Twilight's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Magic

Chapters

1: The Invader
2: The Letter
3: The Transcendence
4: The Eccentric

1: The Invader

A long time ago, Equestria's ancestors had discovered the secret to immortality, a power that would rival the alicorns' themselves. An amulet, darker than the night itself, with a crimson red crystal in the middle. When covered with just even the littlest bit of blood, it could turn its wearer into something sinister, less than equine...

***

While storms weren't really something new in Equestria, the storm that had been brewing all day seemed to be the worst one yet. Rain poured heavily as thunder and lightning clashed among the skies. The storm wasn't in just certain areas of Equestria either. It was everywhere. Nature wasn't safe from this sheer assault of raindrops.

Over yonder toward the mountains held a much more gruesome sight. At a nearby cliff overlooking the town of Fillydelphia, the royal carriage that had belonged to one Princess Celestia had crashed while driving through the accursed storm and laid sideways. One of the drivers was on the ground dead, his body mangled. Meanwhile, the other driver drowned in the nearby ravine and was swept away by the current. Celestia laid on the cold, harsh ground, seemingly lifeless. As the thunder grew much louder, two ponies trotted up to the wreckage.

"Well, look what we have here. Looks like these guys took a nasty tumble." A stallion in a dark black coat cackled silently to himself. He examined the wreckage with nasty looking eyes. His beard was snow white while the rest of his face was all scruffy looking, his teeth rotten, most of them missing. He turned towards another unicorn, this time a frail, weak mare with a depressed look upon her face. She wore nothing but a coat as she held up a tattered umbrella with her magic.

The old stallion took a few steps closer towards the wrecked carriage until he noticed a pure white body laying on the rocky ground. "Wait a minute..." He squinted his eyes as he moved his head closer to get a better look at the body. "I'll be damned, that's Princess Celestia! This is her carriage! She must have been on her way to some important meeting or something." He looked around and noticed a slightly opened case next to Celestia's body. "Now, what's this?" He went over and opened the case all the way and noticed a black amulet with a red crystal in the middle. "Oh," He said disappointed with what he found. "It's just some stupid amulet." He slammed the case closed and kicked it aside with his front side as he walked closer to Celestia.

The mare looked around the carriage. She had heard a sound one would not expect to hear. The crying of a foal. "Oh my goodness! Dawning, I think there's a child in the carriage!"

The stallion only spat at the ground and looked back at the woman in anger. "Forget it, woman, we don't have time for that!" He shouted. "Now, get your plot over here and help me!" The mare went over to where the stallion was and looked at him with confusion as he carefully lifted Celestia's crown carefully with both of his front hooves.

"Dawning, what are you doing?" The mare asked.

"What does it look like, you stupid mare? A princess' crown, especially one like Celestia's, could be worth millions! I'll be rich beyond my wildest dreams!" His imagination began to run wild as he pictured what he could do with all those bits. Power, fame, mares as far as the eye can see. A wicked smile grew upon his face. However, he was knocked out of his stupor when a white hoof was placed on his shoulder. He looked back in surprise to find Celestia's eyes had opened and noticed him. All those dreams were dashed away and were replaced with fears of being put in the dungeons.

"Y-You, sir. What is your name?" Celestia asked. The stallion was now confused. Was he in trouble or not? It was hard to tell the future from here. Nonetheless, he decided to play along.

"Uh, m-my name is Dawning Shimmer," he pointed toward the mare. "And this is my wife, Sparkling Waters." He looked back at Celestia. "We saw your carriage crash and were looking to see if you were alright." Dawning placed his hopes on Celestia not knowing his true intentions and kept up this facade of his as much as he could.

Celestia coughed up a bit of blood as she looked around her surroundings as much as she could. "Th-The foal..."

Dawning raised an eyebrow. "Foal?"

Celestia nodded the best she could. "Yes. Is she alright?"

Sparkling Waters stepped forward beside Dawning. "Your child is alright, your highness."

Celestia couldn't help but chuckle a bit despite her current predicament. "Oh, heavens no. It's not my child. But, I suppose her parents would never forgive me if I had brought harm to their daughter." Celestia turned her attention back towards Dawning. "Good sir, I must thank you for salvaging me. I am indeed indebted to you for your kindness."

Dawning tried his best to hide the shock on his face. This whole ordeal was a lot to take in. 'The ruler of Equestria is indebted to me? She actually thinks that I saved her life! She shall know me as her savior!'

"Mr. Shimmer, was it? I shall never forget my debt to you..."

12 years later...

At Celestia's estate, Twilight ran in circles with Owliscious around the fountain near the front entrance of the school. Celestia watched her student from the balcony as she ran around laughing. Celestia couldn't help but smile and remember the promise she made to Twilight's parents when she took their daughter under her wing. If anything would have happened to this poor, innocent child, she would never be able to face even herself let alone her parents.

Twilight turned and looked towards Celestia, who was still watching. "Okay, Miss Celestia! I'm off now!"

"Alright, Twilight," responded Celestia. "But, be careful."

"I will!" And with that, Twilight ran off with her owl past the gates.

***

Nighttime. In a cabin not far from Canterlot, Dawning Shimmer laid in his deathbed, coughing loudly. He reached out to his daughter, who was sitting near the table, reading her book. "Sunset! Get over here!" Sunset paid no attention as she continued reading. "Sunset, do you hear me?! I said get over here!"

Sunset closed her eyes and let out an irritated sigh. She closed the book and set it down as she walked over to her father. "What do you need this time? More medicine?"

"Medicine?!" Dawning spat at the ground near Sunset's hooves. "That crap does nothing! I need cider! Gather up some bits and get me some cider!"

***

Twilight and Celestia sat at the dining table, that was as long as the room itself. Celestia sat at the end, using her magic to eloquently wipe away bits of food on her mouth with a napkin. She turned and watched Twilight as she ate away ate some hay and gulped down some water.

"Twilight," Celestia said softly. "Please, remember your table manners."

Twilight swallowed some more hay and smiled as she gave Celestia the most adorable giggle. "Sorry, Miss Celestia." She returned eating, this time more slowly and politely.

Celestia smiled back.

***

Sunset walked down a rather dark street, only lit up by a few streetlights, and entered a cider bar in downtown Canterlot. She surveyed her surroundings as she closed the door behind her. The bartender payed no heed to the cider bar's newest visitor as he continued cleaning glass cups. Sunset walked up to the bar and asked how much the cider was. Without even looking at Sunset, he responded. "50 bits."

Sunset silently let out another irritated sigh. The errands she had to do for her dying father was just plain ridiculous by her standards. She looked to her left and noticed two other ponies, one gray and one blue, playing chess. The gray pony got up angrily and walked out the door as the blue pony gathered up the bits on the table and put them in a small bag, laughing to himself as he did it. Sunset walked over to him. "How much bits are in that bag?"

The blue pony looked back up at her. "Pfft, I dunno," said the blue pony, smiling ever so smugly. "60 bits or somethin'. Why? You wanna play me, little girl?" He spat at the ground.

"Sure. I'll play," Sunset said, a stoic look upon her face.

"How much ya got?"

"I've only got 10."

The blue pony simply scoffed. "Alright, it'll do. Have a seat." Sunset took her seat across from the blue pony as he set the chess pieces back to their original positions.

***

On a hill a few decent miles away from Celestia's home, two colts pushed around an tan pegasus with a blue mane. They laughed teasingly as the pegasus was pushed to the ground with sheer force. "Oh wow, this guy's pathetic!" yelled out one colt. "And you want to be a royal guard?" The two then resumed their laughter.

The other colt then took a closer look at the tan pegasus. "Dude, I think he's crying!" he pointed out. "He's actually crying!" They guffawed at the top of their lungs. "Flash the crybaby! Flash the crybaby!" They laughed and teased to their hearts' content.

Suddenly, one of the colts was pushed back a small distance from Flash by a bolt of magic. "Hey! You guys leave him alone!" A voice shouted out to the bullies from a distance. Twilight stood with an angry look on her face.

The colts continued their laughter. "You need a girl to fight for you, Flash?"

Twilight galloped towards the two. "I'm not fighting because of him! I'm fighting because I can't stand watching a pony being helplessly pushed around!" Twilight then used the weight of her body to push the other colt away from Flash. However, the colt wouldn't budge. "Now, leave him alone!"

The colt only scoffed as he pushed Twilight to the ground.

***

"Checkmate." Sunset set down the chess piece as her opponent sat there, frustrated beyond belief.

"What?! How did you-?! Ugh, fine." The other player huffed as he picked up a small bag of bits with his teeth up from the ground and threw them on the table Sunset's way. Sunset was about to reach for the bag until the other pony's hoof slammed her head on the table. The colt simply laughed as Sunset picked up the bag with her magic.

***

Twilight fell down on the grass as the colts continued laughing. Then, the colts noticed something peculiar. "Hey, wait a minute. I've seen that cutie mark before." One colt said. "You're Princess Celestia's student, aren't you? Twilight Sparkle or whatever."

"Hey, yeah." The other colt began to take notice. "So, think you're so high and mighty just cause you're Celestia's apprentice, do ya?" The colt then kicked Twilight as she just laid there, taking the pain the best she could. "Come on, dude. Let's get outta here. This is just getting boring now."

***

Back at Sunset's house, Dawning still coughed as bottles of cider laid on the coffee table, more were scattered across the floor. Sunset stood there, watching as her father breathed his last few breaths. "Sunset, I fear that these...*cough cough* are my last moments in Equestria." Dawning reached out to the coffee table to grab an envelope, causing another bottle to fall to the ground. There was ink writing on the envelope that said, "To Princess Celestia"

"Here, take this. Send it to Princess Celestia, live with her," Sunset's father ordered. "Believe it or not, the princess is actually indebted to me for helping her a few years back, just around when you were born." Dawning continued coughing profusely. "Sunset, you're a smart girl. Live under her and you could be rich! You might even be the next heir if you use that thick skull of yours."

But, before he could say anything else, he had finally drawn his last rotten breath.

***

Flash walked up to Twilight, who still laid on the ground. He could hear her silent sobs. "Hey, are you alright?" he asked softly.

Twilight sniffed as she got up. He managed to catch a glimpse of the tears running down Twilight's face before she wiped them off with her hoof. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said. "But, don't think I did this for you."

Flash was left confused. "Then, why?"

"Because Celestia told me that I should do what I feel as right. I knew I wouldn't be able to beat those two, but like my teacher always said, bravery is much more better than strength."

Twilight turned around and walked on back to her home.

'And one day, my magic will be strong enough.'

***

Sunset stood above her father's grave. Her carriage waited for her to pay her respects. However, Sunset had no respect for her father whatsoever. Every moment she thought about her father only made her more and more angry 'You monster. You tortured me and my mother, even on her last day on Equestria, you pathetic waste of life.' she thought. 'You want me to be the next heir to the throne? Fine. I'll will use everything and everyone to achieve my goal. Even the ruler of Equestria herself. But, I'll never do it in your favor.'

Sunset then spat on her father's grave as she used her magic to pick up her suitcase and walk away towards her carriage.

'And one day, I will be the best.'

***

Twilight walked past the front gates as she noticed a carriage flew in and landed right beside her. Seconds later, the door swung open with a suitcase shot out from the carriage and fell to the ground. A orange unicorn with a red and yellow mane and three dots on her left ear jumped out and landed perfectly. She raised her head up, causing her bangs to fall back behind her ears, and put her head back down, in a near foreboding way. Twilight was left more confused than astonished, but soon figured it all out.

"Ah, you must be Sunset Shimmer!" she stated with a smile.

Sunset looked towards her. "And you must be Twilight Sparkle."

Hooting could be heard from the distance. Twilight and Sunset both looked in the direction it was coming from. Sure enough, Owliscious flew out from one of the windows of the second story and headed towards Twilight and Sunset. "Oh, this is my pet owl, Owliscious! Don't worry, he won't hurt." All of a sudden, a bolt of magic shot down Owliscious from the sky and made him fall down to the hard ground harshly.

"Owliscious!" Twilight cried out. She ran over to his fallen body. Luckily, he wasn't hurt too bad, but it was enough to bruise his wing. Twilight turned back towards Sunset. "What did you do that for?! He wasn't even doing anything!" She shouted.

Sunset got into a stance, cautious of what Twilight might do next. 'So, this is Princess Celestia's apprentice, eh? She sure looks spoiled enough to me. But, I bet if I can break her, then I'll sure to earn Celestia's trust in no-

Sunset's train of thought was soon cut off as she and Twilight noticed Celestia standing at the door. "What are you two doing?" she asked sternly. The mares got out of their stance as Sunset bowed before the princess.

"My apologies, your majesty," she said. "The owl flew towards me and I reacted out of instinct."

"That's quite alright. Both of you, come inside please." Celestia began to walk inside. Twilight looked over to Sunset and noticed her looking slightly in her direction and smirking. She watched her cautiously as she followed the princess.

As the two got inside, the royal guards stood at attention by the stairs. Sunset couldn't help but notice an amulet hanging from the wall behind them. It must have been a hundred years old by the look of it. She continued staring at it until Celestia began to speak.

"Gentlemen, this is Sunset Shimmer. A few years ago, her father saved me and Twilight from a horrible accident. But he has recently passed away and sent Ms. Shimmer here for me to look after her in his stead. So please, treat her like you would treat Twilight. Is that understood?"

The guards gave their salute. "Yes, ma'am!"

Sunset bowed once more. "I thank you, your majesty. You have my gratitude."

Celestia simply chuckled. "Now, now, Sunset. There's no need for that. This is your estate now. Just call me Miss Celestia, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Celestia then walked over to Twilight and put her front hoof on her shoulder. "I'm sure you two have a lot in common, especially since you're both unicorns. So please, get along with each other." She then leaned over to Twilight's ear. "Don't worry, Twilight. Owliscious will be fine. Just forgive Sunset just this once. If she does it again, you let me know, okay?"

Twilight turned back towards the princess. "I just want to be friends with her."

"I know, and you will, trust me."

"Okay." However, Twilight couldn't help but feel uneasy of the estate's newest resident.

"Now, follow me, Sunset. I'll show you to your room."

Twilight noticed that Sunset's suitcase hadn't been taken up yet. She decided it would be best to walk over and pick it up with her teeth. However, Twilight recieved a whack from the back of her head.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Sunset demanded.

"I was just gonna help you with your bag."

"I don't need your help." Sunset used her magic to pull back Twilight's ear. "Now, you listen closely. I will become the best around. And nothing is ever going to keep me down. Not even you, you little peasant."

"But-"

"Oh, and one other thing. I hate pets. Not just owls, but all of them. So you better keep your stupid bird away from me or there will be consequences. Are we clear?"

Twilight was almost on the verge of tears until Celestia called out. "Sunset, are you coming?"

Sunset immediately let go of Twilight's ear. "Yes, ma'am. Just a moment." Sunset soon followed Celestia.

And as Sunset climbed up those stairs, it was at that moment that Twilight's happy life began to spiral downward.

***

Outside, in the estate's backyard, Sunset and Twilight were practicing their levitating magic on a couple of books. Twilight's hold on her books was weakening and they soon fell down to the ground, scattered everywhere. Celestia only had the look of disappointment on her face. "Twilight, you've failed again! Look at Sunset. She's doing it perfectly!"

Twilight looked over to her side to notice Sunset levitating the books in the air without a sweat while Twilight, on the other hand, was only able to manage to get them to hover over the ground. Sunset smiled proudly as she easily set the books down and smirked back at Twilight.

***

At the dining table, Celestia sat at the end again while Twilight and Sunset sat across from each other. Twilight began to gulp down her hay and water as Celestia only watched disgusted.

"Twilight Sparkle!" She shouted. "You continue to forget your table manners! Why, ever since Sunset arrived, I've only begun to realize how much I've been spoiling you!" Sunset simply ate her food and sip her water eloquently as a proper mare should. Celestia got up from her seat and called for one of the guards. "Take Twilight's dinner away. She's had enough for tonight."

Twilight began to sob as she ran out of the dinner room and up the stairs. As she got inside her room, she slammed the door behind her and leaped on her bed, stomach first, and continued crying.

After a few solid minutes, Twilight managed to calm down and wipe away the rest of her tears. "I wonder if I'll ever die like this. Alone, cold," her stomach then growled. "...and hungry." She looked over to the end table and noticed the chocolate bar she hadn't finished since the afternoon. "My chocolate! It didn't melt after all!" She picked up the chocolate with her magic and began munching on it profusely.

***

"Oh, where is it?" Twilight searched through her drawers thoroughly. "It's gotta be around here somewhere. Where could I have put my watch." Just then, Twilight felt a presence behind her. She turned around and noticed Sunset standing by her door. She also saw her watch being carried by Sunset's magic.

"Oh, I'm borrowing your watch for a while," Sunset said. She then took a look at the watch. "Oh, and I must hurry. I'll be late to visit my friends." As Sunset ran back out and down the stairs, Twilight couldn't shake off the feeling that she would never see that watch again.

As Sunset got off the stairs, her attention was drawn back to the amulet on the wall once more. It had an eerie feeling about it. She walked over and used her magic to take the mask off the wall. She then stared at it, drawn in by how mysterious it was.

"An interesting artifact, wouldn't you agree?"

Sunset turned around to notice Celestia sitting down, reading her book. "I apologize, Miss Celestia. I should have asked."

"Oh, don't worry about that, Sunset. You did nothing wrong." Celestia put down her book and walked over to Sunset, still surveying the amulet. "I actually found it in a gallery in Trottingham and liked it enough to buy it from the owner. He said that he had found it in some old ruins, left over from our great ancestors. On the way back was when I had that carriage accident and your father had saved me."

Sunset turned the amulet over and noticed something more peculiar. "There are some engravings on it. What does it mean?"

Celestia simply shrugged. "Nopony knows. It's in the dead language of our old ancestors. I guess the owner never really had time to study it."

Sunset put the amulet back on the wall and headed out the door. "I'll be going now, Miss Celestia."

"Alright, then. Be back by lunch."

***

Twilight laid on the branch of her favorite tree nearby the lake, with Owliscious beside her. Sure it wasn't the most comfortable spot in the world, but it was nice to get away, especially from Sunset. Before she was able to doze off, her ears perked up to the sound of a couple of ponies she recognized. They looked over to Twilight and started backing away slowly, whispering to each other. This left Twilight puzzled. "Hey!" she called out. "What's going on?"

"Oh, man. It's that Sparkle mare," one of the ponies said. "We better get outta here before she snitches on us."

"What?!" Twilight grew rather irritated. She hopped off the tree and trotted over to the others. "I'm not a snitch! Who told you that? Was it Sunset?"

"Let's get outta here!" The ponies ran off as Twilight attempted to give chase. Unfortunately, they had managed to outrun her as she was left alone once more.

"It has to be Sunset. I mean, who else would spread a lie like that." Twilight stomped the ground in anger with her hooves. "Sunset! Sunset, Sunset, Sunset, Sunset!" She fell down to the ground and rolled down the hill, stopping right next to the river. Owliscious flew and landed beside her. As Twilight laid on her back, she looked back up at Owliscious from an upside down point of view, lightly patted his head with her hoof, and sighed. "But, you'll be my friend no matter what, won't you?"

Twilight's ears perked again as they heard the sound of a twig break. She got back up on her hooves and turned to see who it was. She had hoped and prayed that it wasn't Sunset again to ruin more of what she was. Much to Twilight's best wishes, it wasn't. It was a more familiar face. It was that tan pegasus from the other day. He held a basket of apples in his mouth and set it on a nearby branch. Twilight walked closer to greet the pegasus. "Uh, hey! Are, uh, are those for me?" she asked, pointing to the basket. The pegasus ran off before Twilight could get another word out.

She levitated the basket off of the branch and watched as the pegasus ran off. "Thank you!" she yelled out. "I'll be here tomorrow! If you'd like, maybe we could hang out sometime!"

The very next day, Twilight did as she promised hoping the pegasus would come by. Sure enough, he did. They exchanged their hellos and had the most fun a pony could have. She learned that his name was Flash Sentry, a pegasus who wished that one day he would be able to join the royal guard to protect his family. Over the course of the next few days, they ended up playing games together, walking together, and everything. With each passing moment, they would soon fall in love. Flash even carved "TS + FS" on her favorite tree. Twilight couldn't help but blush.

As the sun began to set on another day, Flash and Twilight said their goodbyes and went on their way.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" Twilight yelled as she ran down the road to her home.

Flash waved back at Twilight and walked his separate way, smiling as he thought to himself how he managed to meet somepony like Twilight. It almost seemed like a dream at first, meeting someone as amazing as her. Meanwhile, Sunset hid behind a tree. She felt Flash's carving with her hoof and began to smirk.

Flash continued on walking until he bumped into somepony. "Oh, uh, I'm sorry," he said. He looked up to find Sunset and two other ponies in front of him.

"Oh, you have nothing to worry about," replied Sunset. However, Flash had every right to be worried. Sunset started making circles around him as her entourage just stood there and watched. Flash furrowed his brows. "So, word around the horribly paved street is you and Twilight have been spending some...time together, is that right?"

Flash tried to swallow down his fear as Sunset got back in front of him. "Uh, y-yeah. Wh-why?"

"Oh, no reason. Just wondering what's been making Twilight happy all this time. Especially after everything I've done to her." Sunset smiled the most devilish smile. "So, tell me. Have you two done...everything?"

Flash became intimidated. He didn't want to admit that it was because of a girl, but it was. "E-Everything?" he stuttered. "I-I-I guess so..."

"Uh-huh. Even...this?!" Just then, Sunset wrapped her front hoof around Flash's head and pulled him in hard for a kiss. Their lips meet. Sunset's tongue invaded Flash's mouth. Flash tried to push Sunset away as hard as he could but Sunset kept hold of him with her magic. The two ponies behind her just stood in amazement as the kiss continued. "N-No way! Is Sunset really that bad enough to go and steal Twilight's own boyfriend?!"

As soon as Sunset finished the kiss, she pushed Flash down next to a puddle. "So, I take it you haven't kissed Twilight yet, have you? No. You didn't, did you?! Then your first kiss wasn't with Twilight! It was with me, Sunset Shimmer!" She laughed hard until the two ponies behind her pointed at Flash.

"Hey, look!" they said. Sunset stopped her laughter to notice Flash dipping his hoof in the puddle and wiping it with his face. "Why is he cleaning his mouth with muddy water? Doesn't he know that there's a clean ravine not too far from here?" One of the ponies asked curiously.

Sunset immediately realized what this meant symbolically and slapped Flash as soon as he got back on his hooves. She turned back around and slammed her hoof on a nearby tree. 'Drat. How could I have lost my patience to a pathetic colt like him?!' She regained control of her anger and moved on ahead. "Come on, you two. We're leaving." The two complied as they followed Sunset away from Flash. This was not something Flash was looking forward to telling Twilight.

***

The next day, Twilight was trotting around Canterlot, getting groceries for dinner so she could get back on Celestia's good side. As her bags were filled to the brim with ingredients, she decided it was good enough to head back home. She stopped when she saw Flash walking by. "Hey, Flash!" she called out. But Flash didn't turn around. He just kept walking, his pace getting faster to where it got to the point where he was galloping. Twilight was left perplexed. "Huh? Why'd he run off like that?" She then heard ponies snickering like gossiping schoolgirls behind her. She turned and saw the ponies from Sunset's little entourage. "What are you guys laughing at?"

"Oh, so you haven't heard, have you?" one of the ponies asked. He then nudged the colt next to him. "Hey, you wanna tell her?"

The other colt raised his hooves in defense. "Oh, no. I'd rather not see a mare like her cry."

Twilight's anger began to grow. "You...tell me. What did you punks do to Flash?!"

***

Twilight galloped back to the estate as fast as she could, hopping over the fountain. What she had heard made her burst with rage. She slammed the door open to find Sunset sitting at the table, reading her book.

"SUNSET!!!" she cried out.

Sunset slammed her book down and got up. "How dare you use my name in vain, you scum!"

Twilight just kept charging towards Sunset. "I can take whatever you throw at me, Sunset. But this? This is unforgivable!"

"Oh, so I take it you've heard about me kissing your darling little boyfriend, eh? You know, to be honest, for a colt, he can be such a mare."

"You've gone too far this time, Sunset! I won't let you get away with this!"

But Sunset quickly dodged Twilight's charge in the nick of time and blasted her with some magic, making her hit the wall. "You don't really want me to beat you that badly, do you Twilight?"

As Twilight slid down against the wall, the thought of losing to Sunset was unbearable. Having to live under her shadow was not something she planned on doing. She had to keep fighting. For her relationship with Flash, at least.

Meanwhile, Sunset was getting ready for Twilight to get back up. This was finally her moment. The moment that would bring down Twilight once and for all.

Twilight got back up and charged at Sunset once more but was knocked back down again by Sunset's magic. 'Yes!'she thought, 'This is finally it! I, Sunset, will finally bring Twilight to her knees!' But just then, Twilight caught herself before she fell and zapped Sunset with her magic.

"What?! You were able to attack me after a hit like that?!" Sunset was tried to fight back but Twilight kept repeatedly shooting her with magic over and over again.

"Sunset!!" Twilight screamed.

"I won't."

Zap.

"Let you."

Zap.

"Ruin."

Zap.

"My life."

Zap.

"Anymore!" And with that, her horn was charged enough to bring a brutal blow to Sunset, enough to have blood spew from her mouth and splatter it on the amulet hanging from the wall. As Sunset hit the ground, the amulet started to shake and soon spikes shot out from the edges of the amulet, detaching itself from the wall, and hitting the ground.

Twilight and Sunset were both out of breath. Twilight heard sobbing coming from Sunset. "How...how could I..." Sunset turned towards Twilight, tears running down her face. "How could I be beaten by scum like you?!"

"What in Equestria is going on here?" The two unicorns both looked up. At the top of the stairs, Celestia looked down at the two with a scowl. The spikes suddenly retracted back into the amulet. "This is not what I expected from you two at all! Both of you, go to your rooms! I shall discipline you both later." Twilight and Sunset exchanged glances at each other with burning eyes before going upstairs.

***

As the sun set the next day, Twilight watched as Flash walked down the road alone and sad. 'Oh, Flash. I wish Sunset never brought you into this.' She then began to cry silently, making sure Flash couldn't hear her. Later, she noticed a royal guard was running up to her at an extremely fast pace. "Miss Sparkle?"

"Yes? What is it?"

"I'm afraid...I've some bad news for you, ma'am."

***

Celestia, Twilight and other guards stood above a small dirt grave where Twilight's pet owl had reportedly been buried. "I'm sorry, Twilight. But Owliscious' burnt corpse was too gruesome for you to see, so I wanted the guards to bury them posthaste," Celestia said solemnly. She put a hoof on the sobbing unicorn's shoulder. "The authorities think someone might have tossed him in the incinerator during a robbery."

"Sunset..." Twilight uttered.

"Lady Sunset?" One of the royal guards asked. "I do believe she said that she would be out in Canterlot tonight."

A few minutes later, after paying her respects, Twilight went up to her room and slept for two hours. Shortly after she awoke, she came to accept Owliscious' passing, and wept.

***

Meanwhile, Sunset was out on an abandoned street in Canterlot at night, her body was lit up by a single streetlight as she contemplated the previous events from the other day.

"I was too stubborn," she muttered to herself. "That's twice now where I've let my impatience and anger get the better of me. Not only that, but I've let Twilight defeat me in a duel as well. No matter. At least I've gotten rid of that dumb bird, and I now know of Twilight's true strength. I need to control my emotions and demeanor, should this ever happen again."

Seven years passed since the fight between Twilight and Sunset, but it will not be their last...

Author's Note

*cue Roundabout*

Well, there you go! Chapter 1 of what I hope to continue as Twilight's Bizarre Adventure! I'll keep this chapter up to see what people think, and if I get some good reception from it, then I'll continue with chapter 2 with Spike as Speedwagon. Oh, joy. I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading this.

And yeah, I can not name any canon ponies' parents to save my life.

...Sooo many asterisks...

2: The Letter

Seven years have now passed! Mares' screams echo into the night! It was this year where Canterlot would be terrorized by an unknown serial killer only known as "Cobalt the Ripper"! But this year of terror did not belong to Cobalt alone. No, for this is also the year where the rivalry between Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer would be rekindled!

***

It was another cloudy day down in Canterlot, but that didn't stop a crowd of people from enjoying the show being played. Down at Canterlot Academy, a magic show was being shown to the good ponies of Ponyville. Two of the participants of said magic show just happened to be Twilight and Sunset.

"And wow! Look at that folks!" the announcer exclaimed. "Twilight Sparkle, One of Princess Celestia's star pupils pulls off a fantastic levitation spell!" The audience stared in awe at Twilight as she moved objects around the air in a hypnotic motion. Meanwhile, Sunset stood beside her, amazing the audience with magical fireworks and streamers. The other unicorns from the academy couldn't possibly match what spectacles these two were doing.

"Well, there's no doubt about it. Twilight and Sunset, the star students of Canterlot Academy, have got this competition in the bag!" The crowd cheered and stomped their hooves with thunderous applause. Twilight and Sunset both looked at each other, smiling.

As the competition ended, several ponies were gathered around the two unicorns with cameras and paper, hoping to get interviews. "Fillies and Gentlecolts, Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer are your new champions!" The announcer exclaimed. "Sunset Shimmer will soon graduate Canterlot Academy with a degree in Equestrian law, while Twilight will graduate with a degree in the magical arts!"

Twilight turned towards Sunset. "We did it, Sunset. We've won! Your spells were amazing!"

Sunset chuckled. "We sure did, Twilight. But your spells were what really drove it home."

"We should go tell Princess Celestia. She'll be happy to hear that we've won!"

Twilight ran off with excitement as Sunset stayed behind. "You go on ahead," she said. "But don't tell Mother without me!"

Twilight stopped and looked back at Sunset, this time not with a smile, but with suspicion. 'Mother?' she thought. 'Now that I think about it, when was the last time Sunset called her Miss Celestia? We've been such great friends for seven years, but I still can't help but think that it's all just an act. Especially after everything that she's done to me.'

Meanwhile, Sunset was talking with some interviewers that were surrounding her. "Miss Shimmer, tell us! Explain your friendship with Miss Sparkle these past few years!"

"Oh, all right, since you've talked me into it..." While Sunset answered the reporters questions, she looked back at Twilight, who was still galloping off. 'Friendship?' she thought. 'Don't make me laugh. The more I put up this facade with her, the more I want to puke. But, no matter. Soon, I'll inherit Celestia's fortune and throne. I'll never have to see Sparkle's pathetic little face again.'

***

Snow fell as Twilight and Sunset both arrived back at the all too familiar estate. They entered Celestia's room and found her laying on her bed. Her rainbow mane had faded over the past few years and she had wrinkles under eyes, albeit they were barely noticable. She coughed as she greeted the two.

"Mother, how are you feeling?" Sunset asked.

"I'm fine, Sunset. However, this cough of mine won't seem to end. A little while ago, the doctor recommended that I admit myself into the hospital," replied Celestia as she coughed again.

"A hospital?" Sunset said. "Mother, if I may speak freely, I believe that hospitals would only delay the inevitable. We've got the best doctors here taking the utmost care of you."

"I suppose you're right, Sunset. The pain in my chest has seemed to gone away for now. And I already declined the offer anyway."

Twilight, however, was standing beside Sunset, watching as they talked. 'Wait a minute, I thought Celestia was only diagnosed with the common cold. Why was her chest affected as well?'

"Oh, by the way," Celestia spoke up again. "Congratulations on your victory, you two."

Twilight and Sunset both took a step back in shock. "Wait, you knew?" Twilight asked.

Celestia nodded. "One of the guards came and told me."

"But, we galloped as fast as we could to get here!" Sunset said. "How dare they come and spoil our surprise for you." For a minute or two, they all shared a laugh.

"It's alright, you two, it's fine." She said, chuckling. "I'm proud of you two, I really am." She coughed again. "I heard about how you two worked well together. When you two graduate, feel free to pursue whatever you want. If you need any monetary assistance, you just come and ask me and I'll take care of it."

Sunset smiled, a hidden glare in her eyes. "I am utterly indebted to you for my upbringing, among other things," she said. "I shall not disappoint you." Twilight simply stared at her, her suspicions growing.

***

During the evening, Twilight lit a candle and sat at her desk with the amulet in front of her. She opened up her books that detailed her findings and got some ink and a quill ready in case she would discover something new. She levitated a knife up and lightly pricked her front hoof with it. A drop of blood seeped out of her hoof. She let it drip on the amulet and then wiped her hoof with a handkerchief. The amulet shook as spikes shot out from the edges, just like last time. She levitated the quill and wrote down on a blank page in one of her books.

Throughout the course of studying this amulet so far, it would seem that I am the only one who is aware how to activate it. What still puzzles me is what it was used for. Was it used as a torture device by our ancestors? Are there more of these? I must delve deeper into this amulet's history.

Twilight went down into the library and got up on the ladder, running her hoof along the numerous books on the shelf. As soon as she spotted the book on the beginnings of Equestria, she used her magic to carefully pull the book from the shelf. However, as it was pulled out, a box fell out as well. She caught the box before it managed to make a sound and wake up Celestia, who was sleeping soundly in her room. She got down from the ladder and was about to put it back until she decided to examine it. As she opened, she noticed a envelope inside that was addressed to Princess Celestia. "What's this?" she whispered to herself. She flipped over the envelope to find who the sender was.

"Wait a minute." She squinted as she brought the candle over for a better look. "Dawning Shimmer? That's...that's Sunset's father!" She opened the envelope and began to read it.

Meanwhile, in the main hall, Sunset approached a royal guard who was holding the tray that carried Celestia's medicine and a glass of water. "Here, let me take that." Sunset took the tray from one of the royal guards.

"Oh, thank you, Lady Sunset," the old guard said. "I'm afraid these old hooves can't climb those stairs like they used to."

"It's quite alright. I'll see you in the morning." Sunset climbed up the stairs while she levitated the tray. As soon as she got up, she looked around to make sure nobody was near. She directed her attention back to the tray. The medicine was wrapped around in a tiny slip of paper. She took it and replaced it with what looked exactly the same.

Meanwhile, Twilight had finished reading the letter with a look of worry upon her face. "No...No, this can't be right." A most terrifying thought had occured to her just now. "Sunset...Sunset is..." She got out into the main hall, holding the letter up with her magic, and ran up to the guard who was almost heading out. "Hey, where did Sunset go?"

"Oh, She just went up the stairs with Celestia's medicine," replied the guard.

Twilight had no time to make second guesses. She galloped post haste and teleported up the stairs.

Sunset had just managed to get up and began heading into the direction when Twilight suddenly appeared in front of her. "Sunset!" She yelled. "Where is the original perscription?"

Sunset kept walking, as she got closer to Twilight. "Why, it's on this tray here," she answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Tell me. Do you always take Celestia's medicine up to her, instead of the usual guard?"

"Well, yes. As a matter of fact, I do," Sunset said with a sly look upon her face. "He's gotten very old and frail now that he can't possibly climb up the stairs without dropping the tray. Why are you asking such questions, Twilight?"

"I just recently came across the letter your father wrote to the princess." She levitated the letter in front of her and Sunset. "It says this: Dear Princess Celestia. I have become ill and will die within the next few days. My chest hurts, my hooves swell and I cough without end." Twilight threw the letter down on the ground. "These are the exact same symptoms Celestia has right now! Explain, Sunset!"

"Twilight, I assure you, there is nothing to worry or be suspicious about."

"Well, then. If that's the case..." She trotted up to the tray at a fast pace. "You won't mind if I examine the medicine on that tray, will you?"

Sunset came between the medicine and stopped Twilight in her tracks not with magic, but with her hoof. "Twilight," she said. "If you examine that medicine, that would mean you doubt our friendship. If you doubt me, then we can not be friends!" Sunset shot Twilight with the most menacing glare, causing Twilight to avert her eyes. But, this was no time to show fear. Twilight had to prove that she had gotten stronger than Sunset since seven years ago. "Twilight," Sunset said again. "Put the prescription back on the tray."

Twilight pushed Sunset's hoof away as she glared right back at Sunset. "Then, swear to me, Sunset."

"W-What?" Sunset asked.

"Swear your innocence...on your father's honor!" Twilight knew she had flipped the tables as she saw Sunset's reaction. Sunset took a step back as Twilight grabbed hold of the medicine with her magic. "If you do that, then it'll be enough evidence for me and I'll forget this ever happened." Twilight knew that Sunset wouldn't stoop so low

A bit of sweat trickled down Sunset's face. Her breath grew heavy. "A-A word on m-my father's honor, is that it?" She began to slip with her words. "F-F-Fine, Th-Then I-I..." Every thought, every memory about Sunset's father came rushing back to her causing her anger to grow. Her heart raced as her pupils shrank. She tried her best not to let her anger get the better of her but it wasn't doing so well. "I-I-I...refuse! You know nothing, Twilight Sparkle! That filthy degenerate never had an ounce of honor upon him!" She screamed. She shot a bolt of magic at Twilight's face, but was blocked by a small force field. Later, it evaporated as Sunset took a step back.

"Then, if that's the case..." Twilight continued. "Then I'm convinced that you are the culprit! Now, I may not know of your relationship with your father, but I do know that you are his murderer!" Before Sunset could shoot Twilight again, she couter-attacked by levitating her off the ground. "I will protect Celestia and the Equestrian kingdom from the likes of you, Sunset!" With that, she threw Sunset over the guardrail, causing her to hit the ground hard.

Sunset got back up, coughing up blood. "Twilight, you will pay for this..."

"Don't even try it, Sunset!" yelled Twilight. "Your scheme is clear to me now. I won't let you approach the princess while you spout of an imaginary friendship between us. I'll have this poison analyzed and see that you are sent to the dungeons!"

Sunset got back up to her hooves and limped on out of the room. 'Curse her!' she thought to herself. She entered the hallway to Twilight's room. 'And to think that I was so close to achieving my goal!' She opened the door and closed it behind her. 'No matter. This time, there is no turning back!' She opened up the desk to find the amulet laying there. 'I'll finally rid myself of her once and for all! If I'm right, she'll head into Canterlot to search for an antidote. That'll take her three days, at least.'

She opened Twilight's books and examined them thoroughly. 'A few years ago, my blood activated something within this mask. Twilight thinks she's the only one that noticed, but she doesn't know that I am aware of what it can do as well. If I'm smart enough, I can make it look like an experimental accident. The authorities won't even suspect my hand in her death! It'll be foolproof!' She smirked as she stared at the amulet.

'Twilight, your research will be your undoing!'

***

Twilight stood in Celestia's room with four other guards. Celestia still laid on her bed, coughing. Twilight couldn't help but feel nothing but anger to find that Sunset was the reason behind her sickness. She cleared her throat. "Miss Celestia, I'll be heading into Canterlot for a few days. Until I come back, please let no one enter your room except for these doctors."

"But, Lady Sparkle!" one of the guards cried out. "Do you not trust our services anymore?"

"Relax. It was nothing that you've done," Celestia said. "I may not know what your reasons may be, Twilight, but you have my trust."

Twilight was about to turn towards the door, but turned around and gave a hug to Celestia. "Thank you, Miss Celestia." Celestia smiled and hugged Twilight back.

"Come back safely, Twilight."

Twilight began to head out the door. "I will, Miss Celestia."

Sunset watched from the window as Twilight's carriage left the estate. She smirked once more as she put the amulet in her saddlebag and wrapped her scarf around her neck.

***

Twilight rode the carriage into Canterlot. She sat there thinking, worried for Celestia's safety, and what Sunset might plan next. She had noticed that her symptoms had worsened, so time was of the essence. She needed to find the source of where this poison had came from and fast. 'I couldn't trace the poison's ingredients, especially from the labratory at the university. That could only mean that this poison could only come from one place...'

The carriage came to a halt as Twilight opened the door and stepped into the snowy ground. She wore a scarf and a coat to keep her warm enough to survive the cold. The driver looked around and grew worried. "Madame, I think this is Manticore Street. It's highly dangerous here! There are criminals and-"

"I am highly aware of the dangers that lurk here," Twilight interrupted. "But, the person I am seeking lives somewhere around here. You may leave if you wish."

The driver bowed his head as he drove the carriage out of town. Twilight turned towards the alley and started her walk. 'Sunset lived in this area,' she thought. '...and the only place to find items such as this poison can only be found in Manticore Street. If I find the seller of this item, it'll be enough to put an end to Sunset's scheme.'

Twilight continued walking down the alley until she reached a dead end. She sighed and turned back around. "Hmm, nothing here," she uttered to herself. Suddenly, snow rustled behind her. She turned and saw a cat pop out from under the snow as it ran by her, holding a small pup between its teeth. "Was that cat...eating a puppy?!"

She turned and saw two ponies and one small dragon standing in her way. The two ponies held knives between their teeth while the dragon wore nothing but a bowler hat and a scar that ran diagonally down his left cheek. "Hehehe..." one of the ponies cackled, "Looks like we've got a lost one here, Spike! What'll we do with her?"

"Yep, this is Manticore Street, alright," Twilight muttered to herself. "I see three foul manticores already..."

"Hmm," the dragon pondered, putting his hand on his chin. "Her skin might fetch a high price if we tan it into a hide."

"Oh, yes," the other pony said. "That sounds like a great plan!"

"Well, what are you two waiting for, then?" The dragon yelled. "Get her!" The ponies screamed as they ran toward Twilight. The purple unicorn took a defensive stance as they got closer and closer with the knives in their mouths. She managed to dodge the two gracefully before zapping them with her magic, causing them to get knocked out.

"Now, tell me! Where can I find an oriental apothecary?" Twilight interrogated.

"I don't care what you're looking for! You've got a lot of guts for knocking out my friends like that!" The dragon yelled. The tips of his hat suddenly turned into sharp, round blades. He then started to run as Twilight got back into her stance. "I'll turn you into mince meat, you foolish unicorn!"

"Throw whatever weapon you've got! I'll overcome any obstacle that comes in my way!" Twilight yelled.

The dragon laughed. "Then you better mean what you say!" He said, as he threw his hat at Twilight.

The unicorn used her quick thinking and flung a knife at the hat with her magic. While it didn't completely stop the hat, it still deviated a bit from its original target. It spun at a viscous speed as it flew towards her. She brought her hooves up which caused the hat to cut into them, but not deep enough to cause severe injury.

The dragon just kept on laughing. "Oh! I think I heard a bit of bone there! I might have not hit your head like I wanted to since you swung that knife at my hat, but I still managed to cause a lot of damage to your hooves!" His laughter ceased abruptly as he saw Twilight galloping right towards him. Before he knew it, Twilight zapped the dragon causing him to fall to the ground. 'What a hit!' he thought. 'It's as if she didn't really care if she lost her life here! Maybe going after this unicorn wasn't such a hot idea...'

Twilight took a few seconds to catch her breath and get the bladed hat out of her hooves. She looked around to notice that more viscous ponies had surrounded her. She got back into her stance.

***

Sunset Shimmer got her coat on as she got ready to head out the door. Just then, Twilight's driver had entered the estate. "Lady Sunset!" The stallion cried. "Twilight's gone mad!"

Sunset simply raised her eyebrow at the driver. "Hmm? How so?"

"She's gone into Manticore Street!"

"What?" she asked. "Alone?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Very well. Keep this to yourself. And especially from Princess Celestia!"

"But, why, m'lady?"

"Well, we wouldn't want to worry dear old Celestia, now would we?"

"No, I'm afraid not."

The driver then headed down to the kitchen for a drink as Sunset simply smirked. 'So, she's headed down into Manticore Street, eh? This'll be easier than I had originally thought! If I'm lucky, Twilight's already a dead mare!'

***

The ponies approached Twilight closer and closer. Twilight prepared herself, but deep down she felt as though this was acutally the end of his journey.

Suddenly, a voice cried out. "STOP!" The dragon reached his hand out as he laid on the snow. "I, Spike, won't let anypony hurt this unicorn!" Twilight was left a bit confused by all this. 'First he wants to kill me, now he wants me alive? she thought.

"Tell me! Why didn't you use your full strength? There was something about that bolt you shot at me. Something that told me you could have done a lot more damage to me! Why?"

"Because I ventured here for the sake of my teacher, who is like a mother to me. When I fought you three, I couldn't help but think of your own families. That is why I withheld myself." She answered truthfully.

Spike gave a faint smile. "I see..." he looked around and found the other two ponies only bruised. He got up on his own two feet and walked towards the unicorn. "So, tell me. What's your name?" he asked.

"My name is Twilight Sparkle."

"Twilight Sparkle, eh? That's a silly name..." he got his hat off the ground and put it back on his spike-y head. All of the other ponies had began to disperse. "So, you're looking for a...what did you call it?"

"I'm looking for an antidote to this poison that was found at an oriental apothecary," she answered.

"Okay...I have no idea what that is, but there's a drugstore if you go down this road and take a left."

Twilight simply giggled at Spike's inability to use a larger vocabulary. "I will." She began to walk once more until she was stopped by Spike once again.

"But, be careful! He's a sneaky merchant!" Spike warned. Twilight nodded and continued on her way.

***

Back at the estate, the doctor sat by Celestia's bed as he checked her heartbeat. He took a look at his watch and out the window. "Hmm," he spoke. "It's been three days, already. Lady Twilight should have been back by now."

"Have no fear. She shall return once her business is finished," said Celestia.

The doctor chuckled. "I must say, she may have not been like Lady Sunset back then, but she has grown up to be quite the mare."

"Agreed," Celestia replied. "Although, now that I look back on it, I feel as though maybe I was a bit too strict on her than Sunset."

***

Back at Canterlot, Sunset Shimmer explored an abandoned paved street, lit by only a few streetlights. She took another swig of cider as she drunkenly walked down the street. She cursed herself everytime she drank for it only reminded her more of her drunken, pathetic father. "Three days. Three days!" She spoke to herself. "Twilight's been gone for three days. She better be dead!"

She continued walking as she bumped into two passing stallions. "Hey, watch where you're going, you stupid drunk filly!" one of the ponies yelled. He was rather portly and had a stubby goatee on his chin. "Hey, did that little punk get cider on my coat? Oh, she better pray she didn't!"

"Oh, shut up!" Sunset yelled as she used her magic to throw the cider bottle into the portly pony's face. Shards of glass were stuck to his cheek as he writhed in pain.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! That rotten little mare! Oh, Celestia! It hurts!" He screamed.

The other pony, whom was rather skinny as opposed to the chubby one, pulled out a knife with his teeth. "Oh, you're gonna pay for hurting my friend, you drunkard!"

Sunset smirked. "Hmm, so the swine so akin to the kind like my father thinks he can take out a noble mare like me? Very well, then..." She used her magic to pull out the amulet from her saddlebag. "I'll make you endure this before Twilight does!" As the pony charged at her with his knife, she dodged swiftly as she managed to get the amulet on the pony's neck. "You shall be my little guinea pig for this experiment!"

She took the knife from out the pony's mouth and charged at the chubby stallion with his friend. She then stabbed him in the neck causing his blood to spill all over the amulet. Suddenly, the amulet's spikes attached to the pony's neck as he screamed into the night. But then, a flash of extremely bright light shot out of the amulet.

"Wh-What is this?!" Sunset screamed as she covered her eyes with her hoof. "What in Equestria is happening?!" Then, just as soon as it appeared, the light was gone and the pony fell to the ground. Sunset cautiously let down her hoof as she looked at the body and was left disappointed she looked up to him and took the amulet away after the spikes retracted. "Was that the light?" she asked herself. "Or was it just the cider?"

Sunset kicked the pony with her hoof and sighed. "He's dead. What a waste of time," she uttered. "This amulet is just some stupid torture device."

But before she could walk away, however, she heard moaning coming from behind her. She stopped dead in her tracks as she felt a presence creeping up from behind. She turned her head slowly. The pony's eyes and mouth shot open to reveal shrunken pupils and fangs. She pushed herself away from the newly created monster and used her magic to grab hold of the knife from the dead pony's neck.

She stuck the knife out as it stabbed the pony's hoof, but it wasn't enough. He punched with his free hoof and sent her flying, causing her to hit the guardrail that protected civilians from falling into the river below. She winced in pain, as she noticed her collarbone was broken. She crawled as fast as she could, trying desperately to get to the river and swim away. But, the pony already managed to catch up to her. He stood above her, letting out a rotten hiss. "Blood...Blood! Give me blood!" He screamed.

He took his hoof and grafted it onto Sunset's neck. Her veins popped out as she felt her blood getting sucked out and being pulled into his body. His face became more cleaner and cleaner than before. Fear had gripped hold on Sunset as she screamed. The pony just kept on laughing.

Meanwhile, the sun began to rise on Canterlot. They both looked in its direction. "No, no, no!" the stallion screamed. "I don't want the last thing I see to be that blasted sunlight!" Light shined on both Sunset and the stallion. She could feel his grip loosening on her neck. She opened her eyes to see him covering his face from the sun. He screamed at the top of his lungs as he evaporated into dust. Sunset tried her best to catch her breath from her near death experience as she tried to get back up. She took the amulet out and gave it another look. "Is this...the true nature of the amulet?"

***

Despite a broken collarbone and a minor flesh wound, Sunset managed to make it back to the estate. But, as soon as she opened the door, she had noticed that all the lights were out. She closed the door behind her and tried to look around the best she could, but to no use. It was completely pitch black.

"Guards? Why are all the lights out?" she called out.

Just then, she heard a match being lit. A set of candles suddenly brought a tiny bit of light to the main hall. Sunset managed to see a face from the amount of light given.

"Twilight?!" she blurted out.

"I have you now, Sunset," Twilight said. "I finally have full evidence of your fiendish plot!"

3: The Transcendence

Twilight put down the set of candles on the nearby table. Sunset just stood there, speechless. According to her, Twilight was supposed to be dead. She plotted her next actions carefully when Twilight began to talk.

"I've already found the antidote, Sunset," Twilight said. "And I've already given it to Celestia." She took a large sigh and continued. "Sunset. Despite everything that you've done, I am wrought with nothing but grief that I have to place you under custody of the royal guard."

Sunset turned her head away and took a seat as Twilight continued talking. "Sunset, I'm sorry. For everything that's happened."

"Spoken like a true mare." Sunset's eyes began to fill up with tears. "Twilight, I am the one that should be sorry! Please, allow me to be the one to surrender myself!"

This was something Twilight had not expected. She thought that Sunset would burst with rage and attack her. Surrendering herself was not like her at all, especially with the way she acted when she was caught trying to poison Celestia. Had she learned the error of her ways? It seemed way too good to be true. Twilight needed to be cautious, now more than ever.

Meanwhile, Sunset felt nothing but anger inside for Twilight. She was supposed to be dead. But it would seem, nothing has worked out to her plans so far. She was at her wit's end. She decided to keep this facade of her's up for as long as she could. The only thing Sunset could hope for now was for Twilight to ease her guard, so that she could give the killing blow.

"Twilight, I regret everything!" she cried out. "I am deeply sorry for everything I've done for you. I've just now seen the error of my ways. Please, forgive me! I know I've done wrong, and I wish to make up for the dastardly deeds that I have performed these past seven years. So, please! Allow me to turn myself in! It's why I've returned in the first place!"

"Sunset..." Twilight took a step closer, in pity for Sunset.

But then, a voice suddenly called out from the darkness. "That's close enough, Ms. Sparkle!" Sunset turned as she watched a small dragon in a bowler hat stepped forward and was brought forth by the light. "This mare might just be the worst liar I've ever seen."

Sunset's heart skipped a beat. "Wh-Who are you?" she asked.

The dragon chuckled a bit. "Oh, forgive me," he said confidently. "I seem to have forgotten my manners." He then took a bow. "I am the interfering Spikewagon! But, everyone just calls me Spike. I accompanied Ms. Sparkle back from Manticore Street out of concern."

Spike hopped on the table and turned towards Twilight. "Ms. Sparkle! You may be a kindhearted pony, but I think you might be a bit too merciful on this mare!"

"How so, Spike?" Twilight asked.

"I grew up around places like Manticore Street, you see. Thanks to that, I can smell out liars and cheats in an instant," He pointed to Sunset. "And this mare stinks to high heavens! I've never heard such terrible lies in all my life!"

Sunset clenched her teeth together behind her closed mouth. First Twilight shows up out of nowhere claiming that she has evidence of Sunset's attempted crime, now this dragon shows up? It seemed the world was finally out to get her. She was close to using her last resort, but decided to keep waiting for the right moment.

Spike leaped off the table and headed for the curtains. "Tell me, do you remember this pony?" Spike dragged out a stallion with a braided mane, a small hat, and round glasses that laid on the edge of his muzzle. Sunset did in fact remember him. "He tells us that he was the one you bought the poison from!" Spike continued.

Sunset's eyes widened. "U-Uncle Wing! You..."

"Well, my silence can only be bought for a limited time, I'm afraid," he said, chuckling with a smirk.

"I've heard what I needed to hear." Another voice came out from the darkness, this time more familiar than the last. Sunset turned to find Celestia with the guards. A saddened look was upon her face. Sunset began to sweat a bit. "I don't wish to believe it, but I'm afraid I must," Celestia continued. "I've fed and sheltered you as if you were my own for seven years, and I get this in return. I am utterly disappointed in you." She coughed a bit more, albeit not as rough as a few days ago.

"Miss Celestia, the antidote hasn't taken full effect, yet. You should head back to bed," suggested Twilight.

"You're right," responded Celestia. "Take her away, please. I do not wish to see her apprehension."

The guards nodded as one of them escorted her back to her room. The others started walking towards Sunset with hoofcuffs in tow. "Wait," Sunset cried out as she got up. She then turned back towards Twilight. "I want Twilight to be the one to cuff me."

Twilight sighed. "Very well, then." She used her magic to take the cuffs from one of the guards and started walking towards Sunset.

"Be careful, Ms. Sparkle," Spike warned.

"I'd be cautious if I were you," the shopkeeper said. "Those three dots on her ear mean that she has been born with great fortune..." Twilight however disregarded his words as she continued forward.

Sunset then spoke up. "Twilight, can I tell you something? I truly have learned something after these past few years that I've spent with you..."

"And what's that?" Twilight asked.

"You see, the thing is, Twilight, the abilities of an equine can be rather limited. The greater a scheme is, the more chances of an unforeseen element can be brought forth to thwart it," Sunset went on. "That's why I want to become more than just an equine..."

"Sunset, just what exactly are you trying to say?"

"I REJECT MY EQUINITY! TWILIGHT!"

All of a sudden, Sunset pulled out the amulet from the inside of her coat and a knife along with it. "I shall cease to be equine, Twilight! With your blood!" She then lunged the knife at her, laughing maniacally. The shopkeeper simply stepped back into a corner, smirking.

Fear shivered down Spike's spine. "No way!"

The knife penetrated flesh causing blood to spew out. However, it wasn't Twilight's flesh. It was Celestia's.

"CELESTIA!" Twilight cried out as she saw her teacher's body in front of her, the knife sticking out from her side. She had jumped in front of the knife in the nick of time. Sunset took her hoof and got some blood from the wound. She then wiped it on the amulet, causing a light to shine brightly as spikes became attached to her neck.

"Stallions! Open fire!" One of the guards shout out. Sunset was shot by both magic and arrows, causing her to stagger back and fall out of the window behind her. The amulet was detached from her neck as she laid there, motionless.

Meanwhile, Twilight held Celestia in her hooves, trying hard to keep her from lying on the ground. "T-Twilight..." Celestia uttered, putting a hoof up to her face. "M-My f-f-finest st-student..."

"Miss Celestia..." Twilight closed her eyes as she ended up being on the verge of tears.

"Man, curse that Sunset mare!" Spike shouted. "That knife of her's looked like it hit a vital organ!"

Tears fell from Twilight's eyes as Celestia breath grew raspy. "Twilight," her teacher said. "Don't hold a grudge against Sunset. It's my fault..."

"Wh-what do you mean?" Twilight asked.

"Ever since she arrived, I was more...lenient on her," She continued, her speech's pace grew slower and slower. "But, I think that since more of my attention was...drawn towards you, she may have felt it a bit...unfair." She turned towards Sunset's corpse. "Twilight, bury her...with her father. Please..."

Twilight put her hoof upon Celestia's as her lifelong teacher brutally coughed. "Twilight...I am...at ease. You were...the best daughter...I could ever...have..." Celestia's hoof then slipped past Twilight's as she closed her eyes, finishing living her final moment.

Everyone just stood there as Celestia's breathing could no longer be heard. Even Spike's eyes were watering from how touching the moment was. He watched as tears ran down Twilight's face.

A guard's voice spoke up. Like the others, his voice cracked under the sadness. "Our princess...is gone. We've lost our greatest ruler!"

"Maybe not!" Spike said. "Look!" He pointed towards Twilight, still holding Celestia in her hooves. "The very soul of Princess Celestia now lies within her pupil, Twilight Sparkle! Ms. Sparkle now embodies the will, soul, and posterity of a great alicorn!" He wiped tears from his eyes as he finished up his rousing speech. "I may not shed tears for the likes of Sunset Shimmer, but I do shed them for Twilight Sparkle."

Spike closed his eyes with a content smile, then looked out the window behind him. Most of the glass was gone due to Sunset's body flying out of it. It was at that moment where he noticed two things. One: It had started to rain hard with thunder growing louder and louder; And two: Sunset's body was gone.

Spike's crying ceased as he saw only the amulet laying on the ground where Sunset used to be. "N-No way!" he shouted. Fear found it's way back into Spike.

"Guards! Sunset! Gone!" were the three words Spikewagon managed to blurt out from his panicked state. A guard ran up to the window to confirm Spike's discovery. Sure enough, it was nowhere to be found. There was no sight of the blood from her wounds, either. The amulet was the only one that laid on the ground. Spike started running towards Twilight and hid behind her. She put down Celestia's body as she got back on her hooves, cautious about what would happen next.

"Hey! Get away from the window!" Spike yelled at one of the guards who was still looking for Sunset. As soon as he turned around and faced Spike, half of his face was sent flying several inches before landing in the middle of the room. The small dragon screamed as Twilight backed up a bit more. As soon as the room fell silent, they heard a chilling noise coming from outside.

Wrrryyyyyy...

Spike's knees buckled as he shook uncontrollably, hiding his entire body behind Twilight. Suddenly, Sunset flew in through the window. "Sh-She decapitated the guard! How?! How is she still alive?!"

"What are you waiting for, then?" Another guard shouted. "Shoot her! Shoot her!" But everyone just stood still, shocked to how Sunset could still be breathing after all those wounds they put into her. She walked forwards slowly towards Twilight. Twilight began to charge her horn and aimed at Sunset.

"Sunset!" she screamed. "Don't!" Sunset stopped as her muzzle was just inches from Twilight's.

"Shoot her, Twilight!" Spike yelled. But Twilight's magic weakened as she trembled. Fear finally grabbed hold of her. Spike ran out of the side and grabbed one of the guard's arrows. He returned to Twilight's side, quickly aimed towards Sunset's head, and threw as hard as he could, albeit clumsily.

Sunset's head tilted back from the arrow that just struck her forehead. She slowly took it out and threw it to the side. Blood dripped from the small, round wound in Sunset's head, but she just kept walking forward as if nothing had happened. Blood then trickled down her face, reaching her mouth. Sunset licked her upper lip with satisfaction, a hellish smile upon her face.

Wrrryyyyy....

Twilight and Spike were both shaking. "I-I don't get it! I got her! In the head!" Spike screamed. He then turned towards his ally. "What's going on, Twilight?!"

"I don't even know!" Twilight was indeed at a loss for words. She watched as Sunset leaped up to the air and smashed her hooves through the ceiling and stood there like a spider.

"Twilight, behold!" Sunset had finally spoke. "This is the power I've achieved with the amulet and your teacher's blood!" She took a hoof and grafted it on to one of the guard's head. Both of their veins became exposed as she sucked him bone dry until there was nothing left but skin and bone, rendering him lifeless. As she finished her little feast, the now bloodless guard's body became stone hard. She threw it at the guards, causing their limbs to go flying everywhere. A head managed to hit Spike in the arm, causing him to fall to the ground and curl up, writhing in pain.

Twilight looked over to an armored statue that carried a spear. After all, Celestia was known for collecting artifacts. She ran over and took the spear, getting ready for Sunset's next action.

"Twilight, what are you doing?!" Spike yelled. "If you fight her, she'll tear you to shreds!"

"I know," responded Twilight. "But, I can't allow whatever Sunset has become to leave this house!" She remembered from her findings that the amulet was able to unlock the brain's full potential through attaching itself to the neck. She figured that if that was the case, then the brain must have been Sunset's weak point.

Meanwhile, the body Sunset had thrown began to twitch and move. Spike noticed this and looked over. "Oh, thank goodness!" he said. "You're alive!" But, much to Spike's chagrin, the dead guard turned his head towards him, revealing his pupil-less eyes and rotten fangs.

The body moaned and began to limp over to Spike. The dragon screamed a bloodcurdling scream as he tried to get away. "Blood! Blood, I need blood!" The dead pony begged. "Just a lick, please! Give it to me!" He put his hoof on Spike's face, laughing maniacally.

The dead guard's face was soon met with Twilight's spear. The unicorn had swung it hard enough for the dead guard's head to detach from his body and hit the back of the wall. Spike was left there frozen after his encounter while Twilight tried to get herself together. Even if it was just a soulless zombie, Twilight wasn't one for killing. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, attempting to gather up her strength.

"Twilight! Look out!" Spike yelled. Twilight saw as Sunset began to drop down from the ceiling.

"Sunset!" Twilight shouted. "I won't let you kill any more innocent ponies!" She thrusted the spear forward as went penetrated Sunset's forehoof and stuck out the shoulder. All Sunset did was smirk. What Twilight and Spike saw had left them speechless.

"N-No way..." Spike commented. "It's as if she didn't even feel it. And the wound in her head! It's gone!"

It was true. The wound Spike gave to Sunset's head seemed to have disappeared, as if she regenerated. Sunset then bent her arm and successfully managed to break the spear apart. The tip had broken off and just happened to stick into Twilight's shoulder. She let out a scream as the pain surged through her. She fell to the ground as Sunset stuck a perfect landing.

"Twilight, Twilight, Twilight," Sunset repeated, laughing quietly to herself. "Don't tell me you're done already. We've just gotten started. Be a dear and just stay alive long enough for me to kill you myself!" She turned around and noticed that Twilight and her little dragon friend suddenly disappeared. She looked around the room to find nopony in sight.

"Honestly now, Twilight, you've resorted to hiding?" she taunted. "I must say, I'm becoming quite disappointed for my new self's first fight. I wanna find out more about my new abilities." She sniffed the air. The smell of blood had reached her nostrils. She looked over to the source of the smell and saw blood coming out from underneath the curtains. She smiled as she trotted over. "Twilight! You can never hide from me! I've told you before, the greater a scheme is, the more chances of an unforeseen element brought forth to thwart it!"

She tore down the curtains with her magic only for her face to be met with fire. "I scheme with nothing but courage, Sunset!" Twilight retorted. She carried Spike on her back, who laid there tending to his arm. Sunset was covered by the curtains as the flames reached outward into the main hall. Twilight limped on despite her injury towards the door. Sunset screamed as she threw the curtains off of her. Twilight turned back and watched as Sunset's skin was burning and regenerating at the same time.

"Twilight, come on!" urged Spike. "We gotta go!" But, Twilight paid no heed. She instead used her magic to toss Spike across the room carefully. "Twilight, what are you doing?!" he asked.

"Go, Spike! Get out of here!" Twilight yelled. "This is between me and her!"

"Wha-?! Twilight! No-" Spike was interrupted as he was shot out of the castle by an explosion in the middle of the room. He ended up hitting the fountain next to the entrance.

Meanwhile, Twilight teleported up to the second floor where the flames hadn't touched yet. She looked down at Sunset. "Come on, Sunset! Face me!"

Sunset smirked once more at Twilight. "Twilight, you would risk your life for some foolish draconian criminal you've just met? You're more stupid than I thought." She headed towards the wall and slammed her hoof in. She did so with every other hoof as she walked upwards toward the second floor. "Realize that I'm more stronger than you, Twilight! You, a simple pony, would die from this height while I, Sunset, would simply cave in the entire floor and walk away unscathed! I'm invincible, Twilight!"

Twilight looked over and saw Celestia's body as it laid on the floor. She watched as she went up in flames, her spirit ascending into heaven. She then ran up the stairs and burst through the window as she ended up on the roof of the castle. The rain showed no signs of stopping as it poured harder and harder. She could hear Spike yelling out her name in the distance. She looked behind her for any sign of Sunset, but received none. Just then, Sunset jumped out from behind her and gave her a kick, sending her back a couple of inches.

At that instant, Twilight's youth flashed before her eyes. She had remembered every waking moment since Sunset had arrived. Celestia, Owliscious, the arrival of Sunset, Flash, the amulet, everything. She realized that the youth she had spent had been a youth with Sunset. She got back up on her hooves as Sunset approached her. Twilight then began to charge towards her and bursted through the wall.

"You fool!" Sunset shouted. "You really think I'll burn in these flames?" But Twilight just kept clinging on to Sunset with the help of her magic. She had vowed to end the feud that they had started seven years ago.

"I don't care about my death, Sunset! But, I've got nothing left to lose!" Twilight yelled out. "If I die, then I'm taking you down with me!"

Sunset simply laughed. "Very well, then. But, know that your own death will be in vain, Twilight Sparkle. I can simply escape this predicament!" She pulled out the knife she had been carrying by her side in an attempt to stab Twilight.

'Celestia,' Twilight thought. 'Please. Help me end Sunset!' But was it the spirit of Celestia answering Twilight's plea, or was it Twilight's instinct that helped her perform her next action? Twilight took the knife from Sunset's possession and stabbed her side with it, causing Sunset to scream out in pain. Twilight got on top of Sunset, then kicked against the wall moving both their trajectory just a little bit forward. Sunset looked down as she saw a statue below them. She then grew in disbelief. Was she finally losing?

Before Sunset could act, she became impaled by the statue while Twilight rolled over and landed on her back against the floor. Sunset tried pulling herself out, but the flames had finally overpowered her. "WRRRYYYYYYYYYY!" she screamed out. There was just one thing that Sunset had forgotten. She had forgotten about the duel they had as fillies. The true strength and determination of Twilight Sparkle!

"TWILIGHT! I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE ONE TO BEAT YOU!" Sunset then burned along with the entire castle.

Meanwhile, Spike simply watched as the whole castle went up in flames. Even though the rain was pouring as hard as it could, it wasn't able to put out the immense fire. Suddenly, Twilight's unconcious body hit the ground hard and landed right beside him. Spike ran over to her to make sure she was okay. "Miss Sparkle!"

Spike had heard her mutter something. He wasn't able to make it out, but it didn't matter. She was alive and that was all he needed to know.

***

The next morning, the fires had ceased as the castle had been reduced to nothing but rubble. Uncle Wing managed to get inside as he searched through the wreckage. He pulled up a piece of the castle and found the amulet that had been used by Sunset. Luckily for him, it was still in good condition, which meant it would still fetch a high price. As he reached out, a burnt hoof suddenly grabbed hold of him and attached itself on to his skin, sucking all of his blood. Underneath all of that debris, he saw one thing.

A cyan eye.

Wrryyyy...

Author's Note

Looking back at it now, Spikewagon just sounds like a really stupid name...

4: The Eccentric

For some unknown reason, nights in Canterlot were always pitch black. Had it not been for the brightly lit streetlights blanketing the streets with light, citizens of the city would have been wandering around aimlessly in the dark.

A mare and a stallion walked an abandoned street, lit up by just a few streetlights. The mare was refined, wearing the finest jewelry and and fanciest outfit she could afford. The stallion on the other hand was more casual, with a coat to keep him protected from the cold weather. He was cloaked, giving him that suspicious look about him, but the mare thought nothing of it. She had trusted him with her life all night since she met him. The mare shivered every time her hooves would step on the cold ground. She thought about asking the kind stallion beside her to carry her weak self, but she figured that would be too much to ask for.

"We should be heading back soon," the mare said, repeatedly looking behind her back cautiously.

"And why's that?" The stallion asked.

"Well, you've heard, haven't you? Cobalt the Ripper stalks his prey on these very streets. They say he mostly comes out at night. Mostly."

A slight chuckle managed to escape the stallion's mouth. "Oh, I don't think you'll have to worry about that. Besides..." he pulled his hood back, revealing his face. "You've been talking to him all night!"

The mare let out a bloodcurdling scream as Cobalt the Ripper pulled out a knife from under his coat with his teeth and stabbed the mare several times in the neck before falling to the ground dead. The stallion laughed to himself as he took the jewelry off the newly formed corpse. Just then, a mare's voice came from behind him. It was strained and weak, as if the pony was old or something.

"There are times when equines need to perform good deeds in order to keep up with their morals. However, there are some who disregard those morals. They have a lust for violence. A thirst for blood, even. Like you."

Cobalt turned behind him and saw a cloaked pony, like him. Her cloak, however, made it increasingly difficult to see her face. She was sitting on some fancy chair with a stallion with a braided mane behind her. His body looked weak, as if he had not eaten in weeks or even months. He had a smug smile upon him though. This whole scene was enough to creep the serial killer out.

"Wh-Who are you?" Cobalt asked.

"Who I am is of no importance. But I know a lot about you," the mysterious mare continued. "You've interested me, Cobalt the Ripper. You are not like most of the pathetic equines with the capacity to do good. No. No, you're different. You are one of the rare ponies who have the power to go all out. So join me, Cobalt the Ripper. Join me and together we can rid this world and recreate it in our own image!"

Cobalt thought about it long and hard and made his decision. He got his knife back out. "Sorry, but no deal, you weird freak." He trotted over to her, knife in teeth. "And now that you've seen my face, I can't let you live!"

But, the cloaked mare made no attempt to move or get out of the way. Instead, she just stood there as Cobalt jabbed at her face with his knife, getting a few good cuts and stabs in. Her hood fell back revealing her severely burnt face. Her mane was also nowhere to be seen. She simply chuckled and smirked. This made Cobalt stagger back several steps, dropping his knife to floor.

"Wh-Wha-What ARE you?" he stuttered.

The mare chuckled. "I am something far powerful than you could ever imagine. And if you join me, I shall grant you power of your own!"

Cobalt ended up staring into her eyes, which ended up hypnotizing him. He no longer stepped back and just stood there in a trance, with no hope of escape. The mare simply trotted up to him and place a hoof on his head. "Surrender yourself, and I shall show you true power. Surrender yourself to me, Sunset Shimmer!"

***

Three days. It had been three days since that awful night. When Twilight defeated Sunset. Spike sat in the carriage and looked out the window as trees and buildings passed by. Three others from his gang sat with him. They said it was for his own protection in case some other demons decide to attack him. He sure could have used them back at the castle.

He looked down back at his left arm, which had been wrapped up in bandages and put in a cast. It still hurt like hell occasionally, but that wasn't what he was worried about. He was worried about Twilight. He wanted to see Twilight. Spike had thought that after everything Twilight had been through, she needed a good comrade. A chum.

"Hey, boss! Is this the place?" One hoodlum next to him asked. Spike looked back out the window and saw the sign on the gate. Canterlot General Hospital. The building was only three stories tall, but had patients going in everyday. Most of them never came out though. That's what worried Spike the most. Her wounds must have been too severe for the doctors to heal. This wasn't a good time for Equestria, after all.

"Yeah, this is it," Spike replied. He opened the door as soon as the carriage came to a complete stop. He got out but landed face first onto the cold snow. His comrades began laughing hysterically as he got up and wiped the snow of him.

"Yeah, ha ha, very funny. Now gimme my cane, ya jerks!" Spike demanded. Another hoodlum kicked a small cane out of the carriage. Spike went over to pick it up. It was just his size for him to easily lean on. He got inside and immediately got lost in the halls. He climbed up the stairs, he climbed down the stairs, and searched each floor desperately to find Twilight's room. After a few good minutes, he had finally reached his destination. He opened the door slightly only to be greeted by a stoic face of a tan pegasus wearing a golden helmet. Spike jumped at his sudden appearance.

"What do you want?" The pegasus asked.

Spike stood up straight and cleared his throat. "My name is Spikewagon. I've come to see Twilight Sparkle!" he stated with an upbeat tone.

"We're not allowing visitors," the pegasus replied.

Spike was then immediately let down. "What?! But, I came all this way!"

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to come back later when she's let out."

The door closed on Spike as he began his walk back out. "Man, what a jerk!" he exclaimed. He kicked the ground on his way.

Later, in the dead of night, Spike took his little cane and hooked it on to the top of the wall. He had decided that the best way to see Twilight now was too sneak in from the back. It was more like him anyway. He did grow up on Manticore Street after all. He struggled but managed to make it over and sneak through the back door.

As he once again reached Twilight's room, he noticed that a bit of light seeped out from under the door, meaning that the lights were probably still left on. He opened the door just a tad, wondering if something had happened. What he found was the same pegasus from earlier today.

He dipped a towel in a bucket of water and used it to lightly dab Twilight's forehead. Something else Spike noticed was his hooves. His hooves had been swollen, possibly from using the towel to aid the unicorn that defeated a vampire. Then it all suddenly became ever clear to Spike. This pegasus must have been aiding her ever since she was put in the hospital. The little dragon wondered if the nurses ever did anything about him.

Twilight started to move a little, making small moaning sounds. She moved her head left and right before opening her eyes slowly to find a pegasus by her side.

Spike grew a wide smile as he saw Twilight regain conciousness. He headed straight for the door, not caring if he got caught. He just had to see her. But something stopped him as soon as his hand touched the doorknob.

"It's been a while, Twilight Sparkle," the pegasus said.

Spike became confused. Did this pegasus know her from somewhere? He put his ear close to the door to listen in.

Twilight looked around and saw the bucket and towel. "Have you been...nursing me?"

"Well, kind of. The nurses had to do their jobs too, y'know." He took the towel from the bucket once more and wiped it gently across Twilight's forehead. Twilight looked down. She found that almost her entire body had been covered in bandages. She looked back up at her caretaker. There was something about him that seemed way too familiar. She squinted her eyes.

"You. You look so familiar. You couldn't be him, but...You look just like..."

"And who would I look like?" The pegasus asked. "Flash Sentry, perhaps?"

Twilight's eyes widened. "It IS you! But, you've grown so much!"

"Yup, joined the Royal Guard and everything," Flash said, showing off his golden helmet and armor. "But, I should be the one saying that. I mean, grown more beautifully."

Twilight couldn't help but blush from Flash's comment. He took another step forward with the wet towel but tripped on a loose floorboard. Twilight extended her bandaged hoof and caught him before he fell to the ground. "Oh, no! Twilight, your hoof hasn't been fully healed yet!"

"It's alright, Flash. I don't mind holding you up."

Spike watched as all these events unfolded. He closed his eyes and let his hand go of the doorknob. He figured that he wasn't cut out for cheering up friends anyway. Besides, perhaps it was fate itself that caused these two to be reunited after seven years. And thus, Spikewagon withdrew coolly.

***

The next day, Twilight stood over the rubble that was once Celestia's castle. Flash walked up behind her and gave her some kind of wheeled crutch for her broken hoof. They both walked down the road together and talked about what had happened between the two over the past seven years. As Flash had said before, he had finally gathered up the courage and joined the Royal Guard. Twilight's story however was a little harder to tell. It seemed far too unbelievable for Flash to take but Twilight seemed way too serious about it. Was it all true?

Twilight looked behind her and caught a glimpse of a white unicorn in a black and white, plaid top hat before he ran off into the trees.

Flash looked at her concerned. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"That unicorn," Twilight replied. "He's been following us all day."

She looked back in front of her and saw the same unicorn sitting on his knees on top of a small rock wall eating a sandwich. Both Flash and Twilight were caught in surprise.

"So, Flash Sentry, and Miss Twilight Sparkle, I presume," The unicorn said. He set down his sandwich on the wall and leaped high into the air without even moving his legs. Once he finally reached the ground and landed beside Twilight, he gave a hard punch into her stomach, causing all of the air in her lungs to escape her as she fell to the ground. Flash pulled his sword out of his sheath with his teeth.

"What did you do that for?!" he interrogated. He was silenced by the mysterious unicorn and directed his attention back at Twilight. As she tried to catch her breath, a yellow and orange aura surrounded her bandaged hoof. Suddenly, it all ripped off as Twilight finally got back on her hooves. The strangest part was that once she did, she didn't feel any pain as she applied weight to her newly healed hoof.

"No way!" Flash exclaimed. "The nurses said it wouldn't heal for another two weeks!"

The unicorn returned to his original position and continued to eat his sandwich. Twilight looked back at him. "Who are you? And what did you do to me?"

"Please Twilight, one question at a time," the unicorn replied. "And it wasn't anything I did. Your newly healed arm was all of your doing." He brought out a little salt bottle and started sprinkling it over his sandwich. The salt reached his nose, causing him to sneeze. His sneeze was enough to cause him to fall over. Twilight chased after him.

"Hey, wait!" she exclaimed. "What was that? And how did you know my name?" She leaned over the wall and noticed that the unicorn was nowhere to be found. She looked back at the road and saw him standing behind her like nothing had happened.

"I told you. One question at a time," he said. "Allow me to explain. Your breathing only relieved the pain. Trust me now, Twilight Sparkle. My name is Fancy Pants and I am you ally. It was brave of you to face the alicorn amulet alone with bravery but it is not enough to stop its evil!"

"What?!" Twilight exclaimed. "What in Equestria...?"

"Follow me, and I shall explain everything."

***

Twilight and Flash were led by Fancy Pants to some old ruins. There was a nearby lake with a boulder in the very middle. A frog croaked as he sat there under the hot sun. Fancy went ahead and stepped into the lake.

He turned back towards Twilight. "Allow me to demonstrate what I did with your breathing," he began.

He stood in front of the boulder, blocking the sun's rays from reaching the frog. He got up on his hind legs and took a few deep breaths. Flash and Twilight, but mostly Flash, was confused on just what it was he was trying to demonstrate. Even though he was on his hind legs, his balance was perfect. He wasn't toppling over or anything. Instead, he was surrounded by the same yellow and orange aura that healed Twilight. Below him, multiple ripples were forming in the water. Their shape wasn't natural either. Twilight became more than just amazed.

"This energy is the energy that removed the pain from your arm, Twilight Sparkle!" Fancy explained. "Breath and blood are connected. When blood carries oxygen from your lungs, the oxygen is connected to your cells. So, basically, just like the ripples in the water, your breathing causing ripples in your body! This is the energy known as Hamon!" With one final inhale, he pulled back his hoof and began to propel it forward toward the frog.

"Fancy, stop! That frog's in the way!" Twilight exclaimed. But his hoof had already reached it. But instead of crushing the amphibian, the boulder suddenly split in half. The frog landed in the water, swimming away unscathed. Twilight and Flash both became relieved.

"You see, I have learned that Hamon and the powers of the alicorn amulet are polar opposites," Fancy Pants continued.

"What?" Twilight asked, puzzled. "What are you even going on about?"

"I know of what you have faced, Twilight Sparkle. But, your destiny is far from over. The alicorn amulet and its user have yet to be destroyed!"

Flash watched with worry as Twilight took a few steps back and leaned against a nearby withered tree. The news was almost overwhelming for her. She was certain that Sunset was no more. Could she even take this stallion on his word? Every haunting moment of that night came back almost immediately, as if they were purposefully trying to scare her.

"Twilight, are you okay?" Flash asked. "Twilight!" Twilight looked back at Flash. She didn't want him to get dragged in to any of this mess. She couldn't stand it if he got hurt by Sunset again.

Fancy just stood there, waiting for Twilight to calm down so he could tell her more. Suddenly, something caught his eye. As Twilight's body continued leaning on the dead tree, he looked at the branch before her. Out of nowhere, a couple of flowers began to bloom. He watched in awe. He had only given her enough energy of the Hamon to heal her fractured hoof. It would have seemed that there was enough left over to give new life to that tree. He couldn't help think that maybe there was something more about this mare than he had anticipated.

***

A week had passed since that meeting between Fancy and Twilight. She had urged him to teach her the ways of the Hamon. He had accepted her request, for he knew the strength she had inside her. And so they trained, day in and day out. It was brutal, but Twilight pulled through it with all her might. He explained more about this energy and its benefits for the good of ponykind. He also explained how it could be used to its full potential since they were both unicorns. Other ponies could use it, of course, but it was a unicorn's magic that could help make it stronger.

They stood in the middle of the lake where they were a week before. Fancy's balance on his hind hooves was flawless, but Twilight still wobbled a bit as her balance still needed a bit of work. They both stretched out one hoof toward each other, their arm length were both equal.

"On the count of three," Fancy said. "One...two...three!" At that moment, both of them threw their hooves at each other with great force. Twilight aimed her punch towards Fancy's face, but she somehow missed. Fancy managed to move his head to the left slightly and extend his hoof farther then his actual arm length, hitting Twilight. She fell back from the punch and landed with her back in the water.

Twilight looked back at her master with complete confusion. "Wha-?! How did you...?" she stuttered.

"I call that a zoom punch. It allows me to extend my hoof while my joints are dislocated," said Fancy.

"Doesn't that hurt?" Twilight asked.

Fancy shook his head. "Not at all, my dear. The Hamon helps distinguish the pain."

Twilight became more and more fascinated with this power each day. She had wondered why she had never heard any of this in her books. The power was almost unheard of. The use of a breathing technique made it more unique for her.

The next day, the master and his new apprentice sat on the edge of a bridge above a ravine. They had a hard day of training and Fancy figured she had earned a well-deserved break.

"Hey, Fancy. I have a question," Twilight asked.

"Oh? Another question, Twilight?" Fancy asked.

"How did you know? About the amulet and Sunset, I mean."

Fancy sighed and grimaced as he watched the sky. "Long ago, I too had witnessed the evil powers of that accursed amulet..."

***

Fancy's tale was one of woe and misery. When he was but a young adult, leaving his teens at the age of 20, Fancy P. Zeppeli had a thirst for the unknown. He ached for untold stories and ancient discoveries just waiting to be found. Fancy's nearly unhealthy obsession lead him to join his father and his archaeological team as they sailed to Marexico. There they stumbled upon a dark cave.

It was there where Fancy unearthed something he would soon regret ever finding. An amulet, darker than the night itself, with carvings on the back, written in the ancestors' dead language. In the center, a bright, red crystal that could be seen in sheer darkness. At the time, something like this could have been worth the whole Canterlot castle.

And so, the team stored it away, along with several other findings, and sailed on home. However, later that night, Fancy awoke the sounds of screaming. He rushed out of his cabin and onto the deck only to find him at the site of a massacre. He saw a silhouette standing there with what looked like a knife in his teeth. He couldn't make out the culprit, but he could make out the unmistakable crystal he wore. He had been wearing the amulet.

Fancy had to get away fast, for the silhouette drew closer to him. He jumped off the boat and dove straight into the ocean. However, he was caught off guard as he felt a hoof touch his shoulder. It was the figure, knife still in his teeth. Fancy struggled, fighting off the figure. The sun then rose over the horizon. It seemed almost like a miracle.

But what Fancy had discovered would haunt him for the rest of his already broken life. The rising's sun light had revealed the figure to be his own father. He caught a glimpse of his transformed, horrifying face before he withered away and turned to ash.

The ship continued to drift away at sea, lifeless, while Fancy ended up washing ashore, lucky enough to find civilization. He looked back out at the sea, knowing that the amulet was still out there. If what his father had become was an example of what that amulet could do, it had to be stopped.

***

"...and that's why I started to train in the Hamon," Fancy finished his story. "I vowed vengeance for what that amulet did to my father, and I swore I made sure that it wouldn't harm another soul. But it seems I was already too late..." He turned towards Twilight with his last sentence.

Twilight closed her eyes and sighed. "Don't worry about me," she said. "Sunset wasn't exactly the friendliest person before she put on that amulet."

"I see..."

"Join me, then," Twilight blurted out. "Help me defeat Sunset and destroy that amulet!"

Fancy just stood there, his eyes fixed on Twilight. He gave it great thought. Suddenly, yelling could be heard from over the hill.

"Twilight! Hey, Twilight!" It was Spikewagon, fully healed, running towards the two. Once he had gotten closer, he paused to catch his breath. His whole face was sweaty and his cheeks red. "Sunset...Trottingham...Palace..." were the three words he managed to utter out.

"Calm down, Spike," Twilight put a hoof on his shoulder, helping him keep his balance so he wouldn't keel over. "Now, what about Sunset?"

Spike still breathed heavy but his next few words were more intelligible than the last. "We found out where Sunset's hiding."

***

Twilight sat inside the carriage along with Fancy next to her, and Spike across. The carriage was being pulled by two brawny stallions as they rode to Trottingham. Twilight watched out the window as she left the city of Canterlot. She hadn't even said goodbye to Flash.

Fancy cleared his throat. "Now...er, Spikewagon, was it?"

Spike simply nodded his head.

"You're sure the amulet is here?"

"Oh, definitely," Spike responded. "One of my spies spotted someone walking out to the balcony during the night at Trottingham Palace. When I asked him what she looked like, he gave the exact description of Sunset Shimmer!"

"So she is alive, after all..." Twilight grew a look of worry.

Spike nudged her. "Hey, buck up, Ms. Sparkle! We'll stop her!"

Twilight just gave a faint smile.

Suddenly, the carriage came to a complete stop. Twilight looked out the window. It was suddenly dark. She wondered this before she realized that they had entered a tunnel two minutes ago. The trio all got out of the carriage to see what exactly the problem was.

"What's going on?" Spike asked cautiously.

"Take a look for yourself," Fancy said, pointing out to the two drivers.

"What are you-GAAAHHHHHHH!!" Spike had just discovered what Fancy was talking about and expressed his feelings in the most appropriate manner. The two drivers, with several knifes stuck to them, and their heads decapitated.

"What could do this?!" Spike screamed.

"Something not equine..." Twilight replied.

"Exactly," Fancy agreed. "Twilight, be on your guard!"

One of the headless horses suddenly began to rumble and shake. A bearded pony shot out like a cannon out of the neck of one of the drivers. It landed and turned towards the trio in a most menacing way.

"Wh-wh-what is that?" Spike asked.

"A vampire," Fancy answered. "And from the looks of it, he seems to be under the amulet's spell as well."

"Do you think Sunset might have something to do with this?" said Twilight.

"I wouldn't doubt it."

The vampony simply danced around with his knife clutched between his teeth. He kept repeating the words "I'm gonna cut ya" over and over again in a eerie singsong voice. Spike couldn't stop shaking as he cowered underneath the carriage.

The vampony then got up on his hind hooves and revealed several knives sticking out of his body, the blades facing outward. They then shot out without warning at top speed. Fancy and Twilight managed to dodge them in the nick of time as one knife simply nicked Fancy's hat.

Meanwhile, a bottle and glass levitated out of the carriage and floated towards Fancy. He poked the bottom of the bottle with his horn as a small stream of cider poured out of the newly formed hole and into the glass directly below it. Twilight looked at Fancy with utmost confusion.

"Fancy, what are you doing?! Now's not the time!" Twilight yelled.

Fancy simply took a sip from the glass, but strangely, never swallowed. Instead, he spit out the cider at the vampony. The cider took form of little circles, all surrounded by the aura of the Hamon. They just happened to be sharp enough to cut up the vampony's face a good bit. Smoke came out from his cuts as he held his face in his hooves. As soon as he drove his attention back to the trio, Fancy had already kneed him right in the face.

"Sendo Wave Kick!" He shouted.

"AGHHH HOT HOT HOT" He screamed. He leaped up and and wrapped his hoof on the sword hilt stuck on the ceiling. He used his weight to pull the hilt down, revealing a secret passageway on the wall beside them. He dropped down and leapt into the gigantic hole left in the side.

Twilight ran after him. "He's getting away! Come on, Fancy! We have to finish him off!" She yelled.

"Wait, Twilight," Fancy exclaimed. He poured more cider into the glass. "Take this." He then tossed the glass of cider towards Twilight. It didn't stray or even move from its original position as it was caught by Twilight.

"Wait, why are you giving me this?" Twilight asked.

"Listen carefully for this is your next test. Do not spill even a drop of that cider. If you do, I will leave you on your quest and be on my own way, even if you do manage to defeat the vampire." Fancy stated.

Twilight didn't question her master's motives. She just nodded and turned towards the pitch black darkness. She took a brightly lit torch with her and took a deep breath as she stepped inside. Spike came out of his hiding hole and stood beside Fancy.

"Do you really have that much faith in her to not spill that cider?" Spike asked, but he didn't get an answer. Fancy just stared off into the dark passageway.

***

Twilight looked around to the best of her ability. She couldn't see a thing due to how dark it was. From what she could tell, she wasn't standing in some open area. She found herself walking down a hallway, in what looked like some sort of maze. As she walked, she kept an eye on the cider, making sure it didn't spill, as per Fancy's orders.

Twilight continued walking until she heard roaring. The vampire swung by on some sort of mechanism and cut Twilight's side. During that, she had lost her focus, therefore losing her magical grip on the cider. Luckily she had caught in just in time, managing to keep the cider from spilling. She turned behind her and noticed the vampire had disappeared.

Twilight then realized that bringing the torch may have been a bad idea for it might give her away and the vampire more of an advantage. She tossed to the side and made sure the light it procured went out. She then stood still waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. It helped, but only for a little. As she kept walking through the dark, dank maze, she noticed a strange light coming from a stranger source. The cider.

Meanwhile, Cobalt the Ripper hugged the wall and just waited. Waited for his prey. He smacked his lips quietly, just thinking of what he would do once he got his hooves on that succulent meat.

The cider was emanating the light of the Hamon as it swirled clockwise around the glass. As she moved, it swirled faster and faster. She had then finally realized what it all meant. The cider was acting as a ripple detector, sensing other signs of life around her like some sort of radar. She touched the cider causing the energy coming from the cider to surge through her body. She could feel the vampire's vibrations coming from the wall behind her.

"My shivering heart!" She shouted. "This burning heat!" She turned towards the wall, got on her hind legs, took a deep breath, and placed her fore hooves on the wall. "I have you now, you zombie! SENDO HAMON OVERDRIVE!" She sent the energy through the wall and used it to attack Sunset's minion. In fact, it sent him flying so hard, it forced him to hit his head on the opposite wall, causing him to evaporate and turn into dust due to the extreme sun-like power of the Hamon.

Twilight later reunited with the trio as they were left to travel the rest of the way to Trottingham on foot. Fancy gave a proud smile to his new apprentice as they finally exited the tunnel.

Author's Note

Sono Chi No Sadame is great for writing action fics.