Darkest Before the Dawn

“Do you really think you should go,” asked Rarity.

“The portal isn’t set to open for thirty moons. It’s only been six months since Twilight left, I don’t know what this means but I really should check it out,” said Sunset Shimmer.

“Well then we’ll go with you, I kinda want to see this ‘Equestria’ place you and Twilight are from,” said Rainbow Dash.

“Uh-uh, you guys need to stay here. There’s a reason why only Twilight came to this world, dimensional paradoxes and all that.”

“Awww – Oh well, say hi to Twilight for us,” said Pinkie Pie.

“A-And be sure to apologize when you get there, if you don’t mind that is,” said Fluttershy.

“Stop yer worryin’ girls, Sunset’s a tough gal, she’ll be fine,” said Applejack.

“Besides, it’s Equestria, we got the Elements of Harmony and two goddess level Princesses watching over the place. What could happen?”

Unfortunately, when she arrived back in Equestria it was a far cry different than when she last visited this realm. For one thing, the mirror seemed to have been relocated. From the looks of it she was in an old castle, the roof was completely gone, exposing the bleak and ominous night sky. She could tell something was wrong, the air had a foul scent to it, and she couldn’t overcome this oppressive feeling all around her. Sunset took a few cautious steps, her legs wobbling as she did so.

Guess I’m a little out of practice with walking on hooves again. Sunset concentrated and felt the flow of mana within herself rise, igniting her horn with teal colored magical energy. Some things less than others, she thought.

Just then Sunset heard a scuffling sound coming from the shadows on at the far side of the room. She entered into a defensive stance and readied her magic to fight back.

“Show yourself,” she ordered.

Upon her command a unicorn mare came strolling out of the shadows, she was just a head taller than Sunset, her gait was flawless and regal even, but weak. Her magenta eyes held within them sadness as well as hope. Her white coat would have been beautiful, if it weren’t stained in dirt and grime. Her long pink mane covered her right eye and part of her face, but Sunset could still see that this mare was smiling right at her.

“Who are you, and why is the Mirror in this godforsaken place,” she demanded.

“I-I’m glad you’ve returned Sunset, honestly I was uncertain if the little magic I had left would allow me to bypass the thirty moon timespan,” said the mysterious mare.

“You’re not answering my question, your name, NOW!” Sunset charged her horn with mana, preparing to fire a magic bolt should this mare prove to be hostile.

“You always were quick to snap, Sunset. Like a raging wildfire that couldn’t be contained. But then again, it was that quality among others that finalized my choice in choosing you to be my student,” said the mare.

Sunset’s horn powered down as she stared at this mare with a baffled look on her face. The mare noticed this and turned slightly to show her left flank. Upon it was a cutie mark of a sun, the very same cutie mark as… “PRINCESS CELESTIA!?”

The mare simply nodded, “It’s been a long time.”

Sunset Shimmer wanted to go and run to her and hug her fiercely, to say she was sorry, to ask forgiveness for shunning her teachings, but she couldn’t move. Sunset felt too ashamed of what she did, stealing the Element of Magic, nearly killing Twilight Sparkle in the otherworld, plotting to overthrow Equestria by using the humans as her brainwashed slaves. I don’t deserve her forgiveness, what was I thinking!? She’s probably disgusted with me –!

Just then Sunset felt a pair of forelegs wrap around her. She was too stunned to move, her vision was filled with the whiteness of Celestia’s coat. “Welcome home, Sunset Shimmer.” Sunset couldn’t hold back the tears, the dam burst and she buried her face in her former mentor’s chest, crying and repeating “I’m sorry” over and over again. The whole time Celestia just held her gently, stroking her mane like mother consoling her foal.

Many minutes passed with the former student and former mentor catching up. Of course there was no getting around the whole “stealing the Element of Magic” part of her life story, but Celestia didn’t seem at all that angry with her. Now it was time for Sunset Shimmer to ask the burning question she had upon seeing her Princess.

“What happened to you? Where are your wings, and why are we in your old castle,” asked Sunset.

“…I fear I have called upon you in Equestria’s darkest hour…I no longer have my wings because I have been stripped of my alicorn powers, what little magic I retained from that form I used on the Mirror to allow you to come back home,” said Celestia.

“I don’t understand, what power on Equestria can strip you of your alicorn powers!?”

“Not a what, but a who……Twilight Sparkle…”

Sunset Shimmer felt her mind come to a grinding halt. Twilight Sparkle, Miss Goody-Four-Hooves, ascended Princess, wielder of the Element of Magic, and Celestia’s number one student! That just wasn’t possible! Sunset knew that Twilight would rather die than hurt her mentor like this.

“What happened, why did she do this to you!? Did she do the same to Princess Luna, too!?”

Celestia eyes were downcast; a few tear drops splashed on the stone floor. “It was six months after her return…A foe we had thought was defeated had risen again. His name was Sombra, a unicorn who wielded powerful dark magic. Princess Cadance and her husband, Prince Shining Armor, held him off…Unfortunately the Prince lost his life. I sent Twilight and her friends to stop him, but he proved to be far more powerful than he was last time. They were eventually able to use the Elements and defeat him, but Twilight returned a changed mare…Who wouldn’t upon seeing their own family killed before them…”

“How changed…?”

“She isolated herself. Started to write to me about how Equestria was filled with hidden threats, and that we couldn’t stand idly by and wait for them to attack, that we should take the offensive. I told Twilight that it was not her call to make, and that the Elements of Harmony were a weapon that wasn’t meant to be used in the manner she wished. She then spoke of taking matters into her own hooves…”

Sunset gulped, she didn’t like where this was going at all. Suddenly thunder and lightning roared in the sky above. Celestia rose to her hooves as well as Sunset, both mares scanning the sky. From the clouds descended a very familiar mare. Sunset’s teal eyes went wide with shock at seeing none other than Twilight, but she looked so much different. Her eyes were green with blood red dragon-like slits and wispy shadows coming from the corners. Her horn was a dark crimson and curved like a blade, an aura of dark purple wrapped around it with black stars twinkling within it. And a strange amulet wrapped around her neck.

“T-Twilight!?”

“Sunset Shimmer, really?” Twilight’s menacing gaze fell on the fallen Celestia. “This is who you wasted your last bit of godly magic on!? Bringing back this arrogant, stuck up, plot of a pony!?” Twilight then began to burst into a fit of evil, mocking laughter.

Celestia stood in front of Sunset, her stance firm and eyes narrowed, “Sunset you need to run! There’s a way you can set things right, but only if you live!”

“I’m not abandoning you again! I won’t do that to you, not in your hour of need!” Sunset proclaimed.

“Cute, very cute, and I hate to separate you two lovers, but I need to speak with Celestia. So do me a favor, Sunset, and wait for me back at my place, okay? Okay!”

Twilight’s horn flashed as a dark purple aura enveloped Sunset’s body. The golden-yellow unicorn reached out a hoof towards her mentor, eyes filled with panic. “Princess Celes –!”

A crackling pop noise echoed out, and Sunset Shimmer was gone. Celestia grit her teeth, stamping her hoof onto the floor before she turned her eyes to her fallen student and friend.

“Now, where were we,” asked Twilight evilly.

“Do what you must, I know this isn’t the real you, Twilight…”

“……It is now…Tia…” Twilight cocked back her right hoof, a black aura formed around it, becoming thick as purple and green lighting surged around it. Twilight then thrust her hoof in Celestia’s direction; a long beam of dark energy sailed toward her, the tip of the beam then sprouted four long claws that reached out towards the Princess.

Light the way for her, Sunset…

“ –tia!”

Sunset Shimmer soon found herself in a new location, from the looks of it she had been transported to a library. She jerked her head around, looking for any signs of Celestia, but sadly, the Princess of the Sun had not been transported with her.

“Twilight, how could you have fallen so far…!”

Sunset started to roam around the library, her eyes drifting to a plaque that read:

“Certificate of Ownership of Ponyville Golden Oaks Library.
Librarian/Resident: Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“So, this is where she hangs her crown, figures,” said Sunset.

As she walked through the library she noticed some scattered papers, diagrams, and pictures. Most of it was nonsense, some of it described a form of necromancy, and others were pictures of a strange amulet, the very same that adorned Twilight’s neck.

“The Alicorn Amulet…I thought that thing was just a myth!”

The ground began to rattle and shake, causing dust to fall from the ceiling. Sunset Shimmer ran for the door and busted it down with a concentrated telekinetic burst. She skidded to a halt, and gazed upon the ruined town. She remembered seeing this small village from the balcony of Canterlot Castle.

Sunset Shimmer looked around for the cause of the rumbling; she then looked skyward and saw orangey light coming from the direction of the Everfree Forest. Black smoke bellowed upwards into the sky, merging with the dark clouds overhead. Sunset began to weep.

“Ooooh c’mon, it’s not like you were that close to her.” Sunset jumped to her right a good five feet, surprised to see that Twilight had somehow gotten right next to her without even sensing her presence. “If anything I should be the one who’s crying. After all she was my mentor, like a second mother really…You know what, scratch that. We were WAY past that,” said Twilight with a devilish grin.

“Shut up, you have no right to talk about her like that!” Sunset shouted angrily.

Twilight’s horn glowed once again, from her right forehoof the dark claw shot forth, grabbing Sunset and bringing her close so that she and Twilight were eye to eye.

“I can talk about her in any manner I wish to. She was my teacher, my friend, and for a short time…my marefriend.” Twilight noted the dejected look in her eyes. “It’s her fault, hers and Luna’s, they were weak! Their weakness caused all of this! Sombra’s rising, my brother’s death, all of it was their fault!”

“Cadance was so distraught; she gave up her immortality and her powers! She then had the nerve to ask me to end her suffering! What about MY suffering, I loved him too!” Sunset watched as tears started to flow from Twilight’s eyes. “So now, I will make sure that Shining Armor and Cadance are the last ponies to die because of Celesita’s and Luna’s mistakes!”

“So you killed them…both of them…?”

“I did, but not before making them feel as helpless as my brother and Cadance did against Sombra.”

“And what about your friends…? Did they support your madness too, or did you fault them as well!?”

“……They…Their deaths were the second hardest thing I’ve had to suffer…But it’s for the good of Equestria! I will lead this kingdom; I will make it safer than it ever was!” Twilight’s dark aura flared up like a raging inferno. “Even if that means tearing it down and remaking from scratch, I will save everypony!”

“Listen to yourself! That amulet is making you insane! You’re at your lowest and that thing and this dark magic is only driving you over the edge! For Faust’s sake Twilight, look at what you’ve done! Just take it off; it may not be too late to make this all better!” Sunset pleaded.

“I’m sorry, Sunset.” Twilight raised the dark claw overhead, balling it up into a fist. “If you’re not with me, then you’re an enemy of the peace!”
Before the fist made contact Sunset Shimmer enacted her spell, disappearing in a flash of teal light. The giant fist smashed against nothing but the dirt and bedrock below. Twilight dismissed the claw and watched as Sunset reappeared a few feet away, shaken, but otherwise still standing.

“Twilight…I let the Demon inside me take control when I put on the crown, it was scary, it was painful. But when you used the power of Friendship and Harmony you freed me and showed me that there was another way!” Sunset stood tall before Twilight, her horn glowing once again. “Now it’s my turn to save you from your Demon!”

“And why is that,” asked Twilight skeptically.

“Because…Because…” Sunset felt something within her, a power willing up that she’d never sensed before. It was strangely calming and serene. With a smile and a determined gaze, Sunset Shimmer bellowed out, “Because I’m your friend Twilight Sparkle!”

Suddenly six bright stars pierced through the veil of dark clouds above. The six different colored stars slowed their descent and hovered in an orbit around her body, their light dimmed slightly revealing six jewels, the sixth in the formation was shaped much like Twilight’s cutie mark. It was then that Sunset realized what these objects were. The six gems fired beams of multicolored light that engulfed Sunset Shimmer; she didn’t fear the beams as she closed her eyes and allowed their power to wash over her.

“No…That’s impossible! Those disappeared when I – when I –!”

“When you killed your friends,” Sunset finished, “Maybe you’ve given up on yourself,” The light dimmed, displaying her cutie mark made of an aurora of different colors, a field of magical energy raged around Sunset, who now sported two wings, she had ascended. “But I haven’t!”

Twilight fired a beam of dark magic at Sunset; the red crystal left the formation and shined, blocking the beam completely. The crystal had created a construct of its former bearer, surprising Twilight.

“R-Rainbow Dash!”

Sunset rose into the sky as did Twilight. The other four crystals took on the forms of their former bearers as well. Fluttershy’s construct looked at Twilight with kind eyes, Applejacks held her normal smirk, Rarity’s construct looked upon her with sad but happy eyes, and Pinkie’s smiled like the real one did before.

“No…It’s not possible…my friends…” Twilight’s eyes were starting to water upon seeing their images once again.

“Your friends haven’t given up on you either! Now, Twilight Sparkle –” Sunset’s eyes began to glow a bright white, the five constructs each glowed with intense power, “– BE HEALED!!!”

The five constructs flew straight for Twilight, Sunset fired the pent up power within the star crystal, the sixth beam united with the other five, creating the harmonic energy rainbow. Twilight unleashed all the power her amulet and dark magic held and fired it at the rainbow beam. The two energies clashed in the center of the sky above Ponyville. The two beams roared and screeched as they tried to overpower the other. Sunset could feel the beam losing ground, and so too could Twilight. She used this as her chance to try and end this here and now! Twilight unleashed a torrent of dark power, the beam tripled in size and began pushing the rainbow back to Sunset’s aura sphere.

No, not now, I promised to save her! I will save her!

Just then Sunset saw something shimmering into existence. To her right were Celestia and Luna, and to her left, were Shining Armor and Cadance. The ghostly images of the each put a hoof on the other, with Shining Armor and Celestia putting a single hoof on her shoulders. Suddenly the alicorn could feel the emotions of the ghostly figures, and those emotions became pure power. Cutie marks of all four of the ghosts appeared around the rainbow beam, acting as focusing lenses and magnifying its power! The harmonic rainbow swallowed the darkness, dispersing its particles as it raced towards Twilight. The beam washed over the purple alicorn mare, blinding her with its brilliant light. Her horn began to shrink, the draconic eyes vanishing, and at last, no longer able to withstand it, the Alicorn Amulet shattered around her neck, the pieces dissolving into nothingness. There was a blinding flash of light and all was quiet and still.

Twilight’s eyes fluttered open, she felt weak, but otherwise okay. Her eyes then fell upon Sunset, who was cradling her head in her left foreleg as she sat by her side. “Sunset,” she said with teary eyes, “I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…”

“Shh, it’s alright, they forgive you Twilight,” Sunset then gestured to the surrounding ghostly images of her friends and family. “I’ll help you through this, I promise.”

Celestia’s ghost’s horn began to glow with a yellow aura. The dark clouds dispersed from the sky as the sun rose over the horizon, bringing with it a warm glow. A hard road lied ahead for them, but it was one that they would walk together. A new dawn had risen.