head.

"That's no robot… That's a hostage."

The dust began to finally let down and almost dissipate entirely, coloring the silhouette and revealing the mysterious unicorn. It's body was covered from head to hoof with layers of slanted armor, with the first layer of metallic metal colored grey with its outer compartments colored in a deep crimson red. The top layers were filled mostly around its stomach and legs, with pointed tips curving around its stomach and back. They were sharp joint that stuck upwards from its joints on its legs, while leaving a soft underbelly on the opposite end. If it bent its knees, the sharp point will be pointed outwards; still giving it complete mobility. It's tail was tucked in within its armor, replaced in its steed are two small holes that stuck out from its flanks. The hooves themselves were fitted with metal boots that are attached to its armor, probably thicker than anywhere else on its body. The group noticed heated pads fitted underneath its hooves, too much like Shadow's.

What really grabbed their attention, though; were its eyes. They weren't robotic, not made of lights or anything crafted by human hands, they were real. Red cracks could be seen around its corners with pupils dilated and shaking, quickly glancing at each pony before looking at Sonic and the others. The group saw its eyes watering with tears; unable to blink.

"What… Tha… Hay." Applejack mumbled.

The ponies could not bear the thought of someone actually inside of it. They refuse to acknowledge it, they don't want to think that a living, breathing thing is actually trapped inside that body. Before anyone could make a move, a small metal plate suddenly popped out of the robot's back. It landed right in front of them, and flipped open to reveal a small circular device inside. A hologram suddenly appeared, flashing Eggman's signal before an antennae popped on the side, causing the screen to go static. After a second, it began to broadcast live from where it came. Eggman's face appeared, comfortably sitting on a cushioned chair with his hands cupped together.

"Good evening, ponies and others, " He greeted himself with a blank expression on his face, "I believe we need to have a little chat."

The three mares blankly stared at him while Sonic, Knuckles, and Amy gave him a death stare.

"Who are you?" Rarity asked.

"Surely you should know my name by now. My name is Doctor Robotnik."

Sonic instantly zipped up and leaned awfully close to the screen, "Don't start this crap now! Who did you trap inside that suit!?"

"Now, Sonic," Robotnik sighed, "I shouldn't push this if I were you," He grabbed a remote and flashed it to the group. It only had one button, and on it was a white skull with crossbones beneath it, "One push of this and my unit behind me will explode with enough force and power to consume this entire capital. You'll be the only one alive while the rest of your friends dissipate." He slowly smiled, "We wouldn't want that now, would we?"

Holding in his breath, he slowly levitated away from the screen with his arms crossed. Robotnik continued his speech, wiping his own smile off his face.

"To answer your question, Sonic; I believe what I have behind me is a highly ranked official of this kingdom," He stood up and walked off screen for a moment. The group heard shuffling of papers for a second, then the doctor returned on screen, "Does the name Shining Armor ring a bell to any of you?"

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Author's notes

Sorry this was late… Again... Once I hit a wall, that's it; a chapter gets knocked back a month no matter how much effort I put in.

Deadline: The next chapter will be short, but I'm praying to God that I can get it published in a week… If I can keep my hands away from Dark Souls 2 long enough, it shouldn't be a problem. If you haven't played the game, then what's wrong with you? Go to Amazon and get it! It's set in a beautiful open world and you get to explore every inch of it. I didn't mind the dark and eerie setting and story behind it (although my mother has problems with that), but it's a challenge I haven't had in a while.

I just bought a new book on how to draw, and I thought for a moment that I FINALLY got the concepts down. Nope, still can't draw what I want… I have four how to draw books, watched several youtube videos, including Markcrilley, and nothing's doing it for me. I've been drawing for three years and I still can't utilize it. I'll have to wait until I find a teacher, I don't have a choice. :(

I'll be praying for yawl, and if it can be helped, I could use a prayer too.

Harry

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O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his ways past finding out! For who had known the Mind of the Lord? or who has been His counsellor? Or who has first given to Him and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of Him, and through Him and to Him, are all things to Whom be Glory forever. Amen.

Romans 12: 33-36