Sonic: Friendship is Eternal Ch. 38

Luna's Torment

Espio glared at Metal Sonic and Gilda, shuriken already in hand ready to attack. Metal Sonic pointed his finger at Espio and fired a small laser, knocking the shuriken out of his hand. Espio shook his hand in pain, inhaling sharply through gritted teeth.

"Move aside" he said before charging toward him and grabbing him by the neck before tossing him aside. His gaze now rested on Pinkie Pie, she could swear a sick grin was on his cold metal expressionless face.

"Your ability to sense an even within the near future, I shall have it" he said, reaching out to grab her. She felt her pinkie sense go off just before the sound of something hitting Metal's hand was heard. A kunai knife was lodged in the back of his hand, some sparks of electricity crackling around the impact point. Metal pulled out the kunai and threw it to the ground before feeling himself being attacked from seemingly nothing. His legs were soon swept from beneath him and he hit the ground hard. Espio stood there, his camouflage fading.

"You won't lay a hand on her" he said. Metal stood quickly and punched Espio in the face, sending him into the wall of the hospital. Metal turned his cold gaze to Pinkie, starting toward her again. She felt her tail twitch and dove back. Metal was wondering why and soon had his answer in the form of a green croc dropping on top of him.

"What's up bolt brain?" Vector asked before picking him up and starting to swing him around like an Olympic hammer tosser. After a few spins he let go, launching the robot into and through a tree. Metal stood up and dusted himself off.

"Gilda! Hold them off! I need her data!" he said before going for Pinkie again. Gilda nodded and went toward Vector, tackling him. Charmy was up above, having been the one who air delivered the crocodile. He zoomed down quickly and managed to latch onto Metal's face, cutting off his sight and causing him to careen off course. Charmy looked behind him and saw a wall getting closer, jumping off Metal's face just in time to see the bot run face first into it. He chuckled to himself about having done a good job.

"Annoying little pest!" Metal said, managing to zap Charmy with a laser. The bee fell to the ground, groaning in pain and frustration.

Gilda was laughing as she used her ability to fly to her advantage. Diving in fast and hitting Vector before going back up and out of reach. Vector growled at her, racking his brain at how to best her. Just then an idea hit him, a move he used to help them get through the Starblazers at Slinky Spy's base.

"Bubble Bombs!" he shouted before opening his jaw and releasing multiple purple bubble gum bubbles at Gilda, they floated harmlessly around her and she just laughed.

"That's all you got?!"

"Wait for it…" Vector said before a bubble exploded, sending her into another which then exploded. She was being tossed around like a ball in a pinball machine before the final one exploded and sent her to the ground.

"Red leader, read leader. Bogey is down, I say again bogey is down." He said with a grin.
Metal grabbed hold of Pinkie, his scanner doing its job and copying her data. Espio stood up and ran toward them, throwing several shuriken at Metal Sonic.

"Black Shield!" Metal said before that black prism surrounded him and Pinkie, preventing the shurikens from hitting him. Espio stopped short of the two of them, gritting his teeth in frustration.

"Dammit" he said under his breath, not knowing what to do to get through the shield. Next thing he knew he could hear a battle cry of sorts ring through the air, as if it was the answer to his dilemma. Pinkie's tail was twitching as this happened, Metal's scanner recording and copying it. Amy dropped in from above, striking the shield with her hammer, enough to break it. Metal was shocked by this, turning to face her before Cheese the chao latched onto his face, cutting off his sight and causing him to release Pinkie.

"Get off me!" he shouted, reaching up and grabbing the chao. He pulled him off and turned in time to see Amy's hammer just before it collided with the side of his head. He released Cheese as the impact sent him flying into a building and destroying the wall he went through.

"Oopsie…" Amy said when she realized she just took out a building's wall inadvertently. The other's sweat dropped at that.

Metal got up and made his way back to them, "you all just keep coming out of the damned woodwork" he said, holding out his hand and firing a laser that hit Amy. She groaned from the hit, colliding with a tree and falling down, her hammer landing beside her.

"I should take up pest control, I'm so good at squashing determinate vermin" he said with a laugh. "Now then, let's put this data to use. Integration System Initiate!" he said before his circuits and processors began to use the data they collected to make it his own. Laughing as he encased himself in a black shield to prevent interruption as he did this.

"Damn…" Espio said, knowing this was bad. Cream landed beside Pinkie, "are you alright?" she asked. Pinkie nodded, smiling at her.

Metal kept laughing as the integration got closer to completing the process. Just as it hit 99% his laughter stopped.

"What?...what is? That's…that's not possible…how…when the….whaaaaaaaa?!" his concern seemed to turn to agony as he gripped his head before an explosion occurred, destroying the shield. Metal stood there, smoke coming from his eye panels, ears and some cracks in his head from the explosion.

"Data Expunged…" Metal said in some form of relief before falling to his knees. Gilda went over to him, concerned as to what happened. Pinkie then got an idea, she pulled out her party cannon and aimed it at them.

"Bye bye!" she said before firing it, the explosion sending Gilda and Metal flying a good distance away. Long beyond Ponyville that's for sure.

Canterlot Palace

"It's nice to see all of you again" Celestia said, glad they were all okay. "However, things haven't been good in your absence"

"What has happened?" Twilight asked.

"It's Luna. Seems something occurred in the dead of night, she's very troubled by it." she said, worry lacing her voice.

"it was Stargazer, he came here in the night." Luna said rather sleepily as she walked up beside her sister.

"Luna. Are you sure you're well enough to" she was cut off by Luna's hoof being raised.

"they must hear this, I must tell them. I must tell you" she said before putting her hoof down and turning to the others.

"Stargazer…he is the reason for Nightmare Moon. I indeed felt saddened by the citizens sleeping during my night and playing during Celestia's day. But that never once made me want to make night eternal. Until Stargazer appeared, he began to fill my head with lies…and like a fool…I believed them to be true."

"but why?" Twilight asked.

"he never drilled it into my head, he just offhandedly mentioned it, as if it were common knowledge or it shouldn't bother me. But it did, I let it get to me and soon jealousy overtook me and I became Nightmare Moon."

//oh come on! if you're gonna tell them the story of how I was born you should sound more happy. I am after all a blessing// Nightmare said in Luna's head. Luna gritted her teeth.

//you are no blessing…monster// she said back.

//oh please, stop trying to deny what you know to be true// Nightmare said. Luna could picture that sick grin of hers in the back of her mind.

"Luna?" Celestia asked, noticing the unrest in her sister. Luna sighed sadly.

"even now the Nightmare plagues me." She said sadly before heading to her room.
"is there anything we can do?" Twilight asked after Luna had left.

"I wish there was, but this is something she must deal with on her own…all we can do is let her know we are here for her." Celestia said sadly.

That Night

Trixie was outside, taking in the cool night air through her nostrils. Her mind processing all that she has learned about what is going on.

"certainly in a quite a big mess" she said with a small chuckle to herself.

"my oh my, the element of humility. A seventh to Harmony. Why are you out here alone?" came the voice of Stargazer as he walked out in front of her. "don't you know it's dangerous?" he asked with a sick grin on his face. Trixie got into a defensive stance, glaring at him.

"feisty aren't we?" he asked from right beside her. Her eyes went wide, she could feel his arm draped over her, his face beside hers.

//how in Equestria is he that fast? I didn't even see him do anything…// she thought, frozen in terror.

"Stargazer!" came Luna's voice, a bolt being fired at him which he dodged.

"ah Luna, always a pleasure" he said "too bad I can't stay and play" he said before vanishing again, his laugh echoing.

"damn him….damn him to the deepest pit of Tartarus!" Luna shouted, turning to Trixie.

"are you okay?" she asked. Trixie nodded.

"yes I'm fine, thank you" she said with a smile before they both headed back in.

Luna's Room

Luna tried to relax, and get some sleep now that her night sky was up. She tossed and turned on her bed, unable to get any sleep at all. Nightmare Moon's chimes weren't helping much either. On top of Stargazer popping in and out when he pleased, her heart and head were unsettled.

Luna looked at the full moon outside her window, tears escaping her eyes before sleep finally took over her.

With Metal Sonic and Gilda

Metal Sonic finally rebooted, his systems going again and his eye panels lighting up. "ah, finally awake?" Gilda asked.

Metal turned to her as he sat up, holding his head. "what happened?" she asked.

"the data…it was…random…it made no sense at all…it had too many conflictions and imperfections…it was illogical…it overloaded my systems and…boom" he said as he stood up. "where are we?"

"dunno" Gilda said, soon they both heard some type of chattering and decided to investigate. Once they reached the source it was surprising. Two changelings were standing beside a pod that was black as night.

"soon our queen will hatch, and we'll be able to resume our conquest" one said.

"though why is her pod black?" the other asked.

"true…one of the older changelings said when she was born her pod was a bright green color" one said.

"strange…but our queen Chrysalis will return soon, and all will be well" the other said before both flew off for some rest, as can be determined from their yawns.

Metal went up to the pod, as did Gilda. He placed a hand on it, perplexed.

"so they were saying that their Queen is gonna hatch out of this?" Gilda asked.

"judging by their context, it was a queen who died recently." Metal said.

"I heard that Changeling Queens can store who they are in a pod and upon dying they can be reborn and resume where they left off." Gilda said.

Inside the pod, a consciousness was beginning to awaken. Hearing a conversation outside, it focused on listening.

"well, it may not be luxury but we should bunk here and head out in the morning." Gilda said. Metal nodded.

"I must get more data. Twilight Sparkle…that unicorn seems of interest. It'll be difficult, since Shadow is around her all the time" he said.

The consciousness responded to those names, something of a hatred boiling from that as the pod began to twitch and pulse before bursting open. A dark cloud surrounding it, Metal and Gilda. Soon it began to swirl slowly before settling just above the ground. Metal and Gilda after having recovered from the surprise of it hatching looked toward it. A dark shadow standing there, unmoving.

Upon closer inspection Metal could see something, it looked just like Shadow. Only difference was, what was red on Shadow was a grayish blue on this creature. It's muzzle was sickly gray pale, lacking an orifice. It's eyes opened, revealing green with slit pupils.

"what the heck?" Metal wondered. The creature looked toward them and began to step toward them, it's pace sluggish and dragged. As if it was unsure how to walk, it's arms and head hung down. It stopped in front of them.

"who are you?" Metal asked, prepared to fight.

"I…don't…know" the creature said, it's voice masculine and dark. "you…said something…about Shadow and Twilight…" it said.

"yes, I did" Metal said.

"those names…trigger images…it angers me…" it said. "I wish to help…" it said

"fine, just don't drag me down" Metal said.

"now what to call you. How about Mephiles? It means Darkness in Griffon." Gilda said.

"Mephiles the Dark…" the creature said, seemingly excited.

"nice ring to it. welcome to the team Mephiles. I'm Gilda and that's Metal Sonic" she said.

"A pleasure, indeed" Mephiles said.