In Brightest Day: The Second Front

Sunset flew across the night sky, using her ring to zero in on the new rings landing site. She had no idea where these weird devices kept coming from, but one thing was for sure; the more she got her hands on, the better her chances of securing control over this world became. '....as well as my chances of putting down that arrogant Green Guardian.' She thought to herself as she got closer to her destination.

She soon heard gunshots being fired as well as strange roars like children screaming along with some high pitched screams.... which could come from little girls or teenaged boys who didn't hit puberty just yet.

She hovered over one of the buildings and looked around, eventually pinpointing the source of the noise. Turning around and looking downward she saw what looked like an abandoned restaurant with at least two cars parked outside, and inside the restaurant was a glowing yellow light, the very source of the energy signature she picked up. "Oh for the love of-please don't tell me someone already got to it!"

"It would appear that way." A familiar voice said. Sunset froze and slowly turned around. When did she show up?! She wasn't there a second or so ago!

"And just what the hell do you think you're going to do to whoever got that ring? Talk them to death?" Sunset asked sarcastically.

"And what was your plan exactly? Beat them until they stop breathing?" The Green Guardian asked sarcastically as she approached her. "And make no mistake, I do plan to fight if it's necessary. But I'd rather try the peaceful option first. After all, I gave you the same luxury didn't I? It's not my fault you failed to take my advice."

Sunset growled at the jab before turning away. "Let's just get this over with." She groaned as they flew towards the restaurant. The screams becoming more animalistic the closer they got....

As they entered the restaurant, they heard a terrified shriek as a skinny man with a mohawk ran out of the kitchen area covered in bruises and cuts. "PLEASE, YOU'VE GOT TO HELP ME! SHE'S INSA-AGGHH!!!" He screamed as a whip wrapped around his neck and yanked him into the shadows. The Green Guardian acted immediately and summon a lasso, quickly grabbing onto his foot just as he was dragged off... only for a blade of energy to shoot out of the wall and slice through her rope, leaving the thug to be dragged away at the mercy of his captor.

"....well, that shit escalated quickly." Sunset said as they heard the sound of flesh being ripped from bone and what could only be described as something popping a human head like it was a zit. "That escalated REALLY damn fast."

“Don't try to help or anything!” Guardian snapped back at her, her armor glowing as she got ready to battle.

To their surprise, an odd jingle started playing… and all around them they could hear the whirring and creaking of old machinery that haven't been used in years...

“Welcome home, girls and boys….” A voice sang as the sounds of whirring machinery got louder. “Time to play with brand new toys….” The singing continued as the two of them quickly shined their lights around the empty room, trying to pinpoint the source of the voice. “Nightmares lurk inside your mind…” The Voice continued as the whirring got louder. “Now there is no place to hide…”

"Okay.... this is getting REALLY disturbing..." The Guardian said as she aimed her ring towards one of the hallways. "Look... whoever you are, we're not your enemies…”

"Speak for yourself...." Sunset mumbled angrily.

"Hush you." The Guardian whispered as she continued to speak. "Listen, getting a ring with that kind of power can be overwhelming, believe me I know. But we can help you..."

The Voice giggled in response. “Who says I even want help? I'm perfectly fine the way I am!”

"Welp. You heard her." Sunset said as she summoned up an ax. "Time to give the bitch her final farewell card!"

“Oh? The big bad dragon wants to go a few rounds?” The voice asked sarcastically. “Well… if you want to get to me, you'll have to go through a few of my friends first!”

“Wait, there are more-” Sunset began, but stops when she heard the familiar whirring and creaking of old machines again.

Suddenly, four figures emerged from the darkness, surrounding them in a box formation, each one and animatronic based on some animal, each one bearing a glowing yellow symbol on the center of their chests.

Behind them was bright yellow chicken with an orange beak with several rows of sharp teeth, and wore a white bib that reads "LET'S EAT!!!".

To their left was a purple rabbit with magenta eyes and a squarish muzzle.

To their right was a fox with crimson, tattered fur, a hook for his right hand, and wore an eyepatch over its right eye.

And the final one in front of them was a brown bear wearing a black top hat, black bow tie.

“Now that the gang's all here… LET'S PLAY!”

"Oh I am NOT in the mood for any of this!" Sunset roared as she charged the animatronics... only for the Fox to knock her aside into the bunny who put her in a full nelson.

"Oh no you don't!" The Guardian shouted as she quickly summoned twin Katana blades and attempted to strike the two, only for the chicken and bear to blast her from behind, sending her crashing through one of the walls.

"That was just so adorable!" The voice chuckled as the fox slammed its fist into Sunset's stomach. "You're both so much fun I can't believe I didn't think to find you sooner!" She laugh as Sunset coughed.

"I'm not some-Offf-source of amusement for you!" Sunset grunted as the fox slammed its fist into her stomach once more, not willing to give her enemy the satisfaction of her pain, she immediately let out a burst of red energy, sending both animatronics flying.

"NOOOO! FOXY! BONNIE! THEY WERE THE HARDEST TO FIX YOU BIG JERKY MEANIE!" The voice screamed, and to Sunset's surprise it really did sound heart broken. "T-THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WROOOONG! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!"

“Well, maybe if you'd played nice I wouldn't have had to break all your toys!” She snapped back as she summoned a curved blade from her dragon arm, in her free hand she summoned red whip crackling with crimson lightning.

While Sunset was busy dealing with her own opponents, the Guardian wasted no time distancing herself from her pursuers before blasting a hole in the wall and flying outside, fighting them in such an enclosed space was just asking for them to overwhelm her. “Aw, don't run away! Freddy and Chica just want to play!” The voice giggled as the bear and chicken charged after her an alarming speed, both of them screeching as they fired beams from both their hands and mouths.

'And people wonder why this place was shut down... these creepy animatronics are pure nightmare fuel!' She thought as she sliced through the lasers using her Katanas. Freddy then roared as he charged forth in an attempt to grab her.... only to accidentally grope her breasts and temporarily get hearts for eyes.

The Guardian's left eye twitched under her mask. “FUCKING PERVERT!!” She screamed as she immediately kicked him in the jaw, nearly taking his head off. "Damn thing.... I always hated that one." She said, only for Chica to lunge at her with her claws outstretched, the guardian attempted to counter with her katanas, however at that moment she felt a lapse in power as she collided with her opponent, much to her surprise Chica shattered the Katanas upon contact before tackling her to the ground.

“Aw, don't be such a prude! Unlike that Dragon lady you're actually pleasant to look at” The voice seductively called out from the speakers as she struggled to push Chica off of her. “I mean, that skin-tight outfit is just begging to be torn off!” She cackled as Freddy readjusted his head.

".... how old ARE you?!" The Guardian asked, the voice REALLY sounded like a little girl's. "I'm very concerned you actually have no idea what you're doing."

“.....are you calling me a child!?” The voice retorted in a surprisingly angry yet menacing tone. Suddenly the aura surrounding the puppets became a lot more intense as the symbols on their chests glowed. Their features became more feral, their teeth started to extend and become sharper, and their exterior appearance became a lot more decrepit….

"I might be saying that but only because it's true!" Guardian yelled as she tried fighting back, releasing a small burst of energy that pushed Chica off of her. "Only because you're just acting like one!"

"Oh and I suppose YOU are so clean aren't you?" A horrifyingly familiar voice asked Guardian.

The Guardian froze for a moment, giving her opponent a split second opportunity as it grabbed her by the neck and hurled her through a wall, sending her flying back into the restaurant. As she got up she briefly attempted to conjure up a shield... only for the ring to suddenly short out. "W-what's going on?!" She whispered as she attempted to focus. "Why can't I-HURK!"

Sadly before she could recover properly she was slugged across the face by Freddy and sent flying right into a spinning kick from Chica. "Awww, what's wrong?! Out of batteries!?" The Voice taunted with statistic glee as Freddy, yanked her by her hair before several yellow wires erupted from his body, wrapping themselves around her. As she looked up she saw Chica approaching her, and the closer it got the wider its beak became, slowly unhinging to the point where it's head had been pushed back as if it was just a helmet... revealing a face beneath she never thought she'd seen again...

"No...... no you..... you're dead......... I-I saw-" The Guardian started before Freddy began stuffing her into his gullet, trying to crush every bone inside her body with the wires inside him.

"ENOUGH!!" A familiar voice roared, literally seconds before Freddy could bite down on his prey, Bonnie crashed through the wall and straight into Freddy, knocking the Guardian loose.

"W-W-What t-took you s-s-o long?" The Guardian asked, her voice rather shaky as she stood up, the image of her greatest fear still fresh within her mind.

Sunset merely shot her death glare. "These things might be a bit tougher than I expected was all. That's it." Sunset sneered as she blasted Chica out the boarded-up window. "What took you so long to break free?"

"W-Whoever this is... her ring is nothing like ours..." The Guardian shivered as Bonnie and Freddy slowly pulled themselves back together. "My ring runs on Willpower, yours undeniably runs on pure Rage... but this ring..."

"AH-AH-AHHH! NO SPILLING SECRETS!" The Voice called out as Foxy lunged out of the hole in the wall and tackled Sunset into the next room.

"Secrets?! I already assumed your ring ran on fear!" Sunset yelled as she tried bashing Foxy's head in with both fists. "You're HORRIBLE at keeping secrets you moron!"

“Says you, I'll have you know I'm good at keeping plenty of secrets!” The voice retorted fiercely. “After all, I highly doubt you even know who I am!”

At this however, Sunset replied with a mocking laugh. “What's there to know?! You're just some weirdo who got a lucky break and snatch the ring before I can get to it!” From behind her Chica flew back in through the broken window and attempted to bum rush her, only for Sunset to swiftly turn around and impale it through the head with her blade. “And the fact that this is the best you can come up with his downright pathetic!”

"T-they're not pathetic! They're charming in their own special ways and they don't like it when people are picking on me!" The voice shouted as the animatronics started growling at her and growing a bit larger. "And you.... you're being really mean right now!"

'Looks like I touched a nerve...' Sunset smirked under her mask.

Back in the main room, the Guardian continued her battle against the two animatronics, having conjured up a massive dome-shaped shield to prevent them from getting too close. However she could hear the argument in the next room and immediately realized what Sunset was doing.

'Oh no! Sunset for the love of God don't provoke her!’ She thought as she saw her opponents growing more feral by the second. As they relentlessly pounded on her shield small cracks started to form along the surface, the Guardian immediately attempted to pour more power into it, however her ring started to fizzle out yet again.

[Warning: Ring Power at 32%]

'Oh great…’

"Oh I'm not making fun of you, you do a better job making yourself look like an idiot!" Sunset continued as she yanked her blade out of Chica's skull before slicing Foxy's head off. "I mean seriously? These stupid puppets were the best you could come up with?! How childish can you get?!"

"........WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!" The voice yelled as the animatronics started repairing themselves. "I'M CHILDISH?! I'M THE ONE THAT'S CHILDISH?! BECAUSE I'M NOT THE ONE WHO LOOKS LIKE AN EDGELORD?!"

“Oh? You're trying to shame me? That's just adorable!” Sunset scoffed as she enveloped her armor in a fiery aura. “At least I'm capable of doing my fighting up-close-and-personal! You need to send your pathetic puppets to do your dirty work!” As she continued her rant she held up her free hand and conjured up a spiked ball. “You could create a literally anything you want with the powers of this ring, and yet you waste it on these oversized toys! Face it, you're nothing but an immature child and that power is wasted on someone like you! You're better off just handing it over to me!”

It was like a knife was slashed through her mind. The person controlling the animatronics.... remembered a similar phrase…. from someone she absolutely loathed and despised….

She remembered being in a fetal position.... crying her eyes out…

"What a total mess. You were left in charge of this these stupid decorations were the best you could come up with?! How childish can you get?!”

She remembered HER standing over her with a mocking smirk on their face, holding some of her destroyed decorations that she herself worked TWO WEEKS on.... and just ruining it in two minutes.

“Pfft, face it, you're nothing but an immature child who everyone wastes their attention on! If no wonder your so-called “friends” abandoned to you! You're better off just being alone and forgotten!”

Sunset smirked when the voice went silent, thinking she'd won their little argument, but the...

“You…." The voice whispered in a menacingly low tone. "You're just like… just like HER…”

"Uh...... just like who?" She asked before Foxy could pin her against a wall and roared in her face.... although it switched into a more deep throated roar.

“YOU’RE JUST LIKE THAT BULLY WHO DOESN'T CARE FOR ANYONE BUT HERSELF!" The voice shouted at her as Foxy became taller, his fur turned a bloody crimson, and his “skin” became more withered with the material above his eyes a muzzle completely rotting away, revealing parts of the endoskeleton beneath, and his became much sharper. "ALL SHE CARES FOR IS IF SHE CAN LOOK GOOD WHILE HURTING PEOPLE! AND YOU'RE JUST. LIKE. HER!!!"

Sunset felt an overwhelming emotion.... one that she never thought she'd feel ever again.... the feeling of fear. It wasn't just Foxy either. It was the other animatronics.... no.... it was this place. It was the place she was in. It was radiating PURE unadulterated fear.

Foxy let out another feral roar, and a bright light erupted from its mouth, completely eclipsing Sunsets vision…

She felt.... she felt herself regressing.... she felt her body becoming young until she was but a foal.... a foal who could do nothing. She tried calling someone.... anyone..... but nobody came.

At first she wanted to give up but then she.... she saw her parents! Her equine parents!

“M-Mommy? D-Daddy?” She gasped weakly, struggling to her hooves and running towards them. A small glimmer of hope in her eyes.... but as they turned around to face her… they sneered at her. They never said a word but.... she could feel it.... the feeling of disappointment. ".... no.... no no no! Not again!" She yelled as she tried to run another way.... only to run into Celestia.

“Well well well, if it isn't my so-called faithful student…” She scoffed, giving her dark glare before turning her back on her. “To think I actually thought you would ever amount to anything… but instead you're nothing but a disappointment…”

“GO AWAY! YOU'RE NOT REAL! YOU'RE NOT REAL!" She yelled as she tried using her ring to fly away... only for the Guardian to appear before her and trap her in a green energy bubble.... before she could react she was whisked away, the Guardian flying straight up past the clouds… through the atmosphere… and finally stopping, the two hovered just above the world....

…the world she had every right to rule!

“Look at it, an entire world of magicless beings and you still fail to conquer them…” She stated as several ropes of energy erupted from the sides of the bubble, each one wrapping around one of her hooves and rooting her to the spot. “Even with the power to rival that of Celestia herself, you still fail to measure up… face it Sunset Shimmer, you failed once again…”

“Just as you failed to live up to our expectations…” Sunset turned around to see her parents floating above her. “Just like how you failed to surpass your own brother…”

"N-no.... I-I'm not a failure." Sunset said but it was rather cowardly.... not at all her normal confidence but that was the least of her worries.... in her heart her fear began being replaced by an even worse feeling.... a feeling of doubt. Her ring began dimming.... losing it's former luster. "I-I'm not a failure."

However, as the the three began to circle her, an emerald light immediately shined from above them several beams of energy shot out towards her tormentors, slicing through her parents and the Guardian and disintegrating them in one shot before they had a chance to scream.

As the bubble around her disintegrated into nothingness, she felt her strength and her resolve returning... and saw a familiar figure slowly emerging from the light...

'Sunset...'

"....Sunset, wake up!" She heard the Guardian call out to her as the illusionary world around her vanished.

As she did she also saw Foxy was missing a head on his shoulders. "Wh-what..... .where.... where did-"

"He wasn't letting go so I decided to be... persuasive." The Guardian said as she helped Sunset get back up on her feet. "Look... I know you don't like me but we're not going to win if we fight alone. We need to work together."

Sunset was tempted to simply say she can handle it herself, but then memory of that feeling of helplessness was still fresh in her mind. As much as he hated to admit it, she'd rather not go through something like that again. "Fine, temporary truce." She sighed as her ring crackled with energy. "We kick that weirdos ass, then it's back to business."

The Guardian nodded as Freddie leaped on her and started trying bear-hugging her again only for Sunset to grab his head and ripped it straight off his body causing it to fall apart.

"THEY'RE NOT STUPID! THEY'RE CHILD FRIENDLY AND THEY'RE SUPER NICE! THEY JUST DON'T LIKE JERKS AND PEOPLE WHO HELP JERKS!" The voice yelled... and the Guardian heard a hint of.... had she been crying since Sunset got back to her feet?

“You're seriously calling these abominations “child-friendly”?!” Sunset scoffed as she cracked her neck. “This place is like Chuck-E-Cheese who was run by Freddy-fucking-Kruger-MMMPH!” She tried to continue but her mouth was covered up by a green X, courtesy of the Guardian.

“Stop provoking her!” She snapped.

Suddenly several wisps of yellow energy flowed into Freddy's body as the the rest of the animatronics slumped over, like puppets that had suddenly gotten their strings cut. Then Freddy got up, now surrounded by a yellow aura and more extensively tattered than before. He became taller as the energy altered his appearance, to the point where his head almost touched the ceiling. His hat was torn with a few wires exposed through tears in various parts of his body, with large parts of his endoskeleton in visible as well, especially through the upper torso and the lower legs.

“YOU. WILL. DIIIIIEEEEE!!!”

“....okay, I think she had a bad childhood." Sunset said as Freddy screamed at them with an inhuman roar.

"Look. I don't know about you but this... this color has been draining my power since we started this fight.... can you distract him while I power up?" Guardian asked.

"Oh wow. Our 'team-up' consists of me defending you. Such a good case of 'teamwork'." Sunset snarked.

"I'm sorry, do you want this nightmare to end or not!?" The Guardian asked in an irritated tone. "I just need a few minutes, and then I think I can charge up enough power to end this thing for good, and then we can go for its master!"

Sunset rolled her eyes, but then proceeded to spread her wings as she summoned a crimson blade from her dragon arm. "I swear if I lose any body parts during this fight... I'm removing yours as as compensation!" She shouted as she immediately flew towards the beast.

"Okay.... I can do this. I can do this." She whispered to herself as she took a deep breath and summoned her power battery. "In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night...."

"OVER HERE ASSHOLE!!" Sunset shouted as she flew circles around the beast, repeatedly taking shots at any weak points she could spot and then distancing herself before it had a chance to strike back. "Oh come on! My brother can land a better hit then you!" She yelled at it as she dodged yet another blast. "You can't hit the broadside of the Apple farm!" She yelled at them... just before it grabbed her and roared in her face.

“WAKA-WAKA, WHORE!” The Voice screamed as a massive beam of energy erupted it from its throat, blasting her through several walls.

“Ok… as painful as this is *coughcough* this is good…. “ She coughed as she picked herself up. “I’ve just got to keep her away from Miss-Guardian over there-”

Sadly the thoughts were cut off as Freddy burst through the hole in the wall end tackled her to the ground. “PAPA BEAR SAYS THIS BITCH IS TOO CONSCIOUS!” The voice screamed as Freddy began slamming her head into the ground, causing cracks to appear on her helmet.

".... okay..... maybe she could hurry the hell up to. That works to." Sunset groaned as she tried standing on her feet again. "Damn that hurt." And just then she got another punch.

"THE BEAR NECESSITIES WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO BE ACQUAINTED WITH THE GROUND!" The voice yelled again as Freddy punched her across the face.... and suddenly in Sunset's head it clicked.... the childish acting out..... the way she was overprotective of the animatronics like they were her toys.... the pointless references....

It was Pinkie Pie.

‘Oh HELL no! I have not going to get my ass kicked by that idiot party animal!’ She thought to herself as she caught the next fist with her dragon arm. “I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!” She screamed before slugging Freddy across the face, not giving it a chance to recover, she once again summoned a blade from her dragon arm and flew forward, stabbing her opponent in the chest, then proceeded to punch him off the blade and into the wall. Letting out of roar of anger she summoned a construct that resembled a demonic bull and sent it charging towards him, impaling him on its horns and sending him crashing through another wall. Just as construct vanished Sunset flew above him and proceeded to vomit a torrent of napalm blood all over him.

However the Freddy construct wasn't having it. One of his claws reached up and grabbed her around the neck and slammed her into the ground again, cracking the mask some more. 'ARE YOU SHITTING ME?! I LAID INTO HER WITH SOME HEAVY FIREPOWER! HOW IS IT NOT DAMAGED YET?!' She growled to herself.

“...Green Lantern's Light!!” The Guardian shouted as a powerful beam of energy struck Freddy square in the chest, loosening his grip on Sunset.

“What the hell… took you?” Sunset grumbled that she caught her breath.

“And here I thought you said you didn't need help…” The Guardian said in a mocking tone, which Sunset merely scoffed at as she turned her attention back to the bear as it slowly got up. Glaring at its two adversaries, it let up one final feral roar and begin charging at them, fully intent on ripping them to shreds.

“BARE NECESSITIES!! YOUR ASSES ARE MY RECIPES!! THE SIMPLE BEAR NECESSITIES OF DEATH!!!”

“Yeah… no.” The Guardian bluntly replied as she slammed a hammer until its head the moment it got close enough, then just as it tried to pick itself up she summoned two train coaches on both the left and right sides of the beast and proceeded to crush him between the two, and then finally she summoned a swarm of fighter jets that aimed and fired their missiles upon Freddy, obliterating him in one final shot.

The nightmarish animatronic let out one final screech as it was blasted to pieces, the yellow aura completely leaving its body. "I pray that was the last one...." The Guardian mumbled as she lowered her hand. "I'd rather not have to deal with any more abominations like that..."

'Just wait till you have to deal with the zombies...' Sunset thought to herself.

"IT'S NOT OVER YET!" Mena snarled, getting both of their attention as she floated out of the hole in the wall. "You.... you both think you're SOOOO special don't you?! That you're SOOOO tough?! I'M THE QUEEN OF FEAR AROUND HERE! I'M THE ONE WHO MAKES THE RULES!"

“P… Pinkie Pie!? What happened to you!?” The Guardian stammered in surprise. ‘Why?! Why would a ring like this choose her of people?!’

“You look like the Wicked Witch of the insane asylum.” Sunset smirked as she took a step forward. “So listen little Miss Nutjob, let's make this easy, you fork over that ring, and I don't blast you into the next city ten miles from here!”

"YOU!" Mena snapped at Sunset. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DID THIS! YOU'RE GOING TO PAY! YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THE PAIN YOU CAUSED ME!"

"Oh, so I blew up a few of your toys! Boo-fucking-hoo!" Sunset retorted. "Let me play you a song on the world's smallest violin-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!!" The Guardian shouted, getting between Sunset and Mena with her armor glowing. "Pinkie, please... I don't know could have possibly happened that resulted in this power being forced upon you... but please, let us-" She glanced back at Sunset for a second. "-let ME help you..."

"Oh please. A crazy girl like that doesn't change in an instant!" Sunset snapped at her. "You think just some honeyed words are enough to just make her stop dumb ass?!"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A DUMBASS!?" Mena shouted, her aura flaring up. The claws on her right glove extending as she took a step forward, causing the Guardian to flinch. "YOU HAD TO GET YOUR ASS SAVED BY GREEN GIRL OVER THERE!!"

"And so did you! Because she has some delusion that you can be saved or some shit like that!" Sunset yelled back before glaring back at the Guardian. "So you think it was smart to save her now dumbass?!"

The Guardian massaged her temples, trying her hardest not to lose it right then and there. "At least I'm trying to find a peaceful solution! You on the other hand can't seem to shut up for five seconds and keep antagonizing her!" And you!" She continued, turning her attention to Mena. "What do you think you'll get out of this?! Slaughtering random people!? What happened the the girl who went out of her way to put a smile on everyone's face!?"

Mena's face softened a bit, as if considering what she was saying... but she immediately shook her head angrily. “She was nothing but a weak immature child needed to grow up! I’m what she needs to be! What she has to be if she wants to survive in this world! Now how about you shut your mouth and let me kill the red bitch!" She sneered as she summoned gauntlet and rushed towards Sunset....... only to abruptly stop in her tracks and punch herself in the face. "W-what the.... when did she-AAAAAGGGGGHHHH!!!" At that moment, Mena held her head and started screaming and anguish has a part of her uniform seemingly ripped itself away from her, twisting and distorting itself into the upper-half of a humanoid figure, said figure resembled Pinkie as she normally was, poofy hair and all.

"Get out, get out, get out! You've been in the driver's seat for far too long!!" Pinkie screamed as she grabbed Mena from behind.

"NO! YOU CAN'T! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" Mena shouted as she glared at the two. "THIS ISN'T OVER! YOU HEAR ME?! THIS ISN'T OVER YET!"

"Actually I think it IS over." The Guardian said with a glare as she summoned a metallic clamp and grabbed onto the yellow ring, attempting to pull it off her.

Sunset on the other hand was completely baffled by by the spectacle taking place before her. 'Just how messed up in the head IS this girl!?'

"NO! I CAN'T LOSE THIS POWER!!” Mena snapped in fury as she use the remainder of her power to summon a large cobra construct from her left hand, commanding it to lunge at the Guardian who, despite Pinkie's assistance, was putting in all of her energy to pull off the ring. “I WILL NOT LANGUISH IN YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS FOR ANOTHER LIFETIME! I WILL LIVE THROUGH YOU!!"

Acting on instinct, Sunset flew forth and sliced through the constructs with her blade. This action gave Pinkie enough time to take firm hold of Mema's hand, holding it in place as the Guardian pulled the ring off her finger. The second the ring came off, Mena could only scream in agony all of the energy left her, wafting off her body like wisps of smoke, as the construct of Pinkie herself slowly faded away, she turned to the two ring wielders with a sad smile.

"Thank you....."

As the energy returned to the ring, the Guardian encased the ring in a protective bubble and quickly caught Pinkie's unconscious body as she fell to the ground.

"Tch. Well that was rather easy." Sunset said with a smirk as she made her way towards the Guardian with her hand outstretched. "Now if you'll play it smart and hand over the ring this whole thing can finally be over…. for now at least."

".... are you kidding me? After EVERYTHING we just saw and went through, you honestly think you're worthy for both the Yellow AND Red Rings?!" The Guardian snapped at her as she stood up with Pinkie in her arms.

"More worthy than you can ever hope to be-what the!?" Sunset began, but was cut off when the ring let loose a powerful spiked shield that shredded through the Guardian's protective bubble.

[Fear Detected]

Before either of them to make a move to grab it, the ring shot up right through the ceiling and into the night sky....

Sunset's left eye twitched under her mask. "Are you kidding me?! All of that drama risking my life... and it amounted to nothing!?" She shouted in irritation as she turned away and stormed off. "This was just a gigantic waste of my time!"

"Why...?" The Guardian asked, causing Sunset to stop in her tracks. "Why is power all that matters to you?"

"Because that's all ANYONE cares about!" She snapped at her. "That's all ANYONE respects and the only idiots who disagree think it's for truth and justice or some bullshit like that!"

“Those who disagree know that it's better to fight for someone other than yourself.” The Guardian stated firmly. “To fight for something other than simply power for power's sake.”

"Oh don't tell me you don't honestly believe that bullshit?" Sunset sneered at her. "After all the shit you've seen? You actually believe that whole bullshit? You sound just like my senile old mentor anyways. I'm out of here!"

"Believe what you want..." The Guardian said as she rose through the hole in the roof with Pinkie still in her arms. "...but remember that it's that kind of mindset that helped me beat you."

And with those words she took off into the city, leaving Sunset behind...