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.